2nd Chance for the Christensen Arms Ridgeline 30-06
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 11 дек 2024
- Welcome to Ron Spomer Outdoors! Christensen Arms returned my 30-06 Ridgeline -- supposedly better than ever. But is it? Let's take it to the ridge and shoot it.
Subscribe to my channel: bit.ly/RonSpome...
Affiliate Links:
Use Code RSO10 at checkout for either Diamond Blade Knives or Knives of Alaska, and get 10% off your first purchase.
www.diamondbla...
www.knivesofal...
Shell Shock
Use code RSO10 at checkout to get 10% off your purchase
Shop Shell Shock: alnk.to/6TzzKuj
Links:
Website: ronspomeroutdo...
Facebook: HYPERLINK "www.youtube.co..." / ronspomeroutdoors
Instagram: HYPERLINK "www.youtube.co..." / ronspomer
Who is Ron Spomer
For 44 years I’ve had the good fortune to photograph and write about my passion - the outdoor life. Wild creatures and wild places have always stirred me - from the first flushing pheasant that frightened me out of my socks in grandpa’s cornfield to the last whitetail that dismissed me with a wag of its tail. In my attempts to connect with this natural wonder, to become an integral part of our ecosystem and capture a bit of its mystery, I’ve photographed, hiked, hunted, birded, and fished across much of this planet. I've seen the beauty that everyone should see, survived adventures that everyone should experience. I may not have climbed the highest mountains, canoed the wildest rivers, caught the largest fish or shot the biggest bucks, but I’ve tried. Perhaps you have, too. And that’s the essential thing. Being out there, an active participant in our outdoor world.
Produced by: Murray Road Agency - www.murrayroad...
Disclaimer
All loading, handloading, gunsmithing, shooting and associated activities and demonstrations depicted in our videos are conducted by trained, certified, professional gun handlers, instructors, and shooters for instructional and entertainment purposes only with emphasis on safety and responsible gun handling. Always check at least 3 industry handloading manuals for handloading data, 2 or 3 online ballistic calculators for ballistic data. Do not modify any cartridge or firearm beyond what the manufacturer recommends. Do not attempt to duplicate, mimic, or replicate anything you see in our videos. Firearms, ammunition, and constituent parts can be extremely dangerous if not used safely.
Not bad? No good either. After seeing several people shoot this rifle, I would be embarrassed to have paid all that money for a Christensen when I could have chosen at least six other brands for less money and better accuracy. Thanks Ron for giving Christensen Arms a second chance while showing everyone what not to purchase.
I was thinking the same I would get a decent savage which I have seen several hold under 1moa groups and has a great adjustable trigger before spending 2 grand on that thing
Exact same thoughts here. How many dozens of Ruger American's have we seen that shot well below the average group sizes of this Christensen? ...yet the cost 1/4th the price. Golly, one of those groups was 4". I understand that weight savings can have a cost but we see this sort of thing too often with Christensen. Costly rifles that are kind of out shot by not only a Browning BLR and just about everything else it was being compared with.
Not Bad it’s terrible!
My 1978 700BDL easily shoots 3/4" no matter what I put in it. But i stick with 150 core lokt. Never had an animal take more than 2 steps, max. Most just drop.
Thanks Ron.
You just saved me $2200. I’ll be sticking with my Bergara Wilderness Ridge. .75” with factory ammo and was $1300 less.
@@BLINDDOGG357 Bergarais a way better rifle! Been working in a gun store for 10 years we sell a lot of Bergara rifles and only had one or two come back for repaired but wasn’t the manufacturer fault was user errors. But Christensen we stopped selling because they would come back all the time for accuracy issues and need to be sent back to the factory for repair but they never fix them like in the video still shot like crap with a “new” barrel they put on
Just think you could purchase 3 or 4 Ruger Americans or Howa's for the price of that Christensen Arms rifle and have rifles that shoot tighter groups and more consistently!
Or a Tikka or Begera hell even a savage 110 lol better rifles then Christensen arms
The Savage 110 is my preference
I’ve *never* seen a Christensen rifle that shot well.
Maybe it’s a bunch of good parts put together wrong !!🤷🏻♂️
@@michaelbarrett1914 mine as well have 3 old ones and a couple new ones my preferred rifle
There are certainly enough reports like this to stop me from ever buying a Christensen rifle.
Mine has cost me a fortune in making it better, don't do it.
@@robinsok As a guy who’s been selling guns for over 10 years we stopped selling Christensen arms rifles for a reason they were always coming back for warranty because they grouped like crap and they came back from repair the same still shot shitty. I tell anyone don’t guy one you want a good rifle by and Savage, Ruger, Tika, Begera or even a Sako for the price you pay for a Christensen way better rifles!
All that money and you can get an $800 tikka to shoot better. Right now it’s closer to 700 because they have a $75 rebate.
I'm waiting on 6 checks from them now.
You can get a $300 Savage Axis that shoots better.
@@phild9813tikka is softer
Howa lol
Absolutely correct, Tikka, Win XPR, Ruger American, I wouldn't give a dime for that POS Christensen.
My take on this rifle is this. It was sent back for accuracy problems. I'd think that they would have fixed that problem before sending it back to the customer.
@@garyh1449 they don’t trust me been working in a gun shop for 10 years and had a almost all come back for warranty and most all come back and shoot the same. There barrels are trash
Thanks for the update, Ron. Looking back, this particular rifle has the poorest (average) groups of the batch of 30-06s you tested. I'm surprised that Christensen didn't seem to fix the issues, especially knowing you'd be giving it a 2nd try. Not that it would represent the typical off the shelf rifle but had I been in charge of that operation, I would have done whatever was necessary to send you back a 1" rifle, including re-barreling, testing, or send you a whole new target proven rifle. I would have put my most experienced people on it, found out what ammo it liked, sent the rifle back with test targets showing what we were able to accomplish and a box of ammo that it performed best with. Christensen seems to have provided a goofy rifle to the wrong dude if they were looking to improve / uphold their image. Lots of question marks for me on this one.
I owned a ridge line in 308. It shot 3” groups at a 100 yards out of the box. I called CA I was absolutely astounded at what I was told. Shoot a 100 rounds through it then call us back. So 200.00$ in ammo later it tightened up to .75 moa at a 100 yards. I thought mmm it takes a 100 rounds of ammo to smooth out this carbon barrel. Wow what a shitty barrel this is but the more I shot it the better it got. Until the round count got up to 250 then it went to complete shit. I’m checking everything scope mounts actions screws found nothing. So I pulled the action and the spot bedding fell out in my hands. So after a full action bed with Devon 1010 still putty. It shot 1/2 MOA I was at the range a couple days after the bed job shooting it and had a guy offer me a price that was just ridiculous so we both left the range happy me with a pocket full of cash and him with a rifle that had problems
Talked with the neighbor today. He purchased a 28 Nosler from Christensen that he has issues with accuracy. He said if he hadn’t received such a good deal on it he would take it back and huck it at them. Yikes!
Thanks Ron for the update. I was wondering if the rifle could shoot better. I just purchased a Savage Axis 25-06 that shot under MOA out of the box. I paid under $350.
Hi Ron, go back and watch your rifle rest for each shot, your pushing it forward rocking the rear leg off the table a different amount for almost every shot, rarely does the rear leg lay flat on the table, keep watching the rest, when it's resting flat and not tilting forward the shots are consistent, keep up the videos, Ron! love the content!
Saw the same n front rest isn't squared up with firearm.? Is would that cause poor groups.?
I think the bench needs tilted up at front to to square things up with his range.However things aren't often squared in the field.
I own 4 christensen Arms rifles in various calibers, they all shoot way under 1 MOA at 100 meters, the barrel has to be broken in at first and you need to do this right (following the CA instructions) . cheers from germany
Between this video and Jim's video from backfire, I have officially cross Christensen Arms rifles off my future purchase list. There are just so many other brands these days that shoot lights out and for a cheaper price.
I had a Savage 110 in .308. Got .5" groups with Federal 175 smk. All of a sudden, im getting 2.5". I found that the actions screws had loosened from 40 inch lbs to 25 and 40 in the rear. Torqued to spec and groups tightened right back.
Ron my trust in you has been highlighted with this report. Integrity is everything. Keep up the good work.
I have a browning x-bolt in 280 Remington and out of the box is the most accurate rifle I’ve ever shot. I ordered it with a 26” sport barrel but anything from 100gr. To 160gr. I get 1” or less 3 shot groups.
I have a Browning A Bolt in 280 Remington it's one of my most accurate rifles . Good choice.
I have a couple X-bolts in 270 and both are very consistent also. Well under an inch with almost any load. The barrels feel like silk inside when running a patch through them as well.
I have a Christiansen Ridgeline. I’ve never had accuracy like this. With premium or match type factory ammo the worst I had was some Nosler loaded ammo at about 2” at 100 from a beach. All other factory ammo is about an inch. With hand loads, I shoot constantly between .5 to .75 of an inch, assuming there is minimal wind.
Ron get a good front rest. As a F Class target shooter that rest is majorly contributing to your large groups. Look at your video how that rifle torques and cants that rest. Buy a Phoenix FTR or Seb JoyPod front rest. Otherwise put self leveling desk feet from McMasterCarr ( 6120K42 as an example)match your threads on your rest. Raise them and lower your rest center stem- your groups will shrink dramatically. Good luck hunting this season. By the way they lap button rifle barrels to even barrel groove diameter and polish button tooling marks.
My mesa fft in 6.5prc took some work at the reloading bench but now it shoots .5 moa. You need to remember that it's a very light rifle. It's harder to shoot than a 12 pound rifle. But now I have an 8 pound set up after adding a 4-16x scope, arca rail, and suppressor.... That being said - Tikka.
I have a Thompson Center Compass in 30-06 that will keep up with that rifle and out shoot it. I paid around $249 brand new for it. Christensens Arms is like buying an expensive Mercedes that 5 years latter is a money pit vs buying a far cheaper Toyota Camry that 20 years latter is running strong for a fraction of the price. Only accurate rifles are interesting and worth owning!
I agree with you 100%. I bought a Compass for range work. With the five lands I get very good accuracy. I'll be passing this fine rifle down to my grandsons for hunting whatever they choose with great confidence.
As good as all the sub $300 dollars shoot from what I hear on the internet, makes me wonder why you don't see them used in competition. Why build a custom when you can buy a rifle with a Tupperware stock at Walmart and shoot one-hole groups with Remington Core lokts? I swear, every budget rifle is a laser accurate sniper rifle.
@buckaroobonsi555 I have the same rifle. It isn't pretty but it is nicely accurate. It's my range rifle but would be a great hunting rifle with no risk of getting it dinged up in the field.
I have the same TC rifle and same caliber. It does a great job, and not picky about ammo either. I was pleasantly surprised at the build quality and accuracy. I did have to put a spring kit in mine, due to an awfully heavy trigger.
My sporterised m1903 with Lyman peeps will hold 2 inches with anything over 150 grains. You don't even need glass.
I have pretty much the same thing with a 1960s Weaver K-4 scope and can hold a 1-inch group at 300 using 178g ELD-M with 54.9g H-4350. The Remington Barrel was manufactured in January, 1943.
@@bessie1854
Is this the same rifle Jim from Backfire threw in the bushes? 😂
Different barrel
yup
Nope. He threw a Mesa.
Backfire doesn't know how to shoot, to save his own life. He probably throws all his rifles in the bushes..
@@lmbear I agree brother
I went thru 2 that performed quite poorly. They were returned. My buddy got one at the same time and we had his shooting great. Couldn’t get my Mesa or Ridgeline too shoot well, though. We tried different shooters, ammo, scopes, brought them back to the store to have everything checked over, repeated the process, and still shot poorly. It bummed me out. I really liked the fit and feel of the rifles. And my buddy loves his ridgeline. I do too. Got a Bergara and it’s been fantastic. Good luck!
Beautiful rifle! I have known a few people who had CA rifles and all struggled with accuracy. Each and everyone of them moved on to other brands of rifles.
In our small shop we sold a couple christianson arms rifles and they didn't shoot as well as I thought they should for the money they cost a factory Tikka will outshoot them 9 times out of 10 in my opinion. Thanks Ron love your stuff.
Thanks, you saved me two grand! 😊
Fierce is the way to go
🤣🤣 wish this video came out 2 years ago
Every time you shoot Ron your front rest is rocking back and forth before you shoot the leg closes to you is off the bench then under recoil that leg hits and the front legs come off the bench!! That’s for sure causing the rifle to raise and lower as the rest rocks from front to back!! I think your accuracy could be a lot better with a better front rest that will stay put!!
Excellent review, Ron. My Christensen had poor accuracy too. They look good, but the performance doesn’t seem commensurate with the price. Glad you got this to MOA-ish at least. #JustGetATikka
Hey its the gear shill that doesnt know how to shoot. Hi. Christensen is dog crap though.
Also noticed you've jumped on the tikka wagon now that literally everyone else has. All while youre first videos on them you nitpicked the T3x like crazy over subjective issues, because Bergara and their crappy Q
C. lined your pockets. Glad to see youve at least came around now.... You sure know how to read the wind 5 years too late, you should be a politician.
I think I will stick to my Tikka 3006! The maven scope by the way is a superb piece of equipment. Solid internals for repeatable results and very fine glass!
Shewee. Sometimes they get picky with the ammo. Had to do quite a bit of testing with one I just got in but I found one it loves finally
@@WHOTEEWHO Love your videos Who Tee! But I worked in a gun shop for 20 years and sold a lot of these rifles a lot of them don’t like any ammo at all the barrels that CA make aren’t very good.. we stopped selling them because they kept coming back for accuracy issues
Ehh. If you have to buy 10 brands of ammo and plaster a target full of holes to find something that works tight, I'm gonna say the rifle is the general problem, and most likely the chamber.
@@Garydasnaill yikes
Mine in 338 loves most anything I put through it. BUT it does prefer heavier per caliber as well as a berger bullet.
Thank you for an honest review.
Thank your Ron for showing us honest reviews! Videos like this make me trust you. I get tired of seeing RUclipsrs who buy multiple rifles and do reviews, and somehow all of them are 1/2 moa guns with the first load they try...B.S.
Most of my family and I have used Tikka T3/T3x in various calibers and when you do your part they really will shoot incredible with most ammo. And alot cheaper than the Christensen!
Wish they shot as good as they look. As mentioned below, you couldn't pay me to have a CA. Even if I won it in a raffle it would go straight to the store to trade in on 2 Tikkas or a Sako. I wouldn't even take it out of the box.
I agree I’d trade it for a Sako in a heartbeat they are very soild rifles plus you can get them with iron sights still!
I think you should keep that front rest rotated so one of the 3 legs is inline with the barrel and points towards the muzzle. It might be more stable having two of the 3 legs pointed back towards you.
I’ve got a ridgeline fft in 7mm mag. I have 9 different factory loads that I’ve tested through it across 3 outings. The largest group was about 3 or 4 inches while the smallest was 0.37”. The average of all 4 shot groups after nearly 200 rounds is slightly less than 1.25” at 100 yards. The favorite load was around .9”.
These guns are decent guns, but they are very sensitive to the load in them. Having owned this one, I feel like it’s probably worth half what I paid for it.. unfortunately I’m probably stuck with it unless I want to take a loss.
There is an often overlooked purpose that CA rifles were intended for: The make very light, handy guns. Many of the features that make theses guns so light and handy are basically the opposite of what you would do to a bench rest competition gun. Ultra precision is generally not needed on a hunt at reasonable range. I hunt whitetails almost exclusively, but plan to take bear and elk in the near future. I feel comfortable at about 400 yards, but honestly have never liked killing anything that far away. Even at 400 and 500 yards, my gun can hit an 8” steel target with regular ease (given the load it favors). The fact is, the gun is GOOD ENOUGH for me to hunt with, even though I could have got a much cheaper gun to achieve equal results.
CA occupies a place in the market where accuracy is expected. The point of a carbon fibre barrel is heavy barrel precision without the weight not weight loss at the expense of accuracy. CA markets its rifles as an alternative to the ultralight pencil barrelled rifles and the premise they will maintain accuracy better and be as good on rough back country hunts.
Hi Ron, I appreciate your work and willingness to give CA a second chance. I wish CA would have sent a couple boxes of that Barnes ammo with their test rifle. On a side note, related to your shooting style at the bench. I’ve been watching some channels where they do long range shooting (500 yards, 1000 yards and beyond). I noticed 90% or more use your technique of putting their support hand under the butt to fine tune their aim. I’m just saying you’re in good company with that technique.
I have there Mesa in .300 win mag and get those groups at 200 yards. Hmmm. Maybe the shooter. Definitely Ammo choice. The more round yous put through it the better. Definitely follow there breakin process of 50 plus of clean shoot clean shoot clean. AFTER 100 👌. If they told you they used 165 Barnes loads then why didn't you try them??? The rifles are definitely worth what you pay. Superlite to hunt with all day and The Recoil even on a 300 Win Mag is like shooting a 308. no matter what others say I highly highly recommend Christensens Mesa rifle
Some rifles like different powders, primers, seating depth , projectiles etc, and a different person pulling the trigger. It is rare that a rifle always shoots everything well. If you ever find one ,keep it forever.
I’ve got a few CA center fires and a rim fire. 7 mag had to go back for a new tube but now it’s good. It’s a pain to send it back but at least they fixed it.
Great video! I’m glad you post your videos, whether good or bad news. I personally wouldn’t want a rifle that was that picky about ammo, but it is a beautiful rifle. I wouldn’t get rid of it just because it was picky, though. Find the load it likes and load ‘em up. (Or stock up, if you don’t reload.)
I had a first generation Ridgeline in 6.5 creedmoor shortly after they were released. Excellent rifle then. Won a few f-class matches with it surprisingly just using a bipod and squish bag for the rear. I haven’t seen consistent accuracy and quality from the company since then….
Vous allez rire, je suis à 12 kms de la Suisse (genêve) je tir avec une carabine russe à 300 dollars sous 1,5 pouce a 300 yards en 223 marque baikal 😊😊😊😊
1:45 yeah that has never sat right with me. It is not a carbon fiber barrel, it is a carbon fiber wrapped barrel
Ron, you were very generous to CA. Would like to have seen groups with the 165gr Barnes. Still, very surprised at how the groups opened up with heavier bullets.
According to the literature on the web site it needs to be broken in:
BREAK-IN PROCEDURE
01 CLEAR BORE
First make sure that the barrel is clean and free of any oil or solvents from the manufacturing process. Once clear, fire 2 three-shot groups.
02 BOREBRUSH
With the bore guide inserted, run a solvent-soaked patch through the barrel, breach to muzzle, removing it at the muzzle. Repeat this with a new soaked patch 3 times or until no black is showing on the patch. Then scrub the barrel back and forth using the caliber-correct nylon brush soaked with solvent. Ensure the brush completely exits the muzzle and chamber before reversing direction. Repeat 20 times for a total of 40 passes through the barrel. Follow this step with a dry patch until it comes out clean and dry.
03 UNDERSIZED BOREBRUSH
Next, using the undersized brush, run a solvent-soaked patch through the barrel, scrubbing back and forth for a total of 20 passes through the barrel. Again, ensure the patch exits both ends of the barrel before reversing direction. You will notice a blue tint on the patches from dissolving copper residue. Repeat until no blue/copper residue is found. Follow with dry patches until they come out clean and dry
04 SHOOT AGAIN
Fire another 2 three-round groups for a total of 6 rounds.
05 REPEAT
Repeat steps 1-4 until you have fired a total of 50 rounds. 50 rounds is usually sufficient to smooth out the surface of the barrel lining and “break in” your barrel. As your barrel breaks in, you will notice that it will clean faster and without using as many cleaning patches or solvent.
Also in order to get the MOA guarantee:
The customer is responsible for following our barrel break-in process and using high quality, match-grade ammunition, and proper use conditions.
For an accuracy demonstration, you should’ve got a brand new out of box rifle. Now that Christensen is aware of your intentions I’m sure they did anything in their power to make it shoot. Probably gave it more attention than your average Christensen.
If this rifle got special treatment, I'd be worried.
@@andrewfischer1311 If you were Christensen arms, watched this video, offered to warranty the gun and send it back.. wouldn’t you give it the special treatment? I sure would. But this performance is pretty standard for Christensen in my experience
@chaseacklam6174 that's what i meant. If CA knew this exact rifle was going to be featured on RSO and this is their level of acceptable performance, I'm worried about their off the shelf rifle at Scheels.
ive got a carbon classic, which uses a Rem 700 action ( before they made their own actions) and it shoots .8 no dramas...
Keep that front sling swivel stud away from the front rest. It will throw your shot under recoil .
Yeah, the problem must be Ron, not the rifle. That doesn't explain why he shoots other very well but whatever, man. Watch some super slo-mo video. The bullet has long left the barrel before that sling stud even begins moving backwards.
It's very true though. Rifles like certain bullets/ weights. Can make a big difference on accuracy.
If the rifle was sighted in with a certain ammo. Changing brands and weight will change the impact point. Or will not group at all.
Hey Ron I have a sako finlight 85 30-06 that is about the same as that rifle your trying to. I spent $1500 on factory ammo trying to get a decent group . The sst and partition were the only factory ones that shot ok. I have it down to 3/4-1” with 150g ttsx . But it was an expensive venture
My Savage Axis 2 in 30-06 shoots 1/2 moa with the cheapest American White Tail ammo you can find, and under an inch with just about ever 180 gr factory load i've tried. It's a testament to the fact that more expensive doesn't mean more better.
The only thing premium about Christensen is their price. My experince with them is that fit and finish is hit and miss and accuracy is likewise hit and miss. 1 out of every 3 I have seen in stores have obvious burrs and fit and finish issues that can be detected with the naked eye and with out tear down. If you gave me one I would shoot it with a smile or fix it but I would not buy one with my own money! Online a lot of guys comlain about out of the box accuracy issues with them.
You were still rocking your front rest on that 1st group AND the second! 😮
And the 3rd!
@@williamgaines9784 the sling stud was hitting rifle rest bag rocking the rest back, (first few shots groups )
Ron I will most definitely agree with you that the color choices of the stocks on Christensen rifles need some improvement. I have a Mesa Roy the Ducks Unlimited edition chambered in 308 Winchester. The stock color looks like a Tootsie roll color I don't particularly like the color. I won the rifle at the Sioux Falls Ducks Unlimited Gun Bash . So I won't complain too much.😊
Ron,
Recently I had a 264 WM threaded for a brake. Rifle always shot MOA before adding the brake but now I get first 2 almost touching and the 3rd is now consistently low, same spot. I haven't gotten to retry without the brake, but think the brake is changing the barrel harmonics as it heats up. Please try without the brake and report back if it changes the results. Just a hunch and worth a try IMO.
My Model 70 in 7x57 can shoot sub MOA any day of the week and it didn’t cost anywhere near $2K!
All things considered, I’ll stay with my Winchester!
You're killin' me. Make it easy for yourself, have the spotter point to an identical target to show precise hits. Takes 1/2 second & there's no question.
Might I suggest you look at a custom shop, I have one close by to me in Texas, they make some of the best I’ve seen.
Alamo Precison
I would argue one of top notch custom builders out there. You might spend a few hundred more, but your rifle will be a one-off creation.
It simply amazes me that CA charges what they charge for a rifle and so many have issues. Granted their customer service department is awesome but man why so many issues? I've shot at least 5 different Christensen Rifles and 3 of the 5 shot great. My buddy has a 26 nosler that is a laser beam and sub moa accurate. I've also shot one in 300 that wouldn't shoot a 3 inch group at 100 that got sent back rebarreled and now shoots perfectly fine. I wouldn't buy one unless I found a great deal on one and had time to play with it and send it back if I needed too. They feel wonderful in my hand.
I hope it shoots better than last video. I have that exact rifle in 280 ackley with a Leupold vx5 3-15x and it shoots really well if I do my part. Sub moa with handloads shooting Barnes lrx and Speer hot cors. Also sub moa with norma 280 rem tipstrike factory loads. I’ve got about 225 rounds down the barrel so far with no trouble. I removed the brake and I’ve shot it that way or with a hybrid 46 supressor both give good groups. Looking forward to seeing if I need to stay away from CA in the future.
Yep looks like I’ll keep my two good CA rifles but when I get another rifle I’ll be looking at a Tikka
So if I buy a $2000.00 rifle that guarantees MOA, i just have to spend another $1k on ammo to see what it will shoot or spend thousands handloading......got it!
Christensen arms are great as long as you put a proof research barrel in them
they have proof research barrels.......
@@randy-x9fnope, these are their own carbon fibre barrels.
@@randy-x9f according to their faq they make the barrels in house
Bought a CA 308 Ridgeline after 20 different factory loads it would shoot no better than 3'' groups. Called CA and heard a song and dance story, pulled the barrel put on a Proof and now shoots sub 1/2'' groups. All it cost me was an extra $1000.
Buy a weatherby vanguard instead.
Not me. Never. And this was way before I started watching Ron Spomer
Dowbyay Dobyaw Two was one with a 30-06. Human, Elk, Moose. Seems like a reliable round to me.
OK Better than before.
I would be curious if you cleaned it first then seened what it did with the Cooper Impact. Got screwy groups with it n GMX on top of Barnes TTSX. Havent redid those yet.
Also someone else mention front rest ,see there comment, it seemed to be tilited forward n esp with both loads of Copper Impact. After firing.
And not square with forend.on all..Now? Is if that would = less than consistent groups.?
Of course nothing is squared in the field.
Well done ,still waiting for the FWT vs 700 ya hinted at a bit ago.
Ive got a savage 110 Timberline 243win, thst shoots 1/4" moa with my handloads. But it didnt start that way. Using the same bullet, and powder type, it shot a 1.75 moa. It took tinkering with powder charge, and bullet depth to dial it in. Most rifles today are capable of great groups, but it might take some work.
But on the flip side, i have an AR 15 i put together, with a 20" larue tactical barrel, that shoots any good load, factory or handload, .75 or better. With my handload using 55gr Sierra blitz king, shoots one ragged hole.
Also, ive got a 1995 year model Ruger m77 270win, that with a trigger job, bed and float fhe barrel, and countless different handloads, wont do better than 1.5 moa. Deadly accuracy wasnt a must back then. Todays rifles MUST shoot super tight groups, because ruger American, T/C compass, and savage axis will shoot lights out. The popularity of PRS, and 1000yd jug challenges, reguire it. So a $2000 christiansen arms, dang well better shoot AT LEAST as good as a savage axis.!
Tikka is a excellent rifle,I have three all shoot under 1/2 inches…
Is this a light rifle problem? I have seen Christiansen, & Weatherby mountain rifles shoot in a vice with truly a cold bore sub moa, but experienced shooters are challenged to shoot 3-4 moa from the bench… often with the 1st shot in X ring…
Christiansen Arms rifles can be extremely picky. I will say that mine definitely prefers Barnes TTSX bullets.
I got a ranger 22lr and i have the same issue. No consistency with any groups. Tried a ton of high end 22 ammo. eley, sk, rws, federal gold, and others. The rws grouped good once. After that with the same ammo. Starts shooting like a shotgun. Going to give it another shot. But looks like it is going back to them. Honestly wish i had just gotten another cz457 or save my money and gotten the anschutz i wanted.
I have had a Christensen ELR in 300 win mag that easily shot 1moa and sold that for a Ridgeline in 300 PRC only because I don't like belted cartridges, and the PRC lets me shoot much heavier bullets. I didn't like the ELR stock as much as the ridgeline either. It shoots fine but I handload. I once loaded ammo for dad's Parker hale in 30-06 that hated everything but 180 grain bullets and those shot about 1moa or a little less.
I hated the weight of those CA stocks and sold it off. Bought a stockystocks and bedded it. My CA 6.5 prc shoots .5-.75 at 200 yards with most ammo. Though my tikka is much more slicker and love the 70deg bolt throw.
Thanks for saving me the headache...I'll stick with Savage!
I have the same Christensen Ridgeline FFT in 7PRC, the action screws were loose out of the box, and the factory spot bedding broke loose during the barrel break in. I swapped the stock to a McMillan game warden 2.0, glass bedded it and now it shoots consistently under .5MOA
Did they stock add much more weight to the rifle? I have one in 300 WSM and am having accuracy issues as well. It was not nearly as bad as the one Ron was shooting. Do you remember how much it cost?
@@clintjoseph5832 the stock added a little bit of weight, but the total weight of the riffle with a Leopold VX6 3-18 scope and a sig SRD762 suppressor is sits just a little bit over 10lbs. The stock made the gun more shootable for me, so the added weight is negligible. I forget the exact price, but the McMillan stock was around ~$900
@@abelstraw4562 thanks for the info. I will be looking into that stock.
@@clintjoseph5832 The McMillan stock helped me mostly because I’m 6’4” tall and I needed a longer length of pull. If you like the factory stock and just want to fix accuracy, I would recommend removing the factory spot bedding, and glass bedding the whole action. Glass bedding is fairly easy to do on your own, but I would recommend having a gunsmith do it if you’re uncomfortable.
Another thing that helped make the gun more shootable was swapping the trigger tech special trigger it comes with to a trigger tech diamond.
Had a sporterized 1917 Enfield. Put a timmeny trigger, glass bedded it etc... Winchester ammo....8 inch groups. Remington was better like 4 inch groups.
150 grain Federal Soft point, .70 inch...not once but dozens of times .75 inch or small. All about the ammo. Put alot of venison in the freezer with that rifle and Federal ammo combo.
I feel a little bad for Christiansen Arms. The rifle is OK, and that’s about all. Ron was more than fair and kind to the maker.
My Ridgeline shoots ok but the bolt lift is stiff as all get out with factory and handloads that are not hitting pressure. I regret buying it
Try adjusting the scope mounts. Maybe the rear mount is too far back. Good looking rifle
Unfortunately I purchased a Christensen ridge line fft in 22-250. I have tried 10 to 12 different production ammo and none of them get 1” or better at 100 yards. I recently met another person at the range a few weeks ago and he had the same Christensen as I but in a larger caliber. He said he bought it for elk this coming season. He was having the same problem, not being able to find ammo that shot moa or better. I am so frustrated so right now it is just sitting in the closet. My Bergara in 22-250 gets less then moa with 3 different types of ammo. I was hoping the Christensen was going to be as good as they say because of the weight. I walk a lot when coyote hunting. I could have bought 2 Bergaras for what I paid for the Christensen and had some change left over.
This is easy , buy a Savage and save a lot of money .
Use Shot-n-See targets and you WILL be able to see where you hit... What a concept..
I tried to sight in a scope recently with my Weatherby and they were flying all over the place. Took me a while to realize it was the Winchester Copper Impact, total garbage bullet. Going back to Barnes Vor-TX, worth the extra money for sure.
I can't do a CA rifle for the money they want. Not when you see all the problems folks are having with them. You got the Ron Spomer treatment and thats what you got back. Imagine what they'll do to some regular Joe like me. Having awesome handloads is great but the reality is most people buy factory ammo so I think that's the true test of a rifle.
The only factory load that my Christiansen 300 Win mag will shoot in sub groups is 180 grain Nosler Accubond. I have tried every factory load I could find on the market. $100 bucks a box! Let's just say I don't plink it on the weekends.
My Remington 700 ADL 30.06 shoots 3/4 groups at 100. I did work up a load for it. I feel like a gun at that price should not be so round picky
Ron, if you want a great looking rifle that shoots GREAT! Get a BROWNING WHITE GOLD MEDALLIAN. Made in Japan. They are AWESOME IN EVERY WAY!!!! Not cheap though. But they shoot!
I have a 1990s era Ruger M77MKII All Weather in 30-06 with the infamous boat paddle stock that will out shoot that rifle all day. Sub 1 inch groups with Federal Classic 150 grain bullets. And I mean I check accuracy every year before deer season and it is always less than one inch. I wonder if you are seeing a boat tail issue. I have a Remington 700 in .243 that will NOT shoot a boat tail bullet accurately. It loves flat base bullets. I can get hunting accuracy with boat tails, but for precision work I have to use flat based bullets.
My Uncle's 03 Mark i and his M1917 Winchester both in 30-06 are more accurate with iron sights. Sometimes old school is best
Idk, i have a Mesa long range and its a tack driver. Sub .300 groups at 100 yds. Does not have carbon barrel though. All the bad reviews seem to be with this rifle.
I always loctite the action screws before testing.
I feel like Christensen suffers from trying to do too much at that price point. Like customish action, carbon barrel, muzzle brake, and carbon stock for 2k when a tikka cost $800 for steel barrel, plastic stock, and no threads? I feel like the tikkas are widely accepted as shooting great for $800 and you’d be pressing it to customize a tikka for $2k with those features
Honestly the Tikka even feels more high quality then a Christensen arms! Bolts smoother and light weight Tikka is just better I work at a gun shop and we stopped selling Christensen arms because they kept having to be sent back for accuracy issues but Tikka’s are amazing I bought 3 myself!
@PeterAngles-jq7gr for sure. And like Gary said ^ the tikkas are way smoother
Love these videos Ron. I recently got into reloading because of some of your videos and have been loading 80gr barnes ttsx bullets for my Bar mk1 chambered in .243, 35grains of varget produced a 0.77” 3 shot group with an ES velocity of 6.1fps, the only problem is that the chronographed velocity was only 2681.2FPS which is WAY slow for what I should be getting, a max charge produced 2750fps when i should be getting in the high 3100fps range. The rifle has a 22” barrel so I do not expect that high of velocity but at least in the 3000fps range, any Ideas on what could cause this velocity discrepancy in my setup would be greatly appreciated.
I should also add that I took some factory loaded federal fusion .270 with a posted velocity of 3050 and shot through my chronograph and got 2935fps which is exactly what I would expect
Hello Mr Spomer.....if you haven't already, could you tell us more about the 6.5 lapua ? And what it's good for?
Yeah that thing needs to be used for a fence post I have seen this from this companý to many times I will never own one.
I picked an older one up in 270 used at a REALLY good price. Accuracy sucked with my existing handloads and factory ammo. I witched to SGKs and redeveloped a load. I found that it CAN be accurate but its SUPER picky. Its okay because i didnt pay much for the gun but if i pay fulled price for a premium gun and didnt get premium performance id be pissed. For the price you could get a Savage Axis on clearance and get a prefit barrel for it and a better stock and still be $800 ahead of the game.
Il keep my sako, thanks!
I’ll keep your Sako, thanks!
Love these reviews. I’m looking at getting a gun for hunting out west were I live in Utah I had a guy at a gun store tell me that they have gone down hill. So I got online and I’ve seen a lot of reviews that they put out a lot of lemons. I’m still looking at Weatherby 307 alpine or Springfield waypoint. I’ve hear alot of good things about Bergara, but they don’t fit my face very well.
that's a fair grouping for hunting. maybe as you only were shooting out to 100 yards. whom knows how wide the groups got at two or 300 yards. I've found over the years 168 grian bullets do very well in my 308 or the 30-06. for the cost of that gun i could get several savages that would out preform that gun hands down.. sadly that it not a second good showing. I would say try another scope just to make sure. I've had good quality scope that did not like harder recoil and simple just failed.