Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Downfall of Montana Rifle Company.....

I bought an X2 in 7mm08 years ago. My initial impression was it was a pound too heavy and the safety was very stiff to operate. Cycled really good, was very accurate fit and finish was good. I had the barrel cut back at the factory when I ordered it so it came to me with a 22 vs a 24 barrel. I scoped it with a swaro 3-10 x 42 and hunted with it a few times. At about that time I bought another hunting rifle I really liked so I used that rifle as my primary and hauled the MRC along with me as a spare. This past year I decided to use the MRC in AL where I hunt from a climber stand. The more I used it the more I liked it. Shorter barrel made it slightly more handy and that extra pound helped me stay steady on the rest if the stand. It rains a lot and AL is a muddy mess and red clay gets on everything. It was nice to just wipe the rifle down at the end of the day. Just a really nice rifle to use. Two years ago I would have entered it in the “rifles I wish I hadn't bought contest” but after using it I am happy with it. However they had just too many quality control issues for the price and time it took to get one.

That is exactly what I thought the first time I saw that! Dang, I’m certainly no machinist, but I could do better with a chisel and a ball peen hammer!
🤣🤣🤣🤣

I love all the armchair machinist talking about how impeccable their milling skills are.

Below is a group shot by the gun with the "bad machining."

I like mine.

We know that the greatest, most well informed riflemen in all of North America, are from Montana, just ask Brad.

Geeze, just the name alone "Montana Rifle Co. They shouldve bankrupted Ruger, winchester, savage, etc.

My favorite product from Montana is Country Pasta egg noodles. Makes the best fkn moose stew iver ever had.

I bought a LH Montana Xtreme X3 a few years back in 7mm-08. Spent $$$ trying to get it to group better that 2.5 inches. Sent it back to MCR once and took it to two gunsmiths before the second one discovered the last ten inches of the barrel were not lapped. At this point, I had so much money in it I thought I would continue this expensive lesson…. Ordered a Krieger barrel for it and one year $800 later it finally shoots 1/2 minute or better. I like the action as it’s smooth and problem free. Just wish I had gotten a better barre in the beginning.

I have a MRC Xtreme X3 mine shoots well but I’ve read where it could be… hit or miss. It’s my favorite bad weather rifle. It has most of the features that I like in a hunting rifle and has a nice fit and finish.

Piss poor customer service and they didn't stand behind their product or advertise correctly

These days, I'd seriously entertain buying them for 400.....

They may be poor shooters, but they are only a barrel change away from being awesome shooters- and the FN actions are about the smoothest actions you can buy....

I bought one of those first offerings where you could choose your own serial number.
I bought a stainless short action and sent it to Redneck to have a 243AI built. Lilja bbl, green swirley McMillan etc. Some here on the fire called it the bowling ball rifle due to that swirley pattern but I liked it.

I might be wrong but if I remember correctly he said it took some cleaning up and probably wasn't real impressed.

But, when I got it it was smooth as can be and shot very well.. I loved it.

Unfortunately, it was stolen out of my truck on a stop over in Lincoln Ne on the way to a WY deer hunt. I'm still butt hurt over that.

BTW, the Lincoln cops could not have cared less. That whole experience was an eye opener.

If I could find a stainless short action today I'd do it all again.....

Exactly. Be fun to build on one or two......

I got rid of my mrc campfire special 260 last year. I found a load it liked and it shot well I just never used it and didn't like the idea of parts no longer being available. I talked to a guy that worked for MRC until the end and he said the last owner really screwed them all over. After talking to him I lost interest in my mrc.

Bb

Just in case anyone is interested in the CZ 03, there is one in .270WSm on Gunbroker (no affiliation with me). As I write this, it is at $749 with 1 bid:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/952992743

update: sold for $749

I've got two of the MRC rifles so far. One a ASR 270 new in box. The other a XWR in 300 Win purchased from a gentleman here. The 300 went out for an initial sight in yesterday and I must say I'm extremely pleased. 3/4 inch groups with a 17 MPH cross wind at 100 yards. Will say though that the 300 definitely needs a trigger job. 3 distinct regions of travel in the trigger. Overall pull is just a tad heavy for my liking but not bad for a hunting rifle. The regions of travel needs to be fixed though.

Based on my experience so far, I'll probably pickup more of these if anyone wants to sell theirs for a reasonable price!

Anyone else seen this?

https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/montana-rifle-company-returning-in-2023/

I did. I would love if they would actually bring out the Mini action (especially left hand) they had planned at one time. And yes I know it’s highly unlikely they will!

Sent them a message asking if they had any idea on what models are planned for the initial run

A few months ago, on a whim I picked up one of the last Xtreme Ascent rifles, this one with a blind magazine. Other than opening the box to make sure everything was in it I've never had it out of the box. It was NIB when I bought it, so it's never been fired since it left the factory either. Unfortunately, it's chambered in 6.5CM which I have zero interest in, so I'm thinking about either rebarrelling it to 7x57 or 7-08 or just leaving it as it is. It has a 24 inch fluted Featherweight profile barrel, and I think they were advertised as weighing right at 6 pounds or so. I have no idea how many were made before MRC closed shop; perhaps it's one of the models that will return if MRC indeed resurrects itself.

The 1999 action is a great design. Hopefully MRC is able to come back to life, but I'd only be interested if the comeback included better QC and better customer service. Otherwise, they'd be better off not wasting everyone's time.

A MRC X3 in 26 Nosler:

I have a build on an MRC action that should be done any day now. I am hoping they get a solid footing with the relaunch so that, if nothing else, parts will be available should I need something down the road.