Seekins rifles

[1lessdog]

Goals:
Shoot game at 650 yds.
Gun will be supressed
lightweight preferred
Readily available factory ammo

Factory ammo is the kicker for you. Handloads can be tailored to your rifle. I'm not saying factory ammo is bad.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Goals:
Shoot game at 650 yds.
Gun will be supressed
lightweight preferred
Readily available factory ammo

I would definitely replace your 300WM for the 300PRC. What do you consider lightweight? I found a Ruger American Gen 2 in 300PRC and got the itch, but then again I have lots if itches

 

[5575]

If I were in your shoes I'd probably go with a Sako S20 in the precision, possibly the hunter. These guns are built on the incredibly accurate TRG platform.

https://www.sako.global/series/sako-s20

 

[Whisky]

Goals:
Shoot game at 650 yds.
Gun will be supressed
lightweight preferred
Readily available factory ammo

Well, if you're willing to spend 4k and consider a 300prc I may have something for you. Built by a reputable gunsmith. KurtR can vouche for AD Arms. I'll have to see if I can find the exact round count but I'm confident it's <100 or right around that. Like new condition.
Would also come with a good amount of factory ammo.
Shoots Hornady Precision Hunter 212gr ELDX at 2860fps.
Not included - scope and bipod

 

[Kurtr]

Well, if you're willing to spend 4k and consider a 300prc I may have something for you. Built by a reputable gunsmith. KurtR can vouche for AD Arms. I'll have to see if I can find the exact round count but I'm confident it's <100 or right around that. Like new condition.
Would also come with a good amount of factory ammo.
Shoots Hornady Precision Hunter 212gr ELDX at 2860fps.
Not included - scope and bipod

Well if some one wants a hammer here it is. Andrew builds a great gun. Probably the reason I have not bought another one since he built mine 12 years ago it doesn’t leave me wanting anything else.

 

[ndweimer]

Replace the 300 Win Mag and go 300 PRC would be my choice these days. If your willing to go 7PRC then 300PRC should be a good consideration.
If you want one of these types of calibers I say go for it. Just because some are using .224 and .243 bullets to kill things like elf and giraffe doesn't mean everyone has to.
I keep kicking around building a 35 Whelen, why I don't know aside from it is interesting to me, different from everyone else and there us kind of a history about it. For absolutely no reason at all I think a 375 Ruger would be fun.
Can you kill a whitetail with a fast .224 match bullet? Sure but I have zero desire to do it at this point of my life. I really do like the idea of similar rifle in a 223 or such for practice.

You do realize that you are basiclly shooting a magnum in a 6.5PRC right? Hornady just didn't put the word magnum in their PRC names. All the PRC's require a "Magnum" bolt face

Lots of things to consider when discussing calibers. I didn't throw out the energy stat as end to all means. I was just simply stating that just because a one caliber is bigger and pushes a larger bullet doesn't equate to the best killing machine. The best killing machine is the one you can most accurately shoot. Accuracy over everything else in my opinion. As Kurt pointed out, bullet construction plays a huge factor in what you may be trying to accomplish. My reference was only that my lower recoil PRC had ballistics slightly better than my previous 7mm. You shoot a 300 PRC and I will shoot a 6.5 PRC and at the end of the shooting session, tell me which you prefer to throw lead from. I will take a low recoil rifle, that is easy to shoot over your ELF gun any day. I attribute lower recoil to assisting me in shooting longer ranges. I know of a few people with big calibers that developed bad shooting habits from expected recoil. Accuracy at long ranges isn't just about recoil, but it sure as hell helps. Plenty of big caliber rifles in heavy platforms that are very accurate, but I find it hard to believe one can achieve that in a lightweight setup. I would garner to say some on here could probably do it in a lightweight setup, I'm not one of them. The OP of this topic mentioned using the rifle for hunting. So unless he intends to shoot everything from the road, a lightweight easy to shoot rifle would be my recommendation.

 

[Ruttin]

Maybe "light weight " is not ideal for a long range rifle then...I could definitely sacrifice weight for less recoil and better accuracy. Whisky... that's a ice looking set up. Ill pm you for more details if you dont mind.

 

[1lessdog]

I keep reading about shooters shooting out to 500 to 1000 yds. I would guess 90 percent of the shooters don't have a place to shoot that far out. Most ranges have maybe 300 or 400 yds at max. Other than Moffit I don't know of a longer range. Grand Forks goes out to 600 yds. But finding 1000 yds is not available to most shooters.

Just because it says so on a Ballistic calculator does mean the rifle is capable of 500 yds let alone 1000 yds.

 

[Jiffy]

Am I the only one who has ranged a deer and then got further away?

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Lots of things to consider when discussing calibers. I didn't throw out the energy stat as end to all means. I was just simply stating that just because a one caliber is bigger and pushes a larger bullet doesn't equate to the best killing machine. The best killing machine is the one you can most accurately shoot. Accuracy over everything else in my opinion. As Kurt pointed out, bullet construction plays a huge factor in what you may be trying to accomplish. My reference was only that my lower recoil PRC had ballistics slightly better than my previous 7mm. You shoot a 300 PRC and I will shoot a 6.5 PRC and at the end of the shooting session, tell me which you prefer to throw lead from. I will take a low recoil rifle, that is easy to shoot over your ELF gun any day. I attribute lower recoil to assisting me in shooting longer ranges. I know of a few people with big calibers that developed bad shooting habits from expected recoil. Accuracy at long ranges isn't just about recoil, but it sure as hell helps. Plenty of big caliber rifles in heavy platforms that are very accurate, but I find it hard to believe one can achieve that in a lightweight setup. I would garner to say some on here could probably do it in a lightweight setup, I'm not one of them. The OP of this topic mentioned using the rifle for hunting. So unless he intends to shoot everything from the road, a lightweight easy to shoot rifle would be my recommendation.

I don't have a magnum 300 so that will be pretty hard to do. I do have plenty of other calibers including 4 different 6.5 and got into two of them before 6.5 was "cool". 6.5 Jap (fire formed 257 Roberts), 6.5-284 Norma, 6.5 Grendel (AR built for daughter 3yrs ago), 6.5 Creedmoor (won on an raffle board). I've killed whitetail with 4 different bullets from match to mono's of bullets out of my 6.5-284 Norma and the only time I used more than 1 was with the match bullets as an insurance shot to anchor him but after getting into him I'm pretty sure it was unneeded. In the last 20yrs I don't think I have killed more than 3 deer in a row with the same bullet because I like trying different bullets to see the differences and they have all pretty much been 1 shot kills between my 7RM and 6.5 Norma. I actually worked on a load for my 6.5 Norma one time and that sucker kicked worse than my 7RM and the 6.5 was a heavier gun, let's just say it was a little over pressured that time.

Am I the only one who has ranged a deer and then got further away?

I know a couple guys that do from time to time. Me not so much especially now that I don't shoot near as often as I used to

 

[Jiffy]

Me neither man. My last 3 deer were under 100 yards.

I have been known to though, from time to time.

What’s even more fun for me now is spotting and having someone else do it with your “guidance”. Even better when they be young’ns. It makes me smile.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Me neither man. My last 3 deer were under 100 yards.

I have been known to though, from time to time.

What’s even more fun for me now is spotting and having someone else do it with your “guidance”. Even better when they be young’ns. It makes me smile.

I didn't really even hunt 1hr for myself this rifle season. Everytime out was taking the kids, sometimes I carried a rifle for myself and sometimes I didn't. Didn't bother me in the slightest, starting to see what and why my dad did what he did when I started hunting. My farthest confirmed kill shot is around 225yds. I think there is much more challenge to get 100yds and closer to the Wylie Whitetail. Oldest daughter got hers at 21yds with the Gredel, that was an intense 20min before trigger got pulled, 123gr ELD-M with 27gr Varget

 

[labhunter66]

Maybe "light weight " is not ideal for a long range rifle then...I could definitely sacrifice weight for less recoil and better accuracy. Whisky... that's a ice looking set up. Ill pm you for more details if you dont mind.

Do you plan on shooting it suppressed, with a brake, or just plain old barrel?

 

[Ruttin]

Do you plan on shooting it suppressed, with a brake, or just plain old barrel?

Im not sure. Any suggestions on what is better?

 

[Kurtr]

Im not sure. Any suggestions on what is better?

Suppressed and it’s not even close

 

[SDMF]

I’ll toss this out.

2 Howa Carbon Stalkers scoped identically.

1 rifle chambered in 7 or 300 Mag
1 rifle in 22ARC

You should be able to very closely match the BC/Velocities between the 2 and donLOTS of practice w/the ARC taking it easy on your shoulder and your wallet.m

22ARC has factory ammo w/.395 BC @ 3300 up to .565BC @ 2800.

You should be able to find a factory offering in the 7 and/or 300 that will match up very close.

You should be able to have the 2 rifles all set up w/the scopes you mentioned in your OP for right @ the top of your budget.

Just food for thought.

 

[SDMF]

Suppressed and it’s not even close

Agree 100%

 

[Achucker]

Im not sure. Any suggestions on what is better?

A brake is better than a suppressor as far as recoil management but gor hunting I would say supressed

 

[labhunter66]

A brake is better than a suppressor as far as recoil management but gor hunting I would say supressed

The Meateater suppressor with break is a pretty darn nice compromise.

 

[PrairieGhost]

Am I the only one who has ranged a deer and then got further away?

No.

I'll second Kurt's recommendations to have Andrew (AD Arms) build a rifle if you go custom. He put a 28.5 inch Bartlien on my 300 wm and it throws a 210 Berger at 3060 fps. It outshoots my heavy barrel Remington match rifle in 22-250. I have posted this picture before so hope I don't bore everyone. Also it's not my best group, but I was to dumb to take a picture and didn't know how to possibly measure it anyway.

Like others I do have a 6.5 Grendel, two 6.5 Creedmoor, a 6.5 PRC and a 6.5x284 Norma. In cold weather there is a big difference in velocity with shorter barrels. My fastest 6.5 in cold weather is the 6.5x284 with a 26 inch barrel. This is the 6.5 PRC with a 24 inch barrel.

The 26 inch barrel 6.5x284 keeps it's velocity. I am somewhat reluctant to post the picture because to me it was beyond reasonable to accidently get identicle velocity.

My standard deviation went to crap on the November shoot.