Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Christensen Ranger .22

Christensen's new .22 bolt gun is listed in the Cabela's/Bass Pro ad, due to start on Aug 8th, but I had my doubts they'd actually have any in stock. I've been waiting to see one in the flesh. I stopped by Bass Pro, yesterday afternoon, and I was pleasantly surprised to spot one in the rack. After a quick fondle, I decided it needed to come home with me.



First impressions are positive:
-- It sure is light and handy! It weighs 5# 2 oz, bare, and an even 6# with a Leupold 2-7x rimfire with Vortex Pro Series rings.

-- The stock feels good, has a high comb and double-palm swell. The butt plate is kind of squishy, like all Limbsavers, but it's not sticky.

-- The trigger is truly exceptional! It's not match-trigger light, like an Anshutz, but it has an amazing trigger for a hunting rifle.

-- It takes 10/22 magazines, and the particular mag it came with is an actual, Ruger factory magazine (10-rounder). It does not drop free, when you hit the release lever; it's kind of a 2-handed operation...the trigger finger hits the lever, and the other hand plucks the magazine. I'm not sure if I like this or not.



I shot the new Christensen Ranger, today, side-by-side with my Tikka TX-1. My observations:
-- The Ranger shoots well, as well as the Tikka with many of the same types of ammo. They both shoot really well.

-- The feeding on the Ranger isn't nearly as smooth as the TX-1, though, and the extraction/ejection requires a firm flick of the bolt to get the empties to clear the action on the Christensen. If you're lazy on working the bolt, the empty drops on top of the magazine and causes a jam. I hope this smooths out with some more use, because it's pretty annoying.

-- The threaded portion of the Christensen muzzle is LONG. There's about a 1/4" gap, after screwing the suppressor on all the way. There's a gap on the Tikka, as well, but it's only an 1/8-inch, or so. By comparison, the suppressor screws up tight on my Tactical Solutions 10/22 barrel. I'll have to look for a spacer/adaptor, or something, for the two bolt guns. Any ideas?

-- The trigger on the Christensen is amazing, better than the Tikka trigger...which is no slouch.

-- The Ranger is lighter than the TX-1, and feels much more handy. The Tikka stock has a chunky feel to it, compared to the Christensen.

-- The TX-1 action has a more solid feel to it, though, and it feeds MUCH smoother...even with the fugly Tikka magazine.

-- The Limbsaver butt pad on the Christensen stays put on my shoulder. The Tikka buttplate slips and slides around quite a bit. I never noticed it before shooting the Ranger, but I sure do now.



Retail prices at Cabela's/Bass Pro are $499 for the Tikka TX-1 and $749 for the Christensen Ranger.