Matt - between this and your other thread about the Creedmoor, it seems like you're doing a little drinking from a firehose trying to suss out which rifle might be right for you. At this point, it might not be a bad idea to take one of two or three "easier roads:

1) Simply buy a semi-custom like the Christensen you were considering, or from another precision builder.

2) Build up a factory rifle to achieve its greatest potential. This could be done with your existing rifles. In general, if you don't replace the barrel, you can come out ahead and still land with a very accurate rifle by upgrading a factory rifle.

In that aspect, you might be able to get away with simply rebuilding one of your current rifles and end up money ahead. If you have a Tikka, Remington 700, or Savage rifle currently, you already have a rifle with potential to be everything you want it to be.

3) Buy a top level factory model, make a few tweaks, and spend a lot of time trying to shoot better than the rifle. Not many shooters just getting into the game can honesty shoot better than a Remington Sendero or Savage 10/110. Nor between a 6.5 creedmoor and a .308win.

When I spend "custom rifle money," I have to admit I am hard pressed to spend it on a "standard model" from any builder. Stiller Predator, shilen barrel (although Ridgerunner has me on the Lilja bandwagon too), Jewel trigger, Seekins or ptg dbm bottom metal, and a blocked and bedded laminate stock (on the cheap end) or a Mac A5, plus a great smith to spin them together - if you can shoot well enough to tell the difference between this and any other precision rifle, you wouldn't be asking questions, you'd be giving advice!

I too favor the 6.5-284 over the creedmoor, and favor the 284win (shehane) over the 6.5-284. You are going to be practicing a lot as you learn, getting a cartridge which will give you a little extra barrel life is a good plan. Then once you burn out a barrel developing your skills, you can spin on a 6.5-284 barrel if you so desire. Also - do not kid yourself - if you're really going to learn how to shoot long range, you WILL burn out barrels, and you WILL buy multiple rifles to come. I built my first 6.5-284 as a bench gun, but after getting ~1100 out of it when it gave up, I went 284 win and got nearly twice the life out of the barrel. At least at first. I went 284 shehane on the 3rd barrel after reading an article about pushing 180's to 2950, and confirming the truth to it with Boyd Allen. Been happy with the rifle ever since. Always figure I'll go back to 6.5-284 someday in that rifle, but no time soon.

The larger case 6.5-284 eclipses the 6.5 creedmoor, although it does require a long action to capitalize upon the longest, highest BC pills. Nothing wrong with the Creed, but other cartridges will get you farther down range with less drift and drop, so your hit percentage will increase.