Sanity check first rifle config (elk, lightweight)

[sdirks3]

TLDR at the bottom.

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I am a long time archery hunter looking to pick up a first rifle for learning to shoot, picking up reloading, and hunting. I'll be doing everything from white tail up north to mule deer and elk out here in Colorado. Given that I'm new to rifle and enjoy stalking in close to game I'm confident I won't be shooting anything out past 500 yds for a while. For this first year I'll likely set an outer limit of 250-ish (depending on how the shooting goes).

All that being said, I landed on 6.5 PRC as the cartridge because it's 1) easy shooting while still being adequate for short to mid range elk, 2) readily available ammo and reloading stuff, and 3) seems light recoiling enough for me to carry around a (sub) 8 pound rifle even as a new shooter. Also hoping lower cost ammo and easier shooting will mean I'll put more rounds down range before the season comes around.

On the rifle side of things I'm a lefty, which limits my options. I've narrowed it to the Savage 110 UL or the CA Mesa FFT. Both are light, come threaded for a suppressor, and come in lefty. The CA in my mind is a clear win - $200 gets me 4 inches shorter barrel, 8 oz less weight, and an extra round in the mag.

For the scope I'm waffling between 3 options - the Trijicon Tenmile HX 3-18x50, SWFA SS HD 5-20x50, or the SWFA SS UL 2.5-10x32. Of these three, the SS HD is heaviest but also saves some cash vs the Tenmile and is the only FFP option. The UL is a full pound lighter than the Tenmile (20 oz lighter than the SS HD), and maybe the 10x is sufficient below 500 yds? Also not sure how big of a difference the 32 vs 50 mm objective makes. Of course the Tenmile seems to be a rockstar (although around here the SWFA stuff seems pretty dang popular). Could really use some advice here.

On the scope mounting front, I'm thinking the Hawkins LR 25 MOA direct mount rings (with the integrated bubble). But people seem to like the pic rail with rings setup (although I don't see myself swapping scopes very much if ever), so if I went that route I was going to pick up the Talley rail with the bubble integrated and the Talley sporting pic rings. The rail + rings approach is only 1.5 oz heavier, so the real question is which will be more robust in the field?

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TLDR: About to pull the trigger on the configuration below for "becoming a rifleman", "learning to reload", and "backpack elk hunting" rifle - looking for a sanity check.

Rifle: Christensen Arms Mesa FFT (6.5 PRC, 20", 5.5 lbs)
Suppressor: Diligent Defense Enticer L-Ti (8.25", 10.5 oz)
Scope: Trijicon Tenmile HX 3-18x50 (25.7 oz, SFP)
Rings: Hawkins LR 25 MOA w/level (4 oz)

All in all 8 pounds before bullets, 6.5 PRC for easy shooting/reloading/practice, intended for hunting up to elk at sub 500 yd distances (mostly sub 300).

Questions:
- Is the 6.5 PRC a good choice here?
- Thoughts on the Tenmile vs the SWFA SS HD 5-20x50? or the dark horse SWFA SS UL 2.5-10x32 (saves a full pound! sufficient for closer ranges)?
- Any general advice?

 

[Samson7x]

Didn’t read the whole thing but seems like you’re on the right track. I just picked up an FFT in a different caliber and like it so far. Super light and accuracy seems promising with even factory loads.

If you’re cool with SFP, consider the nxs 2-10 at 20oz and save some weight while retaining durability.

 

[sdirks3]

Glad to hear you like the FFT!

That is a nice looking scope, with a price tag to match. How's the durability of NF vs Trijicon vs SWFA compare?

 

[Axlrod]

If you are planning on reloading you should look into the issues with the 6.5 Prc chamber. It can be fixed by reaming a bit, but it's there. Christensen rifles are a crap shoot. Some shoot great, some go back a few times and still don't.
For sub 300yd. elk I would get a Tikka in anything but 6.5 Prc. Full disclosure I just bought a Tikka in 6.5 Prc, but I'm changing the barrel to 25 Prc. Even fuller disclosure I hunt with a custom 10 lb. 30 Nosler with NF ATACR.

 

[sdirks3]

Huh, hadn't heard of any 6.5 PRC issues - I'll definitely give that a look!

Yeah, I've heard some CA have had issues but it seems like they're good at getting them fixed, so I'm OK rolling those dice I think.

The tikka are tempting but they're relatively heavy and the ones that come threaded are impossible to find in lefty. Although maybe a more common caliber would have better stock? What would you suggest other than 6.5 PRC from them?

 

[sdirks3]

Huh, very interesting read on the 6.5 PRC reloading issues! For anyone who wants to geek out on it just Google "6.5 PRC Dies not sizing enough", the first link should be the LRO forum thread on it. Luckily it looks like it only starts up on thrice fired brass and is an easy fix with a custom reamer (and one of the guys over there with said reamer lives nearby), so if the core performance of the 6.5 PRC still checks all the boxes I'll probably press on with that cartridge.

Big thanks to @Axlrod for bringing the issue to my attention though! Would've been a bugger to figure out later on

 

[Taudisio]

6.5 prc in a 110UL has worked wonders for me. I wanted to upgrade to a 30 cal for an elk dedicated rifle. Bought a CA Mesa 300 prc. I had two major issues with it. Sent it back to them and got a new barrel. Didn’t fix either issue. Ended up dumping it and going a different route. The Mesa was over 9 pounds hunting weight (9.5-9.7 if I recall correctly). I’ll never own one again. Their customer service was great, their product was my issue. I’ve killed 3 bulls with my 6.5UL. Ringing steel at 600 yards is boringly easy for me. I let new shooters reach out there and get huge smiles when they hear the delayed ring. I get sub moa, 3000 fps, from factory precision hunter. But if you got your mind made up, have fun!

 

[sdirks3]

6.5 prc in a 110UL has worked wonders for me. I wanted to upgrade to a 30 cal for an elk dedicated rifle. Bought a CA Mesa 300 prc. I had two major issues with it. Sent it back to them and got a new barrel. Didn’t fix either issue. Ended up dumping it and going a different route. The Mesa was over 9 pounds hunting weight (9.5-9.7 if I recall correctly). I’ll never own one again. Their customer service was great, their product was my issue. I’ve killed 3 bulls with my 6.5UL. Ringing steel at 600 yards is boringly easy for me. I let new shooters reach out there and get huge smiles when they hear the delayed ring. I get sub moa, 3000 fps, from factory precision hunter. But if you got your mind made up, have fun!

Definitely still weighing both options, and that's some compelling testimony for the savage! On paper the CA just has a lot going for it...

The weight difference is a nice to have, but honestly it irks me that savage stuck with a 24" barrel on there when they know that threading makes me want to strap a can on it! That would put my overall barrel length at 32" for the savage vs 28 for the CA. But maybe I'm making too much of that?

One other question for you since you have experience with the savage - is the 2 rnd mag limiting? Or not a big deal?

 

[Taudisio]

I do not run a can….yet, but depending on what shrubbery your are in, I am a big fan of short barrels around here. I have a vg6 epsilon on the savage and it has less recoil than my ar15. Makes watching things get hit through the scope easy. My new rifle is a 22” barrel and planning on a thunder beast ultra 7. The magazine limit is a typo on the website. It’s 3 rounds! And I am 3 for 3 on elk so far, so having 4 in the rifle has not been an issue. 4 muleys with 5 shots, one was a blatant miss by me. The elk shoulder photo below was the second one it went through and the bullet was stuck in the hide.

 

[sdirks3]

I do not run a can….yet, but depending on what shrubbery your are in, I am a big fan of short barrels around here. I have a vg6 epsilon on the savage and it has less recoil than my ar15. Makes watching things get hit through the scope easy. My new rifle is a 22” barrel and planning on a thunder beast ultra 7. The magazine limit is a typo on the website. It’s 3 rounds! And I am 3 for 3 on elk so far, so having 4 in the rifle has not been an issue. 4 muleys with 5 shots, one was a blatant miss by me. The elk shoulder photo below was the second one it went through and the bullet was stuck in the hide.

I could step back to the Enticer S-TI, gain an extra inch and a half...very interesting. On the one had it's "only 2 inches", on the other those inches add up when you're weaving through brush and trees.

Great news on the mag! Honestly in my mind I should only need one, but I also carry around 5 arrows on the bow so...

That pic definitely makes me feel better about the PRC for elk!

 

[Taudisio]

I would have bought the camo version if it was available when I got it. I dislike the color. The adjustability of the stock is fantastic. The bolt was sticky when I first got it but has been flawless in the field. The weight of the rifle surprises me every time I pick it up and the accuracy has been phenomenal

 

[SwiftShot]

TLDR at the bottom.

-----

I am a long time archery hunter looking to pick up a first rifle for learning to shoot, picking up reloading, and hunting. I'll be doing everything from white tail up north to mule deer and elk out here in Colorado. Given that I'm new to rifle and enjoy stalking in close to game I'm confident I won't be shooting anything out past 500 yds for a while. For this first year I'll likely set an outer limit of 250-ish (depending on how the shooting goes).

All that being said, I landed on 6.5 PRC as the cartridge because it's 1) easy shooting while still being adequate for short to mid range elk, 2) readily available ammo and reloading stuff, and 3) seems light recoiling enough for me to carry around a (sub) 8 pound rifle even as a new shooter. Also hoping lower cost ammo and easier shooting will mean I'll put more rounds down range before the season comes around.

On the rifle side of things I'm a lefty, which limits my options. I've narrowed it to the Savage 110 UL or the CA Mesa FFT. Both are light, come threaded for a suppressor, and come in lefty. The CA in my mind is a clear win - $200 gets me 4 inches shorter barrel, 8 oz less weight, and an extra round in the mag.

For the scope I'm waffling between 3 options - the Trijicon Tenmile HX 3-18x50, SWFA SS HD 5-20x50, or the SWFA SS UL 2.5-10x32. Of these three, the SS HD is heaviest but also saves some cash vs the Tenmile and is the only FFP option. The UL is a full pound lighter than the Tenmile (20 oz lighter than the SS HD), and maybe the 10x is sufficient below 500 yds? Also not sure how big of a difference the 32 vs 50 mm objective makes. Of course the Tenmile seems to be a rockstar (although around here the SWFA stuff seems pretty dang popular). Could really use some advice here.

On the scope mounting front, I'm thinking the Hawkins LR 25 MOA direct mount rings (with the integrated bubble). But people seem to like the pic rail with rings setup (although I don't see myself swapping scopes very much if ever), so if I went that route I was going to pick up the Talley rail with the bubble integrated and the Talley sporting pic rings. The rail + rings approach is only 1.5 oz heavier, so the real question is which will be more robust in the field?

-----

TLDR: About to pull the trigger on the configuration below for "becoming a rifleman", "learning to reload", and "backpack elk hunting" rifle - looking for a sanity check.

Rifle: Christensen Arms Mesa FFT (6.5 PRC, 20", 5.5 lbs)
Suppressor: Diligent Defense Enticer L-Ti (8.25", 10.5 oz)
Scope: Trijicon Tenmile HX 3-18x50 (25.7 oz, SFP)
Rings: Hawkins LR 25 MOA w/level (4 oz)

All in all 8 pounds before bullets, 6.5 PRC for easy shooting/reloading/practice, intended for hunting up to elk at sub 500 yd distances (mostly sub 300).

Questions:
- Is the 6.5 PRC a good choice here?
- Thoughts on the Tenmile vs the SWFA SS HD 5-20x50? or the dark horse SWFA SS UL 2.5-10x32 (saves a full pound! sufficient for closer ranges)?
- Any general advice?

My CA Ridgeline in 6.5 shoots like a laser. 5 shot group .76. So I am happy as hell. It loves ELDX and the only thing it hates seems to be a Barnes 127 LRX. It might have been me on that reload but I had 3 inch groups on that. I think you will be fine with that. Shot my damage tag on a cow this year. Not sure on the ELDX. It dropped her, and it was at 25 yards. Bullet caught a rib going in and I found it under the skin on the otherside. I just hit one rib no shoulders, so it makes me wonder. At range it might hold up better. Long story but 6.5 PRC will do fine on elk just pick a quality bullet.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Definitely still weighing both options, and that's some compelling testimony for the savage! On paper the CA just has a lot going for it...

The weight difference is a nice to have, but honestly it irks me that savage stuck with a 24" barrel on there when they know that threading makes me want to strap a can on it! That would put my overall barrel length at 32" for the savage vs 28 for the CA. But maybe I'm making too much of that?

One other question for you since you have experience with the savage - is the 2 rnd mag limiting? Or not a big deal?

Can fit 3 rounds in on the 6.5 PRC.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

6.5 Creedmoor/260 for Deer, Elk, and whatever else.....

Seeing that the 223 thread is such a success, I thought maybe I would start one for the Creedmoor/260. Seems like people are asking a lot about using them and various bullets, especially for elk. I've used mine for the last few years almost exclusively. I have some pics of bullet damage, albeit...

rokslide.com

Prc is way more than you need for 250, or even 500 yards. There was a run of ca prcs last fall that were unsafe with factory ammo due to chamber size problems. And prc brass gets the clicker issue.

All that said, 6.5 creed makes more sense for your current goals. And more rifles are available, and it'll be cheaper to shoot, and it has less recoil, and there's more factory ammo available.

There's a reason this combo is the original rokslide special- it flat out works:

left hand tikka t3x lite stainless 6.5 creed sportsmatch t084s
Swfa 6x or 3-9

 

[MHWASH]

For a first time rifle owner, I think your making a mistake going real light weight. Light weight rigs are hard to shoot accurately without lots of practice, which may be limiting with the availability of 6.5 Prc ammo. A light weight gun can promote flinching. For what your describing especially with say a 400 yard limit, I'd grab a Tikka T3 lite in 7mm-08, 270 or 6.5 CM. Then when your ready have the barrel cut down and threaded.

For a scope, there is no real advantage to go any higher than 15x, especially at the ranges you are talking about. I consistantly make hits on a 10x10 plate at 500 yards with my 10x scope. The SWFA 3-9, NF NXS 2.5-10, or the NF SVH 3-10 would all be perfect for said rifle.

 

[sdirks3]

My CA Ridgeline in 6.5 shoots like a laser. 5 shot group .76. So I am happy as hell. It loves ELDX and the only thing it hates seems to be a Barnes 127 LRX. It might have been me on that reload but I had 3 inch groups on that. I think you will be fine with that. Shot my damage tag on a cow this year. Not sure on the ELDX. It dropped her, and it was at 25 yards. Bullet caught a rib going in and I found it under the skin on the otherside. I just hit one rib no shoulders, so it makes me wonder. At range it might hold up better. Long story but 6.5 PRC will do fine on elk just pick a quality bullet.

And for every horror story on CA there's people saying this too! Not making the decision easy on me guys haha

Yeah, I've been listening to tons of podcasts on the subject. Really good episodes in "Backcountry Hunting" breaking down bullet selection. That's actually another motivator for getting into hand loading - giving me better odds on being able to tune up a load with the bullets I want to use.

 

[sdirks3]

6.5 Creedmoor/260 for Deer, Elk, and whatever else.....

Seeing that the 223 thread is such a success, I thought maybe I would start one for the Creedmoor/260. Seems like people are asking a lot about using them and various bullets, especially for elk. I've used mine for the last few years almost exclusively. I have some pics of bullet damage, albeit...

rokslide.com

Prc is easy now than you need for 250, or even 500 yards. There was a run of ca prcs last fall that were undafe with factory ammo due to chamber size problems. And prc brass gets the clicker issue.

All that said, 6.5 creed makes more sense for your current goals. And more rifles are available, and it'll be cheaper to shoot, and it has less recoil, and there's more factory ammo available.

There's a reason this combo is the original rokslide special- it flat out works:

left hand tikka t3x lite stainless 6.5 creed sportsmatch t084s
Swfa 6x or 3-9

The creed was interesting, and I'm sure it'd work at proper ranges with proper placement, but tbh I've just managed to get myself comfortable with the PRC on elk vs going to a 7 mm cartridge. Probably a mental thing but I know if I'm not fully confident taking the shot I'm not gonna make a good shot so there it is

The Tikka is tempting, and I could get a local guy to thread it for me I suppose. But I gain weight and honestly for a first rifle I'd like to avoid a trip to the smith if I can. I'm definitely going suppressed because even my relatively short lifetime in the duck blind has me dancing with tinnitus.

 

[cuttingedge]

Huh, hadn't heard of any 6.5 PRC issues - I'll definitely give that a look!

Yeah, I've heard some CA have had issues but it seems like they're good at getting them fixed, so I'm OK rolling those dice I think.

The tikka are tempting but they're relatively heavy and the ones that come threaded are impossible to find in lefty. Although maybe a more common caliber would have better stock? What would you suggest other than 6.5 PRC from them?

I went with the Browning X-bolt speed in 6.5 PRC and it's a solid rifle. It took a couple of boxes through it for it to settle down and now I get sub moa groups with a cool barrel with Hornady ELD-X 143gr.

I think the 6.5 PRC is a good multipurpose caliber. 7mm Rem Mag might be a little better honestly, but I like the PRC.

 

[sdirks3]

For a first time rifle owner, I think your making a mistake going real light weight. Light weight rigs are hard to shoot accurately without lots of practice, which may be limiting with the availability of 6.5 Prc ammo. A light weight gun can promote flinching. For what your describing especially with say a 400 yard limit, I'd grab a Tikka T3 lite in 7mm-08, 270 or 6.5 CM. Then when your ready have the barrel cut down and threaded.

For a scope, there is no real advantage to go any higher than 15x, especially at the ranges you are talking about. I consistantly make hits on a 10x10 plate at 500 yards with my 10x scope. The SWFA 3-9, NF NXS 2.5-10, or the NF SVH 3-10 would all be perfect for said rifle.

I was a bit concerned about that for sure. Crunching the numbers it looks like the 6.5 PRC in an 8 lb rifle averages about the same as a 7 rem mag in a 10 lb rifle at ~20 ft lbs. So I'm kinda banking on the suppressor bringing that down for a new shooter, but I also won't have that in hand for a few months.

There is a savage timberline in 280 ai that's a good deal used and weighs 8 lbs base. Puts target loads out of that gun at 15 ft lbs of energy and gives me a cool cartridge in the closet while I wait for the suppressor and get good. Not sure I want to sign up to carry 2 pounds more through the mountains but maybe I suck it up for a year and buy light after I've developed good shooting habits?

Also thanks for the advice on the scope!

 

[ResearchinStuff]

The creed was interesting, and I'm sure it'd work at proper ranges with proper placement, but tbh I've just managed to get myself comfortable with the PRC on elk vs going to a 7 mm cartridge. Probably a mental thing but I know if I'm not fully confident taking the shot I'm not gonna make a good shot so there it is

The Tikka is tempting, and I could get a local guy to thread it for me I suppose. But I gain weight and honestly for a first rifle I'd like to avoid a trip to the smith if I can. I'm definitely going suppressed because even my relatively short lifetime in the duck blind has me dancing with tinnitus.

There's dozens of dead elk in the 6.5 kill thread, plus more in the 6mm and 223 threads. Many are at ranges 2-3 times your goal, most are smaller cases than the prc.

In your situation, the prc is not necessary, nor is a 7mm. Excellent shot placement is necessary, and that takes practice, which means you have to like shooting the gun, so the minimum recoil combo that produces adequate tissue disruption at the ranges you'll hunt is really the most beneficial way to look at rifle/cartridge/bullet selection. In archery terms, don't start yourself off with an 80# 350 IBO to learn the fundamentals on.