For what Christensen charges for a rifle it shouldn't ever be on a list of rifles not to trust!

Im a South African and I live in limpopo near Kruger. I hunt with a suppressor, always. The biggest reason is that we often try take off multiple animals in a day, because I live in a hunting area I just drive where I need to go for day hunts, instead of going on a multi day trip. The suppressed rifle doesn't have the same impact in terms of making other game skittish as an unsuppressed rifle, making it easier to harvest more game in a shorter period of time. That being said, I still like to walk and stalk with my electronic muffs, over years of shooting my hearing has deteriorated, and with the electronic muffs turned up to full volume it amplifies any little noise I make while on a stalk, helping me stay more quiet

Sorry guys. Forgot to mention the heavy rifle is a Bergara Premier Approach. I may put a new stock on it to lose some weight.

I’m personally a fan of the muzzle brake . I understand your reasoning, but where I live suppressors are not an option. The recoil reduction/ spotting of your shot easily outweighs the minor annoyance of wearing hearing protection. I actually think that modern electronic hearing protection is an advantage when hunting if you get the right equipment. Great channel, love the content 👍

I use electronic hearing protection for hunting with my brake. Living in the PROC (Calif) we can't have suppressors and I was amazed at the diff it made when shooting 300 WM with a brake. You can find electronic hearing protection relatively affordably now and we (my hunting buddies and me) can communicate just fine before and after the shot. I make folks with me aware before getting into a shooting situation if I know they don't have hearing protection. Wearing hearing protection is good habit to get into anyway and with the right set, they enhance hearing also. I've just gotten in the habit of making sure I have them with me along with fresh batteries whenever I go hunting. If you make it as habitual as making sure you have ammo, it shouldn't be a problem. Brakes are effective, they just have to be accommodated for.

Re: Savage Axis I have one and live in Oregon. Very wet here. Yes, the steel is produced at a lower price point and can rust more easily than others. But with a bit of simple care, this is easy to avoid. Odie's Oil on the outside. Tri-Flow on the inside. Good to go. 9 years on mine and still looks great.

AR in .223 is endlessly wonderful for coyote. I was hunting with a 123gr Hornady Black in my 6.5 Grendel. That heavy buggar was launching right through them… I swapped out for my .223 and I was dropping them like flies!

I got a Christensen ranger and it had same problem. I sent it in and they took care of it. Now it’s my favorite squirrel rifle. Extremely accurate and easy to shoot

Pretty sure you were talking about me with the 6.5 PRC ;) Thanks! Yes, if I had your experience with the Patriot, I would never get another one. You brought up a great point about it being the .308. I have had some others I know have the same problem with the .308 and 30-06. For my 6.5 PRC I did take the Patriot out of the factory stock and I found a small plastic pillar at the end of the stock that rests under the barrel. I can only imagine that you think it is free floated but every time you shoot, you are hitting that plastic pillar. That can't be good. After I put it in an MDT Oryx Chassis, I'm a constant 1/2 MOA with Precision Hunter and Match ammo. So if you have a Mossberg Patriot or Predator, take it out of the stock and check it!

I had an Axis in .223 for awhile. It was a tack driver, and while I didnt much trust whatever the metal finish was, it seemed to soak up oil. Well oiled it survived a few Canadian winters behind the seat of my service truck without rusting. I've never really bonded with any cheap plastic rifle, so it eventually got sold. I wouldnt take it on a backcountry hunt, but it would for sure survive the average back-40 type deer hunt.

Great to see the Momentum getting some love. The Elite series is definitely worth the extra money.

I have a 1903 springfield, made in 1924, and is a wonderful deer rifle.

I enjoyed listening to you on Ron's podcast. You 2 are my favorite hunting KZfaqrs. It was like a dream come true.

Great to hear you are coming back to SA Jim, I am sure the group will enjoy it as well. Keep up the great content

For your Mossbergs, try pulling a dollar bill between the barrel and down the length of the stock. If it binds or is tough going, you may need to free-float your barrel. Had that happen with my Remington (.308) and I sanded out the stock a little and it went from all over the paper to an absolute nail driver. Read it in an Outdoor life article circa 1990 and it worked for me. Who knows, they may go from a shelf gun to one that gets used a lot.

Great points, explanations, and insights! I love muzzle brakes, but after a few hunts with my favorite muzzle brake, I certainly understand your reasoning. More reasoning now for me to bite the bullet purchasing a suppressor. Thanks for sharing!

My kids mossberg patriot youth model in 6.5 cm wouldn’t shoot anything above 130 gn. And now his savage axis in 308 we couldn’t get on paper until I changed the trigger spring. I didn’t realize how detrimental a 6lb trigger would be!!!! Now it’s at 2.5 and shoots just fine.

Personally my favorite AR-15 hunting caliber is 6.5 Grendel. When you can find ammo or powder or primers of course, which is almost never. After almost 4 years of this craziness my supply has finally run out so no more Grendel shooting for me 😢. Looks like .223 is the only choice left until manufacturers realize they've saturated the market with it and can finally start making other calibers in bulk. Interesting video. I only have one bolt action rifle (Savage 116 .30-06 Weather Warrior) and it was considered a "cheap" rifle at the time. I wish I had the new style stock on mine but it's still a great rifle and very accurate until the barrel gets too hot. Not really a problem when hunting.

if you want to have sub moa you should try the German Manufacturer Heym, those rifles are just perfect.

Switch to vmax on the 223. No more runaways. No exit, so it's fur friendly too.

Thanks for sharing about your experience. I really appreciate it. Just a note, I use a blast forwarding device on my hunting ar rifle. Can't afford a suppressor yet! ;)

You are the reason I picked up a Kimber Montana.280AI and I must say, I think it will quickly become a favorite. Topped with a 2-10 VX5HD and Leupokd Backcountry ring mounts to keep weight down. Very nice pointing gun

Great content as always! Thanks for the awesome content & your time! 👍

I bought a savage axis in stainless in 308 . Shoots factory amo well under sub moa. No issues with rust great for hunting in wet conditions.

I recently bought a browning mtn pro in 6.5. Though I like the looks of a break the same diameter as the barrel which the recoil hog is NOT, it shoots lights out and is fairly lightweight and I have forced myself to start wearing a walker game ear which helps me hear whispers and definitely helped when sitting next to my grandkids as a spotter when shooting elk.

I got a Franchi Momentum 300 win mag, muzzle brake & Vortex scope in 2020 @ Gamaliel Shooting Supply. I hate synthetic stalks but it felt amazing. The action stood out. Another thing that impressed me was that Franchi listed the factory ammo tested on the chart in the box (Hornady Precision Hunter 200 grain). When I got home, I set up my table (2 metal sawhorses w/ plywood weighted w/ 2 bags quickcrete then used 2 ratchet straps to secure lead sled to table). I fired 3 rds into ground & sat up 1st target while cooling barrel. I cleaned then fired 5 shots, then measured w/ a Mitutoyo caliber). I repeated the process above @ 200yds. Both measured just shy .70 (MOA style of measuring) which blew my mind!!!

Savage axis in 308 here. Got it on sale from a local hardware store for right about $320 out the door, I don't have a problem with rusting because I painted mine with Rust-Oleum camo paint top to bottom. Shoots sub MOA out to 600yd. (the longest range my local club offers) Ps. I haven't made a single shot on any game animal past 300yd

I've hunted in western Oregon where being rained on multiple times a day is normal. Never had a problem with my 1893 Mauser rusting or its 4x Tasco scope fogging up. That Savage would be ruined in no time out here.

AR15 16" 6ARC with 1-10× is my primary Hunting Rig for East Coast Deer and Hoggs . Q Mega Fix is 300 WSM is what I want to get once it comes out . They are gonna be coming out with Mega and Proper Fix Rifle . Mega is gonna be based off 300WM Size Cartridge and Proper is gonna be based off 375 Size Cartridge..

On the muzzle break topic. I run a Mossberg Patriot (one of the few ones that can actually group decently) chambered in .450 bushmaster. I put a muzzle break on it to help lighten the recoil as that caliber does tend to beat you around a little bit after a few shots. I've only ever shot it with ear pro on. But this past fall, I was lucky enough to use it to drop a whitetail Doe. Double lung and blew through the arteries at the top of the heart. She ran all of 40 yards and piled up but I couldn't hear her crash because. Well. I couldn't hear shit. It's a loud rifle with the muzzle break on it. Might be looking into getting a suppressor if I can find one that'll fit it instead just because when you are out in the woods and you take a shot. Being able to hear an animal go down is a huge advantage.

I have never hunted before, and I’m looking forward to starting. Thanks for the video.

I have had great experiences with multiple caliber on the axis ! From 243 to 6.5 creedmoor the scope is the trick ! I use sig buck master scope and get great results even a 300 yard shot on a coyote with 243 Many deer with the 223 but I usually break that out after I killed a buck with my TC 6.5 or 30/30.. I use 223 for doe and small stuff

As a Canadian, suppressors being prohibited, and owning a Christensen Arms Mesa in 300 win mag, I’d only shoot it with a brake as my set up weighs less than 7.5 lb. So for me, I’m looking for threaded muzzles and or brakes on rifles when I am shopping for another long action

I got the browning x-bolt mountain pro in 300win with the recoil hog brake and I love it. It’s a tack driver! Trigger is good and very fun to shoot. My 11 y/o neph was having no problem with the recoil. One of my favorite guns. It was expensive but it met all my expectations

I use a good ole Remington Model Seven chambered in 7mm-08. They’ve been making those rifles for 40 years. That’s about as reliable as it gets.

CHECK THE SCOPES TOO! Maybe it wasn't the Mossbergs, but the cheap Chinese scopes on them that cost about $20 to make.

On the subject of muzzle brakes, sound out for the Witt Machine SME. It’s an integrated muzzle brake/blast can. It takes the edge off of both recoil and sound to the shooter. I would say that it makes my AR-15 in 7.62x39 sound and feel like my AR-15 in .223. I expect it would also render a .30-06 like a .308 and a .300 Win Mag like a .30-06. Highly recommended for any rifle that is not suppressed! I will know that I am in the market for a suppressor also. That’s really the way to go if your budget allows.

I bought a CA Ranger last year. Wanted a CZ but they were impossible to find and the magazines were even more difficult to find. Stumbled on a Ranger at Bass Pros, liked the look, the weight and the fact it used 10/22 mags, something I had a pile of at home. I must have got the unicorn ranger because it feeds, shoots and extracts flawlessly.

I must agree with you for the savage axis. I own one in 6.5 creedmore with a great scope, a Boyd at-one stock and it group within 2inches at 300yards, it's an inexpensive rifle with no recoil for beginners but damn I brought it at North of 53th parallel as a small lightweight rifle and just from the light snowing from one day the barrel started to rust. None of my other guns ever rusted, even my cheap 22lr that I don't take that much care of

Your suppressor argument (muzzle brake vs. suppressor) is fair. However, for a fraction of the price of JUST the most inexpensive suppressor (tax stamps and app fees aside), there are a great many fantastic sets of ear muffs out there to be had. As a former musician with huge governmental trust issues, hearing is as important to me as staying out of government paperwork. Even when suppressed, the report of a rifle can still damage hearing, so a good set of muffs isn't a bad idea.

I only hunt suppressed. You can communicate, which adds to safety as well.👍👍

My local Cabela's had an entire rack of the Savage Axis II rifles in 6.5 Creedmoor. There must have been a hundred of them, like the got a bulk price and just dropped them on the market. Like you said, scope included for $500-ish. I picked one up and it's actually the luck of the draw what you end up with. I would rank it 5 out of 10. And I noticed that the barrel was corroding just from my fingers. Not bad, but it was surprising. It was developing surface rust. So I oiled the hell out of it, and I keep the barrel wet. Not dripping, but wet. The action was a little rough until I got past the break in. When I did the first field strip cleaning I really polished/oiled up everything and now it's...passable. My range only goes out to 122 yards, so at 120 I was putting all the shots on a 10" diameter paper plate, with most in the 8" range and a few flyers. Not the best, but I am not a good shooter either. I can drop a large animal, that's about it. But my friends at my hunting club who are good shots have tried it and fared the same. The rifle just doesn't have it in itself to be accurate.

As a savage owner, I've owned three, and he's bang on with the rust, I had a older savage edge, and pretty much every time I took it out on a wet day I had to oil it after or it would rust. And yes the scopes are definitely cheap. Rhat being said, it always put the bullet where I wanted it to. So I tolerated it. Side note Yes coyotes are a tough animal to knock down with a small fast caliber, shot placement needs to be 150% accurate

My big mistake was getting a Winchester Model 70 in .300 win mag. Great Mauser action rifle that just weighted too much with the scope. I much prefer the 30-06 cartridge for big North American game. The original US Army 30-06 specification was for a round that could bring down a cavalry horse at 1000 yards. That is more than enough power for any game I am going to shoot.

Electronic hearing protection. Save your hearing without sacrificing communication.

Love my ranger. Action gets better with time. It’s definitely not a slick and smooth feel like you might get with other high end rifles. But I’ve have zero issues with mine

I have heard those same complaints on the Ranger, I have 2 of them and they have both been great. My buddy bought one after shooting mine and his had issues, he sent it back and it has been great ever since.

Nice video! I like your attitude towards the guns and pointing out that it's your personal opinion. It's unfortunate to hear about your experiences with Mossbergs. I have a .270 Patriot, and that gun shoots dead on target at 200 yards. Although my first choice to hunt whitetail is my Win 30-30 lever action, it's always nice to have a good back up, and that is my .270. I also have a Savage rifle but it hasn't gotten wet so I can't relate to that issue, yet.

i have two savage axis in 350 legend i bought from cabelas up here in Michigan with the fancy camo stocks, and i personally haven’t had a problem with rust or accuracy. now i did put vortex SFP scopes on them and zeroed at 100yards with 180g winchester super x ammo.

I also have the Christensen ranger and had all kinds of issues with feeding and ejecting. The bolt handle was loose and felt like it was going to fall off. I sent it in to them, which was also a pain in the ass they make you ship it back through an FFL, and they fixed it. For a $900 .22lr rifle I expected top quality. I will never buy Christensen arms again.

Thats odd. Ive had great luck with my mossberg patriot- .308. Inch and a half grouping or so but never had issues in 6 years or so.

I mentioned a while ago that you would love the Franchi. Now trust me you need to get your hands on a Lithgow you will fall in love with it.

I agree with you on the Ranger 22. I did find it feeds better if you use a mag that is not the 10 rd. rotary style.

I'm sure like many people was wondering if the Mossberg Patriot was going to show up. LOL. Thx Jim

I agree with the assessment of the .223 for hunting deer. I shot a deer with a .223 when I was 13-14 years old. It did the job, BUT, there was absolutely no blood trail. It simply passed between ribs on both sides, nicking the apex of the heart and hitting both lungs. Now, had the deer not ran straight up an open trail for 70 yards before collapsing, it would have been very difficult to track. Even with that, I do k ow someone sharp enough on a scope who consistently domes his deer with a .223 every season

I've never shot with a brake, and never will. The other day I was at a public range shooting my 6.5 PRC (26"barrel, no brake) and down the way there was a guy with a 6.5 Creed with a big brake on it. It was insanely loud, and everyone else at the range was commenting on it. The guy pointed out that I was shooting a more powerful cartridge, but everyone agreed his was way louder.

Timestamps: 0:23 - Franchi Momentum 1:56 - Mossberg Patriot 3:25 - Christensen Ranger 5:41 - Bergara? 6:37 - Savage Axis 7:39 - Browning X Bolt Pro 9:07 - AR-15 in .223 10:24 - Muzzlebrakes While I agree with most of this, the Browning shouldn't be on this list. He complained about the trigger, which is easy to lower the weight of, and shooting a 28 Nosler without even a brake? Should've used a handy, short suppressor, and 7mm PRC is better anyway. Great video!

I am a fan of a muzzle break. Reducing recoil matters for follow up shots. Most hunting situations you are only shooting a few rounds and you are directly behind the angled blast. Your friends can cover their ears.

As far as hearing protection goes, get a pair of Axil earbuds... they enhance sounds under 70 DB and don't let sounds spike above 85 DB. FANTASTIC for hunting with muzzle brakes (which are my favorite) and just hunting in general... even suppressors will ring my ears a lil

I have purchased 8 Savage mk2 vft's for the youth shooting sports club I manage and coach. The rust if you look at them crosswise. Constantly having to scrub them down. We're slowly getting them coated but that costs as much as the gun did.

I would take my Mossberg Patriot on a hunt after I zero in the rifle and keep the range limited to under 250 yards. I've hit a pan sized target at 250 yards in rapid succession.

I appreciate you conveying your rifle experience with all of us. This will be very helpful in helping all of us pick our next rifle/caliber. Thanks! And I'm with you on hunting with the .223!

I never heard the brand of the gun at 5:41. Forgive my ignorance but I didn’t recognize that gun.

All you need for the Browning 28 Nosler is a gunsmith trigger job and a refrigerator box flattened out on the ground to lay on and keep the muzzle blast from blowing up dust.

The .223 I found is extremely good when hunting something like coyote, but other than that it didn't have much other use other than home defense.

I had a brand new 10/22 and hated it. Never could fix feeding anf stove pipe cases. Tried all the mods. Sold it, bought a 25 year old Marlin 60 22LR and it fired everything perfect. Get one of those for hunting and for the kids to learn on.

Mossberg Patriot 30-06 synthetic stock I bought when it first came out in 2015. I adjusted the trigger to 2lbs pull. I got 3/4 in group at 100 yards using the scope that it came with.The ammo was Remington core 185 grain. I paid $350 for it and thought it was a great purchase. Next year I shot a mule deer at 118 yards facing me. I actually shot the top of the heart it dropped where it stood. I never had any problems with accuracy. I even took it to a range that went out to over 1/2 mile. I shot 150 grain and went out to 400 yards. I was shooting 6 inch groups. The only thing I thought was very strange I didn't change the elevation. So I shot at 100 yards left to right dead center but was six inches high with the 150 grain. I haven't been able to figure it out. I probably need to sight it in again using my hunting load before I take it on a hunt. I have seen way too many videos where the rifle doesn't hold a true zero. Did I get lucky, or did Mossberg do something with the later models.

I bought a Mossberg in 7mm-08. And I had the same experience as you guys at backfire. My Savage axis standard model not the Axis_ii. My Savage is Chambered in 350Legend, and it shoots 3 leaf clover size groups @ 150yrd all day.

Very good and honest information and I thank you for providing that. I find the inclusion of the Bergara Approach to be without merit only because the rifle is just as it is advertised at approximately 8.5lb bare and performs above reasonable expectations. If the title of the episode is "7 Rifles I wouldn't trust on a hunt", that lends me to believe there is a reliability or performance deficiency with these rifles. The Approach is heavy, and advertised as such, and it seems you subjectively prefer less weight, which is fine, but that doesn't equate to a problem on the rifle's part, as the title of the episode would suggest. Not to brow beat you, again you put on a great show with Backfire, just offering some feedback from one viewer's perspective.

Idaho is 15 lbs on the rifle weight. I also have a 1903 Springfield 30-06 that will not accurately shoot any factory ammo I've tried to date, so off to the bench I went. I found a load that will shoot sub minute of angle at 100yds and moa at 200. Maybe that's the answer for the 308's you mentioned. I've also bought several rifles by several manufacturers from ' friends (cheap) who barely speak to me anymore because I got them to 'shoot' by developing a handload. Maybe this is your problem?

Now after 45 years of hunting and shooting, my use has been reduced to a few European favorites in my armory. Expensive? Yes, but cheap in the long run as the quality has been superb. However, I have a favorite in the 308W which is a Remington, but after rebuilding it with the right pressure and piston, the price lands on a corresponding European quality weapon such as the Sauer 404.

For the browning X bolt, you can get a mcarbo spring that makes the trigger shootable. Mine is set to 2lbs with it. Does wonders for accuracy.

Try a little "Red Oil" on your cheap matte blue finish to keep it from rusting. I've been using it for nearly 20 years as a post treatment for parkerizing. I have two Savage precision carbines that were matte blued and just didn't look right in the camo stocks with a matte blue finish so I parkerized them brefore I even fired them. My friend has an Axis with the same matte blue finish. Red oil is an old recipie that my buddy learned when was in the National Guard Marksmanship Training Unit small arms shop several decades ago. It is 3 quarts automatic transmission fluid (red F type), 1 quart 10W or 30W non-detergent motor oil, 1 pint STP oil treatment and 4 ounces Hoppe's #9. The stuff is an amazing lube and an awesome preservative on rough finishes like matte blue or parkerizing. As for the accuracy of the precision carbines or the Savage Axis is amazing, so Red Oil the barrel and let it rain.

My AR chambered in 7.62×39 is my GO-TO for deer, wild hog, and javelins....I also use a 20" 5.56 upper for all of the same.....I've never had a problem with either caliber. The deer here are just not that big....and the secret to the 7.62 round is to use quality brass-cased ammo for accuracy and long-term reliability

I have two patriot rifles. At the rear action screw, the barrel contacts the magazine box. I shimmed the bottom of the action to clear the barrel/ mag box with two tabs of duct tape .😊

Bought my brother a axis 2 in 308, no rust issues but we've had a lot of failures to fire. Got an updated spring for the bolt, but still seems to hang fire 1 in 10. So I've pulled it apart and cleaned up every edge possible. Still need to retest it.

My 6.5 creedmoor patriot is just fine. No issues with accuracy. Beautiful wooden stock. Came with vortex scope super value.

You can get decent active hearing protection for $50. Super hearing allowing you to hear the deer 10 times further away while still protecting yourself when you fire. Side benefit, nature really comes alive with them and it's a lot easier to stay interested and alert.

In Idaho our big game rifles have to be under 16lbs will all attachments. As far as the 223 I love it but not for much beyond small varmints... Bring enough gun:)

Thought there was something different about you.....then saw the tools and library app on one of your videos....well done Brother. Great videos

my first experience with muzzle breaks may have (alright, it did) effect how i feel about them. I bought a Marlin Guide gun (45-70 in a short light rifle) and it was seriously more recoil than I have ever shot before. every time I shot it, the gun wanted to jump out of my hands. i literally HAD to regrip the rifle after every shot. so I talked to my gunsmith, and I ordered a "Gentry Quiet Muzzle Brake". the holes are canted forward, so that is the way the blast goes. between that, and a Limb Saver recoil pad, the dun was and still is manageable, even at my age of 66 years. If I didn't live in Michigan, I would offer to let you shoot it. and if you want to travel here you can. I just do not own a vehicle that I can trust to drive that far. my Jeep is a ride in it for 3 hours, and, work on it for four. i used to hunt with this gun with no ear protection, and i could not tell any difference in the noise between shooting with or without the brake. but i never did any target practice without hearing protection. so ........

Thanks for the video.

I had the same issues with my Mossberg Patriot 308…I tried multiple types of ammo and it was all over the place…I ended up getting rid of it for something else…I hated it because it was a beautifully made rifle…

Good show. It had a random ending felt short. An rife riding on a zipper on witch must have been a washed board. Would have massive scratches, and if it was wood it would have deep gouges. I have Christensen rifle I took hunting last fall and it was in the back of a 01 extra cab Tacoma. With another rifle with it going on ruff trails for a week. Not even a scratch on it.

I have a Mossberg Patriot .308 and I have had the same issues. This helped me feel less crazy!

You need to get a hold of a 223 load with a 77tmk in it. I think you will be flat out amazed at the trauma on game The biggest issue with anecdotes about 223 is that bullet selection is never mentioned and is often a mediocre performer.

I’ve never had problems with my mossberg patriot 6.5 creedmore, mine is a synthetic stock and has always shot within a quarter since I’ve sighted it in

I know it’s not this channels style, but could we get a video or two with the 7 prc just ripping up jugs and watermelons. You could even make it educational by comparing the eldx to the cx. Thanks love the channel.

For the savage axis rust doesn't seem like something to not take hunting. You can go the correct way and do a duracoat paint job or even just rattle can the whole thing. Both fix the rust problem.

I just bought a Savage AXIS in 7mm RM - and this was because is was the only reasonably priced LEFT-HAND bolt action in the U.S.! With 15% of the population we only have one company making LH guns, and it took me 6 months to find this one! Couldn't even find a Remington LH action.

I agree with the axis. I have a 110 and no rust issues. But the axis is brutal. I only take that for day hunts and backpack with the 110 even though its heavier

I have a Savage 110, and it has the same rusting issues. Shoots great, but I gotta take extra care of it.

There is a reason the 24" 7.25 lb sporter with a standard weight barrel is the standard. It's the sweet spot between consistent group sizes, enough heft for stability but not too heavy at 8-8.5 lbs scoped, yet nimble enough to carry around without undue strain. Recoil with standard cartridges is manageable, even off the bench. Barrel is long enough to keep the muzzle blast out of your face and ears. Even the 6.75 lb featherweights give up some of these attributes with skinnier barrels.

Yeah, I love my Savage Axis II in .30-06-- But I took a page from my "military experience book" and painted mine with Krylon (cheap gun, who cares right?). So rust on the outside hasn't been a problem. But I did inspect it one day, about a month after my only range session with it, only to find the beginnings of rust on the bolt face... Cleaned it thoroughly, changed solvent & oil (I now use PLC to clean and synthetic 10w30 for "high mileage engines" as lube), made sure I had plenty of desiccant around it, and the problem hasn't returned. Great gun for what I paid ($350 with scope), but if I were to go hunting with it, I'd definitely upgrade the scope

When I see bolt action rifles that are not accurate, most of the time the barrel is not free floated and every time it fires it wiggles then sticks then wiggles the other way and sticks. They never go back to neutral barrel position!

You should send the Christensen in.. their warranty is fantastic and they will make it right 👍

My 6.5 mossberg patriot with a leupold scope is incredible it’s super accurate I’m gonna take it to Colorado in October

My patriot in 7 rem mag is 1 moa with just about everything. 1/2 moa with Noma whitetail ammo.

As far as a bolt action rifle the best place to start is a Mauser Model 98 action and build from that. When going this route it can be anything you can dream of. When l added it up for a trigger, barrel, chamber reamer, and stock it's sometimes cheaper to by a new gun. This action was designed to hunt the absolute most dangerous animals-man.

Like the content man, you deserve alot more subs. Enjoy Africa and much luck