Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Montana Rifle Company XWR-SS - Range Report

I like the looks of the new MRC stock too. It's much more slender than the chunky B&C the EW uses. The MRC also comes in a left hand version which is excellent for those of us in our right minds...

Larry Craven got back to me quickly, changing the twist would require a trip through the custom shop and would cost $1968.37 plus shipping. With the new stock he said weight would be 7 lbs 2 oz which isn't bad.

I would definitely prefer a 1 in 8 twist on a 264 WM but it does sound like the Winchester 1 in 9 264's shoot all but the most sleek 140's well.

I think this thread has cost me some money. Was just browsing their website and ran across the "Colorado Buck" Special Edition. Now I have no idea who Colorado Buck is and I don't want his name on my gun but I would love to have one set up just like that, without the muzzle brake in 9.3x62. Maybe with some decent open sights.

Like the many who have posted prior, this thread is killing me....I gotta move a couple rifles now....

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm waiting to see what some of their customs look like (wood and blue).

Received two questions, which I still needed to answer:

1. What does the barreled action weigh? Answer right at 5# +/- a few ounces between the 260 (22" barrel) and 308 (24" barrel), which includes the stainless mag box, but does not include the bottom metal. The stock and bottom metal weigh right at 2# together.

2. What is the balance point? Here is the 308 (24") balancing on a single end of a cleaning cradle.



Here are some more photos, since it was disassembled to answer the first question. Everything appears to be stainless steel except the mag spring.



Sturdy bottom metal.



Stout recoil lug, integral with the receiver.



The mag box itself is very sturdy.



The 260 stock had been opened up considerably for a nice free float fit.



Bedding in the tang.

[img]http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k55/jeffbird2/IMG_1165_zps2c9ad008.jpg[/img]

Aluminum bedding block running the length of the receiver. Both action screws go through the bedding block.



Bedding in the recoil lug and just forward.



Bedding under the bottom metal - forward. What appears as white is really reflection of light off the surface.




Bedding under the bottom metal - rear.



Close up of the trigger.

The crown.



Hard to imagine what other questions can remain, but happy to answer them if I can.

The only negative so far has been the Farrell pic rail, which is Farrell's issue, not MRC's. It sticks the scope up too high for my tastes, and even in low rings, the NF x56 sits too high. Also, it does not fit particularly well. Another balance shot for Dave with the big scope.



Here is the 260 ready to go to the range for some more load work, back wearing the NF 5.5-22x56 in low Talley lightweights. Need to order some mediums for this scope. The Talley lows work well for the 2.5-10x42.

Thanks jbird. That pic of the balance point is exactly what I wanted to see.

Now to get one with the lighter stock and about a 20 or 21" barrel in .308, mount maybe a Leupie 6 x 42 in maybe Talley lights, should finish up around 7 1/2lb give or take. Should be just about what I want.

Thoughts?

Dave.

Dave, glad that answered your question. Sorry it took so long. Finally catching up on loading and rifle stuff.

22" is about as short as I like in 308, or most others for that matter. Any shorter than that and muzzle blast becomes unpleasant, at least to me. The 260 with the 22" barrel really feels nice in hand. I used it in our brush this year, and it was a very handy length.

This rifle has a very solid build and feel, which I like. I am happy with it as is, and much prefer it to the Kimber Montana it replaced, which was just above 6# all up. Pick the scope you like. Fixed scopes do not do much for me and I've been through a handful through the years. If I were to go hauling up mountains, the NF 2.5-10x42 with MOAR would be riding up top.

MRC shows a lighter rifle on their website called the Colorado Buck. I have no idea who he is. No weight is given, but the rifle looks like it should be lighter. It has a Kevlar stock and #2 contour barrel for some rounds, and #5 for others. (There is no contour # given for the XWR's, so not sure where it falls.) Shaving the bottom metal, mag box, and here and there on the receiver could lighten things some more too. List price is $1850.

Then they have a custom shop, which probably could shave everything to just about whatever your back and wallet can bear.

These will be seeing more range time this year. They really feel nice in hand, and are pleasant to shoot. I'll put up a range report now and then as they have more rounds down them.

So I stopped by their booth at SHOT. Of course my phone was dead. Checked out the new stock. Initial impression was that I liked it. It is nowhere near as chunky as the B&C stocks. It was very thin in grip area. The stock felt much slimmer than what I am used to when it comes to a B&C stock. They did confirm that they make their own stocks in house. The finish was black with a grey speckle, and it is very grippy, not smooth at all. Felt great in the hand. While no McMillian, it had a rock solid feel with zero flex. Definitely one of the better factory stocks I saw today. Afterwards I went straight to the Weatherby booth and checked out their rifles with the B&C stocks. They felt and looks horrible, like big blocky 2x4's. It was amazing how bad the Montana Rifles made the Weatherby's seem, we all agreed.

I really, really liked the Colorado Buck edition and actually met the man himself. Super cool guy. It is basically the same as the XWR with the exception on a different stock color and cerakote on the barrel. I confirmed that you can in fact get it without a muzzle break. The whole package with a Leupold 4.5x14 CDS with Talleys is pretty nice, and not a bad price at all.

If they shoot as good as they look, I don't know why someone would by a current Winchester for basically the same price.

Thanks for the update.

Great update , bummer about the phone being dead. Im looking forward to seeing more pics of the stock but your comments about it having a thinner grip are encouraging to me. Thanks Boarmaster.

Thanks for the update.

Did they give the official weight of the XWR-SS with the new stock? From what was listed on here it is somewhere around 6 to 8 oz lighter.

And yes, thanks for the update.

Dave.

I'll get back and take some pics. They told me 8 ounces lighter on the stock than with the B&C. Again, very nice rifles, almost seem to be sleeper rifles. I mentioned that to them and they smiled and said that the word seems to be getting out, and quickly. I'll probably get one before they realize they need to jack up their prices.

FYI -- they committed to doing exclusives for us today.....and I didn't forget you lefty's.

More to come later....

Hope you guys talk them into putting faster twists on the 6.5's and 270's, bullets aren't getting any shorter these days. The average guy won't care but there are a lot of folks they will miss selling a gun too because they are a gun nut and will want to shoot high b.c. bullets. Seems like a no brainer for them to increase sales.

I handled the lefty long action version today at SHOT as well. Initial impressions were the the stock is better than in the pics that they have. The guys were very knowledgable and helpful. They did tell me the owner is a fellow lefty and committed to producing lefty actions/rifles. I did think that the long action I held was very heavy, so I might opt to just buy the action and build. Still, a GREAT option and excellent rifle.

You are trying to get me to raid my LH'd sons college fund aren't you??