christensen arms ridgeline, I need help.

[62flint]

@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.

I was stripping the ridgeline down to send back to Christensen arms, Simply had enough. I found loose screws, My scope base had loosened, I torqued it with loctite and bedded, but it loosened, The other very surprising thing I found was very loose action screws, Put it all back together torqued and loctited. Went and shot 15 rounds, The last 3 shots fell in something like 1/4 to 1/3moa.
If any one wants the whole story of load development and fix I would suggest going over to LRO.
Like I said in the beginning this thread was started to inquire about CA customer service and warranty. I hope its fixed, I feel like I stand a really good chance of it being solved, but I will not be 100% convinced until I get good groups on 3 different days.

 

[7MMMagnum]

I have told this story before. Grandson purchased a Christensen arms Mesa 6.5 Creedmoor. Would not group better than 2" with anything we put in it and was very inconsistent. Sent it back to Christensen and they sent it back to us with a target with a one inch group. Anyway, I decided forget the warranty and took the rifle apart. The bedding job was a little dab of epoxy around the recoil lug. I took a hold of the barreled action and it rocked badly in the stock. Easily found the high spot. The recoil lug recess was not cut deep enough for the recoil lug, I removed stock material under the lug and removed their dab of epoxy, then bedded the entire action plus 1 1/2" of barrel channel. Low and behold the thing now shoots 1/2 or better MOA. Very impressive for a factory rifle Just had to work out the bugs.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I was stripping the ridgeline down to send back to Christensen arms, Simply had enough. I found loose screws, My scope base had loosened, I torqued it with loctite and bedded, but it loosened, The other very surprising thing I found was very loose action screws, Put it all back together torqued and loctited. Went and shot 15 rounds, The last 3 shots fell in something like 1/4 to 1/3moa.
If any one wants the whole story of load development and fix I would suggest going over to LRO.
Like I said in the beginning this thread was started to inquire about CA customer service and warranty. I hope its fixed, I feel like I stand a really good chance of it being solved, but I will not be 100% convinced until I get good groups on 3 different days.

Loose screws happen and should always be considered first. Second is optics. Third is barrel. Fourth is poor gun smithing.

 

[62flint]

Loose screws happen and should always be considered first. Second is optics. Third is barrel. Fourth is poor gun smithing.

I am sorry a $2000, rifle should not come with loose action screws , I hope its fixed

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I am sorry a $2000, rifle should not come with loose action screws , I hope its fixed

Probably didn't come with them. They became loose. Same as all the other screws that come loose.

 

[dennisinaz]

My experiences with CA and Fierce have all been poor. Some guys get a good one but you shouldn't have to have a gunsmith go through a $2000 rifle before its even satisfactory. Most all of my $350-400 rifles will shoot under 1.5 moa.

 

[62flint]

Probably didn't come with them. They became loose. Same as all the other screws that come loose.

If so than why didn't it shoot good at first than go to crap? I know It is a chicken or the egg scenario, But I believe those screws where never torqued right from the factory. They are torqued and loctited now, I had some promising groups from my last session, I will not say with 100% certainty that its fixed. But I am feeling better about it.

 

[Darryle]

If so than why didn't it shoot good at first than go to crap? I know It is a chicken or the egg scenario, But I believe those screws where never torqued right from the factory. They are torqued and loctited now, I had some promising groups from my last session, I will not say with 100% certainty that its fixed. But I am feeling better about it.

Possibly the wear in process hadn't began when the screws loosened. Maybe the action settled under recoil and once it eventually settled the screws became loose.

Interesting none the less, did you happen to notice any high points or uneven bedding that would prevent the action from seating fully on the first attempt?

I use the tighten/loosen method when I seat anything that requires being torqued, especially composite parts. It is lsomething that followed me home from work. I tighten and torque 3 times, approximately 80% of final torque the first time, 90% the second time and 100% for the final torque with a period of time of rest between.

Unless it is metal on metal, then it is 100% each time.

 

[62flint]

My experiences with CA and Fierce have all been poor. Some guys get a good one but you shouldn't have to have a gunsmith go through a $2000 rifle before its even satisfactory. Most all of my $350-400 rifles will shoot under 1.5 moa.

My experiences with CA and Fierce have all been poor. Some guys get a good one but you shouldn't have to have a gunsmith go through a $2000 rifle before its even satisfactory. Most all of my $350-400 rifles will shoot under 1.5 moa.

Possibly the wear in process hadn't began when the screws loosened. Maybe the action settled under recoil and once it eventually settled the screws became loose.

Interesting none the less, did you happen to notice any high points or uneven bedding that would prevent the action from seating fully on the first attempt?

I use the tighten/loosen method when I seat anything that requires being torqued, especially composite parts. It is lsomething that followed me home from work. I tighten and torque 3 times, approximately 80% of final torque the first time, 90% the second time and 100% for the final torque with a period of time of rest between.

Unless it is metal on metal, then it is 100% each time.

No the bedding looked good,
I did notice after I put if back together. The first 10 shots where around one inch, then suddenly it shot a group that cut one hole. The rifle has never shot better than about 1 1/4 inches mostly 1 1/2 to 3 inches since I took it out of the box. I did get one load to shoot .75moa at 100yards. But I noticed POI was different each day and even those group sizes where not consistent. That's why I decided to send it back to CA .
So where the screws loose when I took it out of the box? I think so. But know one knows for sure nor can they prove it.
Why didn't I check the screws earlier, Because I simply didn't think I needed to on a brand new rifle, Chalk that one up to live and learn.
Is it fixed ? I font know yet. I feel better about the rifle. But until I shoot it 3 more different days and maintain sub moa groups I will not be 100% convinced.
Why am I putting this out here to maybe make myself look like a dumb a@@ ? Because I really do not care what people think, If some one comes along that's having a problem with their rifle and reads this and it helps them, great . Because if nothing else I can be a good bad example.
Ps I am going to retorque the screws before I shoot it again., Hell they probably gonna get a torque wrench every cleaning now. lol

 

[taylorms]

A thread was created to ask about warranty- "Not trying to bash any manufacturer". 9 pages of bashing later, the OP admits that the problem was user created, not the manufacturer's. Then, on the same page, the OP is blaming the Manufacturer. In my unsolicited opinion, you should get rid of this rifle. It appears you are not going to be happy with it.

 

[62flint]

A thread was created to ask about warranty- "Not trying to bash any manufacturer". 9 pages of bashing later, the OP admits that the problem was user created, not the manufacturer's. Then, on the same page, the OP is blaming the Manufacturer. In my unsolicited opinion, you should get rid of this rifle. It appears you are not going to be happy with it.

If you read in my last post I said I believe the screws where loose from the manufacture.
I am not sure how you think loose action screws are a user created problem?
As for me getting rid of this rifle ?
If I was going to do that it would of been done already.
I have lots of rifles that I had to tune and work the bugs out of. They did turn out to be good shooters.
The reputation of CA and quality control issues is what got me to thinking in the first place about sending it back.
If it was a used rifle or a different manufacturer. I would of pulled it down long before this point.
As for bashing CA. A lot of folks jumped on this post and started beating.
Any way. I think it's fixed. I was hoping to share my experience for the next guy.

 

[Darryle]

No the bedding looked good,
I did notice after I put if back together. The first 10 shots where around one inch, then suddenly it shot a group that cut one hole.

That sounds like a seating issue, I suspect there is a tight area in the bedding that keeps the action from fully seating after reassembly.

I would continue to shoot it, but when you pull it apart, look at the action and bedding for a shiny area, shinier than the rest, that will be your problem area. Look at the shanks of the screws too, if it has pillars, it's possible that they are not square or centered.

I think a trip to a real gunsmith to have it bedded and/or correctly pillar bedded would be a step in the right direction and probably cure any suspicions you might have.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I still seem to be learning the hard way that if I don't check all of the mounting screws on a rifle that is new or comes into the shop, it will turn out to be a problem. I have wasted more shots than I care to admit because of loose action screws or scope mounts. The rule is tighten everything first. It bites me if I ignore the rule. This bit us on this last trip to Africa. My daughter's rifle that has been very solid for several years started having trouble with the scope moving. We tightened the rings. It was still having issues. Got home to find out the front mount had come loose on the action. I'm starting to learn these things need to be checked periodically.

 

[LkeAF]

Sorry you've had troubles with your Ridgeline. I've had one in 300 WM for 7 years with @ 2000 rounds through it and it still shoots lights out. My buddy has one in 6.5 Creed and it's pretty much the same. I never found factory ammo that would do much better than 1 moa. My handloads are a different story. I'm shooting 77.2 gr H1K in Nosler brass lit by Fed 215M behind a 190 VLD seated to the lands getting 3K fps MV. It's killed a couple dozen deer and elk and only one needed a follow up shot (my point here is that POI was exactly where I was aiming). I've definitely had some loose screws on bases and stock over the years, but I assumed that was normal and is part of what I check on all my rifles. Anyway, not to beat a dead horse here, but if you haven't tried handloads, I would encourage it.