Seekins PH3

Interesting reports, appears there are still some bugs for Seekins to work out..... they also seem a bit heavier then originally stated.
I haven't been able to find any reliable weight measurements, Seekins just says ~7.5 lbs. Given the NRL model and weight limit I'm surprised they're not specific about it. I'm considering one for Open Light division but don't know if I can make weight.

Do you or does anyone have weights of the 24" 6.5CM NRL model, or the 20" 6.5 CM?
 
Here is a response from Seekins when I asked about weights:
  • Havak PH3 (And NRL, SA Only)
    • Short Action, 16" barrel: 6.8lbs.
    • Short Action, 20" barrel: 7lbs.
    • Short Action, 24" barrel: 7.4lbs.
    • Long Action, 22" barrel: 7.6lbs.
    • Long Action, 26" barrel: 8lbs.


  • Havak Element M3
    • Short Action, 16" barrel: 5.7lbs
    • Short Action, 20" barrel: 6lbs.
    • Long Action, 22" barrel: 6.7lbs.


  • Element Hunter/SLAM
    • Short Action, 16" barrel: 5lbs.
    • Short Action, 20" barrel: 5.5lbs.
    • Long Action, 22" barrel:
 
1 - Inserting the factory CF mag is not smooth, in fact I'd call it a frustration. It's a very tight fit, which I'm sure I'll develop a better process to load it more smoothly, but compared to any other rifle I've owned I would call it a deficiency. Operation with the MDT mag is better, but still a little tight. Not really a problem.

2 - I do like the bolt throw, but when chambering a round it is a bit rough. There is a false stop about 1/4 to 1/2" from actually being fully in the chamber. It's a moderate annoyance, but the action is still functional. Again, compared to other rifles I have, it's a deficiency. It definitely required what I might call a 'forceful' operation. My GA Precisions, Sakos, and Tikkas never required this much effort. It's an issue because I like to cycle another round immediately after firing, while keeping my reticle on the target. The significant force required to cycle the next round significantly disrupts the sight picture. I'll see if this improves over time. Extraction and ejection were fine.

3 - It was mentioned by someone above, but I also experienced difficulty single feeding a round with an empty mag in. Not desirable, but I personally hardly ever do that so I don't care too much about that issue. But it is a deficiency.
Regarding 1, your mag should get much smoother over time. Both my factory CF mags were a bit on the tight side initially but now feed and eject like butter.

Regarding 2, that doesn't sound normal and may be worth sending back to Seekins to look into after the hunting season. My M3 action rivals my Tikka in ease of use and smoothness throughout the cycle.

Regarding 3, I've also experienced some difficulties here, feeding his hit and miss when dropping a round in from the top with an empty mag unless you purposely place the round where the bullet is up and over the lip.

Gun continues to shot lights out. My only material gripe is the lack of the toe of the Slam/Hunter chassis. The platform is designed to shot out of tripod and inherently hard to shot prone as the toe is only about 2". A Seekins bag rider accessory similar to what XLR offers for the Element 4.0 would be a game changer for the Slam/Hunter..
 
Do you guys think I should ditch my new PH3 in 308 for a 7PRC or 300 Win Mag. I most often use it as an elk rifle. I'm not afraid of recoil, but I am a little afraid the 7PRC is going to fizzle out like the 7mm WSM that I have did.
Killed two elk (solo DIY) with a rifle I built in 300 PRC. Rifles weighs 11 pounds and shoots 1/2-3/4 inch groups with factory ammo.

First elk was 301 yards away with a 25-30 mph wind at 11 O'clock (Hornady 212g ELDX).

Second elk was 74 yards away moving right to left (Barnes 208g GR LRX BT -all copper).

Both elk fell over and died. Both times the bullet passed through.

I will never use anything else for taking elk.
 
I haven't been able to find any reliable weight measurements, Seekins just says ~7.5 lbs. Given the NRL model and weight limit I'm surprised they're not specific about it. I'm considering one for Open Light division but don't know if I can make weight.

Do you or does anyone have weights of the 24" 6.5CM NRL model, or the 20" 6.5 CM?

I have a brand new one in 6.5 CM. NRL model.

My scale is very accurate and was zeroed prior to weighing. Rifle weighed a few minutes ago just for you, and anyone else that needs this info…
 

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I have a brand new one in 6.5 CM. NRL model.

My scale is very accurate and was zeroed prior to weighing. Rifle weighed a few minutes ago just for you, and anyone else that needs this info…

Dont think i've used a scale like that in the last 20 years, is that indicating a hair over 7.5#?
 
A Seekins bag rider accessory similar to what XLR offers for the Element 4.0 would be a game changer for the Slam/Hunter..
The more folks who ask Seekins for this, the better the chance we'll get it. I mentioned it to them the last time I spoke to them: sales[at]seekinsprecision[dot]com.

Realistically, I bet someone with a 3D printer will come out with a third party solution at some point even if Seekins doesn't...
 
The more folks who ask Seekins for this, the better the chance we'll get it. I mentioned it to them the last time I spoke to them: sales[at]seekinsprecision[dot]com.

Realistically, I bet someone with a 3D printer will come out with a third party solution at some point even if Seekins doesn't...
Glen confirmed it will be available shortly on the Seekins Facebook page he moderates. Sounds like he’s got it ready and is testing a bit more before official release
 
I got my PH3 set up a couple weeks ago, and finally got out last week and got it zeroed. Setup is a 20" 6 CM, with Nightforce NXS 2.5-10, and Unknown OG suppressor. Rounds were fed with the factory carbon fiber magazine as well as a MDT polymer AICS 5 rd mag. Rounds fired were factory loaded Hornady 108 ELDM. 20 shot MV average was 2843 fps.

I did not clean the rifle prior to first shots. Just took it out of the box and put it together and shot it.

A couple things I noticed:
1 - Inserting the factory CF mag is not smooth, in fact I'd call it a frustration. It's a very tight fit, which I'm sure I'll develop a better process to load it more smoothly, but compared to any other rifle I've owned I would call it a deficiency. Operation with the MDT mag is better, but still a little tight. Not really a problem.

2 - I do like the bolt throw, but when chambering a round it is a bit rough. There is a false stop about 1/4 to 1/2" from actually being fully in the chamber. It's a moderate annoyance, but the action is still functional. Again, compared to other rifles I have, it's a deficiency. It definitely required what I might call a 'forceful' operation. My GA Precisions, Sakos, and Tikkas never required this much effort. It's an issue because I like to cycle another round immediately after firing, while keeping my reticle on the target. The significant force required to cycle the next round significantly disrupts the sight picture. I'll see if this improves over time. Extraction and ejection were fine.

3 - It was mentioned by someone above, but I also experienced difficulty single feeding a round with an empty mag in. Not desirable, but I personally hardly ever do that so I don't care too much about that issue. But it is a deficiency.

On the positive side, I'm happy with the first 10 round group. This is after a zeroing procedure of walking the impact into point of aim, one round at a time. Once I got 1 round to impact close to my zeroing point of aim, I switched targets and shot this 10 round group to know where to adjust for an actual zero. The picture below is that group.
View attachment 937213
View attachment 937214

I shot my 6 creedmoor PH3 today. I didn’t do any break in procedure. Just went straight to shooting. Got it around the bullseye after 4 shots. Shooting factory ELDX 103s. Groups measured 1.1-1.5” at first. By the end I measured the last two at .8-.9” at 200 yards. It tightened up as I went. I didn’t stretch it any further yet. Chrono right at 2900. I really like the fit and feel of the gun. It functioned smooth throughout, with only one exception. If loading from the mag it would cycle great. If I dropped a single into the chamber and attempted to load it, the bullet would catch the lower face of the barrel and stop. They’d go if I gave them some help. From the mag though, totally fine.

I’ve got a custom Alamo 6cm that shoots the same ammo at a 1/2”. So this one might be a little pickier. Time will tell. Overall I really like the rifle and think it’ll be a good one.
Seekins sells prefits and bolt heads for the ph3. Mine is chambered in 6 Creed and I have a Seekins 20” prefit in 22 ARC on order (along with the ARC bolt gear and MDT magazine Seekins customer service recommended.

Prefit was $500 I believe and another $100 or so for the bolt head.

(all available to order in Euro ).

I have the same setup - 20” 6 creed. Are you experiencing feeding/chambering issues from the mag and single round? Any tricks or remedies that have worked for you?

I’m shooting factory Hornady 108 ELDMS and they bind on the feed ramp before being chambered. Some to the extent that it is marring the bullet and mushrooming the ballistic tip.

Forceful bolt push and they load, but exacerbate the damage to the polymer ballistic tip…

Appreciate the insight. Thanks!
 
I have the same setup - 20” 6 creed. Are you experiencing feeding/chambering issues from the mag and single round? Any tricks or remedies that have worked for you?

I’m shooting factory Hornady 108 ELDMS and they bind on the feed ramp before being chambered. Some to the extent that it is marring the bullet and mushrooming the ballistic tip.

Forceful bolt push and they load, but exacerbate the damage to the polymer ballistic tip…

Appreciate the insight. Thanks!
Are you referring to single loading with the mag inserted or just feeding the last round out the mag?

What factory mag comes with the ph3 6cm? I have a ph2 and it came with a 5rd aics pmag. Has fed fine for me from multiple magazine formats. I don't know if I've tried single feeding.
 
Are you referring to single loading with the mag inserted or just feeding the last round out the mag?

What factory mag comes with the ph3 6cm? I have a ph2 and it came with a 5rd aics pmag. Has fed fine for me from multiple magazine formats. I don't know if I've tried single feeding.
Both, single loading with mag inserted and straight out of the mag.

The PH3s come with the carbon mag. I have a PH2 same 6 CM caliber and don’t experience the feeding issues that I do with my PH3. If I don’t force the bolt forward, it typically won’t feed.

I attached a photo, you can see where the polymer tip and bullet is catching/wearing.
 

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Both, single loading with mag inserted and straight out of the mag.

The PH3s come with the carbon mag. I have a PH2 same 6 CM caliber and don’t experience the feeding issues that I do with my PH3. If I don’t force the bolt forward, it typically won’t feed.

I attached a photo, you can see where the polymer tip and bullet is catching/wearing.
My Element M3 feeds like butter across 5 different ammo offerings tried so far when using the magazine. I do get the periodic issue single feeding though. Something is definetly up with yours, call Seekins.
 
I did some more shooting of my 6CM since me and the boy plan on using it on a hunt next week. I have mixed feelings on the gun after more time with it.

Likes: Trigger is good, fit and finish is great, I love the M-loc and have an Arca plate on it that’s easily reachable on a tripod for adjustment. It’s around an inch or a little worse with factory ELDX 103s. I tried some 108s and it likes those a little better.

Dislikes: The gun is heavy. I have similar stature customs on Defiance actions and steel barrels, as well as Tikkas, and the Seekins feels like a brick in comparison, and my other guns aren’t ounce saver configurations.

BIG dislike is the bolt bind. The gun has a ton of grease in it from the factory. The bolt gets filthy after several rounds. I thought that was causing binding since it’s just dirty. I cleaned the action and the bolt and it’s still not great. If you cycle it nice and straight it’ll go reasonably well. Any sort of misalignment(like pushing solely on the bolt handle) and it drags and binds against the rear of the action. It’s just not good at all. I don’t know that it impedes the rifle’s functionality as a hunting tool, but for $2000 that thing should be butter. Maybe that’s just the nature of their rifles?

The bolt still rubs across the top of the carbon mag and adds a degree of grittiness to the cycling.

We’re gonna take the gun on the hunt next week. It’ll still do the job so I’m not worried about that. But I’ll probably contact Seekins once I get back. Maybe I’m nitpicking and I don’t want to be that guy. But there’s an expectation when you buy quality products that they work as advertised.
 
I did some more shooting of my 6CM since me and the boy plan on using it on a hunt next week. I have mixed feelings on the gun after more time with it.

Likes: Trigger is good, fit and finish is great, I love the M-loc and have an Arca plate on it that’s easily reachable on a tripod for adjustment. It’s around an inch or a little worse with factory ELDX 103s. I tried some 108s and it likes those a little better.

Dislikes: The gun is heavy. I have similar stature customs on Defiance actions and steel barrels, as well as Tikkas, and the Seekins feels like a brick in comparison, and my other guns aren’t ounce saver configurations.

BIG dislike is the bolt bind. The gun has a ton of grease in it from the factory. The bolt gets filthy after several rounds. I thought that was causing binding since it’s just dirty. I cleaned the action and the bolt and it’s still not great. If you cycle it nice and straight it’ll go reasonably well. Any sort of misalignment(like pushing solely on the bolt handle) and it drags and binds against the rear of the action. It’s just not good at all. I don’t know that it impedes the rifle’s functionality as a hunting tool, but for $2000 that thing should be butter. Maybe that’s just the nature of their rifles?

The bolt still rubs across the top of the carbon mag and adds a degree of grittiness to the cycling.

We’re gonna take the gun on the hunt next week. It’ll still do the job so I’m not worried about that. But I’ll probably contact Seekins once I get back. Maybe I’m nitpicking and I don’t want to be that guy. But there’s an expectation when you buy quality products that they work as advertised.
My ph2 has fed great from poly mags, try a mdt 3rd flush mag, may fix all your problems.
 
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