Field-to-range 6.5 Creedmoor or Lapua Options?

[VarmLR]

Well, I spent the morning having a play with 3 rifles:

 

• Ruger precision enhanced
• Tikka Tac A1 (24 inch version)
• Sabatti STR

The Ruger may shoot very well but I didn't think too much of the finish or the machining quality, and it was heavy and ungainly but perfect as a range only rifle. I need something more easily carted about the fields as well as suitable at the range.

 

The Tikka was everything you'd expect. Well made, lovely buttery smooth action and the best finished of the three without a shadow of a doubt. It had some nice features such as the single button operated folding stock, the improved metal mag and easy to reach release catch plus an attachment point for a rapid sling attachment at the rear, as well as a QD point at the front.

 

The Sabatti had a very heavy profile 26 inch barrel, 2 inches longer than the Tikka, allowing theoretically more range, but even 24 inches along with a mod ought to be good for 1200 yards with a 139 scenar and not too hot a load as it's possibly the shortest length you can get away for for a decent burn. Using small primer cases might help here too.

 

Finish on the Sabatti I'd say was in between the Tikka and the Ruger, but quality of machining in terms of fit was very impressive. Build quality and assembly looked to be top drawer. the display model had a few scrapes and suffs n it and didn't look quite as prisine in finish as the Tikka, nor was the action as smooth. However, the trigger was superb. Best of the bunch. In fact, one of the best I've tried on any production rifle bar some top of the range Blasers.

 

The conundrum then is this: Buy an STR and have a barrel which supposedly gives better accuracy and has slightly more legs on range by perhaps 50 to 100 yards. Competition-ready? Perhaps the closest I've seen to a tactical-styled rifle, bar the Ruger, of being a serious contender. However, the truth is that any of these rifles are probably better than the person behind the trigger so it comes down to whether 24 inch barrel is a real handicap and to practical considerations.

 

I have to say at this point that I didn't like the T3 TAC trigger anywhere near as much as the STR unit, and the pseudo 2 stage affair (single stage but with a springy take-up) wasn't to my personal liking.

 

I have made a decision and it wasn't the one that I expected, but weighing up real world practicality, I went for the Tikka. It was lighter, nicer handling, better finished overall, had a nicer action and well, was a Tikka. I know it'll shoot better than I'm capable of to 1200 yards and make for a better all rounder due to the lighter weight and handling advantages. The STR is more of a dedicated range gun, and whilst I'm sure would be a fabulous shooting rifle, wouldn't get half the use in the field once a scope and mod were added. The Tikka surprised me in that it wasn't so outrageously heavy that you'd discount it for stalking

 

For a mod, I was really impressed by the construction and light weight of the new aimsonic mods.

 

Just got to wait on the variation now.

[VarmLR]

Variation through.....pick up Tikka next week

[Scotch_egg]

Good choice. In the real world you probably won’t notice 2”

[VarmLR]

I agree. Some reviews/tests suggest that optimum length with heavier bullets actually is 24 inches, so we'll see what some RS62s do with some Lapua Scenars and perhaps I'll look at some Hornadys for the varminting pills.

[Leeman]

I agree. Some reviews/tests suggest that optimum length with heavier bullets actually is 24 inches, so we'll see what some RS62s do with some Lapua Scenars and perhaps I'll look at some Hornadys for the varminting pills.

 

If by 'optimum' length those reviews mean velocity, then those tests are flawed. The reason long range rifles have 30"+ barrels (other than sight radius with iron sights) is because bullets are still accelerating, even the 6br case will show increases in the order of 10fps/inch. Larger cases, correspondingly more.

[VarmLR]

 

If by 'optimum' length those reviews mean velocity, then those tests are flawed. The reason long range rifles have 30"+ barrels (other than sight radius with iron sights) is because bullets are still accelerating, even the 6br case will show increases in the order of 10fps/inch. Larger cases, correspondingly more.

 

 

 

 

Trouble is with all these reviews, it depends what you read! Some powder/bullet combos run out of steam at 24 to 27 inches, some shoot well/better at 30 inches. From those I know who shoot 6.5CM, many have no problem shooting some impressive groups at 1000 yards with 20 to 22" barrels, so I don't think I'll be disadvantaged with a 24" barrel. Bare in mind this will be a field/vermin control firearm as well as a range gun. Many tests on CM show that MV's actually start dropping after 28 inches with the heavier/slower bullets.

[dannywayoflife]

Frank from the hide has done a video of him making hits on steel at 1100 with an 18" CM........ oh and that's with factory ammo

[FGYT]

my 16.5" barrel on the 6.5x47 is a great all round UK hunting gun and happy to 800 ish on the range before transonic the New Hday High BC ELD X 143gn seem to extend that to 1000yrds on paper

plenty for a bit of range fun out to mostly 600

[VarmLR]

Funnily enough I had considered a 6.5x 47 Lapua but was slightly put off by the pressures needed to run past 1000 to match CM or 260 Rem, plus I couldn't find many factory rifles chambered in one. I think that Sabatti had one that I liked (Rover Tactical) but have stopped importing it. I enjoy the 308 which is pretty impressively accurate to 800, and now the TMK loads are developed, will see how that shoots to 984m (900m range).