need professional advice on a 6.5mm rifle buy/build

[crimsoncomet]

Hey guys,

I am kinda stuck here. I want to build or buy a nice 6.5mm bolt rifle. I am not worried about finding brass or the brass being expensive. I just want a rifle that can shoot a rocket 6.5mm bullet. I want something accurate, but not a 15lbs. bench rifle. I want something I can make 500 to 700 yard shots hunting.
Here are my chooses.
- I can buy an ER Shaw .264 Win mag sporter, all stainless with fluted barrel for 950.00 flus FFL fees. They use a savage action but thread the barrel to the receiver instead of the savage nut.
- I can buy a remington .264 Win mag, if I can hunt one down, for the about the same price.
-Third choice. I have a savage model 110 in .243 that was given to me. It has hardly been shot by the previous owner nor myself. I believe the 6.5-284 is a short action cartirdge. I could have a gun smith rebarrel this action. I just dont know how much money I will be into. Any ideas?

I want a nice rifle and I am scared that the Remmy rifle and the ER shaw rifle may not shoot up to par. I need suggestions please?

 

[Skylerbone]

Not a professional opinion by any standard but the Shaw would likely live up to it's reputation if the shooter and glass is of similar quality, hard to say on the others.

Are you firm on the bolt action decision? If not, here's a quick fix, no wait time (at present) alternative that might appeal to you. Since they sell loaded ammo for it as well you could potentially be sighting in by weeks end with little more than a phone call at around the same price as the Shaw.

http://www.eabco.com/97ref.html

For under $300 INSTALLED you could send them your Savage and in about 2 weeks have it back with a custom barrel made by them. It might be an inexpensive option that saves headaches and makes use of what seems to be a donor rifle waiting for new life.

http://www.eabco.com/savagebarrels.htm

Worth the price of a phone call, very nice people, very professional and great products. (family member has two custom T/C barrels from them).

Either way, they have plenty of links at the top of the Savage page to other accessories in case you need a stock, mounts, rings, etc. and they do offer their barrels sans installation for those wishing to do the work. (6.5-284 1:8 for $259)

Hope this helps.

 

[kaferhaus]

ER Shaw is NOT a premium barrel.

Shilen, hart, Kreiger, Lilja, Border and pacnor are the best barrels you can buy.

6.5x284 will work in a short action

You can buy a pre-fit high quality barrel for around 450 bucks installed on your action

you have no business "hunting" at the ranges you're talking about. It's unethical and only a superb marksman could possibly make such shots..... even then the chance of wounding and losing the animal are extremely high.

 

[USSR]

ER Shaw is NOT a premium barrel.

Ditto. If you're going to all the trouble of having a rifle built for LR accuracy, the barrel is the LAST place you want to go cheap on.

6.5x284 will work in a short action

Do not use a short action with the 6.5-.284. While the cartridge is based on the short action .284 Win. case, this cartridge as it is typically loaded with LONG 140 grain bullets, is too long for a short action. The short actions are fine for a game such as F Class where you single load, but in a hunting rifle you want a mag fed repeater.

Don

 

[coug]

I would look for a used long action Remington or Savage and have it trued and barreled. it will cost about $1100 lock stock and barrel. I just built a Remington 700 30-06 into a 6.5-06AI with a heart barrel HS stock for $1200 its got a little extra done to it.. sell the .243 buy a donor rifle and do it you will love it..

 

[Flatbush Harry]

You might consider the Savage Mod 111 Long Range Hunter in 6.5-284. It has an accustock, accutrigger, 26" bbl, adjustable comb on the stock and an adjustable muzzle brake...for under $900. Only issue is that 6.5-284 brass is pricey and you'll need to handload. Since I do, I'm considering. I'm also toying with getting one and a replacement .260 rem bbl for when I wear it out or picking up a mod 11 LRH in .308 and rebarreling it in .260 Rem. I love my Rem 700 XHR in .25-06, but it's in danger of getting turned into a 6.5-06....as is my Mod 116 Weather Warrior in .30-06

All that aside, I'm thinking of buying myself a "Welcome to Medicare" gift of a Sako Bavarian Carbine in 6.5x55 SE.

FH

 

[coug]

good choice on the savage 6.5x284 I just thought it might be a litter heavy for what he wants. I like a heavy rifle even for hunting.

 

[BoilerUP]

Since you already have a Savage 110, the "cheap" way would be to just buy a quality 6.5mm barrel of your flavor (6.5x284, 260 Rem, 260 AI, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x55, 6.5x47 Lapua, etc) and either #1. pay a gunsmith to install it for you or #2. buy go/no-go headspace gauges and a barrel nut wrench and do the swap yourself. A short-action round in a long action 110 isn't any problem on the Savage, and will give you options for loading long bullets in the magazine.

You can order a brand-new Criterion (button-rifling division of Kreiger) stainless steel varmint barrel from Northland Shooters Supply in 260, 6.5x47 or 6.5 Creedmoor TODAY (they're in stock) for $250+shipping; Jim also has one factory takeoff 26" stainless fluted varmint barrel in 6.5-284 in stock for $220+shipping. He can get you a Criterion sporter profile barrel in any 6.5mm offering but you may have to wait a bit; he can also order you a McGowen barrel for a few more bucks if you'd prefer.

You might also want a new stock and a new trigger for long-range "hunting" (gonna assume varmints), but for a total investment of $500, maybe $600 you could be ready to go with a rifle you already have.

 

[J.Boyette]

Honestly,

The best option I see for you is to take the extra Savage Action you have and send it to Frank at Sharp Shooters Supply.

I would have the following done

1. True & Time Action $125.00
2. Install & Headspace Barrel $50.00 + $325 for a Douglas barrel
3. Order a stock from them or someone else

And you would have a custom hell of a rifle for $500 + a stock

I like these stocks my self

http://www.tacticalworks.com/New-Choate-Tactical-Stock.html

due to the design and low cost option

John

 

[coug]

these all sound like good options. just don't put a cheaper barrel or stock on it.. I haven't had any trouble with savage stocks. take your time and get it done the right way and you will be happy. you probly won't get to use it this year anyway. witch is good you will get to play with it a while. Also don't go cheep on glass. I just finished one and all yalls talk makes me want to tear down another one.

 

[kludge]

I want something accurate, but not a 15lbs. bench rifle. I want something I can make 500 to 700 yard shots hunting.

Just so ya know... and before you go off a spend a bunch of money just to be disappointed later...

a 9" circle (vitals of a whitetail deer) at 500 yards is 1.72 MOA at 500 yards and 1.23 MOA at 700 yards.

Few shooters could do that with a 15 lb. bench gun. From a bench. Without a trace of a breeze. If you need professional help to choose a 500-700 yard cartridge for hunting I'm guessing you're not one of them (for the record I'm not one of them either).

2 to 4 MOA is a better estimation of most people's skills from solid hunting positions. At 100 yards. Without wind.

That puts most hunters in the 200-400 yard maximum* range for clean shots on a deer.

(* 400 yards only if the hunter knows his cartridge, it's exact ballistics, the exact range to the game, under good conditions, otherwise stick to shots of 300 yards or less)

Sorry for the rant, but your .243 will probably be fine deer out to 250-300 yards. If you want more I suggest a 7mm-08, and that is an easy rebarrel on your Savage with widely available ammunition and brass. But by all means feel free to go with the 6.5-284, just know what chamber specs you're getting ahead of time.

McGowen can rebarrel your rifle for <$300, smith time included.

 

[crimsoncomet]

Thank you everyone for your replies. You have been a great help. I am stuck on the bolt action right now. I just really want capability. Seems like i need to go high quality for that. I was under the impression that my model 110 in 243 was a short action. Anyone know how exactly to tell? Using this action sounds like the best bang for my buck. If its a long action, i will probably go 6.5-284 if possible. Again thanks guys. You guys got the wheels turning in the right direction.

 

[BoilerUP]

All Savage 110s have long actions; double-digit models (10, 12, etc) are short action.

Easy way to be 100% sure is to measure the distance between the action bolts on the bottom of the stock; a long action is roughly 5" and older short actions are roughly 4.25".

 

[kaferhaus]

110 is a LONG action

 

[coug]

look at the load data for all the difrent case types before you make your choice. get the round and performance you want. contrary to popular belief here all the difrent 6.5 cases are not hard to get.

 

[CZsp01]

Tikka T3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9wuqmi3S9Q

 

[50below]

Read Kludge's post.

Just because you have a rifle that is capable doesn't mean you are capable every time. And just because you're capable at least some of the time, doesn't make it smart or ethical.

 

[crimsoncomet]

Thanks again. I will hopefully be sending out an email soon to sharp shooters supply and mabe talking to a smith about my savage action. It would be nice to put it to use. I has been sitting around idol for years.

 

[J.Boyette]

Thanks again. I will hopefully be sending out an email soon to sharp shooters supply and mabe talking to a smith about my savage action. It would be nice to put it to use. I has been sitting around idol for years.

Frank at Sharp Shooters is the only Smith I would want to work on a Savage Action. He was the first to offer aftermarket options and Savage rifles is what he does, not as a side deal, but as his only deal.

I trust that more.

 

[Jake1996]

remington makes the sendaro in the 264 winchester magnum for a list of 1359 us dollars

 

[Kachok]

If you want to build a 6.5mm short action build a 6.5 rem mag 100 fps faster then the 6.5-284/6.5-06 and just a hair faster then the 264 win mag according to my Nosler manual.

 

[Skylerbone]

E.A. Brown's list of winners from their first (1997) year of operation:

1997...Our Winningest Season
The 1997 La Cholla Challenge... 500 Meters
Rich Mishler Smashed the previous world record and won hitting 34/40 Targets, Slamming Down 9/10 Rams at 500 Meters! This Was Open Sights, Handguns, 500 Meters... Can You Believe It?
His Gun Was the BF Ultimate Silhouette in 7mm US Chambering.
IHMSA 1997 Internationals... Small Bore Unlimited
Steve White Beat All Of The Custom Unlimited Guns With His Production Gun...
The BF Ultimate Silhouette in 22 Long Rifle Match. Steve White... Champion of All The World!
IHMSA 1997 Internationals... "Iron Man" All Around Champion
Steve White Won Using His BF Ultimate Silhouette for Small Bore Production and Unlimited Classes (2 perfect scores), and Borrowed a BF Ultimate Silhouette in 7mm US For Big Bore Production Class. Steve White, "Iron Man", The Best In The World For 1997.
1997 IHMSA Cast Bullet Internationals
Dennis Trautman Won With His BF Ultimate Silhouette In 30 Max Chambering.
Dennis Trautman... Champion Of All The World!
NRA Nationals... Small Bore
Marvin Tannahill Won the Small Bore Conventional Standing Pistol Title.
His Gun Was a BF Ultimate Silhouette in 22 Long Rifle Match.
NRA Nationals... Big Bore
Marvin Tannahill Won the Conventional Freestyle Title.
His Gun Was a BF Ultimate Silhoutte in 7mm US Chambering.
NRA Nationals... "Iron Man" All-Around Title
Marvin Tannahill used is BF Ultimate Silhouette 22LR Match in Conventional and Conventional Standing Categories and he used his BF Ultimate Silhouette 7mmUS in Big Bore Conventional Freestyle to capture the "Iron Man" title!
NRA Nationals... Small Bore Hunters Pistol
Marvin Tannahill won the Open Sight Hunter's Pistol Championship with his BF Ultimate Silhouette 22LR Match and went on to capture the Byron Engle (Iron Man/4-Gun) Trophy.
1997 IHMSA Internationals... Big Bore Unlimited Any Sight
Harry Alder Took Second Place With His BF Pistol in 7mm Chambering.
1997 IHMSA Internationals... Big Bore Unlimited Standing
Hal Simpkins Captured Second Place With His BF Pistol In .357 Magnum.
1997 IHMSA Internationals... Big Bore Class AAA
Randy Fussell Took First Place with 78/80
His Gun: BF Ultimate Silhouette in 7mm US Chambering.
Mike McGowen Took Second Place with 77/80
His Gun: BF Ultimate Silhouette in 7mmUS Chambering.
Pensylvania State Championships
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place Won By Competitors With BF Ultimate Silhouette Pistols.
All Perfect Scores... The Champion Decided by Shoot-Off.
Jerry Gregg... PA State Champion. His Gun: A 6.5mmUS BF Utimate Silhouette.
Minnesota State Championships
Brian Krueger Won The Production Class Title.
His Gun: A 6.5mmUS BF Ultimate Silhouette Pistol.
Doug Standall Won The Small Bore Production Class Title.
His Gun: A 22 Long Rifle Match BF Ultimate Silhouette Pistol.
Texas State Championships
Micky Smith Captured The Title For His Class In Field Pistol.
His Gun: The BF Pistol in 30-20 Winchester Chambering.
There Are Many More Winners We Haven't Heard From...
These are only the winners we've heard from or read about... we don't want to leave anyone out. If you know of a winner with a BF Pistol, please let us know and we'll post him/her in our 1997 Winningest Year Report.

Guess no one told them they couldn't beat those others. $300 solution seems better to me than a $500 one. They most certainly are doing things right and that goes for every barrel THEY MAKE, not spec. out of house but MAKE, just like the big boys.

 

[StrawHat]

Shaw barrels may not be premium barrels but they certainly are more accurate than most shooters. So are the factory barrels. By most shooters, I am not talking about Lones Wiggers or Dave Tubbs but the average joe. Most of us have too much ego to admit it, but we try to buy "skill". Your Savage 110 is a decent action and can easily be adapted to something close to what you want. There are better actions available but you have a Savage. Someone mentioned Douglas barrels, another good choice. Brownells has some others but the most important thing to do is spend a lot of time behind the trigger. And away from the bench. Practice with your rifle in the psoitions you will likely be taking in the fields. For me sitting and offhand take up most of my time.

Good luck with your quest.