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Yeah might be the can to barrel connection so might not be the can. Best to try everything before calling them as they will ask you the same things I am sure.
Oh, I know... Normally I would, but both that KeyMo, brake, and can are all proven on other rifles before. Unless their muzzle threads were cut crooked... I suppose that's possible. But I'll re-torque and try unsuppressed next weekend, if I get time to go up there.
 
Yeah might be the can to barrel connection so might not be the can. Best to try everything before calling them as they will ask you the same things I am sure.
I just pulled it completely apart and disassembled the whole chassis. I cleaned all the gunk out of it (surprising on a new gun to have rusty-colored thick gunk all inside it), and properly retorqued everything to spec. The front action screw seemed to be installed lighter than 65 in-lbs. So, hopefully that will fix it. We'll give it a try next weekend.

JIC anyone else is wondering what torque specs are for the Christensen Arms MPR chassis, here you go... Straight out of the manual.

Screenshot 2023-05-14 at 10.20.59 PM.png

It's actually a pretty ingenious design... I like how it assembles and disassembles. I might get a couple for some of my other non-CA rifles. It's ridiculously strong and lightweight. 🤔
 
Whenever I get a new rifle it gets torn down and cleaned and put back together for that exact reason. Gunk and loose screws can cause issues. Hopefully that took care of your issues the next time you get it out.
 
Whenever I get a new rifle it gets torn down and cleaned and put back together for that exact reason. Gunk and loose screws can cause issues. Hopefully that took care of your issues the next time you get it out.
I always do the same, but for some reason, I didn’t with the MPR’s. I guess I’ll do the other one this evening, even though it’s shooting great.
 
Great info in this thread so far. I've been doing break in on my Howa Mini with factory Hornady. I had it cut to 16" and put it in a Stocky's CF stock with Jefferson bottom metal for CZ mags. Its been sub MOA Shot a big group of the 108 ELDM, averaged 2470 and a SD 0f 10.4, the 105 BTHP was 2498 SD 10. Looking forward to getting into load development now. I had a 12" upper on a SBR AR and the velocity made me want to see what the cartridge could do in a bolt gun.

IMG_1032.JPG
 
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I’m going to try it unsuppressed with the action screws properly torqued this weekend. If that doesn’t fix it, it’s going back to Christensen for a new tube. A $2,500 rifle should have no problems shooting 1/2” 5-shot groups with handloads. Especially with a proven competent shooter behind the wheel.
 
Gonna continue testing with Lever this weekend. Hopefully I can find a good consistent node now that everything is properly tightened, and I'll test a few shots unsuppressed, as well.
 
Well... Went to the range today. I decided to test things and shoot suppressed, since the suppressor has never interfered with my load development before on any other rifles... So, after re-torquing all the action screws to 65 in-lbs. it did seem to help somewhat. I think I found a good node that was similar to one I found before. It would have been an amazing 5-shot group, if I hadn't fucked up the 4th shot, and pulled it... The flier was my fault. I'll claim it. So, we'll continue testing this load in the future. This will be my baseline. Testing it today was good, because it was hot at balls, and sweating like a MF'er out there. So, as long as it's good above 90ºF, it should definitely be safe at lower temps...As long as it stays together and consistent at lower temps. We'll see this fall/winter. 👍🏼

I counted the 5th shot, but excluded it from the group size, luckily you can do that in Ballistic-X software. Handy feature to have. So, I decided to just go ahead and block it off with a black dot on the edit. 👍🏼

Ballistic-X-Export-2023-05-21 17:59:48.110676.jpeg

Here was another ok group from today. Not great, but I’ll take 3/4” over 0.8xx + any day of the week. Also, it shows there’s a node around 29.0 to 29.5 gr. of Lever with this load. Because I’m my other tests, I was getting similar results between 28.5-29.5.

Ballistic-X-Export-2023-05-21 17:56:09.261402.jpg
 
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I’ve been reloading for mine , so far no luck with the cfe-223 but the IMR 8208 is doing great at 27.1 g with the 107 sierra and the 109 Berger hybrid . Running around 2700 fps with a sd of 1 with the 107 and sd of 2 with the 109 . Starline Grendel brass , shilen 26” ss barrel . Savage axis bolt and receiver in a oyrx chassis
 

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Going to do some velocity testing and group testing this weekend at 29.5 grains of Lever with the 115 RDF's... Probably tomorrow, maybe Monday. Depends on how I feel. 😂
 
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I am a little interested to see what a 26" barrel will do with 108-115grn bullets. Wonder if it will get in the 2750-2800 range.
I got 2700 w/ 30.0 of Lever Berger 108s and 2780 w/ 30.3 and Sierra 107s and Seekins AR 18” 1:7.5 but had some pressure signs from ejector with both.
 
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I got 2700 w/ 30.0 of Lever Berger 108s and 2780 w/ 30.3 and Sierra 107s and Seekins AR 18” 1:7.5 but had some pressure signs from ejector with both.

Thanks. Gives me hope for a 26” bolt gun.
 
Thanks. Gives me hope for a 26” bolt gun.
I'd go a true 1:7 if you plan on shooting heavies, like the 110, 112, and 115gr bullets. Also, thoat the chamber deeper, so you can maximize case capacity. Mine has a short throat (like all Christensen rifles), so I'm losing a fair bit of case capacity with the long 115's. I'm having to seat them at 1.700", which is only 0.007" off the lands.
 
I'd go a true 1:7 if you plan on shooting heavies, like the 110, 112, and 115gr bullets. Also, thoat the chamber deeper, so you can maximize case capacity. Mine has a short throat (like all Christensen rifles), so I'm losing a fair bit of case capacity with the long 115's. I'm having to seat them at 1.700", which is only 0.007" off the lands.

I’m not going any heavier than 110 ATips. If they are making the SAAMI chamber is set for factory 108s to fit then the 110 should be able to be loaded a little longer with the way the tip is set. Found that in my 6 Creed with those bullets.

The PVA Osprey barrel is a 7 twist so should be fine there. I have shot both of those bullets in a 7.7 twist barrel without issue too though.
 
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Ahhh, gotcha, yeah, I like heavies... So I'm trying these 115's. Hoping I found something good and consistent with the 29.5gr of Lever. We'll find out some sort of idea tomorrow.
 
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I’m about done with this fucking rifle… It always shoots 1 good group (1st group of each session), then immediately goes to shit… Could it be the scope having some internal issues?

Group 1 (with & without the shot I pulled because the bag shifted right as I shot)…

Ballistic-X-Export-2023-05-29 18:28:20.837162.jpgBallistic-X-Export-2023-05-29 18:28:58.342575.jpg

Group 2… 🙄🙄🙄

Ballistic-X-Export-2023-05-29 18:31:30.040807.jpg
 
Talked to CA, and they shot me over an RMA, and said they want it back to let their senior custom shop gunsmiths look it over and find out WTF is going on with it, and shoot it, and see if they can reproduce the issues I'm having. If so, they'll put a new barrel on it, shoot it and test it, and then ship it back to me once it's to their satisfaction, to ensure my satisfaction. Really nice guys at their CS department. They said they don't mind that I was shooting handloads through it, since we talked for a while, and he seemed confident I knew what I was doing. He said normally with every Joe Blow they don't really like it if they do, because you just never know, but since I did a baseline test with multiple types of factory ammo first, they have a good baseline to go off of for testing.

BUT, before I ship it off next week, I plan to try ONE LAST THING just to eliminate ALL factors... I'm going to swap on my new Burris XTR-III 5.5-30x56 SCR 2, just to ensure that nothing is wrong with the Kahles K624i... That will eliminate ALL external factors and possibilities, other than the barrel being defective. If it still shoots crazy, then it's going back to CA for a new tube and blueprinting.
 
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Updated pics with the new XTR-IIIi 5.5-30x56… Looks pretty good on there, huh? 😏

The same exact rings and base that the Kahles K624i was in…The Kahles only had 16.8 MILs to dial, but the XTR-III has 18.6 MILs. 👍🏼

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Alright... Another factor eliminated... I removed the KeyMo off the end, and will be running my newly released from jail Otter Creek Hydrogen-L 7.62 with their ZR0-DTA direct-thread mount on it for the testing. This will alleviate any chance of the KeyMo having caused any off-centered gas displacement upon exiting the muzzle, and causing the bullets to fly weird. So, another factor eliminated for this final set of testing. Plus, I can shoot a group or 2 unsuppressed with a bare crown and muzzle just to see if the cans are causing any issue from crooked muzzle threads, or anything like that. We're going to beat this horse one last time to see if she's really dead. And if it is...It's getting sent back. And if it's not, we're sending back whatever WAS causing the issue, and NOT reinstalling it. 👍🏼

Man, this thing just gets sexier every time I swap something out on it. 😏

IMG_8875.jpeg
 
Well... No shooting this weekend. 🤬 The range is hosting some stupid Wildlife division tactic training course at the range, blocking the entire long range section, and didn't tell anyone. So, I packed up all my shit, drove up there, only to have to turn right around and drive back home and unload everything, and wait until next weekend. 🤦🏼 Can't wait until I buy some more property and build my own damn range, so I don't have to deal with their bullshit anymore, and I will only use them for an FFL/SOT to buy cans and order guns through.
 
Well... Went to the range today for final testing... Looks like it's going back to @christensenarms for a new barrel, and hopefully they'll check the action to ensure it's square and blueprinted, as well.

I shot groups with and without the suppressors to ensure that wasn’t the issue, tried multiple .30 caliber precision rifle suppressors, and had the new Burris XTR-IIIi 5.5-30x56 on top to ensure it wasn't my Kahles K624i having any issues... And it still shot like shit, and was all over the place. I don't know WTF is wrong with this gun, but something severe is... I’ll be stripping it down and sending it off sometime this week.

I still think the bolt-action 6 ARC needs a true 1:7” twist barrel to be happy (as opposed to the standard 7.5” twist). I also think that Christensen needs to redesign and optimize their reamer’s for bolt-action 6mm ARC (which is a different animal than AR versions), and extend the throat out some more, at least another 0.050”-0.075”, as there’s plenty of room in the MDT 6 ARC mags for longer COAL. I’m seating the 115 RDF’s at 1.700”, which is only 0.007” jump, but it’s pushed so far into the case body that it’s creating pressure and obstructing powder capacity. A little extra room in the case would alleviate some excess pressures, which is never a bad thing.
 
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@FuhQ let's get that thing back so we can take a look at it and see what is going on. The gunsmiths will do a full inspection of the rifle to make sure everything is square and straight.

I will mention to the engineers the 1:7" twist as well as the longer COAL for the bolt gun since the data for C.O.A.L. I see from Hornady and Hodgdon are in the area of 2.245" to 2.260". So 1.700" seems extremely short.
 
@FuhQ let's get that thing back so we can take a look at it and see what is going on. The gunsmiths will do a full inspection of the rifle to make sure everything is square and straight.

I will mention to the engineers the 1:7" twist as well as the longer COAL for the bolt gun since the data for C.O.A.L. I see from Hornady and Hodgdon are in the area of 2.245" to 2.260". So 1.700" seems extremely short.
Just to clarify, the 1.700” is measured from the ogive of the bullet using a comparator and flat base on my calipers, not the tip. Tips of bullets tend to not be very uniform, so ogive measurements are what most handloaders use, because that is what contacts the rifling, and it is a much more universal and consistent location to measure on the bullets.

Also, I’ll be dropping it by the FFL this evening, so it should be there by the end of the week.
 
@christensenarms It got picked up from the machine gun range by UPS today, so it's officially on it's way back to yall. 👍🏼

Also, a heads-up, I screwed the muzzle brake back on their by hand, and it's not tight. I did that just to keep the rifle from sliding back and forth in the box during shipping, as it added a few inches to the OAL.

When yall remove the muzzle brake, you'll see the defective crush washer I had to remove with a pair of pliers to avoid damaging the threads...The one that had all the rust under it, because it was installed backwards at the factory. And due to the the incorrect mounting, it put pressure on the wrong side of the washer, and it bent it down tight against the threads. It was an intricate process, but luckily I spent 20+ years doing custom metal fabrication, so I know how to manipulate things without damaging them. 👍🏼
 
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@FuhQ That is not an issue. I will let the gunsmith working on it to make sure it is the right way. This is an issue we already corrected on the assembly process.

Please let me know if you need anything.
He doesn’t need to reinstall the muzzle brake properly, because I’m just going to remove it immediately upon arrival. He can just hand-tighten it like I did, just for shipping purposes to tighten up the gap in the foam. And if they want to throw on a black thread protector, that would be cool. 👍🏼
 
New video is up comparing my Otter Creek Labs Hydrogen-S 7.62 and my Hydrogen-S 6.5mm suppressors on my 16" @christensenarms MPR 6mm ARC. Both cans are identical other than bore diameter.

The 6.5mm can is noticeably quieter in person, and you can tell it slightly in the video if you turn it up. Both cans sound amazing on the little 6mm ARC cartridge.

 
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Loaded up some Hornady 110 grain A Tip's that were given to me for my Proof SS 26" barreled Origin MPA chassis.
Crazy good accuracy in the sub quarter MOA range. I don't test velocity when testing grouping so I loaded a few more rounds of the powder combo it shot really well to test velocity and holy crap I wasn't expecting that kind of speed! Anyone with experience with a bolt action 6mm ARC getting anywhere near these velocities out of a 26" barrel with the 110 grain class bullets? No pressure signs at all, easy bolt lift etc...

Load #1
Hornady 110 A TIP seated .020" off lands
CCI 450 primer
Leverevolution 31.2 grains
Average muzzle velocity 2932 FPS SD=8.0

Load #2
Hornady 110 A TIP seated .020" off lands
CCI 450 primer
CFE 223 30.6 grains
Average muzzle velocity 2867 FPS SD=8.2

Load #3
Hornady A TIP seated .020" off lands
CCI 450 primer
IMR 8208XBR 26.5 grains
Average muzzle velocity 2710 FPS SD=15.6

Loads 1&2 seemed pretty fast to me #3 seemed more like what I was expecting.

Also tested some 105 Bergers with 30.6 grains of Leverevolution CCI 450 and getting 2950 FPS average and SD=7.1

Thoughts?
 
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@FuhQ I got with production to find out the status of the replacement 6mm Arc barrels. They expect to have them out and ready no later than a week and a half, to two weeks. The reorganization of the shop machines to create a smoother workflow and QC flow set us behind a little further than we intended. Thanks for your understanding.
 
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@FuhQ I got with production to find out the status of the replacement 6mm Arc barrels. They expect to have them out and ready no later than a week and a half, to two weeks. The reorganization of the shop machines to create a smoother workflow and QC flow set us behind a little further than we intended. Thanks for your understanding.
It's all good, I'm not in a rush, just hadn't heard anything in a while, and was curious as to what all was going on in the process, and what they decided to do on the chambers and twist rates?
 
Well, CA called about an hour ago, said they tried 3 different barrels in my action and couldn’t get any of them to shoot… The CS guy didn’t know specifics as to what was wrong with it, so just guessing that it was tolerance stacking causing issues.

So, their senior gunsmith they built me a whole new custom rifle with a new action, barrel, and everything, and said it’s shooting 0.7’s with factory ammo right out of the gate. So, that bodes well for my handloads when it comes back. Said it should ship out tomorrow. Can’t wait to get it back and restart load development. 👍🏼
 
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Looks like you're finding out the answer to your question. I wouldn't buy a CA action
4 out of 5 shoot amazing. Sub-1/2 MOA, most 1/3-1/4 MOA. Better than some of the other factory rifles I’ve owned.

If this new one was built by their senior gunsmith, I have faith in the tolerances being nice and tight, and the contact surface faces nice and square. And if it’s shooting 0.7’s with shitty factory ammo, then I have hope it will be a shooter.
 
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I have had good luck with the LVR powder pushing the 108 eld and 110 Atips in my 26” proof barrel 1-7.5 twist
31.2gr LVR
Cci 450
Col-2.322
FPS-2,900
S-D of 9
 

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Well…. The new rifle from @christensenarms arrived Friday… So, I did the full inspection, made sure everything was torqued properly, scrubbed-out the barrel just to be sure, and re-mounted the XTR-III 5.5-30x56…

I reloaded some handloads based on my last rifle, and ironically, it loved the exact same load. I’m guessing there must be a Velocity node around there that their barrels likes.

It shot MUCH better than the other one.

I shot 5 sight-in shots to zero the scope. Then 4-shot groups. There is an apparent node between 29-30 grains of LeverEvolution with the 115 RDF’s.

28.5
Ballistic-X-Export-2023-08-20 19:57:42.557297.jpg
29.0
Ballistic-X-Export-2023-08-20 20:01:00.547836.jpg
29.5 (with and without my pulled shot - that was me, not the gun)
Ballistic-X-Export-2023-08-20 20:04:01.499027.jpgBallistic-X-Export-2023-08-20 20:04:40.495123.jpg

Needless to say, I’m extremely happy with the customer service, and the replacement rifle, so far. This bodes very well for future load development.
 
@FuhQ I'm glad I could get you taken care of, even if it took a little time to get some new barrels in 6mm Arc spun up. Thank you for giving me a chance to get some things like this taken care of as I jumped in with Christensen Arms and worked on the customer service level and the Returns and Warranty process. Things are changing here going forward for sure.

Very respectfully,
Jimmy
 
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@FuhQ I'm glad I could get you taken care of, even if it took a little time to get some new barrels in 6mm Arc spun up. Thank you for giving me a chance to get some things like this taken care of as I jumped in with Christensen Arms and worked on the customer service level and the Returns and Warranty process. Things are changing here going forward for sure.

Very respectfully,
Jimmy
Jimmy, I’m glad I could help with diagnosing an issue that will help others in the future. Sometimes it just takes a seasoned handloader to find a flaw/issue that factory ammo shooters might never notice. But I’m happy it is fixed, and will help other shooters moving forward.

I did notice they extended the throat a little bit (0.005”) than the old original chamber. That will help those of us using long heavy high-BC bullets. So, now I’m able to seat them 0.005” off the lands, and still fit the 29.5 gr. of powder needed to get some good velocities from the 16.5” barrel.

IMG_0660.png
 
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@FuhQ as they say sometimes, it takes a village. I am building a new team here that listens to customers and passes on their thoughts. Sometimes you guys know better what is going on than we do because you have put more rounds downrange or you found that 1 in 1000 rifle flaw that we didn't even think of.

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, all of the customer service team will be new and some of the best in the industry. So keep the info coming so we can continue to make our guns better!

Very respectfully,
Jimmy
 
@FuhQ as they say sometimes, it takes a village. I am building a new team here that listens to customers and passes on their thoughts. Sometimes you guys know better what is going on than we do because you have put more rounds downrange or you found that 1 in 1000 rifle flaw that we didn't even think of.

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, all of the customer service team will be new and some of the best in the industry. So keep the info coming so we can continue to make our guns better!

Very respectfully,
Jimmy
Will do. 👍🏼
 
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