Looking for opinions on Christensen arms rifles. I've got my eye on the classic steel (Stainless) in either 30-06 or 338 Lapua. I'm all ears...

http://www.christensenarms.com/products/bolt-rifles/classic-steel/

For the price of a Christensen I'd be looking at GAP or Hill Country Rifles. Heck, you could build about anything cheaper and have a better rifle. Pretty large gap between 30-06 and .338 Lapua and depending on which I was after, they'd be two entirely different blueprints. The 1moa guarantee is kinda funny on a gun that expensive too.

I dont think you can get a GAP or HCR rifle for what the classic steel model from christensen arms is selling for these days.......

http://hillcountryrifles.com/hcr/ready-to-ship?pg=2

I've had two, 7wsm and 300wsm. Never hunted with them, just kind of range toys that I worked up loads on and shot for awhile. My two had the carbon barrel and both were purchased used. Both were very accurate, well built rifles. I feel they (carbon models) are too expensive for what you get though. But I can't complain from a quality standpoint.

I just found a new gunshop today and they are a Christensen Arms stocking dealer. Obviously I've heard a lot about Christensen over the years, but I had never handled one of their rifles until today.

The model I looked at was the carbon classic with the tan Kevlar stock. In short, the gun felt awesome. Extremely light even with the 26 inch barrel. The grip was extremely slender and felt good in the hand. The action was the new Christensen Arms in house model with the spiral fluted bolt.....smooth as glass. We measured the trigger pull at 2.5 pounds.

One of the guys that works there said that he has two of them and loves them both. A couple of customers walked in while I was there and said they had each bought a carbon classic before deer season and they seemed quite happy as well.

I have read some less than stellar reviews over the years concerning the accuracy of their rifles and poor customer service. Does anyone have any recent experience with their newer rifles?

I am extremely interested in the carbon classic model, and I'm on the fence about buying one.

Poor customer service is a deal breaker for me. I never venture past it.

It looks like Christensen is making just about everything in house now including barrels, stocks and actions. Perhaps the newer rifles are a bit more consistent quality wise than the older ones?

It also looks like cabelas is now cataloging the classic steel and classic carbon rifles. They are the first big box store that I'm aware of that's carrying Christensen Arms.

Did you ask them if you could get one with a 16" twist and a 2MOA guarantee?

I found the carbon version on Cabelas website, but the nearest Cabelas store is several hours away. My local gun dealer said he can't even order one, saying these are factory direct (apparently to ma & pa stores anyway). So I thought I'd see what the 'fire had to say about these before I decide to drive hundreds of miles to fondle one. Appreciate everyones input!

A co-worker has one and he loves it. It is accurate, but not any more accurate than most factory rifles I've owned.

I can't really understand why they put all that carbon schit on them when they still end up around the 7.5lb mark after attaching rings and scope.

Too much money for too little gain IMO. As previously stated if I was going to spend that much it would be toward a used GAP. Not a new Christensen.



Travis

I have two and despite the cristicism both mine shoot good.

Im not sure that Christensen Arms offers the kind of benefit that they once did. Back in the 90s there weren't that many manufacturers working with carbon fiber in hunting rifles, and really not that many lightweight options period. Sub-moa rifles were also not as common as they are today. Today folks are ready to call even a cheap rifle a piece of junk if it won't shoot tiny groups.

I guess the main attraction of the Christensen Arms rifles is just the look and the novelty. Im just not sure thats worth $2800 big ones. Still trying to decide.

I shot one back around 2002 and just shot a new one that was purchased from sportsmans warehouse. They both shot as well as any other custom. Not sure of the models other than they were both built on Rem700 actions.

a friend has the carbon fiber barrel model in 338 lapua. it shot well but not with a suppressor. i know he'd sell it. pm me if you're interested and i'll get some details on it.

Customer Service Blows!

Cooperfan, can you elaborate on that just a bit?

A couple old phart friends of mine, got their fancy Christensen arms when they retired. Didn't make them shoot any better, than their trusty worn Remingtons from the 80's.

A friend of mine bought a Christensen rifle a few years ago for a very good price after it sat on the shelf for a long time at a gun shop. Dont remember the caliber, and I dont think he kept it very long.

I have one in .223. Older Carbon Classic. Love it.



McMillan stock / PTG bottom metal / Vortex 4-16 / Thunder Beast / TROS thread adapter.

Possibly, but my strong hunch is that Christensen only wants to do business with stocking dealers. In other words dealers that are willing to commit to a minimum order of X number guns or a dollar value (at once, or with delivery spaced out over a calendar year). It's their way of separating the 'wheat from the chaff'.

FWIW, the LGS here is a stocking dealer. They've physically received and sold every Classic Stainless and Classic Carbon they ordered on the initial order, re-stocked and sold several more since then. Lead time for stocking dealers is 60-90 day depending on model and options from what I've been told.

never owned one, but handled plenty. they seem over rated too me.

Not going into details but I had them build me a carbon stock for my R93 Blaser and it crossed the country 3 times and I still couldn't close the bolt. Blaserbuds member local in Michigan finally fixed it right.

$1600 stock boys, leaving shop 3 times and can't close the bolt. Think about that