29 Best 6.5 Creedmoor Rifles For Sale – 2020

 

Covid-19 Update: Stocks, so far, are OK. So our links are mostly good. If that changes, you’ll find in-stock rifles at our favorite dealers with these live links and you can stop running into ‘out of stock’ notices when you really need a frickin gun….

• Euro Optic – Elite weapons, including military sniper rifles.
• Bass Pro – Great selection, custom bolt guns through to big box AR-10s.
• Rainier Arms – Small selection of custom rifles, and a few cheaper ones.
• Palmetto State Armory: Delivery delays but great selection.
• Sportsman’s Guide: Rifles in stock now.
• Brownells: Limited stock, great customer service.

Now, on with the show…

The Best 6.5 Creedmoors in 2020

Creedmoor is the new black when it comes to hunting, target shooting, more or less everything to be honest.

A Lightweight Long Distance Round

This narrow, long, lightweight cartridge can target rabbits,  wild boar, deer hunting or even Elk. It has even taken over the sniper rifles business, largely.

Rabbits will be instant sausage meat if they’re anything less than a speck on the horizon when you squeeze the trigger, but you can still do it.

The New Round Has Made An Impression

This relatively new caliber, which was thought of as a target shooting novelty not so very long ago, is now firmly esconced in the hunting community.

It is giving hunter’s clean kills with Elk, Caribou, deer, just about anything, and it’s providing epic control over your shot.

Lightweight and Semi-Auto: A Rare Combo

The Semi Autos are based on an AR-10 platform and that mean the weights are generally more in line with a 308 Win rifle. But not all of them. We have some lightweight alternatives for you too.

6.5 Creedmoor Rifles For Sale in 2020

1. Tikka T3x Hunter

• Price: $818.99
• Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
• Barrel Length: 24.33 inch
• Total: 44.5 inch
• Weight: 7lb
• Capacity: 3+1 Rounds

Not everybody is a Special Forces operative. Some of you are just simple hunters and target shooters that want a light and dependable 6.5 Creedmoor rifle on your shoulder.

The Tikka Hunter is pretty much it.

Sako 24 Inch Barrel is a Benchmark

You get a 24-inch barrel from the master craftsmen at Sako. It is fluted, has a hand-crowned muzzle for added precision and is largely responsible for Tikka’s sub-MOA guarantee. Well, that and the two-lug bolt that Tikka claims is the smoothest on the market today.

The Tikka comes with a single-stage trigger that you can adjust from 2-4lb. A new steel recoil lug helps prevent deformation and keeps the rifle consistent and on-point for longer.

Stock Tuned For Noise Reduction

The Polymer stock is as basic, although it has been tuned for noise reduction, and yet it is designed to handle savage winters and desert storms alike.

It’s a basic gun, but it’s a great hunting gun at the right price and the right weight. Get yours now…

Guaranteed Sub-MOA Rifle From Tikka

This is a sub-MOA rifle, and that’s a guarantee. It is the budget choice, the all-round choice and almost the overall winner for small game, wild game and pretty much the whole game.

2. Daniel Defense DD5 V4

• Price: $2,049.99
• Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
• Barrel: 18 inch
• Total: 35.3-35.5 inch
• Weight: 8.6lb
• Capacity: 20+1

The Daniel Defense DD5 V4, which is also a smash hit on the 308 Winchester circuit, brings all the convenience of an AR-15 to the bigger round.

AR-10 Platform Shrunk to AR-15 Size

The engineers have done an awesome job to shrink the basic AR-10 platform down to 8.6lb. There’s room to go further with a 16 inch barrel and further weight saving measures that could take the inevitable Pro version dangerously close to the 8lb mark.

The Safe Option

In short, nobody will be unhappy with their DD5 V4. It’s a safe option, backed by a reputable company who keep producing outstanding firearms that are greater than the sum of their parts.

This comes with an adjustable gas block so you can run a suppressor, which is especially handy when you’re hunting or in, ummm, tactical situations.

Kill Shot Up to 1000m+

When you are, this Designated Marksman Rifle is good for a killshot at 1000 meters.

That’s more than most of us will actually ever use. But if you want to go all special forces sniper then you can strap a serious scope up top, smear shit on your face and hide in a ditch for four days while you wait for a deer to take a drink in a distant river. It’s all good man and there’s a thread for a suppressor too.

Medium Game, Big Game Hunting Through to Home Defense

You can also rely on this for more or less everything else, from Whitetail hunting through to big game. The fact you can do all that with the convenience of a semi-automatic patrol rifle is very cool indeed.

You get receivers machined from billet 7075 Aluminum, a Diamond Like Carbon finish on the Bolt Carrier Group and the 18 inch barrel is made from Daniel Defense’s own blend steel and then chrome-lined for good measure. The detachable box magazine works just like an AR-15 too.

4. Savage Axis II XP Compact

• Price: $389.99
• Barrel: 20 inch
• Total: 39.5 inch
• Capacity: 6.25lb

This is a light, cheap rifle that is just about the perfect starter rifle.

Don’t expect it to be rifle for life, but it is low price point and it comes with a Savage barrel. So it’s fine for hunting at anything like sane distances and you can shoulder it all day too. This is one of the lightest Creedmoor 6.5 rifles for sale, at any price.

One thing this post has highlighted is the importance of weight, and I’ll be doing a separate post soon. The Savage Axis II is going to be right near the top of that flyweight list.

Simple, Basic, Effective

As you would expect for a 6.5lb rifle, there really isn’t much in the way of creature comforts. The barrel is carbon steel, the stock is polymer and it comes with a basic rubber recoil pad and a one-piece Picatinny rail basically glued to the top.

For this money, what more do you want?

Online Gun Reviews Love Savage Axis II

Check out the gun reviews online, too, and you will see this is a five-star gun just about everywhere. All the online gunbroker sites love this gun, but it’s fair to say it isn’t actually better than the high end rifles on the market. It is much better value though.

Expectations are a strange thing and because of the price you pick up your Savage Axis II with low expectations.

Under Promise, Over Deliver

This Savage blows those expectations out the water. It’s all the rifle you will ever need up to about 800 yards. Most hunters are happy with 400, so this is really overkill for the vast majority of us.

At 800 yards plus, you might feel the difference. But if you’re just starting out or you don’t need to push the range, then this is a great choice.

 

 

5. Tikka T3X TAC A1 24-inch

• Price: $1,748
• Capacity: 11 Rounds
• Barrel (Inches): 24
• Total: 43.5
• Weight: 11.25lb

Yes it’s another Tikka right up in the top spots. And plenty of you think this should be the overall winner.

This gun is one of the open secrets of the community. Almost anybody that’s considering getting into big distances ends up looking at the Tikka TAC-A1.

It is a bargain in terms of value for money too. Owners reckon it is a total match for weapons that cost several orders of magnitude more.

It’s a fully adjustable, fully customisable weapon. I mean it’s heavy and it’s really first and foremost a target rifle, but it is magnificent.

This is too much gun for running along trails. It’s a stakeout kind of weapon, though, where you set up a hide and shoot like a sniper.

That can be fun too. So get one of these for your surgical, watch-tower hog hunts. Or any other kind of shooting to be honest.

6. Wilson Combat AR-10 Tactical Recon

• Price: $2,995.99
• Barrel: 16 inch
• Total: 33.5-37.75 inch
• Capacity: 20+1 rounds
• Weight: 7.1lb

This, right here, is the Wilson Combat AR-10 Tactical Recon, which is the next gen AR-15. Prove me wrong…

You will have to wait 5-8 weeks for your Wilson Combat rifle when you buy your gun online today. But it’s worth it.

Number 1 Semi-Auto Creedmoor

First off it’s a proper lightweight semi-automatic rifle, which is a winner right off the bat. It’s not just a lightweight AR-10, it’s a lightweight rifle, period.

7.1lb is more than respectable for an AR-10. In fact it’s about the same weight as a decent AR-15.

All the Parts Are Match Grade

There’s a fluted stainless barrel, the gas system is full length and low profile. There’s a threaded muzzle with a Wilson Combat QComp flash hider. BCM supplied the pistol grip with the classic Wilson Combat starburst design and there is a proprietary Tactical Trigger Unit too.

You get an Armor-Tuff finish and an all-round next gen patrol rifle, Designated Marksman Rifle, call it what you like. The fact is this might just be the ultimate rifle. A classic detachable box magazine means you can get right on your follow up shots and this really is the AR-15 2.0.

Longer Barrel Sniper Rifle is Optional

Wilson Combat can sell you a Super Sniper version with a longer barrel, but this AR-10 Tactical just makes sense. It’s a cohesive package that could cover all your hunting needs from 100-1000 yards.

It could also be your first port of call in a self defense situation, as this packs more punch than an AR-15. A lot more.

The All-Purpose Rifle, Home Defense to Hunting

Keep this rifle loaded with some seriously unpleasant ammunition and you’d be amazed how effective it is as a home-defense tool. Change the mag and a hunting you will go. That makes this one of the few rifles that can do anything, anywhere.

Wilson Combat can sell you longer barrel sniper rifle versions of the AR-10 platform, but we think this is the ultimate incarnation and the volume seller. This is also a practical hunter. That’s why we named it among the best sniper rifles too, as there are a lot of transferable skills.

 

7. Smith & Wesson M&P 10

• Price: $1,839.99
• Capacity: 10+1 Rounds
• Barrel: 20 Inches
• Total: 39.5 inches
• Total Weight: 9.05lb

The Smith & Wesson M&P 10 Performance Center rifle is the ultimate package of heritage, precision, price, weight, just about everything. For me, this is a custom gun without the full custom RRP.

The Perfect All-Round Rifle

This is the second generation, with the first generations tiny faults ironed out. So yeah that makes this rifle nigh-on perfect.

The Smith & Wesson is 9lb, which is just light enough.

A Lightweight? Kind of…

This is a rifle you can manage, 9.5lb is really pushing it, and a lightweight collapsible stock might get the Smith and Wesson under the psychological barrier that is the 9lb mark.

This is a rifle from Smith & Wesson’s famed Performance Center, firing a cartridge that has consistently amazed the firearms world with its accuracy. It has grown from a target shooting bullet into a hunting round that has slowly taken over.

What Rifle can Hunt Game at 1000 Yards?

You can take down Elk at 800 yards with any of these rifles. With the Smith & Wesson MP10, you could take its eye out.

You get receivers machined from 7075-T6 Aluminum and it fits together perfectly. There isn’t any play in this gun at all. The 20 inches barrel is lightweight and made from carbon-steel and comes with 5R rifling that S&W is convinced is the most accurate solution as there is less deformation of the bullet pre-impact.

The Distance Champion? For The Money, Yes…

Considering you can group shots within a handspan at 1000 yards, or within an inch at 200 yards, it’s hard to argue with the logic. It’s a modern day sniper rifle and it will make you a better hunter.

It weighs in at 9lb, plus a bit, but then it’s a proper semi-auto gun that’s built for accuracy and durability.

The AR-platform makes sense for these sniper rifles. It gives you the stability and the mounting points for a bipod or just about any other mount.

How to be a Sniper? Start Here…

This a narrow, light, high velocity round that is capable of taking down large game if your shot placement is on point. It will change the way you hunt, if you go with the flow, and it will turn you into a sniper.

So the AR-style of gun is pretty much the future.

8. Browning X-Bolt Composite Stalker

• Price: $799.99
• Barrel: 22 inch
• Total: 42 inch
• Weight: 6.5lb
• Capacity: 4+1

The Browning X-Bolt is a legend that helped forge the company’s reputation. The X-Bolt Composite Stalker is, quite simply, the next step.

Now this is the entry-level rifle and you can spend almost $2,000 on the flagship X-Bolt Pro. You can get an arsenal of accessories too.

Check the full X-Bolt line here.

Synthetic Stock Not the Cheap Option Anymore

Here you get consistent grip and weather-proofing. The composite comes with a molded texture that is a step forward from the polished wood stocks of days gone by.

The company says this is the Browning X-Bolt for hardcore hunters who only care about the function and simply don’t obsess over the form.

Of course there are cheaper, but the Browning is an icon and one of the value packages on this list if you listen to seasoned hunters.

 

 

9. Patriot Ordnance Factory P6.5 Edge

• Price: $1,549 (ON SALE)
• Capacity: 20+1 Rounds
• Barrel: 20 Inches
• Total: 39 inches
• Weight: 9.5lb

We did name the POF Edge as the winner, but you weren’t having that. Reader feedback pushed this Designated Marksman Rifle down the order. The reason? It’s awesome, but it’s on the heavy side for a hunter.

This is everything the military could ask for in a sniper rifle that doubles as a patrol weapon. It’s a specific tool, but it’s everything the Colt M4 and current crop of 308s aren’t when it comes to accuracy from 500-1000 yards.

This is a sub-MOA AR-platform, what’s not to love? It’s just a touch heavy for a complete service rifle, but it’s close…

Special Forces Snipers Use 6.5mm

I could easily see a Special Forces soldier, or even the rank and file, using a this for longer distance firefights and sniper-type operations, while a 300 Blackout pistol takes care of the close up work. 

Now it’s a lot more expensive than some of the options here. But quality costs and you won’t hear many people talking shit about POF build quality. If anybody does, it’s safe to assume they’ve never touched one.

The Nitride-lined 20 inch barrel gets a 1:8 rate of twist and is match grade all the way. As is the 4lb POF EFP Drop-In  trigger with adjustable length of pull. POF sells that as a drop-in for serious money as a standalone upgrade.

Luth AR-Style Stock is Adjustable

A Luth-AR stock gives you the last word in adjustability for target shooting. In the field, though, you can leave the pop up cheek riser in place and work around the solid stock to keep things simple.

You can easily spend more with the Noveskes and NEMOs of this world, but this Patriot Ordnance Factory 6.5 is actually a bit of a bargain in comparison. It’s every bit as good as any of them.

Just look at the triple port muzzle device, the Mil-spec and beyond billet lower receiver and attention to detail that includes special KNS Anti-Walk push pins to hold the gun together.

That’s why this is a guaranteed sub-MOA firearm. If you can handle the heavier weight, it’s awesome.

---

Where to buy rifles online

Not every onlinestore has a good selection. Here are our top tips and direct links to guns in stock that you can buy right now.

• Specialist premium sniper rifles and competition guns at Euro Optic.
• Sportsman’s Warehouse – Huge line of guns in stock.
• Great deal at Brownells.
• Rainier Arms – Elite Rifles.
• Consumer names at a discount at Sportsman’s Guide.

10. Bergara Woodsman B14 Timber

• Price: $849.99
• Weight: 7.1lb
• Barrel: 22 inch
• Total: 42 inch
• Capacity: 3+1 Rounds

This is another bolt-action rifle that has scorched through the ranks thanks to its lightweight natural wood chassis that means you could shoulder all day without any pain.

The natural walnut stock gives it an real olde world feel, too.

A Traditional Look With 1000 Yard Reach

The barrel is 4140 Chrome Moly Steel and it received a simple blued finish. It looks like a traditional bolt-action rifle that is an absolute tack driver out to 1000 yards. Some people will just dig that.

The 22″ barrel features in Bergara’s heavier chassis as a target shooter, so it goes without saying it’s got the goods in the field. It’s a 1:10 rate of twist and the trigger pull is a simple, clean breaking single-stage trigger that breaks at 3lb.

It’s a lightweight 6.5 Creedmoor hunting rifle that ticks all the boxes. The Spanish firm will sell you a heavy barrel weapon and heavy chassis rifles, but this is the one we really like.

11. Daniel Defense Delta 5

• Price: $2,099.99
• Barrel: 24 inch
• Total: 44 inch
• Weight: 9.5lb
• Capacity: 10+1

At first glance the Daniel Defense Delta 5 looks like a horrible swing and a miss. It’s a heavy rifle with a middling capacity, but then you realize that this business doesn’t really get things wrong.

The company’s AR-15 has pretty much taken over the world in the last 12 months, and this is a target shooting specialist, as well as a special forces sniper rifle.

That’s pretty much the target market, but then the modular aspect of the Delta 5 means it is turning into a viable alternative for people that want a Sako TRG-42, but can’t quite afford one.

AR Technology on Bolt Action Rifles

This is much more than that, though. The company behind the legendary AR-15s has brought a good deal of the Modern Sporting Rifle’s modular thought process to the traditional target shooting and sniper platform.

The end result is a gun with a lot of neat touches that you normally only see on more expensive custom platforms.

The cold-hammer forged barrel switches out and you can switch between caliber. Choose from a .308, 7mm Rem Mag and of course the 6.5 Creedmoor bolt-action rifle. You have them all now.

They all come with a muzzle thread for a suppressor or a serious flash hider. It’s a mechanically-bedded stainless steel action, a three-lug bolt with a 60-degree throw and rotating bolt head.

Single Stage Timney Trigger is Top Class

The trigger is a single stage, adjustable Timney Elite that you can set for 1.5-4lb. The composite stock is carbon-reinforced polymer, the butt stock is fully adjustable and the Picatinny scope base offers 20 MOA elevation.

Military specialists almost certainly ordered this weapon, which now means that you can buy one off the shelf. SO if you want to go target shooting, or you are, you know, an actual sniper, this could be your new tool.

12. Ruger American Predator

• Price: $449.99
• Capacity: 3+1 rounds
• Barrel (Inches): 22 
• Total (Inches): 42
• Weight: 6.6lb

The Ruger American Predator is an intriguing example of the economies of scale in action. It’s pretty much 90% as good as the most expensive offerings, but it’s less than half the money thanks to the beauty of mass manufacturing.

The Ruger American rifle is also a lightweight and that’s a bigger deal than I first realized.

I got carried away with AR-platforms and military hardware, until the comments section told me to pull my head out my ass. We had to feature more lightweight options. And here we are with the Ruger American rifle…

Clean and Simple, But Done Well

The company knows all about this kind of firearm and has simply provided a clean barrel and support system.

It’s a free-floating barrel thanks to the Ruger Power Bedding system. A 70 degree bolt plays nice with your optic, the composite stock is molded for a positive grip and everything just works.

The trigger is an adjustable Marksman Adjustable Trigger, so you can set it up for a hair trigger or a long pull.

Another Light Show

It’s 6.6lb, which means you can sling it on your shoulder and take it out for the day, before setting up and taking a 1000-yard White Tail or something bigger.

The stock is polymer, the bolt does not have a space dust coating and you probably will have to replace parts on this every season. But it’s cheap and it’s accurate.

That’s enough to put it on a lot of people’s shopping lists. If you want to spend less than $500, then the American Predator might be the one.

13. NEMO Arms XO Steel

• Price: $3,610
• Capacity: 20+1 Rounds
• Barrel (Inches): 20
• Total Weight: 8.2lb

 

NEMO Arms makes seriously expensive guns for elite fighting forces around the world. And you can buy one too.

There are 22 inches of barrel up front that turns this is Designated Marksman Rifle into a real sniper. That weighs in at 9.5lb, though, while this is still a hella accurate semi-auto 6.5 Creedmoor rifle that could take an eye out at 1000 yards. We know because it does.

Your urban warfare needs are hopefully pretty thin on the ground, but this can hunt hogs or defend your land from rioters.

The Ultimate Designated Marksman Rifle?

This is arguably the ultimate patrol rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, if you have the money for this beast.

The upper receiver and lower receiver pairing are machined from billet 7075-T6 aluminum. The barrel is probably the clearest example of the obsessive attention to detail here, as it is a Proof Research slender barrel that is reinforced with a carbon-fiber sleeve.

The company then adds its own Titanium twin-ported flash hider.

An adjustable gas block allows you to switch to suppressed settings, just in case you want to run with a silencer for any reason in particular…

Geissele Competition Trigger Among Premium Touches

The NEMO Arms XO Steel comes with a Geissele Super Dynamic Enhanced two-stage trigger kit and Magpul furniture. It’s all top class components and material science.

You also get a Picatinny Rail and all the AR goodness, but it comes at a price. Some people simply won’t shoot anything else, though, and the price tag simply does not matter.

Nemo Arms has some seriously good weapons out there right now and you can see just a few of them here.

14. Sig Sauer SIG716G2 DMR

• Price: $2,749.99
• Barrel: 18 inch
• Total: 37 inch
• Weight: 8.5lb

Is the Sig Sauer 716G2 the next level AR-15? It kind of looks like it could be. I mean the Wilson Combat is the civilian version, but this is the military grade firearm, to borrow a Leftist term and actually use it right.

This comes with AR-15 dimensions, including the 16″ barrel that helps keep the weight down to a manageable 8.5lb.

The effective range, though, blows an AR-15 out the water and this is pure military hardware that has simply been made available to the likes of you and me.

DMR stands for Designated Marksman Rifle and the idea is that in every platoon, one or two soldiers would be equipped with these and they would be the first port of call in a firefight. In the heat of battle, the DMR should be good for a killshot at 1000 yards.

Military Comes ROund to this, Ummm, Round

The Sig has gone into war with the likes of the Navy SEALs, and the rank and file soldiers out there on the ground. If it can handle the worst that the Middle East can throw at it, then it can probably handle hogs.

Yes it’s expensive, but this is a badass gun that is worth every cent. It’s one of Sig Sauer’s finest recent efforts in a pretty solid year. If you want an AR platform you’ll struggle to find a better all-rounder than the SIG 716G2.

15. Mossberg MVP LC 20in

• Price: $899.38
• Capacity: 10+1 Rounds
• Barrel (Inches): 20
• Total (Inches): 37.75
• Weight: 7.75lb

It might just be the novelty factor, or the colorscheme, but the Mossberg MVP looks like something an Eastern European super spy would pull out in a dubbed movie.

Mossberg is better known for its shotguns, but we do really like this one.

Yes it looks like the Savage Arms, but it’s a solid, lightweight design that makes space for a proper scope mount and a bipod if you want to go that way. That turns this into a devastating long-range rifle.

Box Mag Fed Bolt Action Rifles

The Mossberg Varmint and Predator Light Chassis combines the convenience of the box-fed magazine with the consistency and perceived accuracy advantage of the bolt-action. We’re not so sure that’s an issue with modern guns, but it’s there.

You might notice the difference hitting paper or ringing steel at long distances, but for hunting we think the benefits of the semi-automatic override the slight and potentially theoretical loss in accuracy.

This gives you the benefits of both, with none of the downsides.

16. Remington Model 783 Synthetic Heavy Barrel

• Price: $379.99
• Barrel: 16.5 inch
• Total Length: 36.1 inch
• Weight: 8lb

At first glance, the Remington Model 783 Synthetic Heavy Barrel looks like a winning recipe. Hunters don’t need 1000 yard sport shooting rifles. Quite often if it shoots straight and true to around 500 yards, it is a perfect option.

This light, high-velocity hunting round has won a lot of fans and now we’re starting to move away from the long-range target shooters to tailor-made hunters like the new Remington 783 Synthetic HB.

Remington has 50 years of experience and this is just an extension of the classic Remington 700 family.

Button Rifled Barrel With a Suppressor

You get a button-rifled barrel with 5/8×24 threads for a suppressor and you get an adjustable Crossfire trigger system set with a pull weight of 4.2lb from the factory.

A SuperCell recoil pad helps soak up the recoil, which is minimal thanks to the lightweight round and the polymer frame that absorbs some of the impact by design.

Considering how short that barrel is, the final weight on this Flat Dark Earth option is a little disappointing. At 8lb, this is pushing the bounds for those looking for purity, but the barrel is built to last.

17. Accuracy International AX 6.5

• Price: $7, 535
• Action: Bolt Action Rifle
• Barrel: 24 inches
• Total: 49.2 inches
• Weight: 15lb

The price is insane and this is way too heavy to be an all-purpose firearm, but this could just be the ultimate modern sniper.

The fact that it exists at all, and we can buy it, is a clear indication to me that special forces teams and Law Enforcement around the world are already using this cartridge. Accuracy International makes the best rifles for the elite, after all…

So I would bet a sizeable chunk of money that this is already taking down enemy forces, crime lords and terrorists in the hands of the SAS, American special forces and more. It’s a very different kind of hunting, but we reckon this gives the Accuracy International AXSA a shot at the belt.

Specialist Sniper

It’s a pure sniper attached to a rock solid chassis, which limits its potential in the real world.

We actually like all-rounders for the most part and this would actually be a PITA if you had to hike with it. But if you want accuracy and you’re prepared to pay, then this would be a great place to start.

Long-Range Target Shooting Specialist

You would still want an all-round rifle for general hunting, but if you just want to sit and pick things off through enhanced magnification and superior firepower, with a suppressor on that threaded barrel, this could be the one.

In the field, it has no equal. In competition, it would certainly make things interesting. Just in general life, this will take a giant dump over almost anything your friends can bring to the party.

That’s worth something. Don’t say it isn’t…

You can get a cheaper, even more surreal folding weapon that looks like MacGyver made it at home and still costs more than $4,000. That’s the cost of a military-approved sniper, we guess.

18. Savage MSR 10 Hunter

• Price: $1,299.99
• Barrel: 18 inch
• Total: 41 inch
• Weight: 8lb
• Capacity: 20+1

One thing this list has driven home is how weight sensitive people are. 9lb is just too much for a casual hunter, but 8lb seems to slip under the bar.

If weight is a real issue for you, then the 8lb Savage MSR 10 Hunter might just be the AR platform you have been searching for. It’s a good price point too.

The receivers are hard coat anodized, the M-LOK free floating handguard is all good and this is a solid patrol rifle with an 18″ barrel. I would still rather have the Smith & Wesson, but it’s your shoulder on the line here…

 

19. Ruger Precision Rifle

• Price: $1,419.97
• Capacity: 10+1
• Barrel (Inches): 24 inches
• Total Length (Inches): 42
• Total Weight: 10.7lb

This is a target gun, rather than a field weapon. That’s down to the weight really, which is going to stop all but the most determined hunter running round all day with this on their back.

As an actual effective hunting tool, stay within a 800 meters and you will be amazed. We’re talking mid-large American game, with just 143gr bullets and the 2700fps velocity to give them the punch they need.

With a hide, this could be a wicked hog hunter. But if you spend most your time in the field then that’s what the American is made for.

AR Platform Without Sacrificing Accuracy

This is a beautifully simple gun that was, essentially, modeled on the AR platform. So the end result is really a target shooter. It’s meant for paper punching.

Low Cost Precision Firearm

And it is an absolute bargain. The gun itself is cheap technology that shouldn’t be overstretched by sub 200gr ammo.

It’s 10.7lb, but that barrel means this thing should be able to nail saucer-size targets at 1200 yards plus and it’s the gun that keeps on giving. As you get better, you’ll find the range just keeps growing.

As you grow, the modular nature means you can fit basic AR-10 furniture and strip the weight a little.

There’s almost no take-up on the trigger, less than 1mm anyway. It has a thick barrel, with a KeyMod compatible rail and the only issue is that the bottom isn’t absolutely flat.

A Bi-Pod Transforms The Balance

So unless you mount it on a bipod, you might have to do a little with this gun in terms of keeping it balanced.

Entry Level Starter For Target Shooting

The Ruger Precision Rifle, though, is a great entry-level range gun.

This is a low-pressure way to learn about setting up a sniper rifle. Learn about optics, the length of pull, and more. It’s reliable, it’s accurate and if you cannot at least group the shots then it’s down to you.

20. Christensen Arms CA-10 G2 Carbon

• Price: $2,695
• Barrel: 20 inch
• Total: 35.5 inch
• Weight: 7.2lb

Christensen Arms is a custom firearms company with some real substance in the material science department.

Extensive use of carbon fiber has helped them solve a pretty major handicap with the weight of the basic AR-10 and the end result is a dark horse that you might now have considered in this class.

You still have to spend more money for this than the legendary Sig. That’s a tough one, but there’s no getting round the fact that the Christen Arms CA-10 G2 is an engineering masterclass.

Carbon Fiber Sleeve on Stainless Steel

That 20 inch barrel is a thinner wall of 416R Steel reinforced with a carbon-fiber sleeve. The button-rifled barrel alone is more than $600 and it literally explains where the extra money goes compared to others here.

The upper and lower receivers are machined from billet 7075 Aluminum, again to cut the final weight. A match rifle trigger adjusts from 3.5-4.5lb, you get a flared magwell, an M-LOK Handguard and a BCM Gunfighter stock.

Premium Engineering = Light Weight

It’s also 7.2lb and that makes it one of the lightest 6.5 Creedmoor rifles for sale.

It’s a powerful USP, together with the Sub-MOA accuracy, that we think is going to turn this gun into a halo weapon for Christensen Arms.

They smashed it out the park with this one, and it’s a serious contender.

21. LSI Howa Hogue Lightweight Bolt Action

• Price: $619.99
• Barrel: 26 inch
• Total: 44.25 inch
• Weight: 9lb
• Capacity: 4+1

Americans have been taking into this basic recipe into woods for some fun or basic survival for decades.

The free-floating barrel has a solid reputation for accuracy, it’s almost 1lb heavier than the Tikka and costs about the same though. If you want to keep it simple, though, this one might be for you.

22. Springfield Armory M1A Precision

• Price: $1,299
• Capacity: 10+1 Rounds
• Barrel (Inches): 22
• Total: 44.3
• Weight: 11.4lb

The Springfield Armory M1A is certainly reminiscent of the M14 military rifle that replaced the M1 Garand in the hands of the American military, if only for a brief time from 1959 to 1964.

The gun didn’t really work as a full automatic machine gun and was difficult to control. Variants were kept, however, as the M14 proved an exceptional sniper.

Iron Sights. Good Luck.

You get the iron sights as standard and those rears are adjustable match-spec irons. But most of us couldn’t hit a barn door at 1000 yards with iron sights. Some people can, and good luck to them, but I am not one of you.

So it’s good to know that among all this old-school nostalgia you can fold the iron sights away. It comes drilled and tapped ready for your preferred optic.

Check out some $1000 rifle scopes for sale in 2020 here.

Modern Take on Vintage Design

It’s a bewitching blend of vintage firearms and modern material science. The stainless steel barrel has four grooves and a 1:8 rate of twist, the ported muzzle brake is a work of art and it’s almost infinitely adjustable.

There are elements of Sako TRG-42 about this gun, although obviously it’s a budget option, and you could still easily take aim at 1000 yards with this bad boy.

This is heavy, so lugging it round the wilderness will certainly test your resolve. Once you have it in position, though, that added weight translates to stability and that is worth a lot.

Civilian Versions of Military Rifles

Since 1974, Springfield Armory has built civilian versions of military hardware, initially building them up from military surplus before perfecting their art with their own firearms.

Now it makes some of the sweetest 1911s in the business, is right up there with the concealed carry handguns in the world and yet this remains one of its signature weapons.

This, is a modern, super slick version of a historic firearm gun that remains a piece of American rifle history, if not quite folklore.

You get a match barrel, tuned trigger for a crisp and even response and just about everything else you’d want. It’s mag-fed, and 11 rounds is generally plenty.

 

23. Mossberg Patriot 65

• Price: $348.99
• Capacity: 5+1 rounds
• Barrel: 22 inches
• Total: (inches): 42
• Weight: 6.5lb

This is basically the ‘I hunt with Creedmoor 6.5 Starter Pack’ and the Mossberg Patriot Predator is another multi-caliber rifle that has good chemistry with the Creedmoor cartridge.

Predator a Great Start

The Mossberg Patriot Synthetic stock has a 22-inch fluted barrel and not much else. It is a basic bolt-action rifle, but it comes at a basic price and should be good enough for you to get your eye in.

I would spend a few dollars more and get the Savage Axis bolt-action, which is a better all-round rifle. But this is cheap, lightweight and a solid start.

 

 

24. Bergara LRP Premier 6.5

• Price: $1,899
• Capacity: 5+1 rounds
• Barrel (Inches): 24 
• Total (Inches): 43.5
• Weight: 10.95lb

This chassis has been widely hailed as the lead of the ‘off-brand’ rifles in the precision shooting community.

Bergara has its own button rifling process that has elevated the barrels to the top tier. They regularly star in custom guns and now Bergara wants to build on its success with its own proprietary guns.

Bergara Offers Sub-MOA Accuracy

It is a fiercely accurate gun with an adjustable trigger, as well as everything else down to the adjustable cheek riser. Bergara claims grouping of 7.3mm at 100 yards.

The gun is based on the footprint of the Remington 700 and you can order a Bergara in a range of calibers and you can opt for a simpler synthetic stock platform.

This can drop mid-big game from 50 yards through to 1000. It barely deviates from its path and drop-off is less of an issue thanks the high-velocity and  light weight.

Bergara Offers Range

Bergara offers the HMP, which is a lot simpler and almost as capable, and the Bergara B-14 HMR, the Bergara B-14 Hunter and more. Incidentally, the Bergara B-14 Hunter is a 7lb lightweight you might love.

You give up the rigidity of the AR-style chassis, but you’ll only feel it if you’re punching paper at big distances.

 

 

25. Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard Tactical

• Price: $589.99
• Capacity: 5+1 rounds
• Barrel: 24 inch 
• Overall: 44 inches
• Weight: 7.75lb

The Weatherby Vanguard is more traditional.

The rest of the name is useful, though, as it is totally weatherguarded, with a fully-enclosed bolt sleeve. It is guaranteed in all conditions. To be honest, though, most should be these days.

You get 24 inches of barrel and a polymer stock for a decent price, which could make this an ideal starter rifle for novice shooters.

Cheap Sub-MOA 6.5 Creedmoor Rifle

It’s a guaranteed Sub-MOA rifle, too. There is a two-stage match-grade trigger. It comes with a fluted bolt, an integral recoil lug and a hinged floorplate. You have got a very convincing firearm for a bargain price.

The Weatherby Vanguard is an accurate rifle and you should be able to shoulder it for a whole day of hiking. It weighs in at just 7.75lb, despite that monumental barrel, and that’s one of its major strengths.

Fit a supreme optic to this weapon and there’s no reason why it cannot take small animals at 1200 yards and bigger ones much closer. A firearm like this could change the way you hunt and give you more options than you ever imagined.

Share This Post Now!

26. Savage Arms 10BA

• Price: $1035.99
• Capacity: 10+1 Rounds.
• Barrel (Inches): 24
• Total (Inches): 38.5
• Weight: 9.2lb

With a 24″ barrel and basic AR-style furniture, this gun has real potential for ridiculous accuracy and an overall cost-effective hunting package.

Get a great optic and you can throw your 308 and 338 away, or sell them. The Savage Model 10BA has all the performance you need.

This gun weighs in at 9.2lb, so it’s much heavier than some. But that extra accuracy could make it worth hauling round the extra few pounds.

It also has that custom sniper look about it. That’s worth something, we think…

27. Savage Arms 110 Long Range Hunter

• Price: $799.99
• Capacity: 3+1 Rounds
• Barrel: 26 Inches
• Total: 46.25 inches
• Total Weight: 8lb

Sometimes you don’t want an AR platform you can shoulder for the day. Sometimes you just want a really accurate barrel strapped to a stock. That’s what this Savage Arms 110 was built for.

---

There is a heavier rifle, but this is the lighweight you could carry. You could also set yourself up in a hide and take pot shots at things that could be animals on the horizon. I mean who is going to stop you?

---

With a seriously accurate 26 inch long barrel, the effective range for, well, long range hunting, is insane. It deserves a place here despite being totally impractical in terms of weight and size.

---

Barrel Increases Accuracy

26 inches of supremely accurate carbon steel barrel makes up for an awful lot of tech. Especially with these long range cartridges.

So Savage really could keep it simple while building an absolute tack driver. It has become a legend with long distance shooters and the sniper style of hunters.

Lazy hunters, they used to be called.

It’s so basic that it’s a favorite in long-distance shooting competitions. It really is a precision AccuStock, a free-floating button-rifled barrel barrel and Target AccuTrigger technology that means you can set the trigger pull from 6oz to 2.5lb.

There’s an elegant compensator, a small rail for a scope and not much else. Sometimes that’s enough.

28. ZEV Technologies Small Frame Billet

• Price: $2,839.55
• Barrel: 20 inch
• Total Length: 38.75 inch
• Weight: 8.7lb

The only reason it’s all the way down here is that the semi-automatic ZEV Tech Small Frame is sold out now, even on its own site. We need items you can actually buy, but we hope ZEV Technologies is about to launch a replacement as this kicked a solid amount of ass.

You could seriously make a case for this ZEV winning the whole damn shooting match, if it was here, because this is a lightweight semi-auto Creedmoor that brings target shooting precision to the Designated Marksman Rifle category. It’s a bewitching combination that has this relative newcomer snapping at the heels of the establishment.

The end result is a halfway house weight wise, between the super lightweight Creedmoor ARs and the full-on Mil-spec Designated Marksman Rifles from POF et al. That works.

Lightweight Designated Marksman Rifle

There are lighter alternatives, that’s just a fact. But the ZEV weighs in at just 8.7lb, and it gives you the 20″ barrel that the Heckler & Koch is missing.

The ZEV Technologies comes with billet aluminum receivers that get a Type II Class III Hard Anodized finish. It isn’t quite DLC, but it gets the job done.

As for the M-LOK handguard, it installs directly on the rail base of the upper receiver. That streamlines the weapon, saves weight and makes the handguard a load-bearing structure in its own right. That means the gun as a whole is more rigid and you might just feel that competitive advantage at 1200 yards or more.

ZEV Tech is Famous For Drop-in Glock Triggers

ZEV Technologies made its name with trigger sets and barrels for the custom Glock world. Now it has evolved as a company and makes a range of precision firearms, from the ZEV Tech OZ9, an all-metal Glock 19 evolution, right through to these precision firearms and AR pistols.

This line is the result of a takeover of MEGA ARMS that has put ZEV right into battle with the likes of Patriot Ordnance Factory. The ZEV Core AR-15 and even the plain Jane forged AR-15 pistol, in 5.56x45mm NATO and 300 AAC Blackout spec, have worked their way steadily up our top 10 lists.

ZEV has grown as a company and now makes serious precision firearms that can mix it with the big names. The interesting thing here is that the company has turned to outside suppliers, including Noveske Rifleworks for the sub-MOA barrel produced from fluted 416R steel. ATC produced a bespoke AR Gold trigger set with a ‘sniper flat face’.

 

29. The Fix by Q

• Price: $3,499.99
• Capacity: 10+1 Rounds
• Barrel: 22
• Total (Inches): 41.25
• Weight: 7.6lb

It’s maybe no coincidence that the press shots of The Fix by Q largely feature suppressors. We’re not saying this is the rifle that a Hitman might opt for, but…

You don’t have to shoot people, though. You can shoot big game, targets, or whatever you choose that day, with one of the finest on the market. The detail engineering is exquisite, it’s all Cerakote finished and it’s a gun that’s a cut above.

It’s also a gun that is set to be multi-caliber, which suddenly makes it decent value. The .308 Win version is available and Q has told us that The Fix was designed from the outset to allow for switching calibers.

The Next Gen Sniper?

It can clearly hunt. But you do get the feeling that The Fix by Q is a touch more sinister and wants to drop heads of state from the top of a neighboring skyscraper. Not Bull Elk and American Whitetail in the great outdoors.

The layout of that adjustable cheek rest and butt stock says yes.

When you buy your gun online, though, the rest is down to you. It’s yours now…

It’s expensive, you need to know that first off. And despite creating the Honeybadger blackout pistol for the Special Forces, it took years and several redesigns to get this far.

But at 7.6lb, this is a finely balanced gun you could carry round forever. It also breaks down into conveniently sized parts and can be packed away with ease.

Custom Rifle, But is it a Winner?

Right now, it’s a designer rifle without the instant credibility. It will have to prove itself with accuracy, repeatability and usability. If it becomes a willing hunter’s rifle with this short action cartridge, then it could be a truly unique piece of kit.

It’s also modular to the point you can fit standard AR-15 grips without beavertails and a lot of your existing gear will work with this futuristic looking rifle.

When you need it to, it’s capable of ringing a bell at 1200 yards. and it will take down even the biggest American game if you get just slightly closer.

It’s a 22″ barrel for maximum accuracy. So you’d want a bi-pod, a spotter and a serious target for this weapon. Select the right ammunition, and it could probably take out a live target at 1000 yards and that will turn out to be part of hunting with the Creedmoor cartridge.

The long distance accuracy has to be seen to be believed and you can pick your shots at 800 meters and a lot further, down to the heart or head. It may be the only rifle you need.

That’s lucky, because you won’t be able to afford any more.

You will add to the package, that’s the idea, and a bigger stock, longer rail and even a 24 inch or longer barrel could all prove useful if, well, you really are a hit-man.

Reinventing the Rifle for the Modern Age

The aluminum stock is almost infinitely adjustable, and there are some other high-tech treats in this new rifle for sale too. Q is a company that grew out of making silencers and decided to put all its R&D expertise into reinventing the rifle, and the AR pistol, for the masses.

The Honey Badger has the bigger name, in part due to the video games industry. But this gun is actually more exciting in its own way. It is the ultimate 6.5 Creedmoor rifle for the modern age. It isn’t a classic hunter, but then that could be part of the appeal.

It’s a one-piece receiver with a 45 degree short-throw bolt handle. Everything is competition level, match grade and Mil-spec. The 22 inch stainless steel barrel joins forces with an aircraft-grade aluminum stock and the near full-length Picatinny rail invites you to put a proper scope on it.

It’s also an awesome lightweight sniper rifle, if you need one of those for any reason…

What Scope Should You Buy?

The scope is actually more important than the gun and will certainly outlive it. But I have done a separate post for $1000 scopes that you can read here and most of them went to 25x magnification. Because why not?

3-9×40 Scopes seem to be the most popular, because not everybody wants to shoot deer on the distant horizon with this short action cartridge.

6mm Creedmoor vs 6.5 Creedmoor

6mm Creedmoor looks to be the Betamax of the short action cartridge war. it has lost. So unless you want a complete collection, stick to the more popular 6.5 Creedmoor that won the spin war in every way.

Despite its shortcomings, 308 Winchester Magnum is still the real rival. Check out our picks for the top 308 Winchester Magnum rifles here.

All rights reserved. For privacy policy terms & conditions please contact customer service at the main email address.