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Joined: May 2011
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Thanks for the insights Randy. I'm seriously thinking about picking one up.

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Originally Posted by Snowwolfe
Just read a post and learned Christensen Arms makes a lefty Mesa. Thinking about one in 7mm/08 or .308.

Can anyone offer any feedback on this rifle?

Thanks


Here, as a lefty and also interested, is my take: they advertise the SA as about 6.5 lbs. I’ve read reviews where the rifles were 4 to 6 or 8 oz heavier than that. Certainly, the one I hefted in a LGS was way over the 6.5 lb Mark. It was as much a lightweight rifle as the blunt end of a carrot is streamlined. I find this irksome first of all because their advertisement is apparently untrue. Secondly, if there is that much variation in weight, what other features vary by that much. Pretty soon the “Mesa” is a bunch of different rifles.

I also find the $1200 + price pretty reasonable for the features listed...but, wait! That’s for right-handed Rifles; the lefties are $1500 + or $300 more.

I’m not sure at all it offers $800 of value over the Tikka; in fact, I doubt it.

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George,
The more a rifle costs the less value you receive per $1 spent. We could all hunt with used Savages we picked up for $350 at a Pawn shop that shoot under MOA but where is the fun in this? Same thing could be said for the Ruger Americans

A shooter could always buy a lefty short action Remington 700. Next a decent stainless barrel and have a smith chamber and install it as well as a brake with a thread protector. Remember to pay to have the bolt skeletonized as well. Now buy a Triggertech trigger. Then send it off to get a good cerakote finish installed. Final step is to buy a decent carbon fiber stock and have a smith bed it. That would get you as close as you can to the MESA

Speaking for myself, variety is the key to keeping most of us older guys interested in this hobby. A rifle like a Mesa is not for everyone, but it sure is nice having the choice to buy one.

PS: I just bought a new lefty Savage Storm in .308


My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her they cost.
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Snow-, I understand and maybe I am being too critical. I will admit the Mesa meets the “eyeball” test — it’s a good looking rifle and the bolt is slicked up with a Nitride finish and it has a good trigger. But when you see a fluted bolt, skeletonized bolt, even fluted shroud, you think “light” until you pick it up. I’ve also read of quite spotty “spot bedding” around the lug and action.

And then the extra $275-300 for being a lefty? That’s real discrimination..😉

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I have 2 of the Mesas. They are extremely well built rifles and both are shooters. Definitely not lightweight though. All up, even with pretty light scopes, they are around 8 lbs. Only thing I wish they'd change other than weight is to have a matching thread protector instead of the knurled black one.

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George, No debate from me on your points, especially the price difference. I'll only add the bedding on my rifle is "solid". It appears to go the full length of the stock, from the rear tang to the end of the forearm. There are no spots of bedding compound anywhere. Just one solid mass. Maybe this is why the rifles weigh more?


My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her they cost.
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Ammo-, glad yours shoots. I’ve heard only good reports about general accuracy.

Snow-, that’s interesting. In the LGS, I could easily run a dollar bill between the barrel and forearm all the way to the action.

Edit: props to CA’s for making a lefty, but these are on Rem actions — does the Rem LA action justify several hundred dollars more? I don’t know.

Last edited by George_De_Vries_3rd; 08/31/19.
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Originally Posted by George_De_Vries_3rd
Snow-, that’s interesting. In the LGS, I could easily run a dollar bill between the barrel and forearm all the way to the action.
.


George,
What I meant was there was no gaps in the bedding material. On some rifles the builder puts a glob of material around the recoil lug and calls it good. The inside of the stock is a mirror finish of the barreled action but the barrel is free floated. The inside of the stock looks as good as the outside.


My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her they cost.
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Ok, good enough snow-. Good luck with yours; I may still go that way too but the $1539 lefty price tag in contrast with the $1239 right-handed one is a little tough for me to swallow at the moment.

On the other hand not too many semi-customs offer a lefty.

Do you remember that 458 Lott lefty MRC action I bought from you when you were still in AK?

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I remember the rifle but not the name who bought it, sorry
Hope it still treats you well. Did you come to my house and pick it up in person? It was in a McMillan stock, correct?
Check Buds, the Mesa was $1,359.
Euro Optics had a similar price but unfortunately they changed their polices and added on my states sales tax. This added $130 to the price so I bought from Buds.


My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her they cost.
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No, you shipped it to my FFL. It was a pretty nice rifle and shot well but as plans changed, “it went down the road.” I don’t think it was in a McM but I could be wrong about that.

That price is $200 less than my go-to store.

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Picked mine up from Euro optics. At the time they were only place i could find em. I had s local dealer looking for one.

I forget price. But they knocked some % off the website price for using e-check instead of CC.


Dave

�The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it.� Lou Holtz



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Just bought the CA larger bolt knob and replaced the small one that came with my Mesa. Much better when cycling...

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