gommer
New Member
Well, sold my hunting rifle a few years back with the intent of replacing it with a more versatile rifle. Old rifle was 30-06, good round. I wanted to be able to hunt large game at longer range but also not be ridiculous overkill for local deer.
Found a deal on a 300 win mag that was too good to turn down, made the trip to go get it - not a short trip, but it was a deal. Light rifle with a 26" carbon fiber barrel. Got there, 22" carbon fiber barrel, they don't even make the rifle with a 26" barrel so, at least in part, I'm an idiot for even having gone. Great dealer, though, did his best to make it right - gave me a rifle at what he said was cost + shipping (it was at another store) -- probably not the first rifle I'd have chosen but the more time I've had to let it sink in the more I'm liking the idea.
It's a Christensen Arms Ridgeline FFT with a 22" barrel. I double checked, they only make it in a 22", so I'm safe! Looking at the 7MM PRC round, looks like it does very well out of a 22" barrel. Anyway, without going down the caliber rabbit hole -- I'm warming up to the idea even though ammo options are very limited.
That said, now I have this rifle coming that is 5lbs and a few ounces. And a scope that's going to go on it that weighs 34oz. (Steiner t6xi 3-18)
So, now I'm torn. Originally, I was expecting to have a 12lb rifle to tote around. Having a 7lb rifle... just wasn't something I was going to pay for. But, you also don't get to a 7lb rifle by adding 2lbs of optic and likely 7-10 oz of mount, and probably the same weight in sling and studs. Doing that I'd probably end up with a 8-9lb rifle.
Or I could go another route and have a 7lb rifle. That's surely going to require a different optic.
So then I'll have a 7lb magnum caliber rifle. Granted, doesn't say magnum in the name - with 35ish lbs of recoil (if I recall correctly) it's squarely in magnum territory. I'm not sure that's something I want, being frank. I'm not particularly recoil shy but this is also a rifle I'd like to use to ring steel from time to time, not just a hiking rifle.
Then there's the last piece of this puzzle, which is really what's caused me to go through a loop. I've seen multiple accounts of these specific rifles in 300 PRC getting cracks in the bedding of the stock. Granted, these are all from people who shoot a lot, not just a few times a year, I'm also typically one to shoot a lot.
So, I'm thinking I've got 3 options here...
1 - go with the 8-9lb rifle and just build it with what I've got.
2 - replace the optic with something more along the 20oz range and have a sub 8lb rifle
3 - replace the stock with an MDT Bravo chassis and have a 10lb rifle that can withstand more abuse
I'm strongly leaning towards 3, as the area I live is steep in places and unlike 'rocky' mountain areas -- the ground gives way here quite often. Not saying I got sliding down into a ravine all the time or anything but I've found myself on my seat plenty of times. So having a more... durable chassis seems a plus. The added weight, I'm not really sure how much of a difference that'd make to me. Can't say I typically weigh my guns but I've never been out and thought my gun weighed too much to lug around.
But, I've also never had a 7lb rifle, I'm sure. I've got a pretty light AR-15, it might be in that range -- but I also don't carry it around hunting.
Anyway, lot's of wind there. Just looking for thoughts and opinions. I don't even have hands on the rifle yet, that might make my mind up for me real quick - who knows.
Found a deal on a 300 win mag that was too good to turn down, made the trip to go get it - not a short trip, but it was a deal. Light rifle with a 26" carbon fiber barrel. Got there, 22" carbon fiber barrel, they don't even make the rifle with a 26" barrel so, at least in part, I'm an idiot for even having gone. Great dealer, though, did his best to make it right - gave me a rifle at what he said was cost + shipping (it was at another store) -- probably not the first rifle I'd have chosen but the more time I've had to let it sink in the more I'm liking the idea.
It's a Christensen Arms Ridgeline FFT with a 22" barrel. I double checked, they only make it in a 22", so I'm safe! Looking at the 7MM PRC round, looks like it does very well out of a 22" barrel. Anyway, without going down the caliber rabbit hole -- I'm warming up to the idea even though ammo options are very limited.
That said, now I have this rifle coming that is 5lbs and a few ounces. And a scope that's going to go on it that weighs 34oz. (Steiner t6xi 3-18)
So, now I'm torn. Originally, I was expecting to have a 12lb rifle to tote around. Having a 7lb rifle... just wasn't something I was going to pay for. But, you also don't get to a 7lb rifle by adding 2lbs of optic and likely 7-10 oz of mount, and probably the same weight in sling and studs. Doing that I'd probably end up with a 8-9lb rifle.
Or I could go another route and have a 7lb rifle. That's surely going to require a different optic.
So then I'll have a 7lb magnum caliber rifle. Granted, doesn't say magnum in the name - with 35ish lbs of recoil (if I recall correctly) it's squarely in magnum territory. I'm not sure that's something I want, being frank. I'm not particularly recoil shy but this is also a rifle I'd like to use to ring steel from time to time, not just a hiking rifle.
Then there's the last piece of this puzzle, which is really what's caused me to go through a loop. I've seen multiple accounts of these specific rifles in 300 PRC getting cracks in the bedding of the stock. Granted, these are all from people who shoot a lot, not just a few times a year, I'm also typically one to shoot a lot.
So, I'm thinking I've got 3 options here...
1 - go with the 8-9lb rifle and just build it with what I've got.
2 - replace the optic with something more along the 20oz range and have a sub 8lb rifle
3 - replace the stock with an MDT Bravo chassis and have a 10lb rifle that can withstand more abuse
I'm strongly leaning towards 3, as the area I live is steep in places and unlike 'rocky' mountain areas -- the ground gives way here quite often. Not saying I got sliding down into a ravine all the time or anything but I've found myself on my seat plenty of times. So having a more... durable chassis seems a plus. The added weight, I'm not really sure how much of a difference that'd make to me. Can't say I typically weigh my guns but I've never been out and thought my gun weighed too much to lug around.
But, I've also never had a 7lb rifle, I'm sure. I've got a pretty light AR-15, it might be in that range -- but I also don't carry it around hunting.
Anyway, lot's of wind there. Just looking for thoughts and opinions. I don't even have hands on the rifle yet, that might make my mind up for me real quick - who knows.
