christensen arms ridgeline, I need help.

[fnlights]

Looks like the OP got it figured out over on LRO.

 

[62flint]

Looks like the OP got it figured out over on LRO.

I may have, Need to shoot is some more to verify. But I did get one load to shoot one 3 shot group slightly under .75inches at 100 yards .
I did this post here just to see if any one had experience with Christensen arms warranty process and repairs. Since accuracy can be so subjective.
I had no Idea it was going to blow up into a now 7 page thread.
I have been handloading and shooting for about 40 years now. Shot in various competitions since 1986, some at the national level. This rifle has been a challenge.
If I decide to send it back I will be interested in what Ca says. If I decide to not send it back or Ca will not touch it. I will pull it apart and dissect it my self with some friends and I will figure out just what she's made of.
I am not pulling it apart and doing any thing just to have Ca tell me I voided the warranty for mods.
Again my intention was to never bash a manufacture, A bad apple can squeak out with any one at times, or a bad batch of components could come through.
My intent was to get first hand experience from folks on Ca customer service. That was all.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

I may have, Need to shoot is some more to verify. But I did get one load to shoot one 3 shot group slightly under .75inches at 100 yards .
I did this post here just to see if any one had experience with Christensen arms warranty process and repairs. Since accuracy can be so subjective.
I had no Idea it was going to blow up into a now 7 page thread.
I have been handloading and shooting for about 40 years now. Shot in various competitions since 1986, some at the national level. This rifle has been a challenge.
If I decide to send it back I will be interested in what Ca says. If I decide to not send it back or Ca will not touch it. I will pull it apart and dissect it my self with some friends and I will figure out just what she's made of.
I am not pulling it apart and doing any thing just to have Ca tell me I voided the warranty for mods.
Again my intention was to never bash a manufacture, A bad apple can squeak out with any one at times, or a bad batch of components could come through.
My intent was to get first hand experience from folks on Ca customer service. That was all.

So what was your fix? May be helpful for others who have similar issues.

 

[62flint]

So what was your fix? May be helpful for others who have similar issues.

Seating depth. 005 off either way. The group opens up an inch more.
I have fine tuned seating depths before. But I have never had a rifle where group size jumped a inch with .005 in a seating depth change. But maybe I have just been lucky.
I will shoot a bunch of factory loads through this rifle in a week or two. And post pictures.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

I was never a "small" seating depth adjustment guy either. Then I found youtube. crazy what .003" can do if you are right on the edge...

 

[62flint]

I was never a "small" seating depth adjustment guy either. Then I found youtube. crazy what .003" can do if you are right on the edge...

Yeah. I have seen small amounts work before. But it's always been a walk them in sort of thing. Not move the seating depth .003 and group size jumps 1moa.
But I may have just been lucky. I don't know. Thats why I ask.

 

[Harry Knutz]

I have a 7 mm rem Mag that came with a tight throat just before the lands. It built up copper fouling and would not except a loaded cartridge as the bullet was larger than the inside of the copper fouled throat. Christian would not warranty it because I had used handloads in it. I honed out the throat and everything works fine. Too bad for a $2000 rifle.

How do you "Hone the Throat"

 

[mhart1371]

Seating depth. 005 off either way. The group opens up an inch more.
I have fine tuned seating depths before. But I have never had a rifle where group size jumped a inch with .005 in a seating depth change. But maybe I have just been lucky.
I will shoot a bunch of factory loads through this rifle in a week or two. And post pictures.

That's exactly what my ridgeline did when developing my present load.

 

[rockhill IV]

I have a ridgeline in 300wm, I can not for the life of me get it to group consistently better than 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. I have shot it off a bench with bipods, sandbags, and a rest, . Prone off of bipods.
I am about ready to throw in the towel and send it back, My fear is they will just bounce it back and say no its normal.
I shoot other rifles and they all can hold better than one inch at 100 yards. So I am pretty confident I should be able to shoot this rifle under an inch off the bench at 100yards.
Any one have any experience with Christensen arms warranty?
Not trying to bash any manufacturer. I was just curious how they handle things like this

 

[rockhill IV]

Try a 200 grain ELDX with 76.5 grains of H1000. Results are good out of a friends CA Mesa.

 

[James DeTorre]

More along the lines on sympopathy, I have three CA rifles. My 300 WM will shoot about anything , especially found of Power Hammers, 150 over moderate charge do Mag Pro
Unfortunately my 280ai is very temperamental. Settled on 140 ABs with H1000.or factory 160Bergers.
7-08 Mesa in between the above two.
Wouldnt trade 300. 280ai( my favorite round) is open for debate.
After 40lus years of hunting I would spend more on fewer rifles if it was to be done again.

 

[Jon Bischof]

I have a ridgeline in 300wm, I can not for the life of me get it to group consistently better than 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. I have shot it off a bench with bipods, sandbags, and a rest, . Prone off of bipods.
I am about ready to throw in the towel and send it back, My fear is they will just bounce it back and say no its normal.
I shoot other rifles and they all can hold better than one inch at 100 yards. So I am pretty confident I should be able to shoot this rifle under an inch off the bench at 100yards.
Any one have any experience with Christensen arms warranty?
Not trying to bash any manufacturer. I was just curious how they handle things like this

I did a lot of research before putting my money down, not only read reviews but especially paid attention to owners who posted target results from their rifles.
Looked at targets from the exact rifle and cartridge I was considering. Could not even find a less than stellar review. But I am careful with my money.
Saw lots of bad reviews of Christensen, so I eliminated them from consideration. So glad I did because a lot more horrible experiences have been posted since then. Anyone who does their homework can find better rifles than Christensen. See lots of folks who paid thousands who end having to settle for 0.75 MOA and say they are happy to finally get that. There will be more threads like this as long as people keep buying without really doing good research. Need a large sample size to draw reliable conclusions. So, "Elmer said his Christensen shoots great" doesn't nullify all the quality problems so many are having with them.

 

[MW204]

Interesting subject, I have looked at CA, and even thought about it buying one for a second, but since I build my own that thought disappeared real quick once I saw the price tag, and after reading these posts I'm glad I did.
I'm currently on my first 300WM build, I'm shooting 178 Absolute Hammer bullets, last I checked I was at 3350fps, nailing them at 100, 200, 300, and my first 400-yds shots today were <1". Not bad for a guy that doesn't stretch one out very often as most of my shots at deer over the past 35 years have been 100-150 yds max. Today deer hunting is a different story, my shots could be up to 4-500 yds, I got to pay more attention to canting at this distance as I found out today. Time for a bubble level I think.

 

[James DeTorre]

So , I don't have time or inclination to source a fully custom rifle.
what's the groups feeling about best factory rifle?
Buy three Tikkas shoot them all and keep the best one?