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Who makes the most accurate factory bolt rifle under $2k new for bench work out to 500yrds?

Who makes the most accurate factory bolt rifle under $2k new for bench/target work out to 500yrds?

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Keven

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Ladies & Gentlemen, Thank you for visiting this poll!

So here is what I am thinking for calibers and would consider, 6 NORMA BR, 223, 6.5mm Creedmoor, and (possibly .308). Now I am thinking these may all be close and it may not matter and it might come down to maybe a particular caliber is just inherently more accurate. If so please note what caliber you would choose for accuracy.

And remember if you like this content to please like and subscribe and smash that.. oh wait ......never mind.
 
Keven said:
Ladies & Gentlemen, Thank you for visiting this poll!

So here is what I am thinking for calibers and would consider, 6 NORMA BR, 223, 6.5mm Creedmoor, and (possibly .308). Now I am thinking these may all be close and it may not matter and it might come down to maybe a particular caliber is just inherently more accurate. If so please note what caliber you would choose for accuracy.

And remember if you like this content to please like and subscribe and smash that.. oh wait ......never mind.
Click to expand...
you did not include bergara, and did not include makers like MPA who make 'factory' custom rifles suitable for PRS.
like this one is a 'factory' rifle as well.
masterpiecearms.com

MPA BA PMR Pro Rifle II - MasterPiece Arms, Inc.

Masterpiece Arms builds World Class Rifles. We start with our industry leading Chassis System, utilize the Best Actions and Triggers produced, and a 416R SS Handlapped Barrels provide some the best shooting, most accurate rifles in existence. Designed, Built and Enhanced by Long Range Shooters...
masterpiecearms.com
 
I have RPR in 308 and have had very good accuracy at 300 yards. I have no doubt that it could easily reach out to 500 accurately.

Though you $2k doesn’t indicate whether that includes glass. You can easily spend a good chunk of that on glass.
 
TIKKA.

Sako is fine, basically a Tikka but little after market support. You pay more for the name.

Tikka has the closest you will find to a custom action, they feed great, have good after market support and are accurate AF.

Out of all the calibers you posted, 6.5cm is going to be the most accurate and the easiest to either find a good load for (if reloading) or a good factory load.

Not sure why .223 is listed there. You need to think about priorities then pick a caliber.

What research have you done?
Why those calibers?
Do you want to hunt? ... compete (what type of competition)? ... plink? ...
Do you have access to anything beyond 100 yards?

Have you thought about a scope or are you going to be that guy dumping $2K on a rifle, $200 on a bipod and $150 on a Chinese scope, then selling it as a bundle here?

Are you going to reload or buy factory ammo?

You need to be more specific if you want good answers.
 
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paul73 said:
you did not include bergara, and did not include makers like MPA who make 'factory' custom rifles suitable for PRS.
like this one is a 'factory' rifle as well.
masterpiecearms.com

MPA BA PMR Pro Rifle II - MasterPiece Arms, Inc.

Masterpiece Arms builds World Class Rifles. We start with our industry leading Chassis System, utilize the Best Actions and Triggers produced, and a 416R SS Handlapped Barrels provide some the best shooting, most accurate rifles in existence. Designed, Built and Enhanced by Long Range Shooters...
masterpiecearms.com
Click to expand...
OP asked under 2K. That rifle starts at $2600.
 
At inside and up to 600 yards, it's virtually impossible to be better than the 6BR. But you really need to handload for it.

The 308 and 223 are also really easy to get to shoot really well. Again, it's hard to find factory ammo that will get you out that far accurately.

The 6.5 (or 6) Creedmoor is an easy/easy choice because you can buy the rifle and the ammo off the shelf and start punching X's.

You DON'T need a $2000 scope. That's a common fallacy.
 
What are you trying to accomplish? I get that you’re shooting targets from a bench from the title but why? That, combined with whether or not you plan to reload, should drive your caliber choice.

If you're just doing this for fun I strongly recommend .223
 
Broc said:
TIKKA.

Sako is fine, basically a Tikka but little after market support. You pay more for the name.

Tikka has the closest you will find to a custom action, they feed great, have good after market support and are accurate AF.

Out of all the calibers you posted, 6.5cm is going to be the most accurate and the easiest to either find a good load for (if reloading) or a good factory load.

Not sure why .223 is listed there. You need to think about priorities then pick a caliber.

What research have you done?
Why those calibers?
Do you want to hunt? ... compete (what type of competition)? ... plink? ...
Do you have access to anything beyond 100 yards?

Have you thought about a scope or are you going to be that guy dumping $2K on a rifle, $200 on a bipod and $150 on a Chinese scope, then selling it as a bundle here?

Are you going to reload or buy factory ammo?

You need to be more specific if you want good answers.
Click to expand...
This.

I have 3 cheap ruger americans.....223, 308 and 6.5 bun....... 6.5 shoots the best out of the box. I slapped a 180 dollar magpul hunter stock on it and i shoots 400 yards great with a 4-16X FFP......with great accuracy, and I feel would easily do 1K.

But I have no access to 1K yards. And I don't shoot it even at 400 a lot. So I don't need super robust. I just wanted a rifle that could go out a ways once and a while and in case if I move to SC or somewhere I might get that access to 1K.

Depends how much you shoot.........don't need to spend alot if your not shooting it alot. And if your shooting only at 100...don't waste your time. I get same hole cloverleafs at 100 with the cheap Ruger/Magpul in 6.5 with good hornady factory match. And odds are you will too with nearly any rifle you pick that has a decent barrel and bedding situation.

But if it was just for punching paper at 100 yards...223 all day long. Cost and availability.
 
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1. Tikka t3 varmint in a KRG Bravo stock. Basically a poor man’s Sako TRGS.
2. Bergara B14 premier. Fine OOB.
3. ARC coup de grace action with a Proof research all steel barrel and MDT Oryx chassis. Still under 2k.
With the first 2 options, you’ll get rings/mount/bipod/bags and a little practice ammo, depending on how selective you are with those items. Budget long range stuff has come a long way since the day of trueing a REM 700 action.
The RPR is IMO a decent value, but the zipper sound iwould be on my nerves, and the action is a little on the rough side. Savage can be OK or complete shyte from the factory. Don’t even get me started on REM 700s.
The Tikka stocks are hot garbage, whereas the Bergara stock is IMHO, the best factory stock on the market. Their mini chassis is the balls. Stiff as a 17 year old boy’s erection.
Anyway, if your budget is to include glass, a B14 HMR ($950 at Eurooptic) with a Nightforce SHV 1-14 FFP might get you a hundred or so over budget, but it’d be a really solid stick.
 
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frenchman said:
1. Tikka t3 varmint in a KRG Bravo stock. Basically a poor man’s Sako TRGS.
2. Bergara B14 premier. Fine OOB.
3. ARC coup de grace action with a Proof research all steel barrel and MDT Oryx chassis. Still under 2k.
With the first 2 options, you’ll get rings/mount/bipod/bags and a little practice ammo, depending on how selective you are with those items. Budget long range stuff has come a long way since the day of trueing a REM 700 action.
The RPR is IMO a decent value, but the zipper sound iwould be on my nerves, and the action is a little on the rough side. Savage can be OK or complete shyte from the factory. Don’t even get me started on REM 700s.
The Tikka stocks are hot garbage, whereas the Bergara stock is IMHO, the best factory stock on the market. Their mini chassis is the balls. Stiff as a 17 year old boy’s erection.
Anyway, if your budget is to include glass, a B14 HMR ($950 at Eurooptic) with a Nightforce SHV 1-14 FFP might get you a hundred or so over budget, but it’d be a really solid stick.
Click to expand...

The Tikka doesn't even need a chassis.

I moved mine to KRG Bravo, I get the same groups I got with the cheap factory stock. The difference is I am more comfortable with an adjustable chassis and looks tactical AF.

Maybe I reach peak efficiency with my rifle because I am that good. We are one. [laugh]
 
PatMcD said:
You DON'T need a $2000 scope. That's a common fafallacy.
Click to expand...
This.

Scopes are a completely different thread based on what you want to do; PRS, plinking, hunting, bench rest ... there are so many variables and so many copes that fit in those categories.

Also, a lot depends on each person's eyes. Like a $700 Athlon looks great to me compared to a Razor, and I like the Athlon's reticle more, but that is to my eyes, doesnt mean the Athlon is better (depends on how each person defines better). I was lucky to have two at the same range to compare and shoot. But I am not the guy that says a $700 scope is better than a $1,200 or $2K scope. I usually dismiss opinions that start like that. The Razor's owner felt the same way.

One thing we can all agree on is, unless you are shooting PRS, MOA > MIL. 🔥
 
Broc said:
This.

Scopes are a completely different thread based on what you want to do; PRS, plinking, hunting, bench rest ... there are so many variables and so many copes that fit in those categories.

Also, a lot depends on each person's eyes. Like a $700 Athlon looks great to me compared to a Razor, and I like the Athlon's reticle more, but that is to my eyes, doesnt mean the Athlon is better (depends on how each person defines better). I was lucky to have two at the same range to compare and shoot. But I am not the guy that says a $700 scope is better than a $1,200 or $2K scope. I usually dismiss opinions that start like that. The Razor's owner felt the same way.

One thing we can all agree on is, unless you are shooting PRS, MOA > MIL. 🔥
Click to expand...

I’d say somewhat true, but $700 is still a big chunk of his $2k budget. Especially if it wasn’t budgeted for when looking for a rifle.
 
Rockrivr1 said:
I’d say somewhat true, but $700 is still a big chunk of his $2k budget. Especially if it wasn’t budgeted for when looking for a rifle.
Click to expand...
I was giving an example of how someone could see better through one scope as opposed to others.

I didn't want it to sound like "the $700 scope is better than a scope that costs 2 or 3 times as much".

If he buys a Tikka, he can get a nice $700-1,000 scope and be in the $2K budget.
 
For out of the box shooting, Bergara a B-14 HMR at around $1k is hard to beat. The trigger is decent, the stock is great, and the action is light and smooth. I've also got a Tikka T3x, and while the Tikka bolt may be just a little smoother, the lift on the Bergara is effortless. (We're talking sometimes it's hard to tell if you even chambered a round when you work that action!) It also takes AICS mags which are much cheaper than some of the proprietary mags out there.

B-14.jpg B14 HMR.jpg

These days I spend 90% of my shooting time at my club's long range, and the one rifle I always bring along is a Ruger Predator in .223. I've run about 1500 handloads through it in the last year, and get consistent hits on the gongs at 300 - 500 yards with 55, 68, and 77 grain rounds. .223 is a lot of fun to shoot at these distances, and it's a great round to learn longer ranges with.

IMG_5727.jpg IMG_5729.jpg
 
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paulleve said:
For out of the box shooting, Bergara a B-14 HMR at around $1k is hard to beat. The trigger is decent, the stock is great, and the action is light and smooth. I've also got a Tikka T3x while the Tikka bolt may be just a little smoother, the lift on the Bergara is effortless. (We're talking sometimes it's hard to tell if you even chambered a round when you work that action!) It also takes AICS mags which are much cheaper than some of the proprietary mags out there.

These days I spend 90% of my shooting time at my club's long range, and the one rifle I always bring along is a Ruger Predator in .223. I've run about 1500 handloads through it in the last year, and get consistent hits on the gongs at 300 - 500 yards with 55, 68, and 77 grain rounds. .223 is a lot of fun to shoot at these distances, and it's a great round to learn longer ranges with.

View attachment 848486 View attachment 848495
Click to expand...

I have a Bergara Mountain 2.0 and their actions are definitely nice.
 
No love for the Howa’s? Looking at the choices savage is fantastic for short money, I just hate the heavy bolt lift. 2 out of 3 of my hunting buddies are running Ruger American’s in 6.5 manbun. I think the Ruger might be the hottest seller in the us right now.
 
A green member gets my answer, a non green member gets ignored :)

Make It So.jpg
 
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Broc said:
The Tikka doesn't even need a chassis.

I moved mine to KRG Bravo, I get the same groups I got with the cheap factory stock. The difference is I am more comfortable with an adjustable chassis and looks tactical AF.
Click to expand...
Keep an eye out for a Tikka T3 Sporter. You wouldn't want to carry it very far, but it's a great target shooting toy.

Tikka T3x Sporter
 

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