First Thoughts:
So I decided to go with the steel barrel version of the MPR over the Carbon Fibre wrapped barrel. The reason was two fold, one is the cost is $400 cheaper and because many people had issues with the MPR carbon barrels. So after that I picked out a .308 win (already have a ton of ammo for that caliber) and picked out the 20" barrel model.
The scope I opted for was a Nightforce FFP SHV 4-14x. I wanted something with a little more zoom but work didn't have anything and I was too impatient to wait for an order.
The MPR with a steel barrel weighs in at just under 9lbs before optic. I've estimated after everything mounted the rifle comes in at 12lbs. Still heavy but WAY lighter than my old M40A1 or the wife's Ruger Precision Rifle.
The rifle saves a lot of weight on using a flat bottom carbon fibre forestock and other carbon fibre pieces. It has a nice lightweight yet sturdy chassis and comes stock with a folding stock. The trigger is a Trigger Tech "flat" trigger.
First Shots:
Out of the box the trigger is pretty stiff, but since it was a trigger tech it was a breeze to lighten. The muzzle brake was LOUD but it really toned down any recoil the 308 had. Right out of the box the rifle was just accurate and easy to sight in. I should also point out that the first time out I wasn't trying to shoot precision. I just went through 40 rounds shooting at various distances at the range.
Dislikes:
The only dislike I have with the rifle is the bolt. It is not as smooth as my old M40A1 or a Tikka right out of the box. Not saying that it won't smooth out but for a rifle that costs this much you'd expect it to be a little smoother. Not that it was bad as I never had any issues, just expected a little better. The only other issue I had was the plastic magazine was a little tight of a fit and you have to sort of wiggle it out. Might change if I switch to a metal AICS magazine so we will see. The other dislike is the selection of parts and accessories. Not too many places in Canada carry the accessories for this rifle and CA themselves are sold out, specifically the rail needed to mount a monopod.
Accuracy:
So I sat down and decided to try a 5 shot grouping at 100 yards to see what it would do with the factory ammo I was using which was Federal GMM 175gr SMK. It seemed to do pretty ok although someone had spilled sand on the bench so my face was getting sandblasted with every shot
Overall:
Even with the bolt (which has started to smooth out) and the lack of access to accessories, the rifle is a pleasure to shoot and is almost boring with the ease of shooting! Even the pregnant wife found it easy to shoot it for her first time and ring the 400 yard gong 5 out of 5 and that is using Kentucky windage and not dialing the scope, and of course not with the most perfect of "techniques"
either, although it seemed to work for her with this rifle
So I decided to go with the steel barrel version of the MPR over the Carbon Fibre wrapped barrel. The reason was two fold, one is the cost is $400 cheaper and because many people had issues with the MPR carbon barrels. So after that I picked out a .308 win (already have a ton of ammo for that caliber) and picked out the 20" barrel model.
The scope I opted for was a Nightforce FFP SHV 4-14x. I wanted something with a little more zoom but work didn't have anything and I was too impatient to wait for an order.
The MPR with a steel barrel weighs in at just under 9lbs before optic. I've estimated after everything mounted the rifle comes in at 12lbs. Still heavy but WAY lighter than my old M40A1 or the wife's Ruger Precision Rifle.
The rifle saves a lot of weight on using a flat bottom carbon fibre forestock and other carbon fibre pieces. It has a nice lightweight yet sturdy chassis and comes stock with a folding stock. The trigger is a Trigger Tech "flat" trigger.
First Shots:
Out of the box the trigger is pretty stiff, but since it was a trigger tech it was a breeze to lighten. The muzzle brake was LOUD but it really toned down any recoil the 308 had. Right out of the box the rifle was just accurate and easy to sight in. I should also point out that the first time out I wasn't trying to shoot precision. I just went through 40 rounds shooting at various distances at the range.
Dislikes:
The only dislike I have with the rifle is the bolt. It is not as smooth as my old M40A1 or a Tikka right out of the box. Not saying that it won't smooth out but for a rifle that costs this much you'd expect it to be a little smoother. Not that it was bad as I never had any issues, just expected a little better. The only other issue I had was the plastic magazine was a little tight of a fit and you have to sort of wiggle it out. Might change if I switch to a metal AICS magazine so we will see. The other dislike is the selection of parts and accessories. Not too many places in Canada carry the accessories for this rifle and CA themselves are sold out, specifically the rail needed to mount a monopod.
Accuracy:
So I sat down and decided to try a 5 shot grouping at 100 yards to see what it would do with the factory ammo I was using which was Federal GMM 175gr SMK. It seemed to do pretty ok although someone had spilled sand on the bench so my face was getting sandblasted with every shot
Overall:
Even with the bolt (which has started to smooth out) and the lack of access to accessories, the rifle is a pleasure to shoot and is almost boring with the ease of shooting! Even the pregnant wife found it easy to shoot it for her first time and ring the 400 yard gong 5 out of 5 and that is using Kentucky windage and not dialing the scope, and of course not with the most perfect of "techniques"
either, although it seemed to work for her with this rifle
