Thompson Centers at the Shot Show.

[35 Whelen]

T/C just announced they are going to chamber their new
Compass rifle in 6.5 CM! So they will be going toe to toe,
With Ruger and Savage.
I called 4 wholesalers yesterday trying to buy a Ruger Predator, no one has a 6.5 in stock, they could not even give me a date they expect them in !!

Interesting little gun, it has the trigger and safety of a model 70 Winchester, and the Clip, Bolt, threaded end of barrel from the American........ 5 Grove rifling from the Venture. Garanteed MOA with Prem
Ammo. Under $400, pretty amazing stuff.

 

[truck driver]

Looks interesting E specially the price with all those features.

 

[sask boy]

I am wondering if they are going to start a left handed version! For $400.00 it would be a great dooner rifle.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[35 Whelen]

Well I will let you know as I have preordered one , so they will call me the day they arrive at the distributors warehouse. I fooled around with one of these last fall and just loved it but they were NOT offering it in 6.5 at the time so I forgot about it. Should be a honey or a gun that I can throw into the back of the floatplane or drag around on the Skandik without worrying about it at all .................. so cheap really when I remember I paid $169 back in 1978 for a Ruger 77 Redpad when I was making $175 a week guiding.......... for these new rifles to sell for what they are today, with what people are making now is crazy, just for comparision to 1978 dollars when the gun was $169 , guides made $25 a day! Now guides make $300 a day now, so you can about buy a new gun for ONE days work; not 7 days work that it took to buy one back in 1978!
By 1980 I decided to get Browning in 300 WM I think that was $250 then! Here I am with a caribou,headed back to spike camp vintage 1981.

Still lugging them 10 years later!!! Lol (1991)

 

[SJB358]

Has some neat features on it though. I kinda dig it for 400 bucks. Not bad at all.

 

[DrMike]

That is a great price. Someone looking for a fine truck gun, that could be it.

 

[35 Whelen]

I think Ruger n Savage have really mopped em up for the last year n half by getting into the 6.5 ship and sailing ahead of the rest........
Marketing guy at T/C needs his butt kicked....... It's cost them millions by now.
But better late than to miss the whole cruise!

 

[BretN]

I'm really starting to like the 6.5 CM on paper, though I don't own one yet, and am glad more manufacturers are offering it. Sort of a modern 6.5x55. I always regret not buying the sporterized Mauser in 6.5x55 I could've gotten cheap when I started deer hunting.

The current bargain rifles aren't much to look at, but they sure do work well. My Rem 783 is another example of that trend. After rebate, I have $219 into the gun and another $100 in the Nikon scope. I don't care for the stock, but it's aluminum pillar bedded. The trigger is easily adjustable. The bolt knob is goofy looking, so I put a rubber bolt knob cover on it. The magnum contour barrel in a .308 makes it heavier than it needs to be, but all those things together make it one of the most consistent shooting rifles I own. Once the barrel broke in around 50 shots, I was amazed.

From the reports of the RAR's and the Thompsons I'm guessing they are more of the same. Pretty is as pretty does, and the modern economy rifles built on modern machinery make great truck guns, kids guns, spare guns, or first guns. They're just pretty good guns.

 

[maverick2]

Marketing guy at T/C needs his butt kicked....... It's cost them millions by now.
But better late than to miss the whole cruise!

Interestingly enough, TC made their Icon (predecessor and higher end version of the Venture) in 6.5 CM so at one point so were among the first on board of that cruise. When they dropped the Icon line, I assumed the 6.5 CM would show up in their Venture but it never has. I've got a TC Icon and would buy another TC in a second. Their production rifles shoot exceptionally well and are a great bang for your buck. (I've not handled a Compass, but if it uses the same synthetic stock as the Venture, it would be my favorite synthetic stock in that price range.)

 

[35 Whelen]

Thanks for sharing that, the Icon was above our pay grade,
So didn't realize that ship had already sailed from NH. :lol:
Couldn't agree with you more Maverick.
The Compass is waaaay lighter, nicely balanced
Interesting gun, from the trigger back it's Model 70ish, has same 3 position safety, trigger looks simalar.
But forward it's pretty Ruger Anericanny....especially the clip. One of our Hunters, had one in camp this fall, in 243 it was deadly Accruite.......... Very well done for short money. I think they will sell the heck out of them.
Looking forward to owning one in 6.5!
Though the stock is NOT as rigid as the Venture......but it is similar in rigid ness to an American.
Truly unbeatable for the money, so for odd ball calibers you will only shoot occasionally, this is definitely a "working man's gun".

 

[mcseal2]

I was really hoping to hear the stock was stiffer than the American. That's the one spot these rifles miss the boat in my opinion, almost everyone uses a set of sticks or a bipod at some point. Make those stocks just a little stiffer so there isn't a pressure point loading up a bipod and they are darn near perfect.