New to bolt guns...

[Koshinn]

So I'm in the process of putting together:

6.5 creedmoor
26" Krieger barrel
Surgeon action
JAE stock
Jewell trigger
Atlas bipod
Leupold Mk6 3-18 H59
Tab rear bag

I've been shooting 5.56 77gr SMKs or .308 168gr SMKs through semiautos at 500m almost every weekend for the last year. With a bipod and a bag, I can shoot my Noveske Recon to about .6 MOA 5 shot groups consistently, although I get .45-55 MOA 5 shot groups occasionally.

I've never owned a bolt gun, but I want one and I want to push out to 1000+. I also started reloading in the last 2 months, so I finally feel comfortable branching out from .22LR, 9mm, 5.56mm, and .308. I'm planning on running 140gr Berger hybrids on h4350.

Am I making a mistake with this setup? It's not entirely meant to be a bench rest gun, although it will be heavy. I'm getting really tired of the shifting 15-25 mph winds in Oklahoma and a long barreled 6.5 seems like the cure!

[mark5pt56]

You'll find the 6.5 family to be a great performer with the wind. Some guys are taking it past 1k w/o issue. Recoil is very light as well, especially if you have a brake.

[taliv]

you're definitely on the right track

i'm not going to get all fanboy on your choices there, but I'd pick a few different components for a lot of real reasons. 6.5cm is a great choice, especially if you are new to reloading and want to be able to buy factory ammo, however you can get better brass in 260rem or 6.5x47 Lapua. If you shoot a bullet that you want to seat in the lands, the 6.5cm and x47 have an advantage, but the 140 hybrid doesn't seem to be jump sensitive so seating them to mag length in AICS or AW mags isn't a problem. the barrel and length are good. if you don't already own the surgeon action, then i would pick something else. (the defiance deviant or bighorn are as good or better and far easier to get since surgeon doesn't sell actions separately anymore.) Definitely better stock choices out there (manners, mcmillan, AICS/AX, sentinel, etc). The jewel can be set to be crisp at a very low weight, but everyone i know who shoots matches with them keeps a bottle of lighter fluid in their pack to clean it. There are definitely more reliable triggers out there.

hook up with the OPPS guys on tacticalmatches.com

who are you going to get to build it?

[TehLlama]

The brass availability (on 260 for cost being better than the Lapua 6.5x47) would the the reason to consider something other than CM; and the strength of CM's access to factory stuff is still not that critical, a lot of shops are making good affordable 260 loads (Southwest Ammunition is basically my reasoning for wanting a .260 Rem once again).

Myself, I'm partial to the KMW Sentinel (stock, or complete rifle), but I'll stop spouting otherwise useless advice and cap it at: you'll love the Tab rear bag, because those are awesome, don't change that.

[Koshinn]

you're definitely on the right track

i'm not going to get all fanboy on your choices there, but I'd pick a few different components for a lot of real reasons. 6.5cm is a great choice, especially if you are new to reloading and want to be able to buy factory ammo, however you can get better brass in 260rem or 6.5x47 Lapua. If you shoot a bullet that you want to seat in the lands, the 6.5cm and x47 have an advantage, but the 140 hybrid doesn't seem to be jump sensitive so seating them to mag length in AICS or AW mags isn't a problem. the barrel and length are good. if you don't already own the surgeon action, then i would pick something else. (the defiance deviant or bighorn are as good or better and far easier to get since surgeon doesn't sell actions separately anymore.) Definitely better stock choices out there (manners, mcmillan, AICS/AX, sentinel, etc). The jewel can be set to be crisp at a very low weight, but everyone i know who shoots matches with them keeps a bottle of lighter fluid in their pack to clean it. There are definitely more reliable triggers out there.

hook up with the OPPS guys on tacticalmatches.com

who are you going to get to build it?

I did some reading recently on snipers hide and they were saying that the defiance actions are so precisely cut that even light dust in the action will cause binding...

[taliv]

it would not surprise me if 99% of snipershide posters were unaware there is a difference between engineering tolerance and clearance. I've owned 3 defiance actions, 1 i custom ordered directly from them and 2 that were GAP Templars. I don't clean bolt guns any more than ARs (which is never) and never had any action bind in a match due to sand or dirt or mud, etc. it's really not an issue. (sure, there will be a little more friction if there is dirt in there but it won't stop working unless you get something in the chamber that's bigger than your headspace

[Koshinn]

it would not surprise me if 99% of snipershide posters were unaware there is a difference between engineering tolerance and clearance. I've owned 3 defiance actions, 1 i custom ordered directly from them and 2 that were GAP Templars. I don't clean bolt guns any more than ARs (which is never) and never had any action bind in a match due to sand or dirt or mud, etc. it's really not an issue. (sure, there will be a little more friction if there is dirt in there but it won't stop working unless you get something in the chamber that's bigger than your headspace

Those were from first hand experience though. I have no dog in the fight, just saying.

Does .260 rem do anything better than 6.5cm besides availability of brass?

[taliv]

Does .260 rem do anything better than 6.5cm besides availability of brass?

Nope. In fact 6.5cm is better for seating bullets out farther and the 30* shoulder. Hornady brass isn't bad. It's just not lapua. Sort your cases and you'll be fine.