Christensen Arms MCR .300 Win Mag Bolt-Action Rifle Review
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The New Modern Carbon Rifle (MCR) Takes Lightweight To The Highest Level
Sub-MOA. Damned fine trigger. Carbon fiber throughout and lightweight. And a muzzle brake that actually tamed recoil in a .300 Win Mag bolt action.
That’s the short bio of the very impressive Christensen Arms Modern Carbon Rifle (MCR). It’s a hunting rifle for Western adventures, a lightweight rifle you can carry all day and can easily make a 400-yard shot on a trophy elk or mule deer.
Admittedly, I had a concern about how lightweight the Christensen Arms MCR was. The MCR weighed under 7 pounds and (as noted) was chambered in .300 Win Mag. I’ve reviewed other bolts in the Mighty .300 that were 8.5-plus pounds unloaded. Before I’d fired off 20 rounds, a decent percentage of these rifles had me reminding myself not to flinch as they jackhammered back into my shoulder.
Yet, in two shooting sessions with the MCR, and just shy of 100 rounds, the MCR’s recoil was very manageable. The side-baffle muzzle brake, combined with the flexing butt pad, did the job like pros. My shoulder appreciated it!
Add EOTECH VUDU 3.5-18x50 SFP Scope
For an optic, I mounted an EOTECH VUDU 3.5-18x50 SFP scope onto the MCR, built on a 34mm tube of aircraft-grade aluminum. The VUDU 3.5-18 featured large, tactical turrets, a parallax knob on the left side of the tube, and an illuminated HC1 reticle. The HC1 is EOTECH’s MOA-style offering that looks much like a MIL cross reticle, with plenty of elevation and windage hash marks for longer-range shots.
The VUDU’s 0.25-MOA controls were precise. For example, I zeroed the MCR and scope at 50 yards and then moved to 100 yards. My first three shots at this distance hit 1.5 inches to the left. I clicked the windage adjustment six times to the right and put the next three rounds into the bullseye.
Testing Ammo: Black Hills, Federal Terminal Ascent & Winchester Deer Season XP
I ran my evaluation MCR with several brands of .300 Win Mag, including Black Hills loaded with a 190-grain boat-tail hollow point, Federal Premium Terminal Ascent featuring a 200-grain bonded and polymer-tipped bullet, and Winchester Deer Season XP with its 150-grain Extreme Point bullet.
Among my top three-shot groups were 0.7, 0.9, and 1.2 inches using the Federal Terminal Ascent, and 1.1 and 1.0 inches, and four shots at 0.9 inches, with the Winchester load.
My Black Hills groups were done near the end of day two of shooting the rifle. To change things up a bit, instead of letting the barrel cool off as I had done with other rounds, I just kept firing to use up the second box of ammo. The carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel got so hot I had heat waves shimmering in front of my scope.
That said, my last three groups scored 1.1 inches for four rounds, and three shots at 1.0 and 0.8 inches. That’s damn good!
Modern FFT Stock Technology
Christensen Arms has been at the forefront of carbon-fiber technology, and with this and several other of its rifles employs what it terms “Flash Forged Technology” or FFT.
If you want lightweight and solid, then call on Christensen. Christensen’s FFT stock weighs approximately one whole pound less than traditionally manufactured carbon-fiber composite rifle stocks. The stock features a sleek monocoque or structural skin design that takes its cues from the aerospace industry.
FFT is also more environmentally friendly. The process produces zero waste as excess materials are broken down and reused as new materials.
Other Features: Trigger, Adjustable Stock & Rem 700 Action
The MCR’s adjustable TriggerTech trigger broke at a very clean 3 pounds, 8 ounces on average. The trigger had zero uptake. Squeeze, and my shot was gone.
The stock featured an adjustable push-button FFT cheek riser, full-length M-Lok on the forearm, front and rear QD attachment points, adjustable length of pull via spacers, and an integrated forward Picatinny rail section.
The Remington 700-style action was topped with an optic-ready 20-MOA Picatinny rail, and the skeletonized bolt handle featured an FFT carbon-fiber bolt knob. The 24-inch barrel was a hand-lapped, button-rifled, aero-grade carbon-fiber barrel with a match chamber. It was free-floating and suppressor-ready and cooled down quickly.
The MCR is also available in 6.5 CM, 6.5 PRC, and .308 Win. with 22-inch barrels. Like the .300 Win Mag, the 7mm PRC and .300 PRC offerings have 24-inch barrels.
The MCR has an MSRP of $2,400. Pricey? Yes, but to me the Christensen Arms MCR is essentially a $5K custom rifle being sold for half the price. For more info, visit christensenarms.com.
Specifications: Christensen Arms Modern Carbon Rifle
CALIBER: .300 Win Mag
BARREL: 24 inches, 1:10 twist
OA LENGTH: 46 inches
WEIGHT: 6 pounds, 14 ounces (empty)
ACTION: Bolt
STOCK: FFT carbon-fiber, black finish
SIGHTS: None
FINISH: Carbon/Gray
CAPACITY: 3+1
MSRP: $2,400
What’s The Bottom Line?
Before you go, check out the “Hook & Barrel Bottom Line” results for Christensen Arms’ Modern Carbon Rifle. The H&B Bottom Line is a rating system based on seven criteria. Each category is worth five points (or H&B-logo ampersands) for a total maximum score of 35.
