sierracharlie338
Well-Known Member
Allterra Arms Mountain Shadow Rifle Review
By: Stephen Clarke
One Stop Rifle Shop
The crew at Allterra were gracious enough to send me one of their Mountain Shadow Carbon rifles to test for some feedback on this newer platform. This rifle was chambered in 7SAUM (Short Action Ultra Magnum) which provided the opportunity to test Alterra's custom loads they offer as an option when purchasing a rifle. The rifle was topped with a Zeiss CONQUEST V6 3-18x50 for an "out the door" package ready to shoot when it arrived. I've never been big into the 7mm cartridges, admittedly, but the 7SAUM may be my new favorite all around cartridge. Add that to the "shootability" of this package and you have one heck of rifle system.
Stock
The connection point between a shooter and a rifle is, in my opinion, one of the most important points of input for any firing sequence. If a shooter is fighting the stock, nothing else after that will line up consistently and solidly to achieve that natural point of aim. When I got behind this rifle, the first thing that immediately came to mind was, "Wow this stock is comfortable". Almost every rifle I personally own either has an adjustable comb or some sort of system to build the comb height because I have never put a rifle to my face and been satisfied completely with how it fit.
Allterra's proprietary Carbon Hunter Ultralight stock is the one and only exception up to this point. The angle of the comb in combination with the design of the stock made this stock one of the most comfortable stocks I have ever shot and I've been through a few over the years, as I'm sure most serious shooters have. The stock made shooting this magnum cartridge a pure joy and recoil management took minimal effort. This stock was shipped in black but there are some really unique color options available through Allterra. If there was any one part of this package that I would personally buy , it would be the stock in the Damascus Chill color!
The barreled action sat snuggly in the stock. The hunting diameter barrel (.750 inches at the muzzle) looked well presented in the stock with no excessive gaps.
Action and Trigger
Allterra utilizes their model C2 action for this rifle build. It touts a No Fail Cycling, Bolt to Bore Alignment and an eye-raising accuracy guarantee of sub .25 inch 3-shot groups with their handloads. Having worked with numerous tactical firearms companies or general retail companies over the years, I have become very skeptical of proprietary this or guaranteed that. I was now determined to put this rifle to the test.
The bolt cycled buttery smooth and, with the skeletonized handle, it was just a good looking piece of machining. There are tons of variations when it comes to bolt handles out there these days. The bolt handle that came with the Mountain Shadow Carbon rifle was the perfect size for my preference. It is big enough for plenty of purchase, even wearing gloves, but not too big that it is cumbersome or just completely obnoxious. During testing, I had no issues with binding or anything worth reporting when it comes to action operation. It worked as it should, every time.
The rifle was shipped with a TriggerTech trigger that broke clean and consistent every time, no tuning required. In my opinion they are a great option for the money and one of my favorites.
Barrel and Optic
This rifle was given the moniker "Carbon" due to the carbon wrapped barrel it is fitted with. The profile was very similar to a Bartlein #4, or heavy sporter profile, which put the muzzle diameter right at .750 inches with a finished length of 24 inches with brake. The barrel was topped with their directional 3 port muzzle brake to help tone down the recoil of the magnum cartridge. The rifle was shipped with a thread protector in addition to the muzzle brake for those that may not want to utilize a muzzle device or run a suppressor.
To round out the package the rifle was shipped with the Zeiss CONQUEST V6 3-18X50. The optic performed as it should and left no concerns when it came to reliability. A solid option for a long-range hunting optic.
Testing
Testing started with some required zero confirmation and a quick group since two other rifles were being tested at the same time. The rifle produced a .50 inch group at 100 yards with minimal effort. As someone who is not a record small group shooter, it would suffice for initial testing, but this will be revisited at a later time.
The rifle was then taken out to medium ranges. I wanted to see what this cartridge was capable of and due to extremely limited ammo availability, I wanted to make sure there was some time for that. This particular cartridge has been tougher to find during recent times with no sign of change in sight. The rifle and cartridge performed superbly. I was able to produce a ½ MOA group at 500 yards and hit steel plates with boring accuracy. Color me impressed. Unfortunately, I was not able to shoot any farther during the testing due to construction on the longer ranges.
I took the rifle back to the 100 yard line on the next outing to see about this sub .25 inch 3-shot guarantee. Now, as mentioned previously, I am not what people call a "group shooter". I have been able to stumble on a .25 inch group periodically over the years but this was not one of those times. I did, however, manage to squeak out a respectable 3/8 inch group. I'm sure in the hands of a more capable shooter, the groups would have been tighter.
Final Thoughts
I was extremely impressed with this package from the quality of the craftsmanship in the rifle all the way down to the handloads. I did take this rifle on a couple of hunts in South East Texas for whitetail but was unable to put the hand loads with Berger VLDs to work. This rifle system was very easy to pack around and didn't feel cumbersome. This package is what I think of when I think of a very high end, lightweight hunting package. With the ability to customize the package to your liking, Allterra offers a one stop shop for those that are looking for convenience, quality and precision in one place.
allterraarms.com
The author was not compensated in any way for this review and all thoughts/opinions are those strictly of the author. The author has spent his life hunting and has a professional background in law enforcement special operations, specifically related to precision rifles.
By: Stephen Clarke
One Stop Rifle Shop
The crew at Allterra were gracious enough to send me one of their Mountain Shadow Carbon rifles to test for some feedback on this newer platform. This rifle was chambered in 7SAUM (Short Action Ultra Magnum) which provided the opportunity to test Alterra's custom loads they offer as an option when purchasing a rifle. The rifle was topped with a Zeiss CONQUEST V6 3-18x50 for an "out the door" package ready to shoot when it arrived. I've never been big into the 7mm cartridges, admittedly, but the 7SAUM may be my new favorite all around cartridge. Add that to the "shootability" of this package and you have one heck of rifle system.
Stock
The connection point between a shooter and a rifle is, in my opinion, one of the most important points of input for any firing sequence. If a shooter is fighting the stock, nothing else after that will line up consistently and solidly to achieve that natural point of aim. When I got behind this rifle, the first thing that immediately came to mind was, "Wow this stock is comfortable". Almost every rifle I personally own either has an adjustable comb or some sort of system to build the comb height because I have never put a rifle to my face and been satisfied completely with how it fit.
Allterra's proprietary Carbon Hunter Ultralight stock is the one and only exception up to this point. The angle of the comb in combination with the design of the stock made this stock one of the most comfortable stocks I have ever shot and I've been through a few over the years, as I'm sure most serious shooters have. The stock made shooting this magnum cartridge a pure joy and recoil management took minimal effort. This stock was shipped in black but there are some really unique color options available through Allterra. If there was any one part of this package that I would personally buy , it would be the stock in the Damascus Chill color!
The barreled action sat snuggly in the stock. The hunting diameter barrel (.750 inches at the muzzle) looked well presented in the stock with no excessive gaps.
Action and Trigger
Allterra utilizes their model C2 action for this rifle build. It touts a No Fail Cycling, Bolt to Bore Alignment and an eye-raising accuracy guarantee of sub .25 inch 3-shot groups with their handloads. Having worked with numerous tactical firearms companies or general retail companies over the years, I have become very skeptical of proprietary this or guaranteed that. I was now determined to put this rifle to the test.
The bolt cycled buttery smooth and, with the skeletonized handle, it was just a good looking piece of machining. There are tons of variations when it comes to bolt handles out there these days. The bolt handle that came with the Mountain Shadow Carbon rifle was the perfect size for my preference. It is big enough for plenty of purchase, even wearing gloves, but not too big that it is cumbersome or just completely obnoxious. During testing, I had no issues with binding or anything worth reporting when it comes to action operation. It worked as it should, every time.
The rifle was shipped with a TriggerTech trigger that broke clean and consistent every time, no tuning required. In my opinion they are a great option for the money and one of my favorites.
Barrel and Optic
This rifle was given the moniker "Carbon" due to the carbon wrapped barrel it is fitted with. The profile was very similar to a Bartlein #4, or heavy sporter profile, which put the muzzle diameter right at .750 inches with a finished length of 24 inches with brake. The barrel was topped with their directional 3 port muzzle brake to help tone down the recoil of the magnum cartridge. The rifle was shipped with a thread protector in addition to the muzzle brake for those that may not want to utilize a muzzle device or run a suppressor.
To round out the package the rifle was shipped with the Zeiss CONQUEST V6 3-18X50. The optic performed as it should and left no concerns when it came to reliability. A solid option for a long-range hunting optic.
Testing
Testing started with some required zero confirmation and a quick group since two other rifles were being tested at the same time. The rifle produced a .50 inch group at 100 yards with minimal effort. As someone who is not a record small group shooter, it would suffice for initial testing, but this will be revisited at a later time.
The rifle was then taken out to medium ranges. I wanted to see what this cartridge was capable of and due to extremely limited ammo availability, I wanted to make sure there was some time for that. This particular cartridge has been tougher to find during recent times with no sign of change in sight. The rifle and cartridge performed superbly. I was able to produce a ½ MOA group at 500 yards and hit steel plates with boring accuracy. Color me impressed. Unfortunately, I was not able to shoot any farther during the testing due to construction on the longer ranges.
I took the rifle back to the 100 yard line on the next outing to see about this sub .25 inch 3-shot guarantee. Now, as mentioned previously, I am not what people call a "group shooter". I have been able to stumble on a .25 inch group periodically over the years but this was not one of those times. I did, however, manage to squeak out a respectable 3/8 inch group. I'm sure in the hands of a more capable shooter, the groups would have been tighter.
Final Thoughts
I was extremely impressed with this package from the quality of the craftsmanship in the rifle all the way down to the handloads. I did take this rifle on a couple of hunts in South East Texas for whitetail but was unable to put the hand loads with Berger VLDs to work. This rifle system was very easy to pack around and didn't feel cumbersome. This package is what I think of when I think of a very high end, lightweight hunting package. With the ability to customize the package to your liking, Allterra offers a one stop shop for those that are looking for convenience, quality and precision in one place.
Custom Rifles | Accurate & Reliable Sporting Rifles Manufacturer | AllTerra Arms
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allterraarms.com
The author was not compensated in any way for this review and all thoughts/opinions are those strictly of the author. The author has spent his life hunting and has a professional background in law enforcement special operations, specifically related to precision rifles.
