Mike-
you have a lot of excellent information in this thread. If you dont need a strictly BR legal (weight, stock design) rifle for the informal matches you intend to compete in, I would recommend you to take a look at the options available to you with a tube gun. There are some prepackaged options but you might as well just build it up from scratch for the simple satisfaction of having done it. Especially so if you are considering 6BR as Gary designed the mag to feed it:
http://www.gotxring.com/high-power/
This is an exceptionally versatile system and here is why:
The forend will accept a handstop for shooting w a sling, a rail for shooting with a bipod or a flat bag rider for shooting off a BR setup. I do all my load development with the bag rider, I have shot in sniper matches at my local range which require a bipod or non-commercial rest, and I have shot high power matches. The top rail will accept iron sights like phoenix or a scope for load development. This also allows for quick changes if your club hosts any/any matches.
Compared to what you can spend on a custom build, its surprisingly inexpensive to build a tube gun like this. It is also completely adjustable and *will* fit you. I didnt realize how much I was working to get into position "around" a rifle before shooting with a fully adjustable system, all my previous stocks were just too small and Im not a tall guy at all.
My rifle will put 5 rounds well under a dime pretty much all the time that I focus to do it. It is, without any hesitation, the most repeatably accurate rifle I have ever been able to develop a load for.
Pierce engineering built my rifle and I used their action and cant give them a high enough recommendation. There are many many great gunsmiths out there and Pierce I would compare to any.
Krieger makes incredible barrels however its no secret and as such if you order the barrel today you wont see it until late spring. Luckily, a 6mm barrel of exceptional quality is not hard to find and any of the makers mentioned do great work. Brunos may have stock as well. Pac-nor makes excellent barrels and currently has a fairly short turn around, I recently ordered one and I usually buy krieger when I can afford to wait (and worth the wait too).
If you have never had a jewel trigger in a rifle, now is your opportunity.
If you go with 6BR, shoot three rounds and send the cases to Harrels and get one of their custom fit BR dies. They arent prohibitively expensive and will make you look at full length sizing in a different light after you use them. Wilson hand seaters are the way to go for any caliber, IMO. Hard(er) to judge what is happening with your neck tension if you are using a threaded seater.
The other and imo most sensible option if you are looking for a traditional bench gun setup is to call Bob White at Shooters Corner in NJ and see what is in his used inventory, which is extensive. I have shot in Bob's BR league matches and can promise you that you wont find a nicer and more patient guy when it comes to getting new people into benchrest shooting. Most of his used guns with "shot out" barrels are still far more accurate than I am able to shoot. Nearly all of them will come with world class actions. A used BR gun can be an exceptional exceptional value. Would be worth a phone call to him for sure.
Thats my eight cents on the topic. Once you get into a custom build, if you do it right, while you are spending more money, you will see that money go much much further and that will result in one very small hole at 100 yards without much to do.
you have a lot of excellent information in this thread. If you dont need a strictly BR legal (weight, stock design) rifle for the informal matches you intend to compete in, I would recommend you to take a look at the options available to you with a tube gun. There are some prepackaged options but you might as well just build it up from scratch for the simple satisfaction of having done it. Especially so if you are considering 6BR as Gary designed the mag to feed it:
http://www.gotxring.com/high-power/
This is an exceptionally versatile system and here is why:
The forend will accept a handstop for shooting w a sling, a rail for shooting with a bipod or a flat bag rider for shooting off a BR setup. I do all my load development with the bag rider, I have shot in sniper matches at my local range which require a bipod or non-commercial rest, and I have shot high power matches. The top rail will accept iron sights like phoenix or a scope for load development. This also allows for quick changes if your club hosts any/any matches.
Compared to what you can spend on a custom build, its surprisingly inexpensive to build a tube gun like this. It is also completely adjustable and *will* fit you. I didnt realize how much I was working to get into position "around" a rifle before shooting with a fully adjustable system, all my previous stocks were just too small and Im not a tall guy at all.
My rifle will put 5 rounds well under a dime pretty much all the time that I focus to do it. It is, without any hesitation, the most repeatably accurate rifle I have ever been able to develop a load for.
Pierce engineering built my rifle and I used their action and cant give them a high enough recommendation. There are many many great gunsmiths out there and Pierce I would compare to any.
Krieger makes incredible barrels however its no secret and as such if you order the barrel today you wont see it until late spring. Luckily, a 6mm barrel of exceptional quality is not hard to find and any of the makers mentioned do great work. Brunos may have stock as well. Pac-nor makes excellent barrels and currently has a fairly short turn around, I recently ordered one and I usually buy krieger when I can afford to wait (and worth the wait too).
If you have never had a jewel trigger in a rifle, now is your opportunity.
If you go with 6BR, shoot three rounds and send the cases to Harrels and get one of their custom fit BR dies. They arent prohibitively expensive and will make you look at full length sizing in a different light after you use them. Wilson hand seaters are the way to go for any caliber, IMO. Hard(er) to judge what is happening with your neck tension if you are using a threaded seater.
The other and imo most sensible option if you are looking for a traditional bench gun setup is to call Bob White at Shooters Corner in NJ and see what is in his used inventory, which is extensive. I have shot in Bob's BR league matches and can promise you that you wont find a nicer and more patient guy when it comes to getting new people into benchrest shooting. Most of his used guns with "shot out" barrels are still far more accurate than I am able to shoot. Nearly all of them will come with world class actions. A used BR gun can be an exceptional exceptional value. Would be worth a phone call to him for sure.
Thats my eight cents on the topic. Once you get into a custom build, if you do it right, while you are spending more money, you will see that money go much much further and that will result in one very small hole at 100 yards without much to do.
