Two Rifle Setup - What Would You Do?

[kickemall]

.223 bolt. I think after you shoot it a bit you'll use it a lot more than the 6.5, which is also a great cartridge.

 

[JCMCUBIC]

If you have one already that you like everything about, assuming that's your 6.5 PRC, then just mimic it in a 1/7 or 1/8 .223. Recreate the PRC package as close as you can. The .223 with good bullets is a solid killer for the game you listed. If you don't feel that way, then it's not a issue, just use your 6.5 PRC while hunting. The .223, mimicking your PRC platform, allows you to put in a lot more shooting without the PRC's ammo cost, availability, and recoil. A reliable .223 is one of the best investments you can make for improving your shooting. It's an investment that pays dividends.

 

[iburns]

A 223 in a 1:7 twist would pair nicely with your 6.5 PRC. Like you stated, the 6.5 PRC will handle all your hunts out west, so no need to go bigger. Since you don’t reload, factory ammo in 223 is easy to get with a lot of options to choose from.

 

[Slick8]

I'm a magnum guy and while not needed for most of my hunting I do love them. I also like to shoot a lot so I have some non mags for a little more volume. I still can't bring myself to dump mags in an AR though...
I'm currently shooting the following; 338 Edge, 7 Saum, 6.5 Creed and 2 AR's in .223.

If I was planning your route it would be a 7 / 300 mag of some sort and a 6 CM or similar. The 6.5 PRC is capable of most anything you would do with a 7 within reason so no great loss there.
Lastly, it's hard to beat a fast twist 223 for light hunting and practice.

I get the young kids as I've been there and now have a blended family of 6 kids with 4 being out of town / state. They rightfully so do take up a lot of spare time. Luckily, there's lots of good factory ammo out there and a few companies offering great custom ammo.

 

[Mike D Texas]

I didn’t see you mention if factory ammo is your only option.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[loadsandlattes]

Thanks for the input so far, guys!

@JCMCUBIC has my thought process down, I basically want to copy and paste my current rifle into something else. In my mind, it makes more sense to go with something a little smaller and more affordable to shoot.

6CM keeps coming back up, with the only downside being barrel life. Truth be told, barrel life doesn’t really bother me too much though.

.223 has come through from a lot of you guys. I honestly hadn’t really considered .223 as an option for a bolt rifle. Maybe I am missing something there!

 

[FLShooter293]

For deer I run:
.308 Win
Origin action
18” Shillen #5
TB Ultra 5
MDT HNT 26 stock
Trijicon Accupoint

For elk:
300 WSM
TL3 action
18” Proof CF Sendero
TB Ultra7
MDT HNT26 stock
Leupold VariX5 3-15 firedot

 

[StupidLightweight]

.223 Tikka. You’ll use it way more than the PRC, become a better shooter, and ultimately save money due to ammo cost

 

[Okie_Poke]

Hey guys!

I’m moving toward selling a few rifles I have been hanging onto, and building a new rifle with the intention of having a two-rifle setup and pairing everthing down a bit. The older I get, the more I realize that I don’t need a bunch of excess gear, rifles, or anything else sitting around being stored.

A few months back, I built what I thought was about as ideal as a hunting rifle as I could put together in 6.5 PRC. And my gosh, it’s a shooter and an absolute dream to pack around. I absolutely love it, but want to pair it with something else - but I’m not sure if I should go with something slightly larger or slightly smaller. This is what I built:

HNT26 Chassis
Impact NBK Action
Benchmark Sendero 20”
Triggertech Diamond
Nightforce NX8 2.5-20
Spuhr rings

I am in West Texas and hunt a lot of coyotes, pigs, and varmints locally. During season, I hunt whitetail (mostly for meat, I’m not picky). I also sneak off out west for bear, elk, and muledeer. Truth be told, the 6.5 PRC is great for any of those and exactly why I chose that particular cartridge to build off of, though it might be a bit overboard for the smaller stuff. I also try and shoot one or two NRL Hunter matches annually.

So. I’m not sure what I want to do next. I have a donor rifle that I’m pulling a scope off of, so whatever I build will have a Nightforce NX8 4-32 on it. I do shoot suppressed and already have that side of things covered. I do not reload, and I don’t want to get into it. I’m in the middle of building a shop and will have the space for it eventually, but twin 3 year olds take time I do not have. I love the HNT26 chassis and was going to copy/paste it into my next build, but I’m not opposed to considering other options. Here’s what I’ve got so far:

Cartridge: ___?
Hnt26 Chassis
Impact NBK Action
Barrel: ___? (20” max)
Triggertech Special
Nightforce NX8 4-32
Spuhr rings

What are your guys thoughts for cartridge? My gut keeps pushing me back toward something like a 6 creed, but I also have been entertaining 7PRC, 22 ARC, and a few others. Go bigger? Go Smaller?

I'd opt for a 22 or a 6mm with an eye towards builing it into more of a varmint gun, given your uses. You've got Class 2 and Class 3 game covered with your 6.5 PRC (unless you just want something bigger for Class 3 game). Because you don't want to reload for the cartridge, a 223 may be the best option here. I did see both 6 ARC and 6 Creedmoor factory ammo available today at my local(ish) Atwoods. While not definitive, that at least suggests the cartridges may be established enough to justify being part of two-rifle battery where availability of factory ammo is a concern. I have yet to see 22 ARC or 22 CM in the wild, so I wouldn't recommend either of them when you don't want to reload. Maybe they are plentiful and I just don't see them, but I'd be reluctant to go that route given your parameters. You'll just have to decide that for yourself.

My slight order of preference here is: 223, 6CM, 6ARC, though I could re-order those endlessly. To be honest, I'd probalby opt for one of the 6s instead just because they are shiny and new. But I reload and am not overly worried about ammo availability once I have my brass sourced, and I don't always (ever?) buy new guns based on cold logic.

Sounds like a fun, quality build. I wish you the best.

Edit to add: I'd go with a 20" barrel for each of these, but that's also just going to be personal preference.

 

[TaperPin]

Hey guys!

I’m moving toward selling a few rifles I have been hanging onto, and building a new rifle with the intention of having a two-rifle setup and pairing everthing down a bit. The older I get, the more I realize that I don’t need a bunch of excess gear, rifles, or anything else sitting around being stored.

A few months back, I built what I thought was about as ideal as a hunting rifle as I could put together in 6.5 PRC. And my gosh, it’s a shooter and an absolute dream to pack around. I absolutely love it, but want to pair it with something else - but I’m not sure if I should go with something slightly larger or slightly smaller. This is what I built:

HNT26 Chassis
Impact NBK Action
Benchmark Sendero 20”
Triggertech Diamond
Nightforce NX8 2.5-20
Spuhr rings

I am in West Texas and hunt a lot of coyotes, pigs, and varmints locally. During season, I hunt whitetail (mostly for meat, I’m not picky). I also sneak off out west for bear, elk, and muledeer. Truth be told, the 6.5 PRC is great for any of those and exactly why I chose that particular cartridge to build off of, though it might be a bit overboard for the smaller stuff. I also try and shoot one or two NRL Hunter matches annually.

So. I’m not sure what I want to do next. I have a donor rifle that I’m pulling a scope off of, so whatever I build will have a Nightforce NX8 4-32 on it. I do shoot suppressed and already have that side of things covered. I do not reload, and I don’t want to get into it. I’m in the middle of building a shop and will have the space for it eventually, but twin 3 year olds take time I do not have. I love the HNT26 chassis and was going to copy/paste it into my next build, but I’m not opposed to considering other options. Here’s what I’ve got so far:

Cartridge: ___?
Hnt26 Chassis
Impact NBK Action
Barrel: ___? (20” max)
Triggertech Special
Nightforce NX8 4-32
Spuhr rings

What are your guys thoughts for cartridge? My gut keeps pushing me back toward something like a 6 creed, but I also have been entertaining 7PRC, 22 ARC, and a few others. Go bigger? Go Smaller?

I’ve always thought a 243 or 6 creed should be in everyone’s gun safe. It’s an ideal trainer, has a little pop to the shoulder so it reminds your brain what recoil is, and can still do well with varmints or big game. Paired with a 6.5 PRC I think you couldn’t do a better job of covering everything from paper to ground squirts, to steel plates to big game.

 

[NSI]

Leave your PRC alone. Build a 223 Tikka. Tinker in a few years when the kids are older. You won’t be held back by those 2. Spend the spare time and money shooting.

-J

 

[ccthomasjr]

A small, handy 7mm-08 and a larger, more distance capable 6.5 PRC would be a hard combo to beat.

Agreed. I’ve built a 2 standard rifle pair in a 7MM-08 for whitetail and 300 PRC (what a caliber!) for elk/bear/Africa. I have a 6.5 Creedmoor my young boys plunk whitetail and pigs on all day long that’s a dream for them.

 

[Cannonball]

22CM

 

[rootacres]

So I have a build very similar to yours. My main western hunting cartridge a 7 SAUM, so it compares fairly close to your 6.5 PRC. My other barrel is a 24" 6.5 creed. I too shoot NRL matches when I can. My thought process is you would have redundancy in projectiles (potentially) between the 2. Save the Benchmark barrel life on your PRC and burn up 6.5 creed barrels for matches/plinking/maybe some hunting.

 

[kandpand]

I would go .223. Your current rifle will cover everything that you mentioned hunting. The .223 will be cheaper to shoot and works great for coyote up to deer size game.

 

[Pilsner]

If I went smaller I'd built a 22 long rifle duplicate of your 6.5 as a cheap trainer for you and (eventually) your kids.
If I went bigger I'd build a duplicate in 300 PRC.

 

[Mojave]

First off neat rifle build.

2nd, I am assuming you live in Midland. I don't know why people in Midland think they live in West Texas.

Midland is at the same longitude as Wall Drug, in South Dakota. Fully Mid-Wes, Great Plains whatever not west.

We need another name for the people who live east of Fort Stockton and West of the Texas Hill Country.

West Texas is Alpine and El Paso. West Texas is big mountains and desert. Lived in Las Cruces for 5 years, was also weird when I met people who lived in Midland, who said they lived in West Texas. 305 Road miles or 311 if you go through New Mexico between Midland and El Paso.

Anyway if coyotes are your jam, and the occasional grey fox, badger, bobcat, raccoon or whatever. I would do the 22-250.

Now that the 22 Creedmoor is a thing I would build one of those.

 

[Maki35]

+1 for a .223 bolt gun. Fun & cheap to shoot.