New big 30 cal rifle - options

[TheViking]

Man, lots of excellent options out there for higher end rifles. I had a Christensen Arms Mesa and sold it recently and am looking to replace it. I liked a lot of things about that gun, but I didn’t love the stock. It wasn’t bad by any means, but it wasn’t great either. Limb Saver pad on it was excellent.

A few options I’m looking at, I’d like your opinions, please. Looking in the $1500-$200 range. Might stretch it for something ‘perfect’.

I’ll go 300 Win Mag, 300 PRC, 300 WBY

I want a 24” barrel, not 26”

Fierce Fury - sub .5 MOA, never heard a bad thing about these rifles. Muzzle brake from factory.

Semi Custom Tikka - buy a rough tech and slap a Manners EH1 on it. Fluted barrel and muzzle break from factory is nice.

Christensen Arms Ti Mesa - love the new Ti versions from them, but I’ll be in the same boat with their stocks. Hate to put a new $700 stock on an $1800 gun.

Christensen Ridgeline - same as above

Bergara has some nice rifles. The premier mountain hunter 2.0 has a pencil barrel that turns me off.

Seekins is awesome - I have a 6.5 PRC in PH2 and it’s awesome! They .30 cals are 26” and I want to keep it 24 for being more compact

What else?

Leaning towards 300 PRC - you can shoot heavier bullets. Although the Fierce Fury’s are 1-9 twist, so shooting a 212 grain wouldn’t be an issue. So 300 win Mag is still an option.

I have the 6.5 PRC for 90% of my hunting, but if I go to grizz county I want a big 30.

 

[ElGuapo]

Cooper Excalibur in any 300 You want. My Weatherby shoots sub .5 moa

 

[TheViking]

Cooper Excalibur in any 300 You want. My Weatherby shoots sub .5 moa

Those are $3300….

 

[B23]

For the money in a non custom build, IMO, it's really hard to beat a Tikka and the aftermarket world just keeps getting bigger and better for them too.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Tikka isn't a good choice for a big 30, they're just to short of an action/mag box unless you want a 300 Win mag and plan to use factory ammo.

 

[dirtytough]

Agree with Weiser.

The best 30 cal in a Tikka is a 300 WSM imo which is no slouch.

 

[long hunter]

I shoot a Remington .308 XCR had a little work done to it nothing fancy, works well out to 600 yards (furtherest range I can shoot on) My hunting buddy shoots a tika very nice rifle but not for me. My remington 300 win mag is a good shooting rifle also at the 600 yard mark, both rifles have proven results at those distances for minute of deer. Guess it all comes down to what you want and what you want to pay.

 

[fjmcguigan]

Proof elevation

 

[ElGuapo]

Those are $3300….

I suppose I should have actually read your post, and saw the budget…… I’d go Fierce Fury. Great rifles

 

[deadwolf]

Maybe work with Seekins custom shop and just order with a 24” barrel?


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[turley]

I have a Fierce in 7mm-08 and do like the stock and action (Sako clone).
I'm contemplating a 300 WSM in either the Fury or Rage which are available with a 22" or 24" barrel

 

[Bull_n_heat]

You could play Kimber Roulette. I really like the stock and safety on the Montana (I have a 280AI). The action is ok in mine, and probably a lot smoother in the lower-shouldered rounds too. Pretty slight barrels on them though, so that might be a turnoff for you.

 

[turley]

The Kimber Montana is a nice sporter stock....but if the OP didn't like the stock on the CA Mesa I'm not sure he'd like the Montana.
Between my Kimber Montana and Fierce Fury I really prefer the stock on the Fury as I get a much better cheek weld.
You can probably get a Fierce Fury (steel barrel) for right around $2K

 

[Tumbleweed]

Browning Xbolts. They come in several configurations. I've loaded for 4 of them now, (3) 300 win mags and (1) 6.8 Western. Was able to tune all to sub .5 moa. Very good factory rifles


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[HuntHarder]

Why not get a Mesa TI and put a new stock on it? Almost every Mesa I have heard about or seen has been a shooter.

 

[TheViking]

Why not get a Mesa TI and put a new stock on it? Almost every Mesa I have heard about or seen has been a shooter.

That’s an option. Puts it in the $2500 range…probably can find a better factory gun at that price point.

 

[turley]

I initially looked at the CA Mesa prior to purchasing a Fierce Fury preferred the Fury's (Sako clone) action and factory stock.....and though cheaper I'd want to change out the stock on the Mesa which in the end put it over the price I paid for the Fury.
I also liked the Fury 7mm-08 has a 1-8 twist rate so can go heavy if choose to do so.

 

[MeatMissile]

Christensen is a 700 clone. Just put it in a stock you like. That’s what I did.

 

[Forest]

As mentioned the tikka is an excellent option in a 300wsm, wouldn't do the longs in it tho. The fierce and seekins are excellent options. Keep in mind if you're looking at a steel barrel it's pretty easy to cut off a couple inches and rethread it if needed. If you talked to seekins maybe they would do it from the factory.
If you were patient and caught the components on sale or had a donor laying around you're really not that far off from a custom/semi custom. Then you can pick your components exactly how you want them. That's where I'm at price wise with my tikka 7 saum build

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[XLR]

The tikkas are hard to beat... there are a lot of guys on here that have super accurate ones! Get yourself a factory rifle and slap it in an aftermarket stock (or if you are really cool a chassis) and they are hammers! Then when you are ready you can put a carbon barrel on it and it is a semi-custom that functions and shoots just like a custom! The factory tikka options have to be one of the best factory actions out there! With that being said you are very limited on coal so that the only downfall that you would run into!

If you are interested in a chassis rifle too, the new Bergara MG Lite is pretty sweet too. They are 3k but the function and feel of them is pretty impressive. We have one in the shop right now and I am very impressed with how smooth the action is! Comes with a MG chassis, carbon barrel, and triggertech. Basically a custom rifle at a discount.