.300 Dakota
Well-Known Member
So I was at work Friday morning minding my own business, and I get an email from a major area LGS in the area I moved from 10 years ago about a flash sale good for 1 weekend only. I get one of these once about every couple months or so, depending on season, and I normally delete them and forget about it. This time, however, they were marking down most of their higher-end Christensen Arms rifles.
Let me say that I have never been a supporter of CA. I think their guns are gorgeous, and they feel well-built and amazing to my hands. However, I've heard about as much negative as positive in reviews on the accuracy of their rifles. I wanted a Mesa awhile back, but did enough review reading to be dissuaded from the purchase. Even at a great sale price of $900 plus.
In this iteration of the flash sale, however, they were advertising Model 14s (Traverse) for $1699. The add stated 7mm caliber. I let it ride for the day, as I was working until time for the store to close 4 hours north. The next day, yesterday, I had to work until 1pm. I knew the store closed at 7. We had bad weather rolling through, so that was going to be a factor in time. On my way home from work, I called and asked if they had any left. He said they didn't have any 7mms. I asked what he had that was going for the stated sale price. He had a couple of 6.5 PRCs, and that was it. I said pull one and put my name on it, I'm on my way from 4 hours south. I ran home, took the dogs out, loaded one up with me in my Camry (what was I thinking?? My seats were nearly ruined! The dog has only ridden in my truck! I needed company and a partner in crime, I suppose.)
I arrived with less than an hour til they closed. I took the Camry instead of my truck because the difference in gas money over an 8-hr round trip would have nearly negated the savings in the cost of the rifle. He asked if I was the guy who was driving from 4 hours out, and I said that it was me. He said he'd sold the other one and had 2 guys come in to buy mine before I got there. He said if I hadn't asked for it to be held, it would be gone.
So I'm not necessarily a fan of CA, and I'm definitely not a fan of the 6.5 PRC. Had one custom built, though not real fancy. It did have a 26" Bartlein barrel. I found the ballistics to be identical to the 6.5x284 I'd hunted with around 8 years ago, even with 5 or 6 grains more case capacity. The CA Traverse has a 24" barrel, not 26. There's also STILL no brass available, and little in the way of hunting ammo.
So after inspection of the firearm, here's what I found:
1) 4-baffle high-discharge brake same diameter as barrel with 4 removeable screws in the top to mitigate muzzle rise. I thought this was a "Little Bastard" brake until I inspected closely. The holes in the top are significantly larger than thosevin the Little Bastard. I've read review articles continuously since I saw the ad, so I knew removing the 2nd and 4th effectively neutralized the muzzle rise. I also learned to expect significant muzzle blast. That might be an issue. I can always install something else if need be. EGW has a radial brake for this gun if needed.
2) TriggerTech trigger broke at ALMOST 2 1/2 pounds out of the box. It felt about perfect!
3) Action is steel pillar and spot epoxy bedded into the carbon stock.
4) A Picatinney rail is mounted already. Ordered Vortex Pro Series rings to mount a 56mm Zeiss. I read to make sure the rail is tight. At least 1 review reported it becoming loose on the range.
5) Proprietary action is very smooth and sexy with enlarged port, fluted bolt, fluted oversized tactical knob, and fluted shroud. Handle has been somewhat skeletonized, also. We are talking Tikka-smooth, not Defiance- or Nesika Bay- smooth.
6) Carbon stock is solid as a rock and has a very nice palm swell and roll-over cheek piece for right-handed shooters only. It's not the ultralight hand-layup version of carbon stock built by AG Composites or Mesa Precision, but it's definitely more solid!
7) 4" Picatinney rail underneath the front of the forearm for mounting to a bipod/tripod, etc.
8) Bottom metal is billet aluminum with floor plate.
9) It carries well owing to the semi-beavertail forend, and has a Limb Saver recoil pad.
10) The safety and side bolt-release are very easy and predictable to operate.
11) I couldn't find any negative reviews of the Traverse in all the articles I read. Any listing range results had it at a 1/3 MOA tack driver. Now to find good loading components.
Let me say that I have never been a supporter of CA. I think their guns are gorgeous, and they feel well-built and amazing to my hands. However, I've heard about as much negative as positive in reviews on the accuracy of their rifles. I wanted a Mesa awhile back, but did enough review reading to be dissuaded from the purchase. Even at a great sale price of $900 plus.
In this iteration of the flash sale, however, they were advertising Model 14s (Traverse) for $1699. The add stated 7mm caliber. I let it ride for the day, as I was working until time for the store to close 4 hours north. The next day, yesterday, I had to work until 1pm. I knew the store closed at 7. We had bad weather rolling through, so that was going to be a factor in time. On my way home from work, I called and asked if they had any left. He said they didn't have any 7mms. I asked what he had that was going for the stated sale price. He had a couple of 6.5 PRCs, and that was it. I said pull one and put my name on it, I'm on my way from 4 hours south. I ran home, took the dogs out, loaded one up with me in my Camry (what was I thinking?? My seats were nearly ruined! The dog has only ridden in my truck! I needed company and a partner in crime, I suppose.)
I arrived with less than an hour til they closed. I took the Camry instead of my truck because the difference in gas money over an 8-hr round trip would have nearly negated the savings in the cost of the rifle. He asked if I was the guy who was driving from 4 hours out, and I said that it was me. He said he'd sold the other one and had 2 guys come in to buy mine before I got there. He said if I hadn't asked for it to be held, it would be gone.
So I'm not necessarily a fan of CA, and I'm definitely not a fan of the 6.5 PRC. Had one custom built, though not real fancy. It did have a 26" Bartlein barrel. I found the ballistics to be identical to the 6.5x284 I'd hunted with around 8 years ago, even with 5 or 6 grains more case capacity. The CA Traverse has a 24" barrel, not 26. There's also STILL no brass available, and little in the way of hunting ammo.
So after inspection of the firearm, here's what I found:
1) 4-baffle high-discharge brake same diameter as barrel with 4 removeable screws in the top to mitigate muzzle rise. I thought this was a "Little Bastard" brake until I inspected closely. The holes in the top are significantly larger than thosevin the Little Bastard. I've read review articles continuously since I saw the ad, so I knew removing the 2nd and 4th effectively neutralized the muzzle rise. I also learned to expect significant muzzle blast. That might be an issue. I can always install something else if need be. EGW has a radial brake for this gun if needed.
2) TriggerTech trigger broke at ALMOST 2 1/2 pounds out of the box. It felt about perfect!
3) Action is steel pillar and spot epoxy bedded into the carbon stock.
4) A Picatinney rail is mounted already. Ordered Vortex Pro Series rings to mount a 56mm Zeiss. I read to make sure the rail is tight. At least 1 review reported it becoming loose on the range.
5) Proprietary action is very smooth and sexy with enlarged port, fluted bolt, fluted oversized tactical knob, and fluted shroud. Handle has been somewhat skeletonized, also. We are talking Tikka-smooth, not Defiance- or Nesika Bay- smooth.
6) Carbon stock is solid as a rock and has a very nice palm swell and roll-over cheek piece for right-handed shooters only. It's not the ultralight hand-layup version of carbon stock built by AG Composites or Mesa Precision, but it's definitely more solid!
7) 4" Picatinney rail underneath the front of the forearm for mounting to a bipod/tripod, etc.
8) Bottom metal is billet aluminum with floor plate.
9) It carries well owing to the semi-beavertail forend, and has a Limb Saver recoil pad.
10) The safety and side bolt-release are very easy and predictable to operate.
11) I couldn't find any negative reviews of the Traverse in all the articles I read. Any listing range results had it at a 1/3 MOA tack driver. Now to find good loading components.
