- ARC CDG short actioN w/ a Straight jacket armory bartlein barrel in 7 SAW 26” On a ARC Xylo chassis; 9.5/10 Would recommend; Short action mag length limits seating depth
- Tikka T3x w/ a mcgowen 22” 7 SAUM long free bore on a stocky stock; 9.5/10 would recommend; would add fluting (it’s a little front heavy), mag release sometimes gets bumped and drops
- Tikka T3x w/ a mcgowen 30” thicc barrel in 7 SAUM long free bore on an mdt lss xl gen 2 ; 10/10 would recommend; no complaints
- Kelbly Prometheus w/ a patriot valley arms 26” MTU in 338 Norma mag In a masterpiece arms chassis; 9/10, would recommend; aics mags are hot garbage for 338 Norma mag but we make it work. Sometimes they fall out from the recoil lol
- BCM blem upper w/ a 22” varmint white oak armament barrel in 223 wylde; 9.5/10 would recommend; mag length on ARs for 77 smks is frustratingly limiting if you want to reload.
- Tikka T3x roughtech in 7 rem mag; 9.5/10, would recommend; updated stock
- Tikka T3x super lite in 6.5 creedMoor; 9.5/10, would recommend; updated stock, threaded muzzle
Does everyone else agree that all actions should have integral picatinny rails? I feel like that’s a massive flaw in lots of rifles. It would solve a lot of problems like loose screws and simplify scope ring selection.
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Yes and no, depends on the use case of the rifle, like my light weight hunting rifle action doesn’t have pic rails cause I’m using direct mount scope rings save some weight
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- sako 90 adventure in 308
Id say 7.5/10
Very good accuracy, 0.75 for me 5 shots
The texture of the stock feels good.love the cheek riser
Love the action, love the optic integrated rail
For the price, i wish it come with the sling stud or a pic rail/arca
There is no aftermarket stock for it which is unfortunate
If i had to do it again, I think I would save more and get the 90 quest.
At the time I bought mine there wasn’t a sako 90 finnlight. If had could do it again today I would do sako 90 finnlight and save 1000$
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Do you shoot in cold temp?
I wanted a sig for my wife , but our caribou hunt are cold. -20 to -40 celcius
Would I swear because of the cold metal.
Or wrapped it up in beaver skin 
I hunt in winter here in Tn and there are some days around 0-15 degrees Fahrenheit, the cold rail has never been enough to bother me on my sig cross. I’m generally wearing some sort of glove, but do take them off to shoot.
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I do not shoot in weather that cold.
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Savage 110 ultralight 6.5 prc: 6.8 accuracy is superb 9.5 trigger i give a 5, stock 6.5 magazine 6, action feeding 6, recoil 8. Total= 6.8. Cons the trigger guards bolt release makes it in compatible with most aftermarket stocks, bottom metal etc.
Pros: accuracy , fit, it’s a $1500 dollar rifle with $1000 dollars worth of barrel. I’ve taken 2 elk and a couple of coyotes with this rifle.
American rifle company, archimedes 7.75 score 8, 25 creed, 26 inch pacmor medium profile 1: 8.75 twist score 7.5 ( per gunsmith) bell and Carlson stock score 7, trigger tech trigger score 8.5, accuracy with barnes 101 grain lrx, score 8.5, acis magazine compatible score= 7. = TOTAL SCORE 7.75. My only “ custom” rifle the accuracy is great, the trigger is great, the stock and magazine are good but not great I wish I would have gotten a lighter stock and an 8 twist barrel although at my altitude I can stabilize the 128gr eldx. The barnes 80 grain ttsx, 85 grain nosler bt, the barnes 100ttsx, and 101lrxs shoot great and will serve the purpose of this rifle.
Cz 527 carbine 223/5.56. 9.0 Mini mauser action score =9, set trigger score=10, stock montecarlo= 9, detached magazine score= 8.5, accuracy score=9.5, 16 inch barrel 1:9 twist score= 8.5 TOTAL SCORE OF 9.0* . There is nothing I do not like about this rifle. If I were to attempt Jims 1moa challenge this is the rifle I would grab provided the wind = < 10 mph. It loves 50 grain projectiles and the set trigger is unreal. It’s a suprise everytime. I have killed quite a few coyotes with this rifle and probably 100+ prairie dogs. My favorite rifle they don’t make these anymore and no one will ever make a factory rifle this nice again.
Ruger model 77 mark II 300 win mag,7.5 action 8.5 , trigger =7, magazine (internal)= 9, stock =7, accuracy =8, recoil =5.5 total = 7.5.
This rifle is purchased in 1994 and was my first hunting rifle.The action was slick right from the factory, accuracy is great I took my first several elk with this rifle including a cow elk at 600 yards.
Tikka t3 light 6.5 creedmoor. 6.6 Action =8, trigger= 7.5, stock= 5, accuracy = 8.5, recoil = 5.5, magazine = 5 TOTAL SCORE = 6.6. I have killed 2 or 3 deer with this rifle, the recoil for what it is is unacceptable this rifle might benefit from a chassis and recoil pad as it is not threaded for suppressor or break. I had to free float the barrel initially because it made contact with the stock and shot like crap. I can however pull this rifle from the Safe and hit the bullseye at 100 yards cold bore.
Ruger american predator 6mm creedmoor. Action= 5.5, trigger= 6., stock= 5, magazine= 4.5, accuracy=9.5, cost= 8.5, TOTAL SCORE 6.5 this rifle is a strange case. I bought it used for under 300 bucks when ruger first started chambering for 6mm creed. Everything on this rifle kinda sucks except the barrel and the accuracy. The trigger is good. It has a 7.7 twist and loves nosler 95 grain ballistic tips over 41 grains of accurate 4350. This rifle might be the most accurate in my safe.
Thompson center impact 50 cal muzzleloader.8.5
Action =8.5, trigger= 8.5, stock=8, accuracy 8, ease of function/ loading=8 , lethality=10. = TOTAL SCORE OF 8.5. I have 2 of these and the first one I bought has put more meat in the freezer than any other rifle in my safe. 270 grain all copper federal boreloc over either 100 to 120 grains triple 7. My niece dropped a cow elk at 280 yards with this combo and all but this elk went less than 30 feet including my biggest bull. It’s taken a mule deer buck as well.
I have several other rifles that I just haven’t gotten around to messing with much, but honorable mention to my keltec cmr 30 I’ve killed a pile of jack rabbits a few coyotes, and it’s everyone’s favorite to shoot.
Savage 110 Ultralight in 6.5 PRC
8
I would absolutely recommend
I didn’t like the stock so I put it on a MDT field stock. It’s a little heavier but worth it in my opinion
1 Like
and the sig is comfy shooting with glove? , that trigger box is large enough?
Rifle 2
sako s20 300 win mag.
I love the action, barrel and integrated rail.
I’m a fan of the thumb hole , I like that you can swap between the precision vs hunter stock. I actually put the precision forehand on my hunter to be able to put rail on it.
it’s on the heavier side which make the recoil feels good nd softer, I added a backstop on it 
I adjusted the trigger closer to me, which helped my finger staying straight
and again, with sako, you get a very reliable rifle, the main downside for me is the lack of aftermarket parts.
I do wish we could put a can on it here but a muzzle brake is what I m using at the range.
it’a taken down, bisons 200gr and caribou 165gr.
I would give 9\10 or 8.5. I haven’t have much more options to compare it with . I really like it
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Winchester XPR in .308
7.5/10
One of the things I’d like to change about it is the stock, it’s very average plastic that flexes a bit and is quite heavy, would be nice to cut some weight and get a bit more of a ridged stock
I haven’t had an issue with it. I wear a thin merino glove tho, its not thick
Over the years I have owned a lot of rifles made by a lot of different manufacturers, current rifles are:
Winchester XPR Varmint in 6.8 Western Score 8, Yes to friend It is superbly accurate with both factory and hand loads, shoots sub moa with all the ammo I have tried. I put a muzzle brake and limbsaver recoil pad on it and it has a recoil lighter than a 243 and is fun to shoot.
Winchester Model 70 in 308, Score 9, I have had this rifle for many years, close to 2000 rounds down the barrel and has been the cause of much venison on the table. It likes 165 gr Nosler Partitions and shoots sub moa 0.8 groups. The original barrel is shot out, I have a new Bartlein
Stainless on order to replace the original. Yes I would recommend it to a friend.
Tikka T3x in 270, Score 9+, has a Backfire recoil pad which greatly reduces the felt recoil which is mild to begin with. Shoots sub moa 0.5 with Federal Premium 140gr and 0.4 moa with 140 gr Nosler partitions. With the partitions regularly shoots 2.1 inch groups at 300 yards. The factory trigger is great, breaks crisp without any creep at 3 pounds. The only downfall is the plastic stock, not because it’s plastic but because of the design which makes it hard to get a good cheek weld. Yes I would and have recommended it to friends and all have been happy with their purchases.
Tikka T1x in .22 LR, Score 9+ I shoot for practice and to see how small a group I can shoot with a variety of ammo out to 100 yards and beyond. With the right ammo, which appears to be SK High Velocity Match. Group of 0.7 moa are not uncommon. The original trigger has no creep and breaks clean at 2.5 pounds. The downside again is the stock design, the stock is short but a slip on recoil pad takes care of that issue, however the design makes it difficult to get a good cheek weld even with add on cheek pads. When shooting at 100 yards I constantly get told that you shoot a .22 at 50 yards and they are not accurate enough to shoot out to 100 and beyond, until they look at the targets. Once they see what the rifle is capable of they shut up. Yes I highly recommend this rifle to friends.
Remington 700 BDL stainless in 338 WIN MAG., Score 10. I have owned several Remington 700s over the years in a variety of calibers, all have had great triggers, actions and shot sub moa with a variety of ammo. It had been many years since I owned a 700, and came across this rifle at Kramer Auction Service a few years ago. It was listed as being in good lightly used condition. I have several friends out in Wyoming and Alaska that love the 338 for elk moose and bear so I was comfortable with the caliber, especially since there is a good variety of excellent ammo and bullets from, in my case 180 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip that I load for deer, as well as Nosler Partitions in 200, 210, 225 and 250 gr available. When I picked up the rifle it was in what appeared to be excellent condition, the only issues being a few dings in the plastic stock and a terrible trigger. When I got it home I took it out of the stock to clean it and adjust the trigger only to find that the trigger was not adjustable, which I found strange. During the cleaning process I bore scoped the barrel and from what I could see, much to my surprise, the rifle had never been fired. I took photos and sent them off to a couple of friends who are gunsmiths and they verified that the rifle had never been shot before. I put everything back together, mounted a cheap scope on it and took it to the range to test it out. I was shooting Federal Premium 225 grain Nosler Partitions, initially at 50 yards to sight it in. The first three shot group was 4 inches high and 6 inches right with all 3 shots in one ragged hole. I adjusted the scope and the next 3 shots were dead center and another one ragged hole group. Moved to 100 yards. First group had all 3 shots touching and 4 inches high. Adjusted the scope and fired another group with 3 shots touching. It was a shooter for sure. Took it home and pondered what to do with it. I found a brand new BDL long action wood stock, put on a limb saver recoil pad, replaced the non adjustable trigger with a Trigger Tech now set to 2 pounds. I had the rifle pillar bedded, barrel floated and a target style muzzle brake installed to replace the factory brake. Installed a Talley 20 moa rail, Vortex Pro rings and a Vortex Strike Eagle 5 - 25 x 56 scope on it, The rifle shoots sub moa with factory ammo as well as hand loads. Group size varies from 0.65 to 0.9 dependent on ammo. I have 180 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip ammo loaded for deer hunting. The rifle weighs right at 9 pounds with the scope and a full magazine and one in the chamber. Probably a bit heavier than many of you would like but it works for me. What would I change? Since I built it to what I like, I wouldn’t change anything. Would I recommend it to a friend, absolutely, but build your own. This one is mine.
No I have to disagree. What type of rail that goes on your rifle should be your choice. When choosing a rail a lot depends on what kind of shooting you are going to be doing. On most of my rifles I have a 20 moa installed if for no other reason that it gives me an option to shoot at longer ranges than a standard rail that a manufacturer would build into the action. A properly mounted rail and scope does not have issues with loose screws. Key word here is, “Properly Mounted.”
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Curious
Is your M70 a newer production, vs pre-64, etc??
Thanks
It is post 64 purchased around 1972.
Christiansen Arms MPR 6.5 Creedmoor 24”
Score: 2
It shoots about 1.7 MOA from a vice with a remote trigger. Sent it back under warranty. They claimed it was fine, that the scope rail was loose, as if I’d not already checked torque on that, the action, the rings, etc. I call BS and think (but can’t prove) that their “test printout” was 100% fabricated.
I will never buy from them again and advise accordingly to anyone that asks. I’m not even bothering with sending it back again.
Granted, it’s one sample, anecdotal, not proof of anything. Perhaps it’s the one dud and others rock, but I’m not taking a chance with them again.
I’ve since bought 3 more rifles (Tikka T3x, Berger HMR Pro and Seekins Havak HIT), but haven’t had a chance to properly and thoroughly break in and vet them yet, so no review, but so far all three look very promising. Those sales might have been CA’s, if the gun or their warranty support was any good. The irony is if they put the time into manufacturing, they wouldn’t put any time into warranty support.
The chassis is nice, though. It should be good when I fit a Bartlein, Proof or Krieger barrel on it.
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By far my favorite rifle, Weatherby Vanguard Backcountry in 257 wby mag
Score 9
It does everything I need it to. Only 2 things I wish were different.
First 1 being it has a pencil barrel on it and being that big of magnum it heats up quick, 3 shots is all you get. Considering it’s a hunting rifle it’s not a big deal but some days it would be nice to get at least 5 shots off
Second being it does not have a threaded barrel. Again it’s not a big deal but it would be nice to have the option…
Would I recommend it to a friend, 10/10 any day. I’d take the action over ALOT of other popular favorites
Rifle #1 Fierce Carbon Rogue w/ 18” barrel in .308
9.5. Gun shoots sub 1/2” moa with Barnes 150 grain factory ammo. Only reason I can’t give it a 10 is because it has a drop down floor plate instead of a detachable clip.
Rifle #2 Fierce Carbon Rival w/20” barrel in 7PRC
- Gun shoots sub 1/2” moa with Fed.Premium 155 grain Terminal Ascent.