Performance Center Thompson Long Range Rifle
BY Herschel Smith
5 years, 6 months ago
My first impression upon decanting the rifle from the shipping carton was “it’s heavy.” It weighs 11.5 lbs. A suitable optic brings it to 14.5 to 15 lbs. The centerpiece — and the source of most of the weight — is the heavy barreled action mounted in an aluminum alloy chassis — free-floated, biologically inert and pretty much immune to the vagaries of nature.
[ … ]
Groups at 600 and 1,000 yards hovered around the 1 MOA mark for all three of us with three or four of each five rounds at — or below — 1/2 MOA in most cases. This is likely a more accurate predictor of the rifle’s baseline accuracy than the full five rounds and the likely interjection of human error.
Nevertheless, Stan’s subsequent load development with the same ELD bullet is closing in on 1/2 MOA across the board.
The weight isn’t trivial, but a review of the CMMG Endeavor in 6.5 Creedmoor has the author saying that “The 300 series is an absolute log at 11+ lbs.” Accurized, heavy profile barrels are going to dominate long gun weight.
Given the weight of the rest of your kit, unless you have the strength of a pack mule and stamina of a sled dog, that gun is going to get heavy. It would be enough to make anyone hesitate to carry it on a long hunt.
Then again, this is more like a tactical gun, useful for other things. What’s really nice to see is the MSRP of $1,211. Getting a highly dependable, accurate tactical bolt action gun has gotten to be a rich man’s game with costs running near $2,000 just to get in. I’d like to see downward pressure on the market cost. This is a good start.
On May 8, 2019 at 10:52 pm, Jim said:
Tell us about the tripod and mount, please.
On May 8, 2019 at 11:58 pm, Ratus said:
It’s doesn’t seem like bad choice, but with the price difference between this and the very popular Ruger Precision Rifle being around a hundred bucks or less.
The RPR with a folding stock to shorten it up a bit for travel, able to take either ACIS or SR-25 type pmags, with a lot more aftermarket parts available seems to be a better choice.
On May 9, 2019 at 2:53 am, Pat Hines said:
I’m trying to imagine how cold that aluminum chassis will feel in winter, hard to do.
On May 9, 2019 at 8:26 am, Heywood said:
I know everyone loves the 6.5 right now, but I just cannot justify another caliber when the 7.62 seems to outperform my limited abilities.
On May 9, 2019 at 8:30 am, Furminator said:
oh, another 6.5 chassis rifle.
On May 9, 2019 at 8:34 am, Herschel Smith said:
@Jim,
I glommed off the Guns Magazine article for what’s there (except for my admittedly brief and unhelpful observations), so go to the link for more. That’s the point of providing the link – to send traffic their way.
@Heywood and Furminator,
When I initially shot the 6.5 I expected hard recoil and an unpleasant round. I was surprised. Out of a Ruger Precision it was mild recoil (out of an admittedly heavy gun), tracked well, had little bullet drop, and was easy to put on target at 400 yards).
On May 9, 2019 at 4:16 pm, Glenn Wiese said:
Captain,
Pleas double check the MSRP on the CMMG Endeavor 300 in 6.5 .Creedmoor. I want to believe the rifle is $1,211 but can’t find it anywhere. However, the scope that was used for the shoot is priced at $1,211. Please prove me wrong Captain and I won’t be able to order one fast enough. I am inspired by your wisdom and read you daily. Sincerely, Glenn Wiese
On May 9, 2019 at 4:57 pm, Glenn Wiese said:
Please ignore previous comments. I apparently misunderstood the comparison. Apologies, Glenn Wiese
On May 9, 2019 at 5:11 pm, Herschel Smith said:
@Glenn,
Yea. The CMMG is an AR and I’m sure will cost $1000 more than that. I checked with the S&W Thompson web site and the MSRP on their bolt gun is indeed what is shown in the article.
On May 10, 2019 at 12:43 am, Georgiaboy61 said:
There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a rifle like the CMMG Endeavor 300 Series 6.5 Creedmoor, if you have the coin and want all of the features, but if your objective is to obtain a highly-accurate bolt-action rifle for long-range precision shooting using this cartridge, you can accomplish that task for considerably less money than the Endeavor, which lists an MSRP on the CMMG website of $ 2349.95.
Savage Arms is known for making rifles which shoot as accurately as competing designs costing two or even three times more. I no longer work in the retail FA industry, but not many years ago – a Savage 10T-SR bolt-action in 6.5 Creedmoor retailed for around $500.
That’s for a rifle with a free-floated 24-inch match-grade, cold-hammer forged medium weight barrel with 5R rifling featuring a 1:8 RHT and suppressor-ready threaded muzzle with protective cap. The rifle also comes standard with Savage proprietary receiver bedding block system, as well as the well-regarded Accu-Trigger, adjustable for a pull-weight over a range from six (6) down to one and a half (1.5) pounds.
The receiver is topped with an M1913 (Picatinny) rail to facilitate the mounting of an optic, and the bolt handle is enlarged slightly for better ergonomics. Current models are offered with the new Accu-Stock system, which permits user customization of length-of-pull and other variables.
The rifle has a single sling attachment point to the rear, and two on the fore-end – a nice touch for those who wish to mount a bipod or use slings which require two forward points of contact.
The rifle has an internal 5-shot magazine and weighs in at around 9.65 pounds.
Every Savage rifle I have had the opportunity to shoot or own has attained sub-MOA results using match-grade ammunition, and at least one of them has done as well consistently as less than 0.25 (1/4) moa.
There is no need for a muzzle brake on a rifle firing 6.5 Creedmoor, as the recoil of the round is modest, roughly two-thirds that of equivalent standard .308 Winchester loadings.
The tactical stock is nice for a bench-rest rifle, but what if you want to take your 6.5 CM into the field to hunt? Good luck doing that with your fancy $2,000 plus boat anchor. The Savage – being modeled upon a traditional hunting rifle – shoulders easily and is a breeze to carry in the field. And here’s the best part – it shoots every bit as well as the high-end rifles like the CMMG makes.
Oh, one more thing: The firearms industry figured out some years ago that if they call something “tactical,” they can immediately jack-up the price 50-100% and get away with it.