Montana Rifle

lwaters

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Anybody have any experience with these rifles good or bad. I see they chamber for the 416 Rigby Remington and Ruger.
 
I have one 7 WSM my buddy has 2 300 WSM and 375 H& H. Very accurate well functioning firearms.
 
When it comes to MRC, from what I've read, it's one of two ways. Either really good, or really bad. If you find one used that you're interested in, check it out thoroughly for function. @matt85 had a bad experience with them, and his is not the only I've read about. Others have had great experiences.
 
I agree totally with what Phil said. MRC is kind of like a red head you love it or hate it. I talked with them a couple yrs back about having one built super nice people but after the reviews I read online I went another direction. Best of luck.
 
I read about Matt problem. Anyone know if they were ever resolved
 
I don't have any personal hands on experience with their rifles but my Africa hunting mentor (24 trips) is also a gunsmith and rifle builder and he swears by the Montana action. He's built dozens of customs based on Montanas and hunts with them. One of my hunting Africa hunting buddies just bought one in 30 Nosler. Will see how that shakes out. Me, I'm a Remington clone guy. (y)
 
Shot their SCR in 416 a few times as a buddy owns one. I love them and was very tempted to get their SCR over the CZ550. I ultimately went with the CZ being that it cost me about $700 less. That being said, I would not hesitate to purchase and use a MCR rifle at all. I'm sure if there were to arise any issue, they would do whatever it takes to correct them. I've seen and/or heard just about every brand and model rifle have an issue at one point or another anyways.
 
I just placed an order for an MRC X2 in 270 win in leftie. Will report back in 6-10 weeks. Haha
 
Generally speaking I think they make good stuff. Matt's issues with them were on a .505 Gibbs which is not exactly the black 4 door sedan of cartridges in a bolt gun. IIRC that little escapade never reached a "Happy Ending" for either party.
 
I just placed an order for an MRC X2 in 270 win in leftie. Will report back in 6-10 weeks. Haha

They are one of the few good options us lefties have, amd especially for big bore rifles.

I don't have a MRC rifle, yet, but my Brockman .458 Lott is built on a Montana action. I've been quite pleased with it. No complaints.
 
If I remember correctly Matt never got satisfaction from them. There was also another AH member that had some problems but I think the main gun smith was down and out with back problems for some time and it took many months to get th eissues resolved.
 
I built a rifle using one of their standard long mag actions. I called them directly and have no complaints about their customer service. Their actions are as they describe... a hybrid Mauser 98-Win 70 retaining select features of both (as determined by the founder of the company). I believe (correct me if wrong) their actions are made by the same company/facility that makes the Ruger bolt actions (IIRC a company owned by Ruger). The rifle I built on the MRC CRF action is a good, reliable hunting rifle.

I have no idea about the 505 Gibbs issue but suspect possibly a common conflict between the length/size of the Gibbs cartridge and the basic design of the Win 70/Mauser 98 sporting CRF bolt action (also found in the Montana '99). In other words, that combination will never cycle like a short, straight walled, push feed carbine!!! At least that is what I suspect. I also suspect the bind issue in more common than most are willing to admit- that includes older Win M70s, CZ, Mauser 98s, Enfields and other similar actions. With any long length Mauser 98 type action mated to long, heavy cartridges, there will be some cycle speed issues- no way around it. By design, the bolt on a 98 type action is not fully aligned/supported in the full rear position- so it is not uncommon for the forward stroke to be a little "bindy" if not "manually" aligned (only perfected by much practice or luck of an individual's bolt cycling geometry) during the beginning of the forward bolt thrust. If the tolerances are too tight then field condition reliability would be sacrificed (this is especially true with military based designs). If too loose the alignment "binding" as described would be worse. Most reliable sporting rifle actions are defined by that compromise. Later, Winchester attempted to help resolve the rear position "bind" issue in their M70 by adding an anti bind bolt alignment groove in the right side lug. The Montana '99 does not incorporate that anti bind bolt alignment groove design feature as seen on the later Win 70- I don't know why MRC decided not to use it ??

The closest to an ideal CRF bolt action "big" rifle I've ever owned and used is a late New Haven Win M70 416 Rem. The one I have is a very exceptional hunting rifle!! Going one step further, if I were to design a best of the best (for me) CRF bolt action for a long and "extra long" mag including those based on the 375 HH length and those slightly longer and bigger, I would use most of the late New Haven Model 70 design features like the old style trigger, new design magazine follower, M70 3 position swing safety and the bolt alignment groove PLUS add some from the Mauser 98 like the larger gas escape ports in the bolt, a gas deflecting flange/shroud on the bolt and the left side toggle bolt release.
 
I've got 4 of them, 6.5x284, 416 rem mag, 458 WM, 505 Gibbs and a 5th one chambered in 300 H&H that shipped yesterday. No problems with all of them and they flat shoot.
 
I've got 4 of them, 6.5x284, 416 rem mag, 458 WM, 505 Gibbs and a 5th one chambered in 300 H&H that shipped yesterday. No problems with all of them and they flat shoot.
So.....now your at plus or minus 26?
 
Using my MRC (Colorado Buck edition) in 375 H&H currently on my trip with PawPrints. Outstanding accuracy! Only complaint is it might could use a stronger magazine spring. Or maybe I need to learn how to load it to make certain the cartridges are pushed upward.
It wasn't an issue with loading my second shot on the Cape buffalo I just too a couple of days ago.

Best of luck on your decision!
 
If you get one in a heavy, go with the Seven Continents Rifle. It has a synthetic stock and should therefore hold up better to heavy recoil.

All in all, they seem to be decent rifles, comparable to others at the same price point. The only thing I cannot get over is how they put such a crappy set of sights on their heavy rifles. It matters to me because all I shoot is open sights (so, if I bought one, that'd be the first thing I would change...along with trimming the barrel were it a SCR, and adding a band for the front sling swivel).
 
If you get one in a heavy, go with the Seven Continents Rifle. It has a synthetic stock and should therefore hold up better to heavy recoil.

All in all, they seem to be decent rifles, comparable to others at the same price point. The only thing I cannot get over is how they put such a crappy set of sights on their heavy rifles. It matters to me because all I shoot is open sights (so, if I bought one, that'd be the first thing I would change...along with trimming the barrel were it a SCR, and adding a band for the front sling swivel).
I agree the sights are not close to what should be on a DG rifle. They are functional at best but are quite ugly, and I am hoping not to need them with a nightforce NXS on the 505 and a VX-6 on the 416 RM. I would gladly pay more for a quarter rib with some folding leafs though for sure. And a barrel band! I really have no plans for either of the rifles to see DG use so I'm not running out to get the work done but I damn sure would have ordered them so configured had the option been available.
Cheers,
Cody
 
Using my MRC (Colorado Buck edition) in 375 H&H currently on my trip with PawPrints. Outstanding accuracy! Only complaint is it might could use a stronger magazine spring. Or maybe I need to learn how to load it to make certain the cartridges are pushed upward.
It wasn't an issue with loading my second shot on the Cape buffalo I just too a couple of days ago.

Best of luck on your decision!

That's interesting to note that regarding the magazine etc.
 
Anybody have any experience with these rifles good or bad. I see they chamber for the 416 Rigby Remington and Ruger.

I am interested to hear the report too.
 

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