Montana Rifle: Yea or Nay?

Don't know how they are now, dad owned some of the early rifles and they were good. I have seen mixed reviews with the new rifles.

I looked at them from a distance. I’d love for you to get one and tell us how they are.

Unfortunately Winchester/FN won’t sell just the action so MRC is the only place you can go to get a new model 70 action if you’re wanting to build a custom rifle around one

You are headed down the road I've been down the last couple of years. I was researching who had m70 actions/clones and it seemed that MRC was the only one for new actions, there is an outfit that sells older pre-64 and post-64 push feed actions. They were on my consideration list, but their reviews left big questions in my mind so I decided to just go the route of buying a Winchester m70 and building off of it. They check all the boxes of what I was looking for but it appeared from online chatter that the business practices/customer service has been lacking.

I would love to have someone on here do a review of the company and the product.

I love my Montana Rifle Company 308 Norma Magnum. It was my retirement gift to myself 10 years ago.

However, from looking at MRC’s website, I don’t think they build the same model anymore, and it looks like you now have to go through a dealer to order a rifle from them. I ordered mine (a “Summit” model) directly from MRC, specifying the length of pull, the barrel length, and of course chambered in 308 Norma Magnum – which it looks like MRC doesn’t even offer the 308 Norma Magnum anymore.

I paid close to $3,000 for mine. It’s bead-blasted stainless with a granite-grey synthetic stock, and it wears a 3X9 Weaver. I won’t bore you by bragging about how accurate it is (4 holes in an inch at 100) because I’m fully aware that a lot of modern-day rifles are just as accurate (or precise if you prefer) with the right loads. In fact, my wife and I each have a few of them, including a real pre-64 Model 70, as well as a post-94 Model 70 with a “pre-64 style” action.

They’re all good rifles, they always worked, and we killed a lot of game with them over the years. But I’d wanted a custom 308 Norma Magnum since I was 16 years old, and by the time I was 62, Montana Rifle Company was the only company I could find that would build me one with a Model 70, pre-64 “style” action that I could afford. Oh, and my custom rifle had to be bead-blasted stainless with a synthetic stock too - because I think utility is beautiful in its own way.

Most people like to buy something new but I have never fit into that category. When I buy a rifle I want something that works and since I am a hunter I want a rifle that I can hunt with and not a safe queen. I am a pre 64 model 70 user and this is my next project and if I wanted another rifle I would go the same route. I purchased the action, stock, bottom metal, and recoil pad all separately and have about $800 tied up in the rifle as it sets and if I install the featherweight 30-06 barrel that is shown I will have about $950 dollars in the project. The barrel is in new condition so it should shoot good. The stock has sling swivel cups and a Pachmayr Decelerator pad. The bottom metal is steel.

I am seriously thinking about a Bartlein #2 featherweight barrel in either 338-06 or 280 Remington which would double the cost to about $1,600. The rifle will do anything I want and I won't have to worry about a scratch or two.

They are beautiful rifles but I must honestly say I would not buy one even though I can afford it. I'm terrible with my rifles and guns and they all get dinged up pretty fast and I'm sure that would hurt me like a paper cut for a long time. The most money I've spent was last year when I got a Sharps rifle paid almost 3K for it and within days had already scratched the barrel.

I have learned throughout my life that just because a rifle is expensive that it is not necessarily an accurate rifle if you yourself are a lousy shooter. A couple of years ago I was zeroing my rifle at 200 yards a 30-06 for deer season when this young feller parks right next to me and pulls out a magnificent looking rifle with a carbon fiber barrel (not Christenen) and a scope more powerful than my spotting scope. It was a Huskemaw with custom knobs for a specific 7mm load. He was proud of his shooting as was I of mine. After we both dialed in our rifles we compared our shot groups and his were a nice clover leaf almost touching and all inside the one inch square and all mine were inside the one inch square but a bit larger spread not much though. I believe his measure about .516 of an inch and mine measure about .722 both rifles being sub moa at 200 yards. When I asked him how much was his set up he proudly stated $9000 with scope and I proudly state $900 with scope my rifle was a Tikka T3 lite with a Sightron Big Sky. I don't know if I would want to spend $8100 more to get a couple of thousands of an inch smaller groups. I'm thinking with the 165 grainers it doesn't matter where I hit the ground squirrels due to hydrostatic shock.

To be perfectly honest I've never laid eyes on one. But have to ask what do they do that the real model 70's won't do.

I paid $450 for this 1999 production Classic in 30-06. Found the McMillan Edge stock used for $400. I have less than $900 in the rifle and stock. It shoots just fine.

IMO the Classics are better than the pre-64's and not that hard to find. I can find little to complain about with the current production 70's.

H&Hhunter said:

MRC actions have been plagued with reliability issues.

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Well that’s a shame. My interest would be for a Model 70 action to build on where I could pick the stock and barrel. If in the market for a complete rifle I’d just buy one from Winchester

@Legionnaire might had different goals

"Elaborate"? Ruger Model 77 (MKIIs and their ilk).

Had mine for a few months now and I like it!! It's a cz model 03 in 270 wsm. I put it in a bell and Carlson takeoff stock from a Winchester 70 coyote lite and glass bedded it. I put a vxr 2-7 on it and took a whitetail with it 6 weeks ago. It's heavier than a comparable model 70 and the action isn't as slick as my model 70. Between the two I'd take a model 70 unless I found an mrc for a really good deal

to.

One can find an Win m70 EW for around $900, with a replacement barrel and some gunsmithing one can be around $1,500. That’s the route I would go, and one may be able to sell the takeoff barrel for $70 or so.

I chose the M70 EW over the Montana. I had read some poor reviews about the Montana but that is the internet. My choice was more pragmatic - the M70 EW was about $300 cheaper and although of Portugal origin, it is still a Winchester M70 rifle. I have no regrets as my M70 is a 100 yard 3/4” rifle with hand loads - fit and finish is excellent - it appears that I made a good choice.

Legionnaire said:

Unfortunately, it does not appear that Winchester offers a factory gun in .280 AI.

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Does anybody offer AI calibers in a production rifle? One option you can take is to rebarrel a M70. I see that E.R. Shaw produces barrels chambered in 280 AI. That might be the easiest and least expensive route to get a M70 so chambered.

Laphroaig said:

Does anybody offer AI calibers in a production rifle? One option you can take is to rebarrel a M70. I see that E.R. Shaw produces barrels chambered in 280 AI. That might be the easiest and least expensive route to get a M70 so chambered.

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Christiansen Arms, Kimber, Savage, Bergera, Nosler (used to) all have production rifles in 280ai. I'm sure I'm forgetting some as well.

SwampWolf said:

Ruger Model 77 (MKIIs and their ilk).

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Iff'n you're gonna go for CRF, you might as well finish the journey and get a rifle with a standing ejector and not one that uses a weak little spring to push up the ejector (as long as you don't cycle the bolt too fast, and the ejector channel doesn't have any grit in it).

<*(((>< said:

Christiansen Arms, Kimber, Ruger, Savage, Bergera, Nosler (used to) all have production rifles in 280ai. I'm sure I'm forgetting some as well.

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Beat me to it. Sad only one with a crf action. I am trying to save up for a kimber 280ai

troy fairweather said:

Beat me to it. Sad only one with a crf action. I am trying to save up for a kimber 280ai

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That is the cheapest route to get a 280ai in CRF.

I almost pulled the trigger a half a dozen times on a Kimber in 280ai the past few years, but finally decided to build it exactly like I wanted. It'll end up costing $500 more but I think in the end I'll be happier as this is a rifle that will never be sold, so the extra $500 will be a faded memory 10 years down the road.

Sometimes in the last few weeks since I finalized my decision in my 280ai thread I've come back and thought, maybe I should've just bought a Kimber, see how the barrel shoots and if not liking it rebarrel it with a Proof. But then I slap myself and press on. Well, it's set in stone now.

<*(((>< said:

That is the cheapest route to get a 280ai in CRF.

I almost pulled the trigger a half a dozen times on a Kimber in 280ai the past few years, but finally decided to build it exactly like I wanted. It'll end up costing $500 more but I think in the end I'll be happier as this is a rifle that will never be sold, so the extra $500 will be a faded memory 10 years down the road.

Sometimes in the last few weeks since I finalized my decision in my 280ai thread I've come back and thought, maybe I should've just bought a Kimber, see how the barrel shoots and if not liking it rebarrel it with a Proof. But then I slap myself and press on. Well, it's set in stone now.

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I have a Kimber Hunter in 280 ai. Overall I really like the rifle and it shoots my lrab 175 gr at .75" @ 100. I put a vx3i 3.5-10x40 on it with the CDs dial. I practiced out to 400 yards from field positions and can consistently put a hole in a deers vitals at that range using shooting sticks. I have shot a couple deer with it but I got it mainly to use as an elk gun that I can pack around easily. The trigger is really nice actually .

jonc said:

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Looks good painted. Either of I get a hunter or a Montana I think I would up the same scope on. How's the recoil and feel in the hand with the 3.5-10 on.

I have two and they’re great. They were the only left handed stainless option when I got a barreled action from them in 243win; I think Tikka filled that production void a year or two later. Then I picked up a LH Cz model 3 in 300wsm for 600$ on gun broker. When they come up for sale the cz m3’s can occasionally be seriously underpriced by people who don’t know they were made by MRC. However, the only odd thing was a lack of bedding in the stock.