Thread Tikka 6.5 creed. Barrel length suggestions.

[Ringbill27]

Well….. the LGS did it to me again…

Due to the threaded barrel Tikkas coming in they discontinued and discounted the non threaded models. All with throwing a 15% on all guns and ammo store sale at it.

I picked up a blued Lite in 6.5 creed with the 24” barrel for $403 after rebate I had to.

Now the real question is do I chop the barrel or do I just thread the 24”?

Maybe is a comp gun. Maybe it’s a hunting rifle.
Maybe it’s both.

What do you all think?

I’m leaning toward a 16” comp/hunting rifle.

 

[Nine Banger]

18-20"

 

[gtriple]

Be unique, SBR it for free come January 1st and chop it to 14”.

what’s your max expected hunting range?

 

[AZ_Hunter]

I like my 16” gun. My nephew also just chopped his to 16” too. With 130gr TMK loaded on top of a max charge of Stabal 6.5 and a suppressor I get 2750 fps. That gets out to 1800fps plenty far… killed an elk at just over 300 without issue.

Mike of left, his on right

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I like my 20” barrel for the 6.5 CM and I wouldn’t go any shorter. I sometimes wish I had a 22” barrel on it with an OG instead of a 20” barrel with the AB Raptor 8.

If I wanted a 6.5mm rifle with a shorter barrel, I would carry my 6.5 Grendel. Why shoot a short action cartridge if you could get almost the same performance from a mini action cartridge?

My 20” Tikka 6.5 CM sends Hornady American Whitetail 129-grain Interlocks out at ~2559 FPS.

My 18” CZ 6.5 Grendel sends Hornady Black 123-grain ELDMs out at ~2509 FPS.

Now, I plan to shoot the 140-grain ELDMs with the Tikka (~2539 FPS), not 129-grain Interlocks, but ballistically, the two rifles are very closely matched. I haven’t reloaded for either one yet, so I haven’t really explored their full potential.

As I configured them, the Tikka weighs 10# and the CZ weighs 8#. Both shoot very well.

The Tikka is smoother and more durable than the CZ, but such a close match in other regards that I reach for the CZ a bit more often.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[Ringbill27]

Be unique, SBR it for free come January 1st and chop it to 14”.

what’s your max expected hunting range?

I suppose with proper bullet choice I’d like to get to 500yd. Haven’t give bullet choice a thought yet.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

I like my 20” barrel for the 6.5 CM and I wouldn’t go any shorter. I sometimes wish I had a 22” barrel on it with an OG instead of a 20” barrel with the AB Raptor 8.

If I wanted a 6.5mm rifle with a shorter barrel, I would carry my 6.5 Grendel. Why shoot a short action cartridge if you could get almost the same performance from a mini action cartridge?

My 20” Tikka 6.5 CM sends Hornady American Whitetail 129-grain Interlocks out at ~2559 FPS.

My 18” CZ 6.5 Grendel sends Hornady Black 123-grain ELDMs out at ~2509 FPS.

Now, I plan to shoot the 140-grain ELDMs with the Tikka (~2539 FPS), not 129-grain Interlocks, but ballistically, the two rifles are very closely matched. I haven’t reloaded for either one yet, so I haven’t really explored their full potential.

As I configured them, the Tikka weighs 10# and the CZ weighs 8#. Both shoot very well.

The Tikka is smoother and more durable than the CZ, but such a close match in other regards that I reach for the CZ a bit more often.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

I have shot American whitetail too and get around the same speed you. It’s very slow, with high ES. I only use it for plinking with the family and getting brass. I have also shot Hornady 90eldx in a 243 and it is way slow too. I haven’t been impressed with Hornady’s ammo, seems like it’s loaded extremely conservative.

Staball 6.5 seems to wake up the 6.5 up. I use a Garmin chrony.

 

[mtnbound]

Well….. the LGS did it to me again…

Due to the threaded barrel Tikkas coming in they discontinued and discounted the non threaded models. All with throwing a 15% on all guns and ammo store sale at it.

I picked up a blued Lite in 6.5 creed with the 24” barrel for $403 after rebate I had to.

Now the real question is do I chop the barrel or do I just thread the 24”?

Maybe is a comp gun. Maybe it’s a hunting rifle.
Maybe it’s both.

What do you all think?

I’m leaning toward a 16” comp/hunting rifle.

By comp do you mean competition gun?

What is your typical shooting distance for hunting?

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I suppose with proper bullet choice I’d like to get to 500yd. Haven’t give bullet choice a thought yet.

The app tells me that both my rifles are good to about 450 with ELDMs.

____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[AZ_Hunter]

I suppose with proper bullet choice I’d like to get to 500yd. Haven’t give bullet choice a thought yet.

I guarantee with a 130 TMK handload you will get 500 yards with a 14” barrel. Maybe not with H4350 but Staball 6.5 for sure.

 

[Ringbill27]

By comp do you mean competition gun?

What is your typical shooting distance for hunting?

Yes competition gun. Which is 500 and sometimes longer. Hunt typically is 100-150yds. At some point I’ll get out west and we’ll even southern Mn now that they’ve ended the shotgun zone.

 

[mtnbound]

Yes competition gun. Which is 500 and sometimes longer. Hunt typically is 100-150yds. At some point I’ll get out west and we’ll even southern Mn now that they’ve ended the shotgun zone.

For me, I would focus on the activity the rifle will see the most action in. A short barreled match rifle is doable but you will have to work harder at it. Do your matches have a power factor?

 

[Macintosh]

I have an oem tikka barrel cut to 20” and suppressed. With around 100 rounds out of it mine chronoed at 2598 average of 5 shots, shooting factory loaded hornady match 140gr eldm’s. DA of 1990’ that ends up at 1800fps at about 660 yards. If I did it again Id cut to 18”.

 

[Rockpicker]

Yes competition gun. Which is 500 and sometimes longer. Hunt typically is 100-150yds. At some point I’ll get out west and we’ll even southern Mn now that they’ve ended the shotgun zone.

Dependent on county. If your county says no rifles you’re SOL.

 

[h2so4]

The green on is 16.25”. I dig the short length. I’d say go as short as you can.

 

[nm.otter]

I have an oem tikka barrel cut to 20” and suppressed. With around 100 rounds out of it mine chronoed at 2598 average of 5 shots, shooting factory loaded hornady match 140gr eldm’s.

Helpful data point -- thank you.

I hope to see ~2600 from the 20" I have coming.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

My latest “main” big game hunting backcountry guns in 223, 22 Creedmoor, 6 Creedmoor, and 6.5 PRC all have 16” barrels.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Helpful data point -- thank you.

I hope to see ~2600 from the 20" I have coming.

2579 fps average for factory Hornady 147gr M's from my 20" 6.5 CM suppressed so should be easily doable if you reload.

 

[Nevwild]

My 17.5in 6.5cm has a mv of 2535 for 147 eldm’s. I would have gone 16in but my 5inch reflex on my AB 8 would interfere with my Rokstock, so I had to go up to 17 or 17.5.

 

[DisplacedHusky]

My latest “main” big game hunting backcountry guns in 223, 22 Creedmoor, 6 Creedmoor, and 6.5 PRC all have 16” barrels.

What velocities are you getting from the 16” 6.5 PRC?