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First Bolt Action - $2500 budget

program4444

Private
Minuteman
Jun 13, 2022
5
2
Michigan
It’s time to add a first bolt action to the collection. As part of a wedding gift the new wife is giving me $2500 To put toward a 6.5 CM bolt action. I’ll get the glass separate of that. So the $2500 is for the rifle only.

So with that budget, I want to get the best bang for my buck. I’m happy to buy an assembled rifle (I hear Masterpiece Arms has a nice one) our go custom with a pet barrel and assemble myself.

Appreciate your thoughts.
 
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There's an almost duplicate thread only a few days old except his budget was $2000.

 
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I’ve had my ARC Nucleus rifle for a couple weeks now. I couldn’t be happier. They didn’t have 6cm listed on the site but I called and asked and they told me no problem. Only took about 4 weeks lead time. Has been a tack driver, the unique chassis looks great, and the action has me wanting to do a build with another ARC action. For the price I couldn’t have gotten the same parts and put it together myself. Have their Mbrace Mount that will be hosting my new scope, tired of borrowing from a friend.
 
I have older Bighorn/Zermatt TL-2's that I adore.

When looking for an action (whether it be loose, barreled or complete rifle), figure out if you want a Controlled Round Feed (CRF) or a Push Feed. A lot of people don't care. A couple of decades (or more) ago, the thinking was that CRF's were not as accurate as Push Feeds. Whether or not that was true is debatable.

With modern design and manufacturing techniques, I doubt it makes much difference anymore. Interestingly, Zermatt no longer makes a Push Feed Action and does makes a CRF in the TL3.

The ARC Mausingfield is also a CRF and is a fine Action. I had a new, in the white Mausingfield that I was going to do a new build with. I bought it and had forgotten that it was a CRF. I ended up selling it due to it being CRF. Don't get me wrong, it was/is a fine product, beautifully made, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. It just boils down to a matter of personal preference.
 
zermatt origin and Proof prefit from front range precision
trigger of choice
muzzle brake of choice
stock/chassis of choice (krg bravo is good starting point and you wont be out much when/if you upgrade. easy to snag a used one too)
 
It’s time to add a first bolt action to the collection. As part of a wedding gift the new wife is giving me $2500 To put toward a 6.5 CM bolt action. I’ll get the glass separate of that. So the $2500 is for the rifle only.

So with that budget, I want to get the best bang for my buck. I’m happy to buy an assembled rifle (I hear Masterpiece Arms has a nice one) our go custom with a pet barrel and assemble myself.

Appreciate your thoughts.
In addition to the excellent suggestions above, at least take a look at the Seekins Havok HIT.
It is a lot of rifle for the money. Swappable bolt heads, great chassis and stock barrel options.

@Glen Seekins is active on a dedicated thread already on this forum.

.
 
In addition to the excellent suggestions above, at least take a look at the Seekins Havok HIT.
It is a lot of rifle for the money. Swappable bolt heads, great chassis and stock barrel options.

@Glen Seekins is active on a dedicated thread already on this forum.

.
That would be a great option, that is if your not in any big hurry to get it. I was told from them 8 to 10 months out on new orders.
 
They’ve already been listed but I’ll say it again. ARC or Zermatt actions and just build the rest outward from there. My completely biased opinion would be a long action Mausingfield, this is the basis of my dream rifle, with at least .588, .535, & .473 bolt heads
 
I absolutely love my ARC Nucleus Gen 2. Glad I read this thread and saw that they have a 4th of July sale because I was about to order another Nuke....
 
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+1 for the ARC rifles. You may have enough to upgrade to the Archimedes depending on the sale price. The Nucleus is a great action by itself.
 
I have older Bighorn/Zermatt TL-2's that I adore.

When looking for an action (whether it be loose, barreled or complete rifle), figure out if you want a Controlled Round Feed (CRF) or a Push Feed. A lot of people don't care. A couple of decades (or more) ago, the thinking was that CRF's were not as accurate as Push Feeds. Whether or not that was true is debatable.

With modern design and manufacturing techniques, I doubt it makes much difference anymore. Interestingly, Zermatt no longer makes a Push Feed Action and does makes a CRF in the TL3.

The ARC Mausingfield is also a CRF and is a fine Action. I had a new, in the white Mausingfield that I was going to do a new build with. I bought it and had forgotten that it was a CRF. I ended up selling it due to it being CRF. Don't get me wrong, it was/is a fine product, beautifully made, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. It just boils down to a matter of personal preference.
I think that Zermatt has a bolt head to convert the Origin to a Push Feed, That is what they subjected to me for I like to single load.
 
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Many good options…just get one that is supported by prefits; Kelblys, Impact, Defiance, ARC, etc.

The ability to order barrels, not send your action back and forth, pick up a low milage used barrel to play with a new caliber, etc, etc. Proof, PVA, Bugholes, and many other offer some impressive prices on prefits too.

ZY
 
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Many good options…just get one that is supported by prefits; Kelblys, Impact, Defiance, ARC, etc.

The ability to order barrels, not send your action back and fort, pick up a low milage used barrel to play with a new caliber, etc, etc. Proof, PVA, Bugholes, and many other offer some impressive prices too.

ZY
This is one of the reasons I crossed Badrock off of my list when looking at this price range custom/pre-built rifles.
 
Call John at Keystone and have him throw you together an Origin barreled action with a Green Mountain barrel.

Add a TriggerTech trigger.

Throw it in a KRG Bravo.

Be done. This was my route before I stepped up to an AI.
 
Guess none of the advice you got here worked out? ;)

 
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Good advice in this thread, generally. I would respectfully disagree with the advice to get a Green Mountain barrel, however. Those are very much a budget choice, and you’ll be better served by a Criterion, Preferred, or even a McGowen. The barrel and the optic are the two most critical components for accuracy, and you don’t want to compromise too much on either.
 
I always like to get advice from as many sources as possible and do some research. Looking at that thread many said just get a Tikka. That wasn’t the type of advice I was looking for so I expanded my audience to a group that is more robust. Sorry if that’s a no no.

All that said, appreciate all the advice here. Doing research into everything and trying to get my ducks in a row in case I want to hop on that July 4 sale.
 
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I always like to get advice from as many sources as possible and do some research. Looking at that thread many said just get a Tikka. That wasn’t the type of advice I was looking for so I expanded my audience to a group that is more robust. Sorry if that’s a no no.
When you say you’re buying your first bolt action and want the best bang for your buck, that is the best advice. If you have no idea what features are important to you in an action, why spend up to $2500 on a build when you can get a CTR and drop it in a Bravo for $1500 total? Then you can run it, decide what you like and what you don’t, and make a more informed purchase later. It isn’t like you’ll lose a bunch of money on it.
 
I would look hard at the seekins HIT rifle. Complete switch barrel rifle under your budget, chassis, it's pretty nice
 
I always like to get advice from as many sources as possible and do some research. Looking at that thread many said just get a Tikka. That wasn’t the type of advice I was looking for so I expanded my audience to a group that is more robust. Sorry if that’s a no no.

All that said, appreciate all the advice here. Doing research into everything and trying to get my ducks in a row in case I want to hop on that July 4 sale.

Not a no no at all and why I winked. Good to do research but I stand with my recommendation on AR15. Good luck with the search.
 
I’m keeping an eye on ARC’s site. Few more questions from the newbie.

How much better is the Mausingfield than the Nucleus? If it is way nicer I could splurge depending on discount.

If max distance is 1000 yards and I don’t have any glass picked out should I go 20 or 30 MOA?

Thanks!!
 
I’m keeping an eye on ARC’s site. Few more questions from the newbie.

How much better is the Mausingfield than the Nucleus? If it is way nicer I could splurge depending on discount.

When you get the level of either of those, it sort of doesn't matter. You'll get people talking about personal preference, etc.

If max distance is 1000 yards and I don’t have any glass picked out should I go 20 or 30 MOA?

Thanks!!

Assuming you mean 20 or 30x zoom here. At ranges around a thousand yards, I'm probably sitting at like 15-18x most of the time. At 2k yards I might get a bit above 20x. Get a ~25x max zoom optic - many more choices in that max-zoom category and bigger isn't always better.
 
No, he's talking 20 or 30moa scope rail offerings by ARC. If you're going with 6.5 creedmoor, people will know your range of speeds for the typical bullets but they won't know how much travel you will have in your unselected optic which are the two main contributing factors.
 
No, he's talking 20 or 30moa scope rail offerings by ARC. If you're going with 6.5 creedmoor, people will know your range of speeds for the typical bullets but they won't know how much travel you will have in your unselected optic which are the two main contributing factors.
20 MOA is sufficient for any appropriate optic for that cartridge; if someone is trying to take 6.5CM out to 2+miles they can, but that's a party trick with low odds, and anyone who's serious about doing that doesn't need to ask what scope base to use.

Not disagreeing with you, sorry if I didn't clarify that very well; just saying that 20MOA is the simple answer for 6.5CM. 30MOA will almost always work too, but might run into zeroing issues with some limited-travel optics that 20 MOA won't. Either would be fine, ultimately.
 
No, he's talking 20 or 30moa scope rail offerings by ARC. If you're going with 6.5 creedmoor, people will know your range of speeds for the typical bullets but they won't know how much travel you will have in your unselected optic which are the two main contributing factors.

Got it - then my recommendation is 20. Pair it with a 20 MOA mount if you want more. You shouldn't need more than that unless you're out past a mile (scope-dependent, of course). A lot of scopes have less than 30 mil internal travel (103 MOA) and you could run into zeroing issues.

Example: My Steiner M7xi has 28 (I think) mils of internal travel. That means the most vertical offset I can have between the rail and mount is 14 mil (48 MOA). If I tried to put a 20 MOA mount on top of a 30 MOA rail, I wouldn't be able to zero. So, I'd have to find a 10 MOA mount. End of the world? No. But there are fewer options in 10 MOA mounts than 20.
 
I’m keeping an eye on ARC’s site. Few more questions from the newbie.

How much better is the Mausingfield than the Nucleus? If it is way nicer I could splurge depending on discount.

If max distance is 1000 yards and I don’t have any glass picked out should I go 20 or 30 MOA?

Thanks!!
I haven't seen much conversation about Nucleus vs. Mausingfield, but I've heard the following stated on SH: The Archimedes is a very worthwhile upgrade over the Nucleus, and the Mausingfield isn't worth the premium over the Archimedes.

So I bought an Archimedes. And it's my first custom action so who am I to say, but mostly I love it. I wish the bolt wasn't so complicated to break down, but it's the price I pay for the smooth bolt lift since it doesn't do any extraction on the lift. The bolt stop is a royal pain, but I heard from them that they're going to a more standard button-style in future models, and I kinda got the vibe that might be soon...
 
Got it - then my recommendation is 20. Pair it with a 20 MOA mount if you want more. You shouldn't need more than that unless you're out past a mile (scope-dependent, of course). A lot of scopes have less than 30 mil internal travel (103 MOA) and you could run into zeroing issues.

Example: My Steiner M7xi has 28 (I think) mils of internal travel. That means the most vertical offset I can have between the rail and mount is 14 mil (48 MOA). If I tried to put a 20 MOA mount on top of a 30 MOA rail, I wouldn't be able to zero. So, I'd have to find a 10 MOA mount. End of the world? No. But there are fewer options in 10 MOA mounts than 20.
It’s probably worth a call to scope manufacturers for optics under consideration to determine what amt of forward cant (base or mount) a given scope erector was designed for.

Example: Many PM2s are designed to accept a 30 MOA downward cant to access most or all available elevation travel (see USMC 8541/SB3-12x50mm ST or 8541a/Premier Heritage 3-15x50mm ST). Most of the 5-25x56 PM2 scopes are also intended for 30 min of fwd cant.

This may matter if the user wants to really stretch the cartridge.
 
$2500 doesn't go very far when you consider all the accessories you'll need. You'll spend $2500 on ancillary bs just to get started...right.

Atlas Cal G2 bipod
ARCA rail adapter
ARCA rail
$400

Magneto Speed V3 - $400?

Fix it sticks - $150

Kestrel ballistic computer - $600

Rear bag - $150

Scope rings - $200

Sling, dope card, cleaning rod, jag, boretech solvent - $200

Case of blammo - $400

-------------------------------

Origin action $900
Prefit barrel $500
TT Special $200
KRG Bravo $400
Muzzle device $100
Barrel vice & action wrench $300

Shipping and tax $500
He said $2500 is for the rifle only in the first post
 
You could always take advantage of the PVA July 4th sale, Nucleus barreled action for 1500 and then pick your own chassis, trigger, etc.
 
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I would call and make sure that shit is in stock and confirm when it will ship before I would place an order with them
He said in his post he is only doing 50 of them to make sure he can get them. Check his post in the commercial section of the exchange, it gives all the details.
 
2500 dollars is the limit on production PRS rifles.
There are several companies that make semi custom rifles that come in at that mark.
You do not "need" the arca setup to shoot your rifle.
Nor do you need a $300+ bipod or ballistic computer to shoot your rifle.
A rear bag does not cost 150 bucks, more like 90 to 100 for a quality waxed canvas bag.
Can you use a Harris? Yes, quite successfully, are there better bipods? Maybe, depends how you feel about weight.
Here is one example, there are more.
 
I purchased a Masterpiece Arms BA-SL rifle in 6.5 CR a couple of months ago. Hats off to Danny and the guys at Xtreme Guns and Ammo in Texas BTW. Excellent experience, zero hassle! I can only relate my minimal experience after 40 rounds of factory ammo. After getting things on target, I fired nine 3-shot groups from a concrete bench with a Caldwell front rest and bags. Keeping in mind that I am very much out of practice, the worst group of the nine was just under a half inch. I knew when I pushed the one shot left. Every other group was 3/8 inch or under, the best was about 1/4". It will shoot much better than I can at the moment, but I am a VERY HAPPY camper. I'm not sure what more you could want from a rifle you can just walk in and buy off the shelf. This particular rifle set me back about $3100, but without the switch-lug option, I'm sure you can get the same result for about $2500.
 
Before you get an action that takes a prefit... make sure you find an available prefit FIRST. Order them at the same time or prefit first.

Stupid to have an action and wait on a barrel.
 
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Lots of good suggestions (though I'm biased towards the Origin/Proof prefit setups since I've been running one for a couple barrels and have zero complaints).

That said, if you're lucky and can wait, can't believe no one has mentioned the GAP PPR, I don't even need another rifle but feel like I should buy one just because the deal is so crazy: https://www.gaprecision.net/custom-precision-rifles/pinnacle-production-rifle-ppr.html
 
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Lots of good suggestions (though I'm biased towards the Origin/Proof prefit setups since I've been running one for a couple barrels and have zero complaints).

That said, if you're lucky and can wait, can't believe no one has mentioned the GAP PPR, I don't even need another rifle but feel like I should buy one just because the deal is so crazy: https://www.gaprecision.net/custom-precision-rifles/pinnacle-production-rifle-ppr.html
probably because its a September order and January 2023 delivery

but for next season it isn't a bad way to go if you like what it comes with (i personally dont)