christensen arms ridgeline, I need help.

[bballard]

Nosler model 21

 

[62flint]

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?

If you bought 3 tikkas , you are getting close to one custom. Seekens precision looks good Pederson precision is another

 

[MW204]

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?

That might not be a bad idea. I've never priced a Tikkas until today and most of them don't cost as much as I thought they would. Even their pricier rifles were below 2K so that's not too bad either. I've bought some really good Remington heavy barrel rifles in the past that shot good so that might be an option too. I've never owned a Savage but I hear they have improved dramatically over the past 10 years so that could be an option too.
I build rifles, but not for the public, and you can build one pretty cheap yourself with just a few simple tools and some guidance.

 

[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.

Went back out this morning, made a two click adjustment to the left, made sure I wasn't canted the best I could and let two rounds fly.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Off the shelf I would look at Gunwerks, Weatherby, Browning, Cooper. If wanting to keep price down then Tikka and Ruger American.

 

[Jon Bischof]

Sauer 100 with no modifications is the best out of the box rifle. I have 2 Sauer 100's and a Mauser M18. They shoot many loads well.

 

[Old Rooster]

Sauer 100 with no modifications is the best out of the box rifle. I have 2 Sauer 100's and a Mauser M18. They shoot many loads well.

I have looked at the Sauer 100 and that is the slickest bolt throw I have ever felt.
The problem I didn't get one is the 1:11 twist in 300 win mag and I thought my loads may not work well in that twist.
Jon was I wrong?

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I have looked at the Sauer 100 and that is the slickest bolt throw I have ever felt.
The problem I didn't get one is the 1:11 twist in 300 win mag and I thought my loads may not work well in that twist.
Jon was I wrong?

Good call.

 

[62flint]

Well, shot it again the morning, 20 rounds with the load that was giving me .75ish inch groups, Its still there at .75inches at 100 yards.
So I tried factory berger 185, hornady 190 match, federal gold medal match and federal premium berger 215. None of them cracked moa.
I have a return label from CA and RMA number, I am taking my scope and base off boxing the *** up and its going in the mail Monday. F it I have spent to much time and money trying to get this thing to shoot.
If Ca says it meets standards then I will send it to a competent gunsmith to re barrel.

 

[Old Rooster]

Well, shot it again the morning, 20 rounds with the load that was giving me .75ish inch groups, Its still there at .75inches at 100 yards.
So I tried factory berger 185, hornady 190 match, federal gold medal match and federal premium berger 215. None of them cracked moa.
I have a return label from CA and RMA number, I am taking my scope and base off boxing the *** up and its going in the mail Monday. F it I have spent to much time and money trying to get this thing to shoot.
If Ca says it meets standards then I will send it to a competent gunsmith to re barrel.

Do not tell them you reload as that will stop all contact and conversation.Just talk about the factory ammo and let the forum know the results as we all feel your pain.

 

[62flint]

Do not tell them you reload as that will stop all contact and conversation.Just talk about the factory ammo and let the forum know the results as we all feel your pain.

What reloads

 

[Jon Bischof]

I have looked at the Sauer 100 and that is the slickest bolt throw I have ever felt.
The problem I didn't get one is the 1:11 twist in 300 win mag and I thought my loads may not work well in that twist.
Jon was I wrong?

Well, that depends on your loads. If you load for every individual rifle then I'm pretty sure you could find several that work very well in a Sauer 300 Win Mag. My Sauer 30-06 has a 1:11 Twist and it shoots everything from 165 to 190 grain various bullets very well; but I have not tried anything heavier yet, but eventually will. I did shoot some 220's when I first got it because I had them and I just wanted to get my scope on paper. Now I would like to try them again now that I know this rifle shoots lots of ammo very well.

I'm getting one hole groups at 200 yards with 165's so I guess I'm not in a big hurry to try the heavier longer bullets.

Surely you could get some .308 Hammer bullets that you could do dandy loads, but you might have to go lighter to work with that Twist rate. But ya know they are always saying that speed kills...so there ya go.

 

[Indian7953]

How do you "Hone the Throat"

I almost hate to tell you, except that it worked well. I built a dummy cartridge with the same bullet that I shoot, set at the lands. I drilled and tapped the primer hole To thread onto my cleaning rod that I chucked up in my drill. First I cleaned out all the copper filing in the throat area, then I put lapping compound only on the bullet and turned it back and forth, in and out several times, then cleaned the bullet off and reapplied more lapping compound and repeated this several times, finishing with a finer lapping compound. That's all the clearance that it needed to correct the problem.

 

[the444shooter]

@62flint I see you updated your thread on LRO. Hoping you're squared away. They gave you a lot of good advice as far as trying to eliminate variables to your equation. Just wanted to make sure and remind you that you had a lot of inquiring minds over here too.