First I am a Ruger 77 owner, besides Marlin levers that is all that is in the safe. I do black bear hunting over bait, shots are pretty much 50-60 yards. At 76 the "spot-and-stalk" possibilities are no longer in the game plan. Presently I own a Ruger Gunsight Scout in .450 Bushmaster. The problem with this rifle is that I do not like a box magazine or the logistics that go along with it. I did not like the metal box magazine that came with this rifle as it did not function properly by not locking into the magazine well. With that said I replaced the lower with a Pacific Tool and Gauge lower metal, and I am using aftermarket (Magpul??) magazines. With the new lower and new magazines the magazines do lock in and stay put. But...I am still not happy with the logistics of the mag release, so the rifle is about to go. It is glass bedded, groups very well, it likes the 221 grain Shock Hammers at 2400fps as well as the Black Box Hornady 250gr FTX ammunition. Anyway I am not happy with this rifle and it is going. Presently I am looking at the Christensen Arms Mesa or their FFT model in .450 Bushmaster. I like this rifle because it does not have a detachable magazine, plus the weight is a bit lighter then the Scout. Curious if anyone has had any experience with this rifle? I did do a search on the forum, most of the posts were quite old. I'd like to get some current information on Christensen Arms rifles in genera;, especially with the .450 Bushmaster if possible.
