Which 6.5 x 55?

[flytie]

During my DSC1 course today we had a very interesting talk from Steve Bowers (Specialist Rifles). During the interval I picked his brains over which rifle to buy and whilst being very careful not to impune anyones products, he tried to steer me away from synthetic stocked rifles and suggested that laminated stocks are much stronger and far less prone to bending and flexing.

 

I had been going to buy the Tikka T3 lite stainless but I am now starting to think again after listening to his advice.

 

Can anyone suggest any alternatives for similar money? Having read the Chuck Hawks piece on rifle actions He really rates the Rugers and CZ and slates the T3. I am bemused. I cannot afford a custom build unfortunately so chaps, have you any advice?

 

ft

 

Steve also fits PES mods and will not touch any other, because they are fully stainless and really well put together!

[Dunkield]

FT, I bought an M695 (forerunner to the T3) in stainless/laminate and kind of agree with what he says.

I have a Tikka ABS stock for it as well, so can use either/or.

It may just be my imagination, but it just seems more accurate in the laminate stock, although it does weigh a bit more.

The lamintae is way more stiffer in the fore end for shooting off a bipod.

 

As far as I know, you can get T3's in stainless/laminate why not go for one of those?

[flytie]

FT, I bought an M695 (forerunner to the T3) in stainless/laminate and kind of agree with what he says.

I have a Tikka ABS stock for it as well, so can use either/or.

It may just be my imagination, but it just seems more accurate in the laminate stock, although it does weigh a bit more.

The lamintae is way more stiffer in the fore end for shooting off a bipod.

 

As far as I know, you can get T3's in stainless/laminate why not go for one of those?

 

Stuart, I have been thinking of it but they are soooooo ugly I am probably guilty of reading too much and believeing it or at least of letting it cloud my judgement, but the T3 action really gets a pasting from Chuck Hawkes.

 

Steve Bowers when pressed, hard, said the Remington was quite good but if I was set on the T3 to get the laminated version. He said that if you shoot a synthetic off a bipod when you shoot they flex and the stock (fore-stock) comes into contact with the barrel. Not just with T3's either, Mannlicher are the same. He is making good a load of them for the Forest of Dean Forestry Comission. It seems to be a common problem. All the guys I know use bi-pods when zeroing and the BDS/DSC1 recommend you use them for that purpose too.

 

I do not want to part with my hard earned and buy a pup! I want value for money!!!!!!!! But don't we all

 

Ft

[MilDot]

I have a remmy in synth stock and they too are rather flexy! Which ever rifle you do get if its a synth stock you can do what i did and open up the barrel channel so that the stock will not touch the barrel. however you will still get a fair amount of flex in the rest of the stock. I dont think its realy gunna matter what make rifle you get.

[Browning]

Flytie,

 

What do you want to use the rifle for?

 

If you're thinking of 500 yard varminting then I would agree with what Steve says.

 

However, if you're looking for a solid stalking/foxing rifle, that will be used mainly up to 150/200 yards ish,

then you will have no problems with a T3.

 

My stalking rifle is a T3 Hunter in .270Win and I can honestly say I have absolutely no

problems with the accuracy up to 150/200 yards, which is the very maximum I would take deer with

anyway.

 

Prior to my new vermin control rifle I had a T3 in .243 Win, and again the accuracy of that rifle was amazing

out to 200 yards.

 

Both of these rifles have a had a lot (over 3000 rounds between them) of work and have never let me down.

[flytie]

Flytie,

 

What do you want to use the rifle for?

 

If you're thinking of 500 yard varminting then I would agree with what Steve says.

 

However, if you're looking for a solid stalking/foxing rifle, that will be used mainly up to 150/200 yards ish,

then you will have no problems with a T3.

 

My stalking rifle is a T3 Hunter in .270Win and I can honestly say I have absolutely no

problems with the accuracy up to 150/200 yards, which is the very maximum I would take deer with

anyway.

 

Prior to my new vermin control rifle I had a T3 in .243 Win, and again the accuracy of that rifle was amazing

out to 200 yards.

 

Both of these rifles have a had a lot (over 3000 rounds between them) of work and have never let me down.

 

Browning, the rifle will be for stalking and foxing. I am sure I will not be trying for the distances that people like Steve acheive.

 

The bit that frightend me was the flex when zeroing off a bi-pod when using the synth stock version which is what I had planned to buy. He did say that wood was better, laminate even more so! Then I made the mistake of reading about T3's in general and came across the Chuck Hawkes comments and I came over all nervous about parting with my cash Given that Ruger have a new rifle out and that CZ and Remington have ardent followers I thought I would ask what other people would recommend? Being on a limited budget I really want the best value/performance combination I can get.

 

ft.

[Dunkield]

Stuart, I have been thinking of it but they are soooooo ugly

 

How very dare you!

 

I guess it is in the eye of the beholder.

I admit wood/blue looks great in the cabinet but out in the snow and the rain for a day or days (like we had last year) I would rather have an all weather working tool than a pretty gun.

 

This is what my one looks like anyway...

 

[

[flytie]

Stuart, I have been thinking of it but they are soooooo ugly

 

How very dare you!

 

I guess it is in the eye of the beholder.

I admit wood/blue looks great in the cabinet but out in the snow and the rain for a day or days (like we had last year) I would rather have an all weather working tool than a pretty gun.

 

This is what my one looks like anyway...

 

[

Stuart, I will admit, grudgingly, that in your picture, with very poor lighting (which helps), it does not look too bad

 

ft.

[henry d]

Strangely enough I am thinking of getting a laminate stock for my 6.5 T3, I haven`t shot a lot of paper with it yet but will be working on reversing that soon :yes:

[Dunkield]

When i bought the ABS stock (for £25 ) I advertised the laminate one.

I am glad I didn't sell it now, just so you know H, I rang GMK to see what is was worth (or what they chrge more like).

 

Guess how much?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

£410! and that was a couple of years ago now...

[deadeye ive]

The bit that frightend me was the flex when zeroing off a bi-pod when using the synth stock version which is what I had planned to buy.

FT

I know the stock in question having repaired one from where the QD stud at the forend pulled out .This is a common fault (Ask on any Forum)........Lucky for Miffy it happened when he was fitting his Harris and not when walking across a Farmyard .

 

But fear not .Whilst I agree with the comments on laminate or a nice piece of Walnut you can easily turn that horrible bit of plastic into a stiff firing platfrom .

 

With a bit of masking tape and wax for protective covering simply fill up the honeycomb interior with expanding foam and remove the excess when dry .

 

For the Stud simply buy a longer QD stud ,re tap the thread and fit a nut on the interior of the stock .A bit of countersinking of the plastic is required in the area also .

 

Tikka's are good rifles and excellant value for money ,as are CZ's

 

PS

 

How much is the DSC1 costing ?

[flytie]

The bit that frightend me was the flex when zeroing off a bi-pod when using the synth stock version which is what I had planned to buy.

FT

I know the stock in question having repaired one from where the QD stud at the forend pulled out .This is a common fault (Ask on any Forum)........Lucky for Miffy it happened when he was fitting his Harris and not when walking across a Farmyard .

 

But fear not .Whilst I agree with the comments on laminate or a nice piece of Walnut you can easily turn that horrible bit of plastic into a stiff firing platfrom .

 

With a bit of masking tape and wax for protective covering simply fill up the honeycomb interior with expanding foam and remove the excess when dry .

 

For the Stud simply buy a longer QD stud ,re tap the thread and fit a nut on the interior of the stock .A bit of countersinking of the plastic is required in the area also .

 

Tikka's are good rifles and excellant value for money ,as are CZ's

 

PS

 

How much is the DSC1 costing ?

 

Deadeye, I paid £280 for mine as the BDS had (still might have) an offer on.

 

I think i might be a bit nervous of carrying out such a repair/modification on a new rifle. I might have to put up with the zebra stipes and buy a laminate, sorry Stuart

 

ft.

[deadeye ive]

Deadeye, I paid £280 for mine as the BDS had (still might have) an offer on.

 

 

 

ft.

And thats the offer price

 

Blinking eck!!...........I better get saving

[Dunkield]

I might have to put up with the zebra stipes and buy a laminate, sorry Stuart

Ah a thing of beauty, found this old pic in better, more sexy, lighting for you FT

 

 

 

And I would say £280 for 4 days (?) training isn't bad value at all, any 'work' training courses we do are more than that a day, and far less enjoyable

[flytie]

Deadeye, I paid £280 for mine as the BDS had (still might have) an offer on.

 

 

 

ft.

And thats the offer price

 

Blinking eck!!...........I better get saving

 

Deadeye, that's the BDS price for a four day course, I believe that some of the other courses run by other organisations are run over three days and might be cheaper.

 

Having seen what we have to get through, with deer carcasses laid on and a vet to give us a talk, Steve Bowers from Specialist Rifles to give the ballistics talk (BRILLIANT) and Mike Bagnoweic (a stalker) and Dave Cannon (the armourer from Avon & Somerset Police) who run the course, it is real value for money! I cannot recommend it, and them, highly enough

 

ft.

[flytie]

I might have to put up with the zebra stipes and buy a laminate, sorry Stuart

Ah a thing of beauty, found this old pic in better, more sexy, lighting for you FT

 

 

Stuart, I will give you functional, but beautiful? As for sexy lighting, I think you need a good therapist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want the name of mine?

 

ft.

[Oly]

Apart from the bottom end (SPS versions), Remington have good sythetic stocks that don't flex (rock solid in fact!) - plus you can change them easier than most rifles for comparitively little money.

 

I would agree with Chuck Hawks assessment of the T3, I'm really not a fan, the sythetics flex and the general feel is lacking quality...I know they are the sister company of Sako (which are excellent), but they really are different beasts when it comes to quality - otherwise they would simply call them all either Tikka or Sako!

 

Remington also do some very good laminate stocks too...and look a bit more 'natural' and easier on the eye than the Tikka's.

[Dunkield]

Do remington do 6.5x55?

[Oly]

Do remington do 6.5x55?

 

Ooo...good question! If not, just get one anyway and stick a new barrel on it!

[Dunkield]

you would have to do that anyway

 

and a trigger

 

and . . .

 

 

(only kidding of course )

[Oly]

I know a guy who did that with a Sako...just wanted the action...crazy accuracy freak...but very good!

[flytie]

I have just been on the phone with Sportsman Gun Centre and they have offered me a brilliant deal on the mannlicher, rings, scope(better one than I can afford with the tikka) and mod plus all the goodies to clean and carry for a lot less than the Tikka would be. They come factory cut for a mod which would be a big saving.

I know the Mk1 had problems with the synthetic stocks, anyone seen or heard what the Mk2 ones are like?

 

ft

[Oly]

Sounds good...I wouldn't have any problems going for that option over the Tikka.

[Baldrick]

No, Remington don't do a 6.5x55. I know because I'm also buying a 6.5mm soon. I keep reading article on Yank websites about the popularity of the calibre in the USA, but you could have fooled me, if the big manufacturers don't produce rifles in 6.5mm.

[flytie]

No, Remington don't do a 6.5x55. I know because I'm also buying a 6.5mm soon. I keep reading article on Yank websites about the popularity of the calibre in the USA, but you could have fooled me, if the big manufacturers don't produce rifles in 6.5mm.

 

What are you buying?

 

ft