Posted: 10/21/2025 3:40:50 AM EDT
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So, not too long ago I got the bug to buy a new rifle, and after a lot of searching and reviews and talking to everyone that would sit still, I settled on a Seekins HIT. It was the best rifle I could purchase locally, and incidentally the most $$ I had ever spent on a gun. My plan was to consolidate my bolt guns down to just the one and buy extra barrels because the HIT had both a lifetime warranty AND user quick swap barrels. I went on Seekins site and it looked like they even had the first extra barrel I wanted in stock. So, I bought the rifle, and took it directly to a long range class at my local range. It went badly: https://www.ar15.com/forums/precision-rifles/Really-strange-long-range-issue/7-13844/ Thats where my plans went awry, because, like many other situations in my life, apparently I chose poorly. I contacted Seekins and, oops, everything is out of stock. You see, Seekins just came out with the NEW PH3 and discontinued their entire "old" product line in favor of the new model. I mean I get they are a small shop and don't want to support both product lines, but that kills the 2 main reasons I bought the HIT over the dozen other similarly priced rifles I could have chosen, and leaves me in a bit of a pickle. No, I don't consider merely publishing barrel specs online to be the same as actually having aftermarket support. Both of the places I contacted wanted to take the $$ for the barrel, THEN make me wait until they ordered and cut it, at which point the barrel was mine regardless of whether it even fit because it was considered "non-standard". I guess I don't technically need this rifle anymore, since I failed to Qualify during the above referenced thread, I only have access to 600 and I can do that quite well with my 308. Since I live in a communist shithole and don't have a FFL, I can't send it back to Seekins even if they were willing to "fix" it. Illinois law also drastically restricts my ability to sell the gun either locally or on EE because *I* can't ship anything and most of my local FFLS have been put out of business. I now have a rifle that doesent shoot, that the company isn't making parts for anymore, and whose trade in value is under 1/2 what I paid (2 shops wouldn't trade at all, and one offered only $900 against another gun at full MSRP - so no sale or discounts would apply) Now, I am sure I will catch some flack for expressing my disappointment at the whole situation, I am not trying to say anyone did anything wrong except maybe me. Its just all of the options I see are either a tremendous PITA or just plain bad. I am just posting hoping that someone might have a better Idea on how I might proceed here. |
You got gun law problems, I feel bad for you son. I got 99 problems but a ban ain't one. -Sylvan
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Sorry you’re going through that. The discontinuation sucks and you’re not the first complaint I’ve read. I won’t argue with you on your state laws but I’m under the impression you can send a rifle directly back its manufacturer without an FFL. Same for coming back to you. Edited. I fact checked myself. IL sucks. |
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It does suck Seekins is not going to support the older models going forward. Is getting a blank and having it cut to work in your gun an option? Or does Seekins use some weird mounting system that really isnt an option to duplicate? From your other thread it appears the ammo was of decent quality ES/SD wise, and the EC Tuner will allow you to tighten up those groups a bit with a bit of testing. Tuners are a touchy subject around here, but they do work if you are willing to actually test them. Ballistic calculators are not 100% all knowing even if you feed them perfect information, and weather depending, can be quite a bit off. Ive personally seen the Hornady calc be high by 3-4 MOA for elevation depending on where Im shooting because the 1000 yard range at my friends goes across a marsh and once it warms up, it can create a massive updraft which you cant calculate into any solver that I know of. One other issue, especially for new shooters, is that you can get winds from multiple directions on 1000 yard shots. Youre rifle is likely fine. Dont listen to the clowns that say "remove the tuner" or "buy a Nightforce". If the gun shoots at a 100, it doesnt magically get less accurate at 600 or a 1000 and beyond. The only thing that can affect it are the wind and the shooter. It sounds like you as a first time shooter had some issues. Keep on shooting, it gets easier. The big thing? The wind kicked your ass. It happens. Figure out your setup for long range, your rifle setup is adequate. When I say setup, think your support items like bipods and rear bags. What works well enough for you at a 100, is clearly not working at 1000. Ive personally had that happen when I really started to shoot at 1000 and beyond, I had to get a different bipod because I just couldnt get comfortable behind the gun which led to shitty groups. Practice reading the wind, thats the hardest part. If you can read wind, you are ahead of 90% of the shooters out there. Im still not great, but one thing that really helped me learn was shooting at 600 yards in varying weather conditions. Im fortunate enough to own a Shotmarker system, so I can take an educated guess on the wind which will at a minimum get me onto a 4x4 target. From there I can see how close I was, make a correction, and note the weather conditions for the future. You can do the same on a steel target when you can see how the target twists with an edge hit, vs the target going straight back from a good center hit. |
| Hope you’re wrong about not supporting the HAVAK HIT. I just bought one a couple months ago in 308. Great rifle. Since my twist is 1:11.25, it’s a little harder to find the right bullet. After 4 different bullets, the 5th was a charm. I reload so not to get the perfect load. I use the same ballistic program. It’s good but it’s not perfect. When shooting 1000 yards, allot of things have to line up to get that perfect shot. Reading the wind is the most difficult but a good spotter helps. Your stance, breathing, trigger pull are other things to master. I know I had to adjust my trigger as it was way to much pull. Bet mine was around 7 lb pull. Got it around 3-4 lbs. Don’t have trigger tester to verify. Bullet weight and BC is a big factor too. Commercial ammo can be a hit or miss. Reason why I reload. I’ll send Seekins a email to inquire about another barrel just to see what they have to say. Will post my findings. Don’t plan on another barrel but want to see what they have to say. Last time I was at a 1000 yard range, brought 2 rifles. A 338LM and a 308. Hit 10 for ten with the 338. 4 for 10 out of my 308. Don’t think the ELD 178 was heavy enough to be consistent. Will post back when I get a reply. |
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Originally Posted By xCLAYBUSTERx: Have you tried the tall target test at 100y? I would be curious about that also. Its not computing that rifle goes from grouping .75 at a a 100 to even the instructor cant hit at 1k Obviously something is wrong scope or rifle. My mind leans towards scope since the problems start once your dialing?? With that said i just got a bad barrel on a henry levergun that would Litterally throw random shots 5’ off at a 100……. Made me think my new scope was bad changed scopes to confirm I wasn’t crazy… So anything is possible i never saw anything in my life like that with a barrel that wasn’t a misprint from ringing a 6” gong to 5 foot off in random directions. |
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Originally Posted By xCLAYBUSTERx: Have you tried the tall target test at 100y? Yup with 2 different scopes even, (after a poster in the other thread questioned my choice of Burris Scope) and wverything was right and tight and level with both scopes and I saw no issues at 100 with either BH or Horny ammo. |
You got gun law problems, I feel bad for you son. I got 99 problems but a ban ain't one. -Sylvan
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Well, I *did take the tuner off - much later than my opportunity at the class, as it happens, but I did take it off. https://www.ar15.com/forums/precision-rifles/Cortina-EC-tuner-set-screw/8-13952/. In retrospect I can speculate that it's entirely possible that the loss of this setscrew could very well have affected my 1000+ accuracy. Afterall, even the benchrest guys that swear on these freely admit that it is that last percent of a percent of accuracy they are after. So if the tuner was not 100% secure... and that may also have been why the instructor that shot my same gun and ammo as a control had similar results. Well, the thread protector is back on the rifle right now, so once I can shoot again, I can re-test the theory. So, maybe I am not as bad off as I though I was. I can still shoot out to 600 at several ranges to practice, and I assume I can re-take the long range class and maybe qualify for the ability to shoot out to 1200. At least that way the rifle might be useful as it sits and not just a safe queen to get lowball auctioned off with my estate. |
You got gun law problems, I feel bad for you son. I got 99 problems but a ban ain't one. -Sylvan
| Finally got a reply from seekins. They do sell barrels for us. They are back logged so expect a bit of a wait. Suggest you call the order in so you know how long the wait will be. If your changing calibers, don’t forget to order the proper bolt head. Am considering ordering a 6.5cm but not sure yet. Am enjoying my 308 since finding the right pill for it. |
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Originally Posted By Bearcat24: Finally got a reply from seekins. They do sell barrels for us. They are back logged so expect a bit of a wait. Suggest you call the order in so you know how long the wait will be. If your changing calibers, don’t forget to order the proper bolt head. Am considering ordering a 6.5cm but not sure yet. Am enjoying my 308 since finding the right pill for it. @Bearcat24 Ok, well if you go 65cm you don't need a bolt head, the .308 one is the same. Which is good because the email *I* got requested a phone call where the guy on the phone (don't know if it was the boss or who) directly told me they had no plans to do any more runs of the old style parts like bolt heads, and the barrel runs were literally on the back burner because they were focusing 100% on the new style rifles. Its all about priorities and the new rifles are 110% their only priority, which lead me to believe that I could backorder any part I wanted, but my order would sit until I gave up and paid the restocking fee to cancel. Darn it, I was almost over this debacle and now I am mad again... |
You got gun law problems, I feel bad for you son. I got 99 problems but a ban ain't one. -Sylvan
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Originally Posted By Bearcat24: I’ll give them a call to see if they tell me the same. They better not. If they do, plan on telling them I’ll let everyone know not to buy seekins for fear of no replacement barrels when they start another line of rifles. Full disclosure, the guy I spoke to was VERY careful not to actually say they were discontinuing support, but the way he spoke led me to read between the lines that the older guns and accessories are "not a priority." You know how you can just tell someone is trying to lawyer-weasel out of giving you a definite answer, thats the vibe I got. Seekins is not a big shop, so I don't even really blame them for not being interested in wanting to devote resources to their older stuff when they are making all this bright shiny new stuff. Their position seems to be that because they "publish their specifications" that is sufficient because the customers can theoretically get a barrel made anywhere - nevermind that if there is a problem with the aftermarket barrel, its no longer Seekins' problem... |
You got gun law problems, I feel bad for you son. I got 99 problems but a ban ain't one. -Sylvan
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Originally Posted By SG55xdude: Honestly it sounds like you didn't do much research if you bought a Seekins Hit without realizing a new version was out and you were buying the old version. I can't see that happening to me honestly in just about any situation with a high dollar gun. I beg to differ, I agonized over this, and looked at a dozen different guns before I decided on the Seekins. I *almost* bought a Christiansen MPR - and Honestly I still kinda want it because I am a total sucker for Carbon Fiber and frankly it looks super hot. The Seekins that I bought was the best chassis rifle that had all of the features I wanted, that was on the shelf at my local gun shop. The easily interchangeable barrels and all of the other features made it seem like the best deal. I knew the new version was coming out, but it wasn't available locally when I was shopping. Also, it wasn't immediately obvious to me that the new version was going to be completely incompatible with the one that I bought. When you look at Seekins website it STILL looks like the extra farkles are available, and it isn't until you actually try to buy an extra barrel, etc, that you find out that the backorder is indefinite, and very likely permanent. I mean, almost every generation of glock still fit in the same holsters... |
You got gun law problems, I feel bad for you son. I got 99 problems but a ban ain't one. -Sylvan
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Originally Posted By barrysuperhawk: I beg to differ, I agonized over this, and looked at a dozen different guns before I decided on the Seekins. I *almost* bought a Christiansen MPR - and Honestly I still kinda want it because I am a total sucker for Carbon Fiber and frankly it looks super hot. The Seekins that I bought was the best chassis rifle that had all of the features I wanted, that was on the shelf at my local gun shop. The easily interchangeable barrels and all of the other features made it seem like the best deal. I knew the new version was coming out, but it wasn't available locally when I was shopping. Also, it wasn't immediately obvious to me that the new version was going to be completely incompatible with the one that I bought. When you look at Seekins website it STILL looks like the extra farkles are available, and it isn't until you actually try to buy an extra barrel, etc, that you find out that the backorder is indefinite, and very likely permanent. I mean, almost every generation of glock still fit in the same holsters... I decided I wanted two bolt actions a few months back after selling two rifles and a bunch of optics. I looked at Seekins website and looked at all their models. I ultimately decided to get 2 hit pro m3's. That's what they showed as their most current offering. I specifically liked it used a Tri-lug bolt like Sako for a 60 degree throw. So I looked for 2 hit pro m3's and ordered from Eurooptic. I saw previous editions on gunbroker etc but they didn't say Seekins Hit Pro M3 so I knew they weren't the latest ones. Sorry that happened to you. R1 precision can spin you a barrel and it will work. |
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Originally Posted By Bearcat24: Hope you’re wrong about not supporting the HAVAK HIT. I just bought one a couple months ago in 308. Great rifle. Since my twist is 1:11.25, it’s a little harder to find the right bullet. After 4 different bullets, the 5th was a charm. I reload so not to get the perfect load. I use the same ballistic program. It’s good but it’s not perfect. When shooting 1000 yards, allot of things have to line up to get that perfect shot. Reading the wind is the most difficult but a good spotter helps. Your stance, breathing, trigger pull are other things to master. I know I had to adjust my trigger as it was way to much pull. Bet mine was around 7 lb pull. Got it around 3-4 lbs. Don’t have trigger tester to verify. Bullet weight and BC is a big factor too. Commercial ammo can be a hit or miss. Reason why I reload. I’ll send Seekins a email to inquire about another barrel just to see what they have to say. Will post my findings. Don’t plan on another barrel but want to see what they have to say. Last time I was at a 1000 yard range, brought 2 rifles. A 338LM and a 308. Hit 10 for ten with the 338. 4 for 10 out of my 308. Don’t think the ELD 178 was heavy enough to be consistent. Will post back when I get a reply. 1 in 11.25 in 308 is perfect for 155gr-178gr, maybe even the 185 juggernaut. I wouldn't want anything else in a 308, actually. |
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Originally Posted By barrysuperhawk: I beg to differ, I agonized over this, and looked at a dozen different guns before I decided on the Seekins. I *almost* bought a Christiansen MPR - and Honestly I still kinda want it because I am a total sucker for Carbon Fiber and frankly it looks super hot. The Seekins that I bought was the best chassis rifle that had all of the features I wanted, that was on the shelf at my local gun shop. The easily interchangeable barrels and all of the other features made it seem like the best deal. I knew the new version was coming out, but it wasn't available locally when I was shopping. Also, it wasn't immediately obvious to me that the new version was going to be completely incompatible with the one that I bought. When you look at Seekins website it STILL looks like the extra farkles are available, and it isn't until you actually try to buy an extra barrel, etc, that you find out that the backorder is indefinite, and very likely permanent. I mean, almost every generation of glock still fit in the same holsters... God damn, you dodged a bullet by not getting a Christensen. Their barrels are extremely hit or miss, their bedding is trash, and overall assembly is questionable. I've saw so many brand new Christensen rifles in Whittakers that had forends offset into barrels or crooked barrels in stock, they're a mess. |
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@barrysuperhawk Seeking has a good reputation for building a good rifle, but everyone makes mistakes. That said, taking a new rifle and adding a device to the end of the barrel could have easily messed up the harmonics, especially if there is any chance that it worked it's way loose. Take that off and test the rifle. Be sure the muzzle protector stays tight during the test. How sure are you that the scope isn't the issue? |
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Originally Posted By sigman68: @barrysuperhawk Seeking has a good reputation for building a good rifle, but everyone makes mistakes. That said, taking a new rifle and adding a device to the end of the barrel could have easily messed up the harmonics, especially if there is any chance that it worked it's way loose. Take that off and test the rifle. Be sure the muzzle protector stays tight during the test. How sure are you that the scope isn't the issue? I'll recap, I have taken the tuner off, I swapped to a Vortex Golden Eagle 15-60x (both scope and rings) that I had handy, I had other people shoot the rifle, and I described my conversations with Seekins in detail. The problem with shipping the rifle is that there is no place for me to DO that anymore. Part of that problem is IL law, and a bigger part of that is shipper policy, but I do not know of an option where I could ship the rifle to Seekins even if they were willing to do anything for me. UPS Fedex |
You got gun law problems, I feel bad for you son. I got 99 problems but a ban ain't one. -Sylvan
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Originally Posted By barrysuperhawk: I'll recap, I have taken the tuner off, I swapped to a Vortex Golden Eagle 15-60x (both scope and rings) that I had handy, I had other people shoot the rifle, and I described my conversations with Seekins in detail. The problem with shipping the rifle is that there is no place for me to DO that anymore. Part of that problem is IL law, and a bigger part of that is shipper policy, but I do not know of an option where I could ship the rifle to Seekins even if they were willing to do anything for me. UPS Fedex So ship USPS? |
I sell firearms produced by the finest child labor in the world, be it Filipino, Muslim, Mormon, Arizonan, or Texan.
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Originally Posted By barrysuperhawk: I'll recap, I have taken the tuner off, I swapped to a Vortex Golden Eagle 15-60x (both scope and rings) that I had handy, I had other people shoot the rifle, and I described my conversations with Seekins in detail. The problem with shipping the rifle is that there is no place for me to DO that anymore. Part of that problem is IL law, and a bigger part of that is shipper policy, but I do not know of an option where I could ship the rifle to Seekins even if they were willing to do anything for me. UPS Fedex What happened to the FFL that you purchased the gun through? |