I own two Christensen Rifles an MPR that I have customized into a 6 Dasher and a Ridgeline FFT in 7 PRC.
They both have been accurate out of the box with the 7 PRC giving me issues mainly due to the component supply shortage when I purchased it. I had to run factory Hornady ammo through it (to collect the brass) and it was over pressure and I was losing brass in one firing. I don't shoot factory ammunition in general at all and the first time I shot a brand new rifle with factory ammo it left me confused if it was the rifle or the ammo? Turns out it was the ammo. I also figured out I needed to keep the hard carbon ring formation at bay.
Regardless, with my reloads I can shoot sub MOA with my FFT. It's probably a 3/4 MOA barrel. I don't know how it shoots factory ammo as I won't/don't shoot it. I have had loads that shoot better with unobtainium powders (RL26) but I'm happy with the current hunting load with H1000. I can't say whether this carbon barrel handles longer strings of fire better than a steel barrel. That is a difficult answer, comparing to a ultra light small pencil barrel, my guess is the carbon barrel is more stable. Comparing to a matching contour steel bull barrel that doesn't weigh the same, the steel is going to be more stable hands down. I don't think a carbon barrel is going to dissipate heat any better than a steel barrel.
I've taken two elk with my FFT the last two years (one at 350yds and one at 30yds). It checked my requirements for a light mountain rifle. My last hunting rig was a tuned Ruger M77 stainless with a laminate stock. The FFT is a joy to pack around the mountain when hunting compared to my old tank. The muzzle brake makes shooting the 7 PRC manageable but with this ultralight rig you aren't going to be spotting impacts.
The Triggertech trigger is manageable. It definitely isn't a match grade trigger but it can be tuned down in the ballpark of 2.5 lbs. Maybe someday I will upgrade it on my MPR but for now I'm fine using it as is. It is good enough for a hunting trigger on my 7 PRC.
The stock on the FFT is superlight and rigid. The stock internals are foam so adding attachments to it isn't as easy as other stock materials. I put a short picatinny rail on the fore end and just used a Tee nut with some JB weld to help hold it in place for the second screw to mount the rail. They have a video discussing how to do this online. I wish it had an adjustable comb and length of pull. That of course would change the weight of the stock. Only the recoil lug is bedded and it has pillars but no bedding for the action. I probably will bed the action one of these days and it would be interesting to find out how that affects the rifles accuracy.
The action is just a Remington 700 clone. The bolt has a mini m16 extractor and one or two ejectors depending on the size of the bolt face. I did have an issue with my MPR with cases that were extracting up and hitting the scope mount and not clearing the gun. I filed off the upper corner of the extractor to change the ejection angle and it is been good since.
My experience with Christensen customer service has been very good. When I was questioning pressure issues with my 7 PRC, they didn't hesitate to sent a return label and requested I send in the rifle. I actually never did because I determined the ammunition was my issue. When I had extraction issues with my MPR they sent me a new extractor, pin, and spring no questions asked. Ultimately I didn't replace them as the modified extractor solved my issue so now I have backups in the parts bin. They have been very responsive to my inquires.
Whether this rifle is worth the price of admission? I don't know, only you can determine if the features to cost equation fits your budget. I've had some really inexpensive Savages that shoot incredibly well. How valuable is an ultralight rifle to you? What is your intended use for the rifle?
Cheers,
Toby
