Scout rifle, circa 2016

[Chris17404]

I wouldn’t fret too much on getting super light.
Don’t sell your rifle short.

Thanks again msstate56. Here’s what I’m thinking. I need to decide if I’m going with the Tikka T3X Lite or the CTR, both in 6.5 CM. For an optic I’ve pretty much narrowed it down to:

NF NXS 2.5-10x42 SFP MIL
NF SHV 3-10x42 SFP MOAR
NF SHV 4-14x50 FFP MIL
Vortex Viper PST II 3-15x44 FFP MIL

I honestly like the idea of FFP but I find the reticle so thin and tiny at any magnification less than 10x that it hinders shooting. I like SFP since it’s consistently visible and I really don’t anticipate shooting over 500 yards. I don’t have access to anything over that. Right now my first choice is the NF NXS 2.5-10x42 SFP MIL and put it on the CTR. Of course that’s a $2600 combo. Putting the NF SHV 3-10x42 SFP MOAR or the Vortex on the Lite is a $1500 combo. Big difference. There are aspects of both combos I like. And I’ve also seen Phil Valeyo put the 4-14x50 SHV on a CTR for a “budget” build that makes a lot of sense. His recent video blog series has been excellent IMO.

[Rex G]

Well, here I go again, working my way through the posts. It was good to re-notice some since-forgotten negative feed-back regarding the Steyr Scout, as I had been eyeing some pre-owned samples available here, in Texas.

I recently acquired a pre-owned Tikka CTR stock and bottom metal, with one .223/5.56 magazine. I am not yet sure what I am going to do with it, but a local dealer tends to have pre-own Tikka rifles, much of the time. I am wondering if a left-hand action will fit, and if the structural integrity of the stock will be affected if I sculpt a slot to accommodate the lefty bolt. I can shoot a long gun lefty or righty, but am left-eye dominant, so sighting with an conventionally-placed scope or aperture goes more smoothly if shooting lefty.

Actually, that LGS has a pre-owned Tikka CTR, now, in .260 Remington, which is somewhat tempting. The asking price may me somewhat high, but it is in excellent condition, and it is not like new CTR rifles are widely available these days. Plus, the walk-in, buy-the-whole-thing-now price is almost always lower that the initial asking price. If one is going to add a new cartridge, in 2020, well, .260 Remington seems to be readily available, in-stock.

OTOH, Primary Arms has everything I need to quickly assemble an LMT upper, in 6.8 SPC, and use on an LMT lower that I already have. The AR15/M4 system is very lefty-friendly, and LMT’s proprietary monolithic upper system, with quick-change barrels, is very appealing to those of us without a home “armorer’s work space.” It has been a while since I looked at 6.8 SPC information. Time for another look!

Edited to add: I already have Browning BLR rifles, both .308, one a Takedown, so am not without a lightweight, medium-cartridge rifle option, plus have several AR/M4 options. I can afford to be patient.

[msstate56]

Thanks again msstate56. Here’s what I’m thinking. I need to decide if I’m going with the Tikka T3X Lite or the CTR, both in 6.5 CM. For an optic I’ve pretty much narrowed it down to:

NF NXS 2.5-10x42 SFP MIL
NF SHV 3-10x42 SFP MOAR
NF SHV 4-14x50 FFP MIL
Vortex Viper PST II 3-15x44 FFP MIL

I honestly like the idea of FFP but I find the reticle so thin and tiny at any magnification less than 10x that it hinders shooting. I like SFP since it’s consistently visible and I really don’t anticipate shooting over 500 yards. I don’t have access to anything over that. Right now my first choice is the NF NXS 2.5-10x42 SFP MIL and put it on the CTR. Of course that’s a $2600 combo. Putting the NF SHV 3-10x42 SFP MOAR or the Vortex on the Lite is a $1500 combo. Big difference. There are aspects of both combos I like. And I’ve also seen Phil Valeyo put the 4-14x50 SHV on a CTR for a “budget” build that makes a lot of sense. His recent video blog series has been excellent IMO.

Out of those- I have personal experience with the SHV 4-14 FFP. It’s a good scope for medium to longer range. I’ve used to have a NXS 2.5-10x32. Good scope, but you’ll want more than 10x. You can hit full size targets at 1K with 10x, but good luck finding a 10” grayed out plate in the weeds with only 10x. A lot of people like Vortex, but I’m not one of them. It’s great that they have a good warranty, because a lot of people have to use it. You might also want to look at a Leupold Vx3i 4.5-15. I only use FFP scopes for anything over 1-6/1-8. The usefulness of FFP on low power is dependent on reticle design. I like the Leupold Illuminated TMR FFP because it looks like a duplex on 3.6x.

Go MIL whatever you do. Stay away from MOA, you’ll thank me later.

[Chris17404]

Out of those- I have personal experience with the SHV 4-14 FFP. It’s a good scope for medium to longer range.

What was your experience with the eye box/exit pupil and eye relief of the SHV 4-14 FFP? That's really the only criticism I've read about them. I did look thru both the SHV 4-14 FFP and PST Gen2 3-15 at a local Cabela's and they both look good to me. (Of course, holding them in your hand and looking at a stuffed deer 75 yards away indoors is a lot different than having it mounted on a rifle with a solid cheek weld.) The SHV had the image quality and reputation, and the PST had a slight edge in eye box and eye relief. But again, not sure how big of a difference it makes in the real world shooting.

[Seven_Sicks_Two]

OTOH, Primary Arms has everything I need to quickly assemble an LMT upper, in 6.8 SPC, and use on an LMT lower that I already have. The AR15/M4 system is very lefty-friendly, and LMT’s proprietary monolithic upper system, with quick-change barrels, is very appealing to those of us without a home “armorer’s work space.” It has been a while since I looked at 6.8 SPC information. Time for another look!

I'm a big fan of the LMT MRP. I've been shooting one since 2013 or so and own a couple of barrels. Their 6.8 offering however, leaves a bit to be desired. Their barrels are built to the SAAMI specification, which, due to an error in the reamer drawing, doesn't really allow you to take full advantage of the cartridge. The 6.8 community has largely moved to the 6.8SPC II, which is closer to the original specifications. Additionally, factory 6.8 MRP barrels are only available in 1:10 twist, while most SPC II barrels are 1:11. The chamber dimension issue can be fixed with a reamer, but the twist rate can't. If you're content with the performance of SAAMI spec loads, want to shoot factory ammunition, and don't intend to handload the cartridge to hotrod it... none of that probably matters.

Over the years, various outfits have offered conversion services to make standard AR barrels compatible with the LMT upper. Currently, it is being offered at a pretty reasonable price by D Wilson Mfg. I don't have personal experience with his conversions, but the work is well-regarded by LMT nerds. That might be another option if you wanted to go down the LMT/6.8 rabbit hole.

http://www.dwilsonmfg.com/LMT-MRP-Ba...sion_p_12.html

[msstate56]

Looking through a handheld scope inside a store is almost worthless. I wouldn’t put any stock in that. If it’s not mounted to a rifle, with proper eye relief set, and outdoors- you can’t get a true representation of what the scope can do. I mounted and shot the SHV on a rifle I set up for a hunting partner. I don’t remember any issues with eye relief or eye box. If your rifle is properly set up and adjusted to you- there are no issues with finding the center of the scope. You put your cheek down and the scope is right where it’s supposed to be. It’s not like trying to mount an AR with a 1-6 from a low ready and wanting a little “wiggle room” for speed’s sake. Honestly, everyone has their own opinions on what they like in a scope. Actually getting out and shooting is the only way to find what works for you.

[Rex G]

I'm a big fan of the LMT MRP. I've been shooting one since 2013 or so and own a couple of barrels. Their 6.8 offering however, leaves a bit to be desired. Their barrels are built to the SAAMI specification, which, due to an error in the reamer drawing, doesn't really allow you to take full advantage of the cartridge. The 6.8 community has largely moved to the 6.8SPC II, which is closer to the original specifications. Additionally, factory 6.8 MRP barrels are only available in 1:10 twist, while most SPC II barrels are 1:11. The chamber dimension issue can be fixed with a reamer, but the twist rate can't. If you're content with the performance of SAAMI spec loads, want to shoot factory ammunition, and don't intend to handload the cartridge to hotrod it... none of that probably matters.

Over the years, various outfits have offered conversion services to make standard AR barrels compatible with the LMT upper. Currently, it is being offered at a pretty reasonable price by D Wilson Mfg. I don't have personal experience with his conversions, but the work is well-regarded by LMT nerds. That might be another option if you wanted to go down the LMT/6.8 rabbit hole.

http://www.dwilsonmfg.com/LMT-MRP-Ba...sion_p_12.html

Thanks for letting me know this. I had not been keeping up with 6.8 SPC news. I’ll shift my attention back to a 20” 5.56 rifle barrel. I wish Primary had a MLOK rifle upper, rather than the quad-rail, available. They only ever seem to get the quad-rail version, in-stock, in the rifle length, and LMT’s other significant dealer, V1 Tactical, seems to be the same way.

[Chris17404]

It’s not like trying to mount an AR with a 1-6 from a low ready and wanting a little “wiggle room” for speed’s sake.

Yes, good insight, and makes sense. Thank you. I am coming from the AR/LPVO world into my first bolt action/practical/precision rifle so my thought process wasn't quite right.

[Seven_Sicks_Two]

Thanks for letting me know this. I had not been keeping up with 6.8 SPC news. I’ll shift my attention back to a 20” 5.56 rifle barrel. I wish Primary had a MLOK rifle upper, rather than the quad-rail, available. They only ever seem to get the quad-rail version, in-stock, in the rifle length, and LMT’s other significant dealer, V1 Tactical, seems to be the same way.

A couple of my buddies have ordered from V1. One bought a complete MLOK MRP (carbine length) and the other an MLOK MWS with a couple of barrels. V1 backordered the items and allocated them to their orders specifically. Lead times aren't great, but it's a way to get exactly what you want.

Not sure if it matters to you, but an advantage to the quad rail MRP is that you can swap barrels without removing all of your handguard mounted accessories. The MLOK version requires you to remove anything in the slots before you pull the barrel. I've pretty much back-burnered the idea of a rifle-length MRP, but when I get around to buying one, it'll be a quad rail for that reason.

[msstate56]

Yes, good insight, and makes sense. Thank you. I am coming from the AR/LPVO world into my first bolt action/practical/precision rifle so my thought process wasn't quite right.

You have to treat a bolt gun entirely different than an AR. Running a bolt gun is all about consistency. You have to do everything exactly the same each time, which is why setting up your rifle to perfectly fit you is the most important part. Speed does not come into play. It does in competition, but it's and entirely different definition of speed vs running and AR in a 3 gun match. Think 10 shots in 90 seconds, vs 10 shots in 5 seconds.