Thompson Center Compass 223/5.56

FEENIX said:

Mine is in 6.5 CM and here's a 3-shot group at 200 yards with factory ammo.

Click to expand...

SMK1000plus said:

Thought we were just talking Compasses in 223 Rem.

SportsmansSupply auctioned a pile of T/C Compasses on Gunbroker last year, so many that they were selling for less than $220 most of the time AND S&W (T/C) was running a $50.00 rebate PER RIFLE! SportsmansSupply initially only offered them in 243 Win, 7mm-08 Rem, 308 Win and 270 Win. I eventually ended up buying six in various cartridges, paying $206.00 or less not including the rebates but, including S&H, for four of the six.

The first one that I bought was in 7mm-08 Rem. I never fired it in the original stock. I bought a Boyd's Pro Varmint laminate stock for it, with a 13" L.O.P. for proper fit while wearing a thick coat for hunting in very cold weather. Pillar bedded the stock to the Compass 7mm-08 and installed a muzzle brake. At the range it performed well. Most 3 round groups at 200 yards were right at MOA with 162gr ELD-X handload that just happened to chamber well but, were developed for one of my other 7mm-08s. I had just bought a Lyman borescope and it arrived right after my first range trip with this rifle, so I took a close look at the bore. The bore was not bad, considering it was a mass produced factory barrel but, there was on serious ding in the bore/crown intersection. The ding was on top of the finish so, I'm not sure how it got there. I will eventually recrown the rifle but, by now, I really liked the Compass! Nice, easy to adjust, crisp trigger (PM me if you want to get it down to 2-1/2 lbs, though I adjusted all of mine back to 3 lbs for hunting), three position Winchester style safety, nice side release bolt stop, what's not to like, for a rifle that cost less than $200.00 TOTAL, after rebate? Available upgrade laminate stocks in various configurations is a huge plus as well.

After I discovered that my first 7mm-08 Compass had a ding in the bore/crown and still shot MOA, I wanted to try another. Sooo, I bought a second one, also in 7mm-08 Rem, also for less than $200.00 including S&H and FFL fee, after rebate. I didn't bother with installing a muzzle brake, or changing the stock. I wanted to see how it would shoot right out of the box. I cleaned the rifle and bore, then off to the range I went. I used the same 162gr ELD-X handloads that I had used in my first Compass. WOW! After sight-in, my 3 round groups were under one inch at 200 yards! I was sold!

After those two Compasses in 7mm-08, I bought one in 270 Win, strictly for the action. It is still in the box awaiting a 280 AI barrel. I've learned not to shoot rifles that I buy for donor actions, as they often end up it the safe and I have to buy another donor! I can't tell you how the Compass 270 Win shoots. I'm not a fan of .277" bore, only because of the 1 in 10" twist barrels that every major rifle manufacturer insists on installing!

About the time I bought the 270 Win, my best friend, who had shot both of my Compass 7mm-08's, stared buying various Compass rifles as well. His first was a 308 Win. Sub-MOA at first range outing with it.

Very impressed with my second 7mm-08 and my buddy's 308 Compass' accuracy, and the low cost of the rifles, I purchased a 6.5 Creedmoor. It too shot tiny 3 round groups, around 1/2 MOA. I pulled the Boyd's Pro Varmint off the first Compass 7mm-08 that has the damaged bore/crown, and rebedded the 6.5 Compass in it. Let's just say that I love that rifle!

Shortly after buying my 6.5 Creedmoor, my best friend accidentally purchased a second Compass 6.5 Creedmoor online, while he thought he was buying one in 7mm RM. I ended up buying the second 6.5 Creedmoor from him, as a loaner rifle, and he bought the 7mm RM he had wanted. While shooting groups with these two additional Compasses, my buddy and I confirmed what we had suspected with our first several Compass rifles; they don't like 5 round groups much! Nearly all of the Compass rifles my buddy and I had, opened their groups up from sub-MOA on the first 3 rounds, to 1-1/2 or larger 5 round groups. For 3 rounds, definitely sub-MOA but, our experience has been that their barrels don't do well with the heat from 5 rounds.

My latest (but not last!) T/C Compass is my 223 Rem. It is still all factory except for the trigger weight adjustment to 3 lbs. and I like it a lot. The Left-hand Ruger American 223 Rem I bought for my 6 year old granddaughter shoots better but, for over a third more than the cost of the Compass 223. Both shoot sub-MOA but, the Ruger shoots 1/2 MOA, and for 5 rounds.

I highly recommend the T/C Compass rifles, for an accurate, low cost rifle with a lot to offer! I'm going to build my next semi-custom rifle out of one...

Click to expand...

FEENIX said:

Yes, just trying to point out that it is not a fluke. They are very underrated sleeper entry level rifle that delivers accuracy.

Click to expand...

Mustang72 said:

You right handed shooters get all the great deals! Lol

Click to expand...