This is strictly a FWIW post, nothing more. Hoping it might in some way prove helpful to someone in Google land.

Over the last year or more, approaching 80 y/o, I’ve put a lot of work into reducing my rifle inventory. For Coyote to Elk, I couldn’t make 1 rifle / cartridge do all the work. Would excel on one end, not the other.

My Laminated SS Tikka 30-06 is exceptionally accurate and will handle the bigger game w/ 180 or 200 gr Partitions. For Coyotes and Deer? As the 270 was gone, I looked at replacing it with another 270. Decided to go with the 6.5 PRC instead. With high hopes / expectations, the NEW Springfield 2020 Waypoint was in the safe, unfired, sight-in ammo loaded. Wrong turn.

Last week, wife and I left for a short vacation. While there, I found a rather long thread on the 2020 rifle in 6.5 PRC. Owners NOT happy. Not with their new rifle and even more unhappy with the horrible Springfield customer service. Not just 1 owner, multiple owners. Same problems with the rifle and again, very disappointing customer service. Hard to recommend SA after that.

Came home on Sunday. Returned the unfired rifle yesterday. Left with a Tikka .270 Win, which I should have kept for a LONG list of good reasons. Lesson learned.

Slept better last night.

Coyote: 110 gr V Max @ 3,350 fps - .5 MOA (5 shot groups) previously confirmed.
Deer: 140 gr Accubond
Back up rifle for Elk: 150 gr Partition

Thanks for visiting with me.

Cheers.

Dunno. It seems to me that all rifles are a rule only unto themselves.

You replaced an unknown 6.5 PRC (you admit you haven’t fired it at all) on the basis of other people’s issues that you found on an internet site. While I grant you that the commentary about SA’s customer service is cautionary, your individual rifle might be a .25 MOA gun.

Similarly, your new Tikka is by history likely to shoot well, but to claim it’s a .5MOA rifle because the one you sold was is not logical. Sure, you can keep exchanging Tikka .270’s until you get another of adequate accuracy, but face it, .5 MOA rifles are NOT common.

I get the point (I think) that getting rid of a known performer because you wanted to downsize can bite you. If anything, I’m a bit more pessimistic than you.

No way I’d get rid of a consistent .5 MOA rifle- I’ve got a lot of them, and only 1-2 are even close to that level of consistent accuracy- especially with an oddball bullet weight in that caliber.

CR,

I appreciate your reply and concur with your assessments. Proves I don't always make the best decisions. Much of my rifle ownerships in the past have been more about want & experientation than need. While a full time hobby - it's been a passionate one for a very long time.

Yes, I could have kept the PRC. Didn't because I know next to nothing about how to fix things and especially rifles. Didn't want to have to deal with unforseen problems and especially so with SA lack of customer service. So, I cut my losses and went back and got my previously owned .270 which is in fact a consistent .5 moa rifle with my handloads. Glad to have it back and will not make that mistake again.

I posted my saga primarily as an FYI for anyone considering a 6.6 PRC Waypoint.

Thank you again for respectfully sharing your thoughts. Hope I've clarified things a bit.

If you got the same Tikka back, then you did good. I assumed you had brought a new one given that you had sold the old one.

I have to admit that I don't understand all the love for the various PRC chamberings... yes, they are more efficient than a lot of older ones, but the old ones (if you put the right twist barrel in them) can shoot the high BC bullets, and usually faster.

Nothing wrong with a .270 for hunting most critters in North America.

CR,

The list is long of the many advantages with the oldies - .243, 270, 308, 30-06 etc. Rifle & component availability; terminal ballistics, etc.

With my '06 and heavier Partitions - thankfully, I don't need a faster twist in my 270 to handle Medium game tasks. The cartridge's long history & track record politely questions the real need for improvement. A wonderful balance of recoil, ballistics and terminal effectiveness 7/365.

Cheers.

As I’ve killed elk and eland with a .30-06 and eland with a 7x57, I agree with you that they are plenty capable of larger game.

No less authority than Phil Shoemaker has no issues with the .30-06 on big bears and moose.

What most of the new cartridges are about is loading long high BC bullets to a restricted magazine length and getting rid of cartridge belts.

While if you want that, it’s great, but it’s real world difference is minute.

There are some specialized niches that new rounds do fit well in- in particular, designing rounds for subsonic use. I do have a 6 ARC as a new round. For hunting, it does nothing that a .243 or .257 Roberts won’t do… but those don’t fit well in a military style rifle, thus the niche.

IMHO, over the years, we rifle enthusiasts go through chapters of gun ownership's. Mine has been 7 decades, all with great memories from early beginnings using the .22, .222 and .35 Rem. Never had to track a single deer with that Marlin 336. Owned and hunted with too many rifle/cartridges to count.

Long a JOC fan, Shoemaker is right. KISS. And why one of my two final rifles is an '06. Up close and personal a 200 gr Partition or A-Frame is indeed formidable. That said, I chose to use a 458 Win on my BLack Bear hunt, POW Island Alaska with Johnnie Laird - a Guide extraordinaire. .458 needed? Of course not. My money, my hunt. 8th day of the hunt, waiting for the "right" bear, 4 PM on Mother's Day, 7 footer, DRT. No tracking.

I wish you well on what lies ahead for you. Good luck in your 6 ARC chapter. :-)