Hi, I'm back looking at AR platforms.  I'm really interested in the 6.5.  What is a good entry level rifle?

PSA has a few Creedmoors in stock as I type this.  A couple are priced at $900.  That’s less than I paid for my DPMS in 6.5 Creedmoor ten years ago.

Diamondback

Aero M5 builders set, Toolcraft BCG, best barrel you can afford, with your preferred flavor of trigger.

I have a diamondback DB10 in 308. It's a surprisingly nice piece except for one huge caveat: the barrel. The fit/finish/function of the gun was quite good, but the accuracy out of the box was hot garbage. I could not get that thing to group better than 2.5 MOA @100 no matter what ammo I tried. Most groups were in the 3-3.5 moa range with various (including match) factory ammo and my handloads that were grouping less than half that size in 2 different M1a's. I replaced the barrel with a ranier arms ultramatch and with the same ammo I now have consistent 1-ish moa groups a best of .75 moa. This is obviously only a sample of 1, but beware. Decent gun otherwise, but mine had less-than-stellar accuracy in factory form. I'd personally go either Aero Precision or Palmetto in that price range if I were to do it over.

I wouldnt go Toolcraft for the bolt. With the Creedmoor I would go high pressure from RCA or JP.

Aero M5 barreled upper, Aero M5 lower, Aero nitride BCG or Brownells 308 nitride BCG (they're both HP, work fine with 6.5CM), best barrel you can afford, with your preferred flavor of trigger.

You are going to get about 900 answers to that question.  I would get a barrel with a rifle plus 2 gas system.  You have to remember the amount of pressure you are dealing with. You will have similar pressures to a 7.62x51 with the 6.5 Creedmoor. If you go with either a standard  rifle or less you need to do your research.

Don’t go cheap on the barrel. I would get the Aero receiver set.

Dan

Good advice on rifle +2” gas system.  My DPMS was so brutal on the brass I converted my gun to a +2” gas system.

Attached File

Just got my 6.5 dies.

Ruger American Predator rifle.

Can someone explain the +2 gas system.

Looking to go ar style

Any links the the +2?

Thanks

The +2 gas system means that it's 2" longer than a standard rifle-length gas system for a large frame AR.  

The original AR15/ M16, if memory serves, had a 20" barrel.  That barrel length had what we call a rifle length gas system. I have no idea what the actual length of that gas system is.  When different AR barrel lengths were introduced, gas system lengths had to accommodate these different barrel lengths. Let's say a rifle length gas port for a 20" barrel sits at 16".  For a 16" barrel, a gas port at 16", right at the muzzle, ain't gonna work. Therefore the gas system length needs to change relative to barrel length and cartridge capacity.

My 6.5 Creedmoor with a 24" barrel functions nicely with a +2" gas system. My .22 TCM upper employs a considerably shorter gas system.