Rifle recommendations

Joined
Sep 6, 2019
I'd like to find stainless 6.5cr bolt guns to set up for my two boys. I have some Tikka rifles and I've drank enough of that koolaid already. Kimbers and savages are out also. I'm not opposed to buying actions only since I'll be putting on "custom" stocks anyways, but I'd like to stay under 1k per rifle (not including optics or mounts). No lightweight barrels, and preferably no detachable mags.
What are my choices?
 
I couldn't find a Howa in stainless, it was actually
Remington 7, Howa 1500, Ruger 77, Winchester 70
one of my first thoughts....
I'll take a look at the Ruger and Winchester ( I forgot to mention that Remington is also a no go)
 
Bergara B14 Hunter or Ridge would both be good options. Both have floor plates (which I like as well) the ridge just has a heavier barrel. Been behind several Bergara and they shoot really well but I'm still drinking that Tikka cool aid.
 
Lost mags, dropped mags, damaged mags, feeding issues, =single shot or no shot. I know there are AI conversions that perform flawlessly but in reality, a fixed mag and buttstock shell holder is all they really need for a hunting setup. My youngest dropped his Tikka off the trail last year and it put a hole in the front corner of the mag. The rifle still performed just fine, but..... next time?
Curious why you want to avoid detachable mags? Just worried about feeding issues?
 
Curious on what stock you are looking at. Christensen arms makes the mesa at like $1300. Pretty much just a Remington that doesn't suck. Decent muzzle break, trigger tech trigger, overall nice stock. I'm been behind a few of them and they all are well below MOA especially in a 6.5 creedmoor. If a muzzle break is an upgrade for you and the stock is something that you would use instead of a aftermarket stock I think the $1300 price point is actually a pretty good value on the market.
 
A quick internet search showed that setup in blued steel only.....
Bergara B14 Hunter or Ridge would both be good options. Both have floor plates (which I like as well) the ridge just has a heavier barrel. Been behind several Bergara and they shoot really well but I'm still drinking that Tikka cool aid.
 
Lost mags, dropped mags, damaged mags, feeding issues, =single shot or no shot. I know there are AI conversions that perform flawlessly but in reality, a fixed mag and buttstock shell holder is all they really need for a hunting setup. My youngest dropped his Tikka off the trail last year and it put a hole in the front corner of the mag. The rifle still performed just fine, but..... next time?


I get that. I have both. I personally prefer detachable mags, but again that is me. Come to think of it, my rifles for my 2 boys are both non detachable mags. So maybe that is why I haven't had any issues with them using them.
 
I'm not really familiar with Christensen rifles. If I can't order it with a custom lop, the stock is coming off no matter how nice it is. I appreciate a muzzle brake on a magnum bench rifle, but on a field gun chambered in 6.5, its unnecessary and dangerous (i
Curious on what stock you are looking at. Christensen arms makes the mesa at like $1300. Pretty much just a Remington that doesn't suck. Decent muzzle break, trigger tech trigger, overall nice stock. I'm been behind a few of them and they all are well below MOA especially in a 6.5 creedmoor. If a muzzle break is an upgrade for you and the stock is something that you would use instead of a aftermarket stock I think the $1300 price point is actually a pretty good value on the market.
mo). Lastly, there are quite a number of folks on this site with CA rifles that are experiencing problems and from my outside POV reading those posts, their customer service is not exactly "expedient" to put it nicely. A manufacturer can't make every customer happy, but I've read enough negatives on this site to steer me away from them.
 
i so agree with this. i hate detachable magazines for hunting rifles. detachable = something you can lose/forget

I used to think that too, but Ive never had a problem. I have more rifles with detachable mags than without. The bolt is detachable too and I doubt anyone loses them. Plus if you do that to yourself, you still have a single shot.
 
I have a stainless M77 in 6.5 CM in the classifieds that will survive the nuclear holocaust. I’m flexible on the price and I have load data for two sub-MOA loads I half-assed.
 
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