I've had this rifle now for about a month, and have about 1200-1400 rounds through it. Mainly SK Standard plus, Rifle Match, Magazine, and I recently ordered a couple of bricks of Center X. For those that don't know, this is a biathlon rifle, and uses a Fortner action, which is a kind of straight pull-back action that you operate with your index finger and thumb. It allows for very fast reloads without having to move your hand significantly.
Because this is designed as a biathlon rifle, it doesn't work well on a front rest. Luckily, it does have an accessory rail along the bottom of the forend, and I was able to cobble together some sort of benchrest adapter out of some scrap wood.
As far as fit and finish goes, what can I say? Standard Anschutz quality. The wood stock is beautifully finished. And the ergonomics of the grip is just about perfect for my hand. I also really like the adjustability of the stock. Cheek rest height, length of pull, even the trigger distance can all be adjusted. The trigger itself is amazing. Incredibly crisp and light. It all ends up making this such an enjoyable rifle to shoot.
The only cosmetic blemish is on the end of the barrel. The gun comes with the stock biathlon front sight already installed. When I removed it, there was something that looks like paint residue on the barrel. I tried using some gun cleaner which didn't work. I then tried some metal polish, which seems to work, but I wasn't sure if that would damage the nitrided finish of the barrel, so I left it mainly as is.
I only have a couple of issues with the gun. First, with the bolt open, the magazine doesn't drop free. With the bolt closed it will drop free. This isn't a big deal and it may even be the intended behaviour. The other issue is more a design issue. Again, this is a rifle that is designed solely for biathlon. As a result, it doesn't have a dovetail groove on the front of the receiver, which makes mounting a scope a bit more difficult. You can only use a cantilever mount, which reduces the choices drastically. The only mount I could find in Canada is a BKL mount, which works fine, but if you want to mount a scope with a 30mm tube, there is only one BKL mount instead of several different heights like there are for 1" tubes.
As far as how accurate this is, well, I'm certain that it will shoot 1/2" or even 1/4" groups all day. However, I can't. So keep that in mind. So far, I've found that it shoots well with all the Lapua ammo I've tried. I haven't noticed a significant difference between the SK+, Rifle Match, and Center X.
The setup: Caldwell front and rear rest.
Results, about a month apart:
Many of the fliers are 5th shots. Basically, I seem to try so hard not to screw up the 5th shot that I end up screwing up the 5th shot. Good news is that I have a lot of room for improvement, and I'm sure it will be a while (if ever) before I'm able to outshoot the gun.
Final verdict: I love this gun.
Seriously, words cannot describe just how nice the Fortner action is to operate. I feel like Homer Simpson and his hospital bed, when I take out the gun and just play with the action, it is so slick and feels so good. The trigger is by far the best I've tried. It makes every other gun I own almost painful to operate, including the Geissele trigger on one of my ARs. The only significant drawback to this rifle is the ridiculous price, which unfortunately limits the number of people that get to try out this action. I'm really surprised that no one else makes something similar for a cheaper price. Even at $2000, it would open up the rifle to a broader audience. Still, if you are looking at getting one, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
Because this is designed as a biathlon rifle, it doesn't work well on a front rest. Luckily, it does have an accessory rail along the bottom of the forend, and I was able to cobble together some sort of benchrest adapter out of some scrap wood.
As far as fit and finish goes, what can I say? Standard Anschutz quality. The wood stock is beautifully finished. And the ergonomics of the grip is just about perfect for my hand. I also really like the adjustability of the stock. Cheek rest height, length of pull, even the trigger distance can all be adjusted. The trigger itself is amazing. Incredibly crisp and light. It all ends up making this such an enjoyable rifle to shoot.
The only cosmetic blemish is on the end of the barrel. The gun comes with the stock biathlon front sight already installed. When I removed it, there was something that looks like paint residue on the barrel. I tried using some gun cleaner which didn't work. I then tried some metal polish, which seems to work, but I wasn't sure if that would damage the nitrided finish of the barrel, so I left it mainly as is.
I only have a couple of issues with the gun. First, with the bolt open, the magazine doesn't drop free. With the bolt closed it will drop free. This isn't a big deal and it may even be the intended behaviour. The other issue is more a design issue. Again, this is a rifle that is designed solely for biathlon. As a result, it doesn't have a dovetail groove on the front of the receiver, which makes mounting a scope a bit more difficult. You can only use a cantilever mount, which reduces the choices drastically. The only mount I could find in Canada is a BKL mount, which works fine, but if you want to mount a scope with a 30mm tube, there is only one BKL mount instead of several different heights like there are for 1" tubes.
As far as how accurate this is, well, I'm certain that it will shoot 1/2" or even 1/4" groups all day. However, I can't. So keep that in mind. So far, I've found that it shoots well with all the Lapua ammo I've tried. I haven't noticed a significant difference between the SK+, Rifle Match, and Center X.
The setup: Caldwell front and rear rest.
Results, about a month apart:
Many of the fliers are 5th shots. Basically, I seem to try so hard not to screw up the 5th shot that I end up screwing up the 5th shot. Good news is that I have a lot of room for improvement, and I'm sure it will be a while (if ever) before I'm able to outshoot the gun.
Final verdict: I love this gun.
Seriously, words cannot describe just how nice the Fortner action is to operate. I feel like Homer Simpson and his hospital bed, when I take out the gun and just play with the action, it is so slick and feels so good. The trigger is by far the best I've tried. It makes every other gun I own almost painful to operate, including the Geissele trigger on one of my ARs. The only significant drawback to this rifle is the ridiculous price, which unfortunately limits the number of people that get to try out this action. I'm really surprised that no one else makes something similar for a cheaper price. Even at $2000, it would open up the rifle to a broader audience. Still, if you are looking at getting one, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
