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I decided to see how accurate of a rifle I could build on the cheap. I bought a Thompson Center Compass (6.5 Creedmoor) at Cabela's the other day for $250, bought an older Bushnell 3200 4x12x40 at a pawn shop for $150, paid $12 for 1" Weaver quad lock rings at Walmart, ordered a M70 trigger spring for $9 and bought a muzzle brake off of amazon for $20. So I am into this rifle for $441. I put it on paper a couple weeks ago without the muzzle brake. I installed the muzzle brake and today I took it to the range with a box of factory Hornady 143gr. Eld-X and fired 10 rounds. The first 5 shot group was .74" (CTC) and my second 5 shot group was .524" (CTC) both at 100 yards. I quit while I was ahead.

So here's my new formula... Total Cost of Rifle (everything attached) x size of group = VPI (value per inch, low number wins). So applying this formula to this rifle it's $441 x .524= 231. The VPI is 231. Had I paid $1000 my VPI would be 524. So a $1000 rifle would have to shoot a .231" group to be of the same value as my $441 rifle, which in a 6.5 Creedmoor would be an impossibility as the diameter of the bullet is .256

EDIT: As No Regerts pointed out below, a 6.5mm bullet is actually .264" not .256" making my second group .516", bringing the VPI down to 228.

Needless to say, I am impressed with this TC Compass! I look forward to stretching it out in the future.
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CDNN has left handed ones for sale in 22-250 for 349. I almost ordered one and a 308 barrel.......may yet. Nice to hear how well it shoots. All my T/C stuff has always been quality. I like the shape of the butstock too.
 
.231 is doable as groups measured center to center can be smaller than the actual diameter of the bullet....which is .264 in America.

Good points. I googled "what's 6.5mm in inches" and it came up .256, I forgot that it's different in US bullets. Which I guess makes my final group smaller at .516, so there's that!
 
How about in 5.56/223, anyone got one?
How's it chute?
OK since then my nephew gifted me with one in 5.56 just like his.
I really don't have a use other than target shooting with mine, and you know how far it is to prairie dogs in OR, and I don't travel much anymore. Brookings or to GP is about it. My Friend and I went to the Josephine County Sportsman's Park. We got mine sighted in, Friend was calling the hits, after sight in I was shooting a 5 shot group, I had 4 shots at .5" with a called flier that opened it to 1". And then I shot a 3 shot group at 3/8" all this using my Bi-Pod and some sandbags under the butt. My nephew included the ammo, bi-pod, and a Center point 4 to 16 by 40mm scope. This meets the 1 MOA guarantee by TC with room to spare.

When I first shot it my hits were all over the page, barely staying on the paper, until I discovered I hadn't tightened the screw that tightens the pod to the stock. Once tightened I was able to get it sighted in. Needless to say I'm a happy boy with the results I got with my Compass! I'm thinking once the trigger has enough use to wear in, those groups may shrink a bit more right now it's a little bit gritty.

So do you think my nephew loves his old Uncle Bill or what?
 
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Of all rifles that don't really need a break, it's a 6.5CM. But this is a paper puncher for me, so I thought it would be fun to see hits and put in extended days without much recoil. All that to say, it works. I can't give you a % of reduction, but it's noticeable and very pleasant to shoot. I found it worth the $$.
 
Took my TC Compass out today, hadn't been to the range with it since May 6th. Today I fired it at 200 yards and here's the result of the second 5 round group in very steady rain. Still real pleased with the "cheapest" rifle I own. Since .78" of an inch is .39" of 2 inches (MOAish at 200yds)... following me? That makes the VPI drop to $441 x .39 = 172. So the further out you shoot the rifle, you can actually get the VPI below what's possible at 100 yards.
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