Christensen or Sendero 7 mm rem mag

JPN800

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Jan 21, 2016
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I'm in the market for a new 7mm rem mag for a trip to Wy this fall. I'm up in the air on which to get. I have been looking at the Christensen Ridgeline and the Sendero. I have read every review that I can find about Christensen (most not good but they seem to be from 2011-12) but I really like the features it has. I also like the sendero but I would add a Timney trigger and a break that brings the price near the Ridgeline, also it is very heavy. I have a Remington 700 Varmint in 22-250 that I rarely shoot due to the weight. Any input or suggestions would be great.

Ridgeline $1949
Sendero $1100
 
Have a magnum 700 action laying around? How do the SPS's compare to the sendero's weight?

If you have an action You should be able to build one at about your 2k budget with a premium barrel.
 
I do have a Ruger m77 mark I I that I bought new in the early 90's. I only shot a box of ammo through it because it kicked so bad with the skeleton stock.
I don't know if any good gun smiths around me, I live in NY and I'm not sure if I'm upto a 4-6 month wait to get one built.
 
The two guns you mentioned are apples and oranges...one is a lightweight hunter the other is a heavy rifle.

What type of rifle are you looking for?
 
Im looking for a rifle to take out west this fall for antelope and mule deer and elk/moose in the future. It will be primarily a hunting rifle with a few trips to the range per year. I'm interested in a Long range rifle but being a bow hunter from NY 30 yds is long to me!?
 
Im looking for a rifle to take out west this fall for antelope and mule deer and elk/moose in the future. It will be primarily a hunting rifle with a few trips to the range per year. I'm interested in a Long range rifle but being a bow hunter from NY 30 yds is long to me!?

In that case put a new stock with a limbsaver pad on that Ruger. Even a slip on butt pad might work.
 
I did think of that but the only decent stock I could find for the Ruger is a hogue over moulded then I would want a new trigger. So to put 3-400 into a gun that came with questionable accuracy to begin with made me wary. I don't mind spending some money, just don't want to waste it.
 
I went through something similar lately when looking for an all around rifle for use at home and, hopefully, out west. Also went through the same when getting a longer range training rifle.

For me, it was hard because it seems like some decisions are in conflict or there are complications that get in the way.

I want to learn to shoot long and I find a light rifle harder to shoot. But I've carried a 10.75 lb rifle around too, and I don't like that either. So there is the weight decision to make that balances what your personal desires and priorities are. You have the Christensen on the lighter side and the Sendaro on the heavy side, so you are in the same spot as I was. (I was looking at a Weatherby Backcountry on one hand, and a Remington 5r on the other, as concerns off the shelf guns).

Then there is the 'which will shoot better out of the box' question. Spending nearly 2k on a production rifle without a great deal of confidence in what you are getting kinda scared me, as I've been burned before on rifles, though they were not high end productions like your considering.

So personally, the choice came down to

1) Custom...by no means an absolute guarantee of a tack-driver, but pretty certain and you have a good bit of recourse if things don't go well. The downside was the wait time (my local smith could not even give me a time-frame, but at least 6 months wait, maybe longer, to even start). And of course, the cost.

2) Buy a rifle that has an action, but also the stock and maybe the trigger, that I liked at a much lower cost that has a reputation or even a guarantee of decent accuracy (not that the guarantees are iron clad at all, but it's better than nothing and gives you some recourse if you want to try and pursue it). If it shoots for you, great. You are in business. If it does not, you have the doner action you need for the custom route anyways. If it already has a stock you like and mayyybe the trigger, you are even more ahead of the game.

Ultimately, unlike previous endeavours, I got lucky. Both rifles shoot accurately enough for my needs, so other than a few little things, there is little to do and I saved a bunch over getting a custom rifle. But if I had had to go the custom route, I could have.

The only downside to going this way is that if you KNOW you want a custom gun, you can buy the cheapest thing off the shelf and toss everything and go and possibly save a couple hundred in the process vs picking something a little more high end to start with. But for me, it was worth the risk and, happily, it appears to have paid off.

Good luck with your decisions. I think it's a lot of fun to go through. Frustrating some times, but it's a lot like creating something just for yourself.
 
I did think of that but the only decent stock I could find for the Ruger is a hogue over moulded then I would want a new trigger. So to put 3-400 into a gun that came with questionable accuracy to begin with made me wary. I don't mind spending some money, just don't want to waste it.

Most guns would be consider inaccurate if the owners only shot 20 rounds of factory ammo through them.


Plus the fact that you sound recoil sensitive doesn't help.
 
Most guns would be consider inaccurate if the owners only shot 20 rounds of factory ammo through them.


Plus the fact that you sound recoil sensitive doesn't help.

I guess I should have seen that coming... I was probably 20 years old when I bought that gun and after one box I just didn't like it so it say and I bought others that I love. My remark of not being accurate comes from all that I have read that ruger had issues with their barrels in the late 80's early 90's. I can only shoot 100 yds locally and I don't want to find out the hard way that my gun won't shoot 4-500 yds.
 
I guess I should have seen that coming... I was probably 20 years old when I bought that gun and after one box I just didn't like it so it say and I bought others that I love. My remark of not being accurate comes from all that I have read that ruger had issues with their barrels in the late 80's early 90's. I can only shoot 100 yds locally and I don't want to find out the hard way that my gun won't shoot 4-500 yds.

I've never deemed a gun in my safe inaccurate bc of a magazine article or forum thread. Well since you're convinced it is crap I'll give ya $100 and remove that burden from your safe. I'll even pay shipping. EASY MONEY
 
I've never deemed a gun in my safe inaccurate bc of a magazine article or forum thread. Well since you're convinced it is crap I'll give ya $100 and remove that burden from your safe. I'll even pay shipping. EASY MONEY

I never sell guns, I guess that's why it's been sitting for so long and above all I guess I'm looking for an excuse to buy a new gun. So back to the original question, do you have any experience with Christensen arms?
 
For an all-around gun I wouldn't get the Christensen. Too light in my opinion. If you go for light weight optics on the Sendero you can keep the weight down around 10 lbs total which isn't terrible.

Weatherby Accumarks are nice, accurate guns that are within your price range. They are about 1/2 lb lighter than the Sendero.

Cooper rifles are tack drivers but maybe a bit above your price range. Sometimes you can find used ones under $2000, new they go for around $2500.

You could buy a Remington SPS stainless and throw on a nice stock and Timney Trigger. These usually have decent accuracy and may be plenty for what you need. If you're not 100% satisfied you can send it off and have a custom barrel put on after the hunts are over. I went this route with a 270 WSM not too long ago and it's my most accurate rifle. I spent $900 on a match grade barrel from Pac-Nor with flutes and a muscle brake.

You could also watch the classifieds on this site. Quite a few 7mm's pop up on there.

Good luck finding a rifle!
 
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