6.5 SS Build

[mgood]

Today I ordered a Brux #3 Stainless, 6.5mm, 8-twist, with the interrupted fluting.

Feel free to tell me that Brux sux and I made a horrible choice. Or to tell me that they're great and it's an outstanding choice.

Krieger wouldn't do a 6.5mm stainless barrel in anything smaller than a #4. I could live with a 4, but I was leaning towards a #3. Then I thought that if we fluted it, I'd get back near the weight of a #3. But Krieger said to flute a 6.5, it would have to be at least the #5 PLUS profile. This is for a rifle to walk around with all day. I can carry a heavier gun if I have to, but I'd rather not. If it just wears me out to lug it around, then I'm likely to grab a lighter rifle when I go out, and I want this to be my main hunting rifle. I was thinking "sporter." I could have gone with a chrome-moly barrel, but preferred stainless. Brux had no problem with it. And while looking at barrels, I sort of fell in love with the interrupted fluting they offer.

This is for a 6.5 Sherman Shortmag.
Plans include Defiance Deviant Hunter action and McMillan Remington Sporter stock.

EDIT 9/8/2018 - My rifle last night:

 

[bigngreen]

Sounds like a sweet build, definitely gotta rock the Brux for that build, they make a great barrel!!

 

[ohiohunter]

I would've gone w/ a rechambered factory sps barrel

 

[BEEMAN]

You are going to like the BRUX barrel. Myself and a friend shoot a few of them. We both built 300WM on a #3 Brux last winter and were concerned how they would shoot with that light of a barrel. Both guns shoot incredible and just like our other Brux barrels dont copper foul and clean up very easy.

 

[Idaho Trecker]

Sounds like an awesome build. The jury is still out for me and my brux barrel but it looks great. I will say that I will never buy another after the terrible customer service and fiasco I had getting my barrel.

 

[Scot E]

what is the wait time?

 

[mgood]

what is the wait time?

Ken told me 2 months.
Other companies were saying 6.
Not that it matters much since the action will probably take 6 and I haven't ordered it yet.

 

[elkaholic]

Glad you are making the move! I have not shot a Brux personally, but have heard mostly positive on them. I think they are as close to a Krieger as anything. Cut rifled, 4 groove, etc. (or did you order a 6 groove)? By the way, I now have SS brass in stock.......Rich

 

[mgood]

4-groove was all he said they offer in 6.5mm, so no decisions to stress over there.

 

[elkaholic]

4-groove was all he said they offer in 6.5mm, so no decisions to stress over there.

I am very happy with my 4 groove Krieger.....Rich

 

[mgood]

I am very happy with my 4 groove Krieger.....Rich

I was going to get the 5R from Krieger, on your recommendation. I don't know what the advantage is. I know what it is, the non-parallel sides to the grooves. I read about that. But I don't remember if I read what it's supposed to do for me.

Anyway, I wanted a #3 stainless and Krieger wouldn't do it.
Adding the flutes to the #3 stainless Brux may make it a little lighter than I really intended. I just got carried away hearing "yes, we can do that," after getting, "no. no. no."

Krieger, Bartlein, Shilen, Lilja, were the ones I was looking at first. Glanced at Douglas. It seems like there are lot of good ones that I didn't even get around to hunting up a website, Hart comes to mind. I don't know one from another. Most people will tell you whichever one they have is the best, so . . .
I started with Krieger. But I was also looking at pictures online and liked Brux's interrupted fluting. When Krieger didn't offer what I wanted, I called Brux next, knowing nothing about them except that I liked the looks. They said "yes," and I didn't even get to the rest of my list.

I was looking at 6 months for a Krieger barrel, 5-6 months for a Defiance action, 4-5 months for a McMillan stock. I figured the one that's going to take the longest is what I should order first. Plus, barrels are cheap compared to that action. Seeing as how I was told 2 months or a little over 2, I'm going to have a barrel her with nothing to put it on. But that's all right. The other parts will catch up eventually.

I haven't even looked at triggers yet. I hear Jewel mentioned quite a bit.

I'm thinking I'll put a Leupold VX-6 3-18x44mm on there. But if I have to wait a while to get that, I have a VX-3L 4.5-14x50mm I could rob off another gun and put on there temporarily. In fact, I have a VX-3 3.5-10x40mm that's never been mounted on a rifle, and I don't know when I'll use it. I could sell it to help finance this project.

 

[elkaholic]

I was going to get the 5R from Krieger, on your recommendation. I don't know what the advantage is. I know what it is, the non-parallel sides to the grooves. I read about that. But I don't remember if I read what it's supposed to do for me.

Anyway, I wanted a #3 stainless and Krieger wouldn't do it.
Adding the flutes to the #3 stainless Brux may make it a little lighter than I really intended. I just got carried away hearing "yes, we can do that," after getting, "no. no. no."

Krieger, Bartlein, Shilen, Lilja, were the ones I was looking at first. Glanced at Douglas. It seems like there are lot of good ones that I didn't even get around to hunting up a website, Hart comes to mind. I don't know one from another. Most people will tell you whichever one they have is the best, so . . .
I started with Krieger. But I was also looking at pictures online and liked Brux's interrupted fluting. When Krieger didn't offer what I wanted, I called Brux next, knowing nothing about them except that I liked the looks. They said "yes," and I didn't even get to the rest of my list.

I was looking at 6 months for a Krieger barrel, 5-6 months for a Defiance action, 4-5 months for a McMillan stock. I figured the one that's going to take the longest is what I should order first. Plus, barrels are cheap compared to that action. Seeing as how I was told 2 months or a little over 2, I'm going to have a barrel her with nothing to put it on. But that's all right. The other parts will catch up eventually.

I haven't even looked at triggers yet. I hear Jewel mentioned quite a bit.

I'm thinking I'll put a Leupold VX-6 3-18x44mm on there. But if I have to wait a while to get that, I have a VX-3L 4.5-14x50mm I could rob off another gun and put on there temporarily. In fact, I have a VX-3 3.5-10x40mm that's never been mounted on a rifle, and I don't know when I'll use it. I could sell it to help finance this project.

I don't think you will be disappointed in the Brux from what I have heard, and as I said, the 4 groove Krieger shoots every bit as well as my 5r and cleans just as easily. When I bought my 4 groove for my BAT action, I talked to a shooter from the Krieger factory. I asked him which was the best and he said they are equally good (factory answer) so I asked him which he shot and he said "all of mine are 4 groove" SOLD!
My suggestion for one of the best scopes out there for the $$$$ is the Sightron SIII with the 2 moa reticle. I have 2 of them, one with a 6x24 and the other 8x32 and they are hard to beat. I compared it to my buddies Vortex at the same power and the Sightron was clearer and brighter at twilight. Compared to my 2 conquests, I would also give the edge to the sightron.
I have jewell triggers on 2 of my rifles and they are top notch......Rich

 

[mgood]

My suggestion for one of the best scopes out there for the $$$$ is the Sightron SIII. . . .

I agree about the Sightron. I used to work in a gun store where we sold Leupold and Sightron. For those with deeper pockets we sold Swarovski. If you needed to spend a little less, we had Tasco. I'm a Leupold fan, but I think the Sightron compares to them. Always figured I'd get one, but end up buying another Loopy. I shoot small-bore (22 LR) silhouette matches. (Haven't done it in a while. I guess you could say I used to shoot, or I sometimes shoot silhouette.) The Sightrons are popular with that crowd. I use a Leupold FX-3 25x on a CZ 452 Varmint for silhouette matches.

Just sighting in and snapped a pic (Yes, silhouette shooters use ridiculously high rings):

I was middle of the pack, then jumped up and won two matches in a row, not on the same day, and promptly dropped back down to middle of the pack. Still trying to figure out what I did right on those days.

Anyway, I have 5 Leupold scopes:
VX-3 6.5-20x40mm that normally lives atop my Kimber 22-250 but is currently hanging out on my Remington 8mm Rem Mag
VX-3L 4.5-14x50mm on a Kimber 25-06
VX-R Patrol 1.25-4x20mm on a Wilson Combat AR in 6.8 SPC
FX-3 25x40mm (pictured above) on a CZ 22LR.
VX-3 3.5-10x40mm that has yet to find a home on a rifle (It would go on the 8 mag in a heartbeat, but it's silver and that rifle is blued. Would just look wrong.)
I'm not married to them or anything, but it would take some convincing to sell me another brand.

 

[Idaho Trecker]

I'm sure your brux will be a good barrel but the lack of service and communication was very unprofessional. They made my barrel in a very acceptable amount of time but then lost it and wouldn't make me another but chose to track it down so that took 3 more months! They would never call me. I had to always call and they acted annoyed with me. I'm the paying customer! They finally got the barrel to my smith and got my 270 ss built. I wrote them an email about my experience and not surprised I never got a response. I'll be going with a hart next time around.
I'll be watching for your build in the future.