S.M.I.B
Active Member
Looking at a Montana Rifle Company American Legends Series. Anyone have any experience with them or would recommend another comparable rifle? Did a quick search and nothing came up that was recent here.
Montana Rifle Company
- Thread starter S.M.I.B
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davsco
Ultimate Member
i coulda sworn i replied to this... anyways, MRC has a bunch of lefty options so I have looked at them, but the couple of negative reviews here and there just put enough doubt in my mind to look elsewhere. the last lefty rifle i've bought is the tikka t3x lite in 300wsm for this october's hopeful elk hunt. haven't gotten it to the range yet but hoping it easily beats their 1moa guarantee, most all i've read about, do.
cyclops
Active Member
I shoot lefty and also looked at MRC but was put off by negative reviews. From what I can tell most of their problems were at start up with complaints about customer service after the sale. Hopefully things have improved but I would want to see and handle one before I bought it.
S.M.I.B
Active Member
Looking at this or a Browning X bolt in 338 win mag. Was hoping someone here had some personal experience with one.
I don't have any experience with Montana first hand. I have only handled them and not fired or owned. The actions feel about par for a factory action but I'm a snob for the "feel" of a boltgun. The Xbolt is a different ballgame. I have owned two (still have one) and it shoots respectably well for a factory rifle. Handloads generally go into the .6moa range for five rounds. The issues are a slightly loose neck dimension and a long throat dimension. These are both standard problems in factory rifles. The bore, like most factory tubes, fouls much more rapidly than a good Krieger or Bartlein (or even a criterion or shilen). These issues may or may not perturb you. The advantage to the Xbolts is the 60 degree bolt for lower optic clearance, especially if you are wearing gloves during hunting season, but this comes at the price of a "heavier" cocking effort. A good smith (or a gutsy amateur) can mitigate this but not fully correct it. The Tikkas are about in between. With a 70-75 degree bolt lift (depends who you ask), they have a very good bolt feel in a factory rig. A bit of very mild work (or a couple thousand rounds in competition) can smooth them out even more. Triggers are generally very good from factory. I've owned a couple and not had one of my own or one I've played with for others that won't do .75moa with the right load. Like all factory guns, expect a lawyer approved throat dimension so you may not be able to push your pills to the lands and keep them in the mag. A secret of Tikkas, however, is that the T3s are just a bolt stop and a mag swap away from being any action length you want. You don't mention what chambering you want, but I played with a 308 for a friend that was throated long and he wanted to run 210s. I simply machined back the bolt stop (i'm too cheap to buy a new one) and picked up a long action magazine. It works fine.
S.M.I.B
Active Member
Any other rifles to take a look at? Want a nice bolt gun under $2000 with a wood stock in 338 win mag.
davsco
Ultimate Member
wood - ughhhh. i dumped wood a LONG time ago. on top of the moisture and related issues, hate paying for a purty stock that gets dinged, scratched, etc out in the field.
if christensen made their ridgeline in a lefty in 300wsm, i would have gotten that. fierce does their fury in lefty but lefty tax and lefty wait. as a righty apparently, you won't have to deal with these issues.
if christensen made their ridgeline in a lefty in 300wsm, i would have gotten that. fierce does their fury in lefty but lefty tax and lefty wait. as a righty apparently, you won't have to deal with these issues.
Honestly, davsco makes good points about wood but I won't try to tell a man what to put on his rifle.
If you want something really nice, look at the Sako Bavarian. Guy I know has a 300WM. Very attractive rifle with a traditional oil finished stock. Not glossy or flashy (a la Weatherby Mark V Lazermarks) but very smooth and functional. If you like flashy, the weatherby Mark Vs warrant a look. I would probably opt for a Tikka or a Sako given my preference for that branding. The brownings with wood stocks to me aren't as attractive as the sako because, if I go for a wood stock, I prefer a traditional low luster oil finish on a hunting arm. Functionally, I agree with davsco though. Anything I hunt or ride around with is likely to acquire a patina.
If you want something really nice, look at the Sako Bavarian. Guy I know has a 300WM. Very attractive rifle with a traditional oil finished stock. Not glossy or flashy (a la Weatherby Mark V Lazermarks) but very smooth and functional. If you like flashy, the weatherby Mark Vs warrant a look. I would probably opt for a Tikka or a Sako given my preference for that branding. The brownings with wood stocks to me aren't as attractive as the sako because, if I go for a wood stock, I prefer a traditional low luster oil finish on a hunting arm. Functionally, I agree with davsco though. Anything I hunt or ride around with is likely to acquire a patina.
Augie
Ultimate Member
I like wood also and a rifle I've wanted to try has been the new Winchester Model 70 Super Grade. I've got Pre 64's but these new ones are rated pretty good and price ain't bad.
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/90584
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/90584
Augie
Ultimate Member
Another company that I will eventually have a rifle built by is ER Shaw, they are building several different types of custom rifles on modified Savage actions, can pretty much have a rifle built exactly like you want it within the 2 grand budget.
https://www.shawcustombarrels.com/rifles
https://www.shawcustombarrels.com/rifles
They are a very nice rifle IMO. They are nowadays assembled in Portugal. While that's an issue to some, they almost certainly wouldn't be priced where they are if they were entirely USA made. And while I hate like hell to say it, I'm not sure that the overall quality would be what it is either.
Very smooth controlled feed action. The fit and finish are very good. The checkering feels like it could cut you. The MOA trigger is decent as well.
It'll never have the allure of a pre-64. But if you like quality walnut, and blued steel that actually looks blued rather than sand blasted, the 70 Super Grade is a nice nowadays example. There aren't many examples left.
S.M.I.B
Active Member
Took a look at these today. The Mark VII looks promising for giving it a shot without breaking the bank. So many choices. 5 hour drive to their shop but might be worth it.
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