Home Forums Hunting & Shooting The Lefty Forum Montana Rifle Company

With all the talk about these being an option to the hard to find lefty Winchesters, who has one and what is your opinion of them. Did you go with the factory barrel or have your smith put on another makers tube? What about the stock?

I have two rifles built on the Montana Left Hand Action , my 243 Win with Pac-Nor barrel and my 264 Win Mag with Montana Barrel. I love the Montana Actions . As far as stocks , on the 243 McMillan Edge and the 264 WM HS Precision

I have three...two are MRC actions and barrels...270wsm and 300 wsm...mc swirly...they are twins..both ss fluted barreled actions bought From MRC think I paid around 500 a piece for them...shoot great...third is a MRC 375 h&h....Serengeti lamanated stock....Ausome gun....

I am in the process of a 300wsm build right now on MRC action. Should be ready in the next few weeks. In discussing options as a lefty with the gunsmith he very much likes the MRC actions. So I decided to listen to him and go with it. He is a long time smith with a great reputation here in the Seattle area.

I went with a #4 fluted Lilja barrel. It will be sitting in a Manners EH2 in elite hunter series (Color = desert hunter). barrel and action will be in black cerakote. Will put murphy titanium rings and base on it.

One thing I liked was the extra length in the mag box on the short actions. I hear people say the extra weight is an issue but based on my estimates the rifle will come around 7.5lbs and i can shave a bit by replacing the factory bottom metal with aluminum and few other mods if needed to balance the rifle.

Bea,

How did you come up with a left hand HS Stock for a Winchester action ? Will HS do custom inlets on request ? I really like the fit and feel of the HS stocks. I had a custom LH Sako .375 in an HS stock that was very comfortable to shoot. A LH MRC action in an HS stock would be a good combination. Unfortunately, their website only shows RH inlets for Winchester actions.

If I buy the action from MRC, what about trigger and bottom metal?

Included? or better options? The trigger is what I'm curious about, Is the MRC trigger identical to the Winny trigger?

This may be the way I need to go to get my .308,

You guys with the Montana barrel, You like?

They're included; trigger is identical to the "old" Model 70 with two jam nuts and bottom metal is identical to the Model 70s; "better options" is subjective with regard to bottom metal. And FYI, the triggers are often stainless -- even on the CM actions.

I used a Left Hand Model 70 HS Stock and altered the floor plate inletting to fit the Montana Metal . The 264 Win MAG in the HS Mod 70 LH Stock . HS did the LH Model 70 Stock for me .

I thought about starting a thread titled "The cult of the LH Winchester" I can't see paying $1600 for a gun that is worth $800 at best. They might be good but not that good. I might buy one at a reasonable price but not at the prices they seem to command. There are other good choices so I could care less what Winchester does in the future.
MRC looks like they make a fine product that should be able to please those who want a controlled round feed rifle. Ruger makes a good product too and actually works at giving us options.

I have two Left Hand Feather Weight Model 70 's , one in 270 Win SS and the other in 270 WSM Blue . I like them, but wouldn't pay the price for another one at today going rate. I purchased my two when Winchester was still selling them at a normal price .

+1....

Thanks for the info. I was not aware that HS would do special requests for LH inlets. The floor plate I can handle. I've done one HS RH to LH for a Rem 700 action. Not again...

I've had two of them. One was a standard short action and the other a long action magnum. I bought both on the charter program when they first started up. I had them barrel the long action in 375 H&H and put it in a Winchester take off stock. It was a good rifle and shot well. I had no issues with the action or the barrel. I sold it recently to fund another project.

The short action was sold several years back when we were facing some medical issues with our son. It never was barreled but it was well finished and actually closer to an intermediate length action. It would handle any of the x57 rounds for length. If I had any complaint about their actions it would be that they are a bit on the heavy side. Their short action would not be my pick for a light rifle.

I would have no issues with another of their actions and am anxiously awaiting the production of their left handed pro hunter actions.

Mart

Here is my Montana in 243 Win Left Hand SS with PacNor Barrel and McMillan Edge

bea, if you held the MRC action in your left hand, and the Winny in your right,

what thought would be going through your mind, How do they compare?

Is there visible differences? Quality,Function? Feeding? Smoothness?

"I'll Take It" lol

Nice Package you've created there bea
24" bbl ?
Rich

The Model 70 action is a tighter more solid action than the Montana . If giving the choice of actions for a new build i would take the Winchester over the Montana Action , but this isn't saying the Montana isn't a great action for a new build . The Montana Action is smooth and feeds very well. I would use and trust the Montana action for a Dangerous Game Rifle Build in a heart beat.

Yes the 243 has a 24 inch barrel turned to match the Winchester Factory Featherweight Barrel Contour

bea that's one fine lookin rig. Absolutely what I have in mind for a future short action stainless build. Although I'll probably just go with a Winchester stock which will require a WSM contour. Montana keeps sayin they will offer lefty synthetic stocks but who knows.

I have a custom 300H&H built on an MRC lefty action. Barrel is a Brux. Stock is an Echol's Legend Carbon.

I emailed MRC middle of the week for a paper catalog, and inquiring about the possibility of a LH XWR-SS. Their response was that they are waiting on the XWR stocks. ETA from the manufacturer is mid-July for the stocks. Catalog showed up today.