Wyoming Shooter
05-03-2022, 12:58 PM
I was recently overtaken by the "need" for a detachable magazine .223 bolt rifle. My initial thought was the Tikka T3x. However, they cannot be found in stock and per Eurooptic, resupply date is unknown. I ultimately decided on a Christensen Arms Ridgeline Scout: https://christensenarms.com/ridgeline-scout/. My price was $1950.
The bare rifle came in at exactly 6 lbs. on my scale:
88359
The adjustable Trigger Tech trigger arrived from the factory at 2 lbs. 11.3 oz. It's a nice single stage trigger.
88360
I fitted this rifle with a Vortex 3 - 15 X 44 Viper PST and Warne rings. It now weighs 7.98 lbs.
88361
88362
88363
88364
My first 75 ish rounds downrange were a mix of various factory loads. The rifle seems to like FGMM 77 grain SMK. Those shoot about .75 MOA for five rounds in early testing.
I did experience a good number of failures to feed. The MDT magazine supplied with the rifle was not snug when inserted. The bolt would occasionally fail to strip off the top round from the magazine. The same was true with Magpul AICS magazines. My suspicion was that the bottom metal was not inletted deeply enough into the stock.
I contacted Christensen Arms using their online warranty return system and quickly received a prepaid UPS shipping label. I received an email from CA acknowledging receipt of the rifle. The following day, I received another email stating that the rifle had even repaired. Then followed a return UPS tracking number. Total turnaround time was 10 days, including shipping both ways.
The rifle now feeds flawlessly from both MDT and Magpul magazines. CA included a thank you card and T shirt in the box.
It's way too early to draw any definitive conclusions about this rifle. I can now report that it's light, handy, and accurate. It fills my needs. CA customer service was excellent. I will update after further use. ELN
The bare rifle came in at exactly 6 lbs. on my scale:
88359
The adjustable Trigger Tech trigger arrived from the factory at 2 lbs. 11.3 oz. It's a nice single stage trigger.
88360
I fitted this rifle with a Vortex 3 - 15 X 44 Viper PST and Warne rings. It now weighs 7.98 lbs.
88361
88362
88363
88364
My first 75 ish rounds downrange were a mix of various factory loads. The rifle seems to like FGMM 77 grain SMK. Those shoot about .75 MOA for five rounds in early testing.
I did experience a good number of failures to feed. The MDT magazine supplied with the rifle was not snug when inserted. The bolt would occasionally fail to strip off the top round from the magazine. The same was true with Magpul AICS magazines. My suspicion was that the bottom metal was not inletted deeply enough into the stock.
I contacted Christensen Arms using their online warranty return system and quickly received a prepaid UPS shipping label. I received an email from CA acknowledging receipt of the rifle. The following day, I received another email stating that the rifle had even repaired. Then followed a return UPS tracking number. Total turnaround time was 10 days, including shipping both ways.
The rifle now feeds flawlessly from both MDT and Magpul magazines. CA included a thank you card and T shirt in the box.
It's way too early to draw any definitive conclusions about this rifle. I can now report that it's light, handy, and accurate. It fills my needs. CA customer service was excellent. I will update after further use. ELN