Rifle Build Question - Post Form Podcast

brn2hnt

WKR
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Feb 27, 2012
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Treasure Valley, ID
OK... so Form is gonna cost me all the monies apparently.

I don't do podcasts, but I've listened to the Ballistics podcast 4X already.

Really has me looking at a different build. Current rifle is a custom 300wm throated for 215's, 26" HCA barrel with 5 port brake. Shoots 215's at ~3K. Great rifle, nothing has walked away; everything has died quite emphatically. (albeit small sample size) Only currently averaging about 500 rd/year. (paying gunbroker prices for H1000 nearly broke my spirit 😂)

BUT... What about a fast twist 6mm of some flavor? I don't know if I want to go all the way down to a 223, and that 500-700 yd range lets me shoot from a lot of different canyons in the units I hunt. Like Ryan says, I like to shoot em where I find em, and in the areas I've rifle hunted the most, that 500+ range seems to be the sweet spot, otherwise getting back on them on the same side of the canyon can be dicey.

I have a tikka I can rebarrel, but is a magnum bolt face. Would I be better off rebarreling to a 6mm PRC, or building something like a Ruger American in 6mm Creed and slapping a Bravo stock on it?

The thought process is multi-pronged:
  • 108 ELDm seem to be everywhere right now, 215's not so much
  • Seems like I see 6.5 prc brass pretty readily available, shouldn't be too much of a problem
  • H1000 for 6PRC H4350 for 6Creed I can use current stock or find easy-ish
  • Even unbraked the recoil will likely be less than my 300wm
  • Can make it a short barrel for the day when I join the suppressor club
Biggest drawbacks I can see are barrel life, which the whole point of switching is the ability/cost to shoot more than I do now. Kind of leans into the Ruger American route, I can get 2 rifles and 2 Bravos (6creed and a 223) for just about the same price as a new stock and rebarrel on my tikka.

Thoughts? Am I overthinking this? Overreacting to one person's (very logical) arguement?
 
Joined
May 26, 2020
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If cost is a concern, rebarrel the tikka in cartridge of your choosing, use factory stock, buy a cheap 223 for practice, gather dope for the tikka and only hunt with it/verify drops every now and again. Shoot the shit out of the 223.
 
Joined
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If worried about barrel life, a second barrel is cheaper than a second gun and scope..

Do something fun like getting a pre-fit mcgowan and then spend twice as much for a cut rifled blank chambered by a good smith and see if you can tell a difference.
 

PNWGATOR

WKR
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Oct 14, 2014
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Make it easy on yourself.

Call Unknown Munitions and have them build you a 6UM with a Tikka Action with an Ace barrel in a RokStock. Buy their fire formed brass or have them load for you.

Shoot the barrel out regularly as barrels are expendable.

Shoot 2 Hunt podcast on terminal ballistics is the podcast the OP referenced
 
Joined
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Montana
I got on this wagon a few months ago just from reading forms posts on here. Ended up going with a 6cm prefit for me tikker and 2k rounds worth of components.

Mindset now is a barrel is just another component to stock up on every 2k rounds.

$500 / 2000 = .25 a shot
 

NSI

WKR
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May 19, 2021
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Western Wyoming
The vast majority of hunters should probably be shooting 6cm.

OP I'd rather see you keep the Tikka and either trade bolts to get into a 6cm, or build a 6 UM (if you handled) or 6.5 PRC (if you want factory ammo). It's not as soft shooting, but will be a massive improvement over your current 300WM.

-J
 
OP
B

brn2hnt

WKR
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
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Treasure Valley, ID
The vast majority of hunters should probably be shooting 6cm.

OP I'd rather see you keep the Tikka and either trade bolts to get into a 6cm, or build a 6 UM (if you handled) or 6.5 PRC (if you want factory ammo). It's not as soft shooting, but will be a massive improvement over your current 300WM.

-J
I thought about that, but for the price of a bolt you can dang near get a use tikka 😂
 
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6 UM would fit the bill. It seems to be doing great in short barrels, my next will be 18". Throttle out with N570 and DTACs, or cruise control with 108s and H1000. The only bad part is getting brass fire formed and getting dies.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
 
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Reburn

Mayhem Contributor
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Feb 10, 2019
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As sexy as the 6um is you would be very hard pressed to talk me out of my 6 creedmoor.
The loaded rounds for my 6cm are 1.60 round for hornady 108 eldm.
I like to shoot when I have the time not load.
 

MHWASH

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Just dont buy a Ruger American. They're accurate rifles, but feel cheap. I just swapped Tikka rifles with another guy for a cartridge I already own in the RA, just so I can get a nicer rifle.
 

hereinaz

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As sexy as the 6um is you would be very hard pressed to talk me out of my 6 creedmoor.
The loaded rounds for my 6cm are 1.60 round for hornady 108 eldm.
I like to shoot when I have the time not load.
I agree. I have a hard time looking at the the 6 creed ballistics of a 105/108 class bullet and wanting to go faster.

I built a 6BRA shooting the 95 VLD and the ballistics get me to 500 and 700.
 
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