Tikka T3x Tac A1 vs Seekins Havak Bravo vs DD Delta 5 vs ???

People of the interwebz and M4Carbine.net,

I live approximately 10 minutes from a good range with steel hung at 300, 500, and 800 yards. I can get over 800 from non designated firing points if there is no one else around. I've played around with a 6.5X284 a friend owns at about 840 yards on the steel. It was fun, I want to do more of that. With any luck and more funding the plan is to expand the range to at least 1K, there's plenty of room. I want to be able to play out there too.

With that in mind I'm going to solicit advice from people that already play this game to point me in the right direction, I promise to actually listen and consider the given advice.

About my current experience level: Former Marine infantry, KD course was never an issue multiple award expert rifleman (not that hard). Some experience shooting NRA Service Rifle but not enough to get a rating. Fair amount of small bore precision position match style shooting. Competitive bullseye pistol (college) made collegiate nationals in 2003. Last good training class was Pat McNamara in fall of 2016 (I need to get back into a class).

Extensive reloading experience, plenty of quality equipment and experience landing for pistols, and rifles both gas guns and bolt guns. I'm not afraid of making my own ammo, but do prefer to stick with calibers I can get quality factory brass, I'm no fond of all the labor in fire forming or other case forming and trimming.

To begin with I need to determine a projectile and caliber, and then a rifle to launch it out of. Operating on internet reviews, and marketing propaganda I'm kind of under the impression that a rifle in the $1500-$2000 range is about where you get into guns that are actually ready to go that will give a guy room to grow and maybe enter a match here and there and not get crushed solely due to equipment deficiencies.

For starters wishing the realm of readily available cartridges what is my best bet? The short list is 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5mm Creedmoor, and 6.5mm PRC. Electing to go with the 6mm or the PRC limits my choice of factory rifles, but that is OK as long as the factory rifles don't suck. Any advice here is appreciated, I've not shot the 6mm Creed, or the 6.5 PRC, I have some time on the 6.5 Creed and liked it quite a bit. Not sure if the trajectory and wind drift improvements of the faster options are worth the shorter barrel life, but that would require me to shoot so much I actually burn one out and if I get to shoot that much either way I'm gonna be stoked to do it.

Factory rifle options I've considered are listed in the thread title, and are rifles I've laid my filthy hands on in person and didn't find to be objectionable and they seemed like they would fit the bill. The Seekins offers a lot more options in calibers than the other two, and the KRG stock is easily accessorized and I prefer it over the other two. The DD has a removable bolt head and pre-head spaced barrels with extensions, this could make a multi caliber rig possible if they ever release a different bolt face size and barrels. I prefer the two stage trigger offered in the Tikka, and they are known to be good shooters. The Seekins will easily feed AICS or AW mags due to the lugs being 90 degrees off from a Rem 700, and the DD will also run AI mags, the Tikka of course uses proprietary mags that cost over $100 each. Of those three what would you guys choose? I understand they are pretty different in some ways, but any first hand experience that can be related is appreciated.

Last question, since I don't know what I don't know, are there options out there that I am missing or over looking? So many options out there it's tough to sort through them all on the rifle front.

I already have a Nightforce NXS 3.5-15X50 that I've had for over a decade now that will initially be mounted on whatever I pick, I realize this is no longer state of the art glass or even ideal, but it's paid for and in my safe. Glass upgrades will come later.

As always thoughts, advice, tips, hints or any other help are appreciated.

I have the Tikka T3x Tac A1 in 308 and it was a .5 MOA after about 20rds down the pipe, I stopped the "break in" there, since I was getting what I wanted, that was with FGMM 168gr, I upgraded to the Sterk bolt handle and shroud which kinda gave it an AI feel/look. Action is buttery smooth and so far so good. It is a bit hvy? if that's an issue for ya

Out of the three, only have experience on the Tikka. If wanting the chassis with the features, price and performance, good choice. I would run the 6.5CM if I was starting, ammo cost is a wash, 6.5CM is everywhere and at those longer ranges, it's a better cartridge(ref .308 if it comes up). Some will pipe in about barrel life, don't let that be a factor. If you look around, you will find Tikka mags for cheaper, you get two I believe with the gun. Some guys are always taking a CTR out and placing into a chassis and sell off stocks/mags. If not wanting the Chassis, run the DD
There's info out there on 6vs 6.5, apples to apples as I understand, you loose barrel life and some recoil. PRC, loose barrel life and gain recoil.
Scope is fine, you can always pick up another later if you stay in the game.

Disclosure - I have no experience with any of these guns. But I have been looking around at them as well, and my first question would be echoing above - are you hung up on a factory gun/stock combo? Why not a T3x CTR and drop it into a KRG stock and you get the CTR in the stock you prefer, a trigger you like, with ACIS mag compatibility, and you can readily sell off the CTR mags and possibly the factory CTR stock to offset the cost.

A possibility for sure.

Another factor is the ability to service the rifle myself should I be so lucky to shoot the barrel out.

The DD is simple enough to do and barrels are evidently available, and the Seekins has pre-fit barrels available. Not sure about the Tikka, but my guess is it’s possible.

If you intend on moving to PRS/NRL competition with the rifle, I'd recommend something in 6mm Creedmoor, and from your list, the only compliant rifle is the Seekins.
If you just want to hit steel at 1,000, .308 from a 20+" barrel is adequate. Whole lot of people do it regularly with 16" .308 gas guns. If you're going to get into a precision bolt gun, I'd figure that you'd want to get quantifiably better long-range performance. 6.5 stuff has been pretty significantly overshadowed by 6mm in this application.
I shoot a lot of 6.5 Creedmoor, and there are good reasons to go with that cartridge for some applications, but if I am going to go shoot competitively with an expectation to place well, I'm taking a rifle that throws 6mm projectiles and stays within the speed limit (usually 3200 ft/s).
If you don't care about doing well in a competitive atmosphere, go with whatever tickles your fancy.

Jack can you expand a bit on the Seekins? I’ve read a few issues of light primer strikes, but if you’ve observed other problems I would be interested to hear about them.

I am not sure if I will be dipping my toes into a competitive environment or not, but picking a competitive caliber in case I do is not a bad idea at all. In which case the Tikka and DD offerings are ruled out for no availability in a 6mm cartridge, and the Seekins is a problem child for some people.

What good alternatives are there?

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Originally Posted by Coal Dragger

Jack can you expand a bit on the Seekins? I’ve read a few issues of light primer strikes, but if you’ve observed other problems I would be interested to hear about them.

I am not sure if I will be dipping my toes into a competitive environment or not, but picking a competitive caliber in case I do is not a bad idea at all. In which case the Tikka and DD offerings are ruled out for no availability in a 6mm cartridge, and the Seekins is a problem child for some people.

What good alternatives are there?

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MPA produces some very nice rifles, the one linked below seems to be right at the top end of your price range, and specifically made to fit inside the PRS Production Division.
https://masterpiecearms.com/shop/mpa...etition-rifle/
Available in both 6mm Creedmoor and 6mm GT (GT pretty much being the optimal 6mm competition round).
This is where I would go if was going to start PRS today from the ground up.

Thanks, I just found them through a google search for 6mm Creedmoor rifles. If you have seen good results with them that means a lot.

Next question, is it worth my money to pick up a slightly higher end MPA and give up the ability to shoot production division if I elect to compete, or is their “Pro” model in the middle ground of no longer in production class but going to hold you back in open? (assuming my development as a shooter is good enough to be competitive)

I’m not dead set on a price ceiling of $2K it was an observation of pricing on rifles I had at least handled seeming up to par. Not wanting operate on gun shop finger banging alone I am here trying to soak up knowledge. So if there is a good reason to exceed my originally stated price range, within reason, to gain a more capable rig I am also open to listening on that too. I realize a $2K rifle still needs a muzzle device, bipod, ARCA rail, and other “stuff” if PRS is going to be the game, so a package that includes more of that “stuff” I’m going to have to do anyway makes sense.

Kind of how one of your SR-15’s costs more than a competitor’s offerings. Once you factor in all the things you need to buy to make that alternate carbine ready to go, that the Knights gun comes with in the case that price gap narrows. If you want to upgrade components to compete with the features on the SR-15 there isn’t much of a gap and you should have just bought the Knights and been done with it.

Jack has given some stellar advice, as always!. If I were starting from scratch in the precision rifle game I'd go with that MPA production class gun in a heartbeat.

That MPA production rifle is really hard to beat in terms of the value it brings to the table. Piecing that same rifle together could easily run you $2600-2800. That's a big savings that can go towards the purchase of an optic.

All MPA chassis come with an Arca dovetail cut into the chassis, and the Hybrid will accept all of the MPA aftermarket doodads (including a weight kit if you were to really get into PRS). All you would need to get shooting would be an Optic, rings/mount, bipod, and perhaps a muzzle brake.

Plus, you can buy prefit replacement barrels for that action directly from MPA (and a few other places), so when you burn out the first 6mm Creed barrel you'll be able to get another without having to send the rifle off to a gunsmith to be rebarreled.