Travis of TS Customs has built several rifles for me over the last 11 years, including a couple of .308 Winchesters, a .300 PRC, and a re-barreled 6.5 Creedmoor. I was in need of a lightweight mountain rifle and settled on the 6.5 PRC for the caliber. Knowing the potential of the cartridge, I wanted it in an action longer than a traditional short action. I noticed Travis was setting up 6.5 PRCs in medium-length actions, which allowed the longer Berger EOL bullets to be seated out to their full potential.
I ordered a Lone Peak Fuzion Ti Medium action, Hawkins Hunter DBM, and Proof Carbon barrel. Travis was able to use an AG Composites stock blank, which he fitted with adjustable cheek hardware. He also milled the action for his excellent bedding process. The build was completed in January 2023, and I was able to get rounds downrange in February 2023.
Build List
- AG Composites KS1 Adjustable
- Lone Peak Fuzion Ti Medium Action
- Hawkins Hunter DBM, 3-round magazine
- Proof 24" Carbon Sendero, 4-groove, 1:7.5" twist
- TriggerTech Primary
The rifle weighs 7 lbs. 5 oz. without the scope.
The medium action combined with the Hawkins Hunter DBM allowed an overall loaded-round length of 3.145".
Initial load development and barrel break-in showed a lot of promise. Berger 153-grain bullets loaded to an OAL of 3.145", over 57.0 grains of Vihtavuori N565 in Lapua brass with CCI BR2 primers, produced three shots touching at 100 yards with a velocity of 2,892 fps. Ogive measurement was 2.464".
The Berger 156-grain EOL, loaded to the same 3.145" OAL, was producing five-shot groups measuring .771" with 58.0 grains of N565 at 2,949 fps. I was also able to shoot a 4 shot group with an outside to outside distance of .656" with 4 shots.
After each range session, I would clean the rifle down to bare metal. I would patch the bore at the end with an alcohol patch followed by a dry patch a couple of minutes later. I feel this process really brings any remaining oils and solvents to the surface so they can be removed with the final dry patch. Consistently, my critical and cold-bore shots have been good, with identical POA/POI, and the group doesn't shift during a range session or hunt.
For the first 100 rounds, I kept a fairly generic load, with groups consistently measuring under 3/4 MOA. In September 2023, I shot some prairie dogs. The rifle went 5 for 5 at ranges of 97, 154, 237, 343, and 442 yards.
In October, I was able to get out and verify dope on steel out to 1,000 yards. The velocity stayed consistent, and the 6.5 PRC held approximately half the wind hold of the .308 Win rifles I was shooting that same day under the same conditions. It was a fairly extensive range session, with a total of 46 rounds fired, and the rifle maintained its accuracy and reliability despite getting dirty.
In November, I was able to shoot a whitetail buck with the 6.5 PRC using the 156-grain Berger EOL at 345 yards. The shot was quartering away and produced an exit wound approximately the size of a golf ball. The buck was DRT on impact, with the lungs essentially pulverized.
In September 2024, I had the opportunity to shoot out to a mile in Utah. I was in the process of changing my .300 PRC to another stock, so I only had the 6.5 PRC up and running. I double-checked the ballistics and figured it would have enough velocity to make it to a mile.
I set up the Garmin Xero and saw a small increase in velocity, showing 2,978 fps. Typically, the rifle had been running right around 2,950 fps, even with more than 200 rounds down the barrel. The higher velocity may have been due to the difference in elevation.
I started with a quick zero check at the 500-yard steel and then moved to 1,050 yards.
- 1,050 yards: 22.5 MOA elevation — 2,978 fps
- 1,500 yards: 42.0 MOA elevation — 2,962 fps
- 1,792 yards: 58.0 MOA elevation — 2,974 fps
I missed the first shot off the left edge of the plate at a mile but sent the next five home, with a group size of 14". I was pretty happy with that performance from a hunting rifle, especially running that many rounds without a POI shift from a carbon barrel. Travis has always done an excellent job with bedding, and that most likely contributes to the rifle's consistency.
Over the following months, I continued to use the rifle when I had the opportunity, including on coyotes and, the following year, a mule deer buck at 87 yards. The 156-grain Berger continues to hammer with excellent terminal performance. I was hoping the terrain would give me an opportunity to push the limits on distance with this hunt, but the only buck we saw appeared unexpectedly at 87 yards.
So far, the rifle has 298 rounds down the barrel, and velocity has continued to run between 2,950 and 2,975 fps with the Berger 156-grain EOL over N565, loaded into Lapua brass with CCI BR2 primers.
I always run a TBAC Ultra 5 on the rifle, so the recoil is brisk but manageable. The AG KS1 stock handles well and naturally points for positional shots. Travis builds quality rifles, and he is still answering work calls on his personal cell phone. I like knowing that I can call the owner of the company and have him answer the phone.
Items of Note
The first-generation Hawkins Hunter DBM does not have the rubber buffer on the side rails, so the magazine will rattle if there are no rounds loaded in it. This isn't ideal and bothers me until I load a round into the magazine, which puts some pressure on the magazine inside the bottom metal. The most recent generation of the Hawkins DBM has a small rubber buffer that contacts the bottom metal and the outside of the magazine body, eliminating this issue.
The KS1 stock has an integrated Picatinny rail at the front of the stock, along with a quick-detach sling point. This is very handy for both bipod attachment and sling options. The stock also has two additional sling attachment points on the left side.
There are two screws forward of the front action screw that can be used to attach an ARCA rail. The grip is vertical, and the distance from the trigger to the grip is shorter than on my McMillan Game Hunter stock. The rifle tracks well off an LRO wedge and bipod when shooting from positional setups.
I have enjoyed this rifle for three years, and it continues to faithfully hit where it needs to on the first round. Clean, cold-bore, and critical shots consistently go where they need to.
The bedding job, stock geometry, barrel, and overall assembly were all done with attention to detail, and that attention shows in the rifle's performance. After three years and nearly 300 rounds, the rifle continues to deliver the accuracy, reliability, and consistency I was hoping for when I started the project.
I am looking forward to eventually shooting a game animal with it past the 500-yard mark.
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