Tag Archives: carbon fiber

Rokstad Tauron Carbon Fiber Tripod

November 16, 2025Ancillary gear, Product reviewcarbon fiber, rokstad, shooting tripod, tauron, Tripod, vector opticscoldboremiracle

Introduction

Tripods have become a big part of shooting activities. Whether it is for building a support position for your rifle, or positioning support optics, tripods are a fantastic accessory. I have had the good fortune to use a variety of different tripods of various types and situations. This has opened my eyes to the value of a good tripod, in the right situation. Today I am bringing you a review of another tripod, built specifically for shooting sports. This tripod comes from the folks at Vector Optics, but it is a sub-brand. The Rokstad Tauron carbon fiber tripod is of heavy duty construction, with extendable carbon fiber locking legs. Using the tripod together with Rokstad’s 56mm ball-head gives you impressive mounting and manipulation.

Having arrived right before hunting season would give me a great opportunity to put this tripod to work. Using the Rokstad tripod to support both firearms, spotting scopes, and other items. Over the next couple months, I would use the tripod on the range, out in the deserts and in the high frozen country of the Rocky Mountains.

rokstad, vector optics, tripod, carbon fiber, nikon, fieldscope, Nikon Monarch 82ED-A Fieldscope — my **Nikon Monarch 82m Fieldscope** mounted in the Rokstad tripod

Rokstad Tauron Specifications

Leg Sections	4
Leg Locks	Twist
Folded Length	56 cm / 22.05 in
Maximum Height	169 cm / 66.54 in
Main Tube Diameter	34 mm
Max Load	35 kg / 77 lbs
Tube Material	Carbon Fiber
Angle Adjustments	Yes
Feet Tripod Spike	Yes
Weight	2.12 kg / 74.78 oz
Items in the Package	Storage Bag and Hex Keys

Much thought went into the design of this tripod, adding some clever features. And at the exact same time, the tripod is a simple device. With four extendable sectioned legs, it is a very tall tripod, one could put a sheet around it and use it as a rain shelter.

Attaching a ball head or other device on top of the tripod is done using either a 1/4 threaded stud, or a 3/8 threaded stud. The cunning design has a spring loaded stud, that allows you to pull out the one you want to use, while the other stud collapses inside.

Vector Optics, Rokstad, tripod, carbon fiber, shooting tripod, ball head,

The lightweight carbon fiber legs are very stiff and strong, the rubberized twist-locking rings allow fast deployment. At the bottom end of the legs there are rubber feet, the feet can be twisted up revealing steel spikes for better traction. Additionally, the legs lock in three different angles, allowing you many options for configuring the tripod.

Vector Optics, Rokstad, tripod, carbon fiber, shooting tripod, ball head, feet, spike,

With its robust construction, the Tauron Tripod can hold up to 77lbs on top. Which is more than I would ever plan on putting there. Rokstad offers a 38mm and 56mm ball head to mount on the Tauron tripod, I selected the 56mm.

Rokstad 56mm Ball Head

The ball head itself is also built well, with a nice finish and look all around. The ball head features 360 degree rotation, and also includes the typical 90 degree drop notch that allows you to hit extreme angles.

On top of the ball, there is a dual clamp that is tightened by a thumb-screw. The clamp itself is designed to hold both ARCA rail systems as well as picatinny rail systems. This will allow you to mount a variety of firearms and other items to the tripod.

Vector Optics, Rokstad, tripod, carbon fiber, shooting tripod, ball head, nikon, fieldscope,

Controls on the ball head are very easy to operate. There is a smaller tension knob that controls the resistance when panning the ball head. And the larger knob adjusts the clamping resistance on the ball itself, the knob has various numbers showing the resistance setting. Interestingly, these controls typically add resistance as you tighten the knob. But on this ball head, the resistance as you tighten the knob doesn’t seem to increase with commensurate resistance on the ball. This allow easy manipulation of the ball head with less effort.

The ball head comes with a small rubberized section of ARCA that can be used to attach a rifle, spotting scope or other device to quickly attach to the tripod.

Vector Optics, Rokstad, tripod, carbon fiber, shooting tripod, ball head, custom 10/22, primary arms, glx, 22lr, .22lr, suppressed, spectre 2, — shooting from the Tauron tripod was steady and comfortable, seen here my custom 10/22 with the **Primary Arms GLx 3-18 scope** and **Silencerco Spectre 22 suppresso**r

In the Field with the Rokstad Tauron Tripod

Whether on the range, out in the desert, or high in the Rocky Mountains chasing mule deer, this tripod was a fantastic tool. I used it for supporting my spotting optics, my camera, rifles and other items.

rokstad, vector optics, tripod, carbon fiber, nikon, fieldscope, sig sauer, kilo 10k, — the Rokstad Tauron is extremely stable for glassing with these **Sig Sauer Kilo 10k Binos**

I found the controls of the tripod and ball head to be very easy and intuitive to operate. While the tripod is very light compared to non-carbon fiber options, but I didn’t often choose to pack it along during hunts. This size of tripod is great for short walks and or range operations. It isn’t often I would take this or any comparable tripod on long hikes through rough country.

Vector Optics, Rokstad, tripod, carbon fiber, shooting tripod, ball head, maven optics, spotting scope, compact, CS 1A 15-45x,

Using both the rubber feet and the spike s underneath the tripod made a very sturdy structure. Making an excellent platform to shoot from, as well as watching target animals. I did notice occasionally the rubber feet would rattle loose, which would expose the spikes. This isn’t a big deal, as the rubber feet are captured and cannot fall off when loose, but it was a slight inconvenience at times.

Locking the legs in their various positions was quick and easy using the locking lugs, I did find that I like other designs slightly better. Because the locks can be pulled from the front or pushed out from the back. The Rokstad design can only be pulled from the front, this is a minor issue that you likely would miss unless you were used the something else.

Quality

One of the concerns many folks have about foreign built products is the level of quality in construction. I have been quite impressed with the quality of other Vector Optics products, so it came as no surprise that I was also pleased with the Rokstad sub-brand as well. The finish on this tripod is great, the carbon fiber has an excellent build. All the machine work is done well, and there is even a touch of style to it.

rokstad, vector optics, tripod, carbon fiber, nikon, fieldscope, desert tech, srs m2, continental, — if that rifle looks familiar its because my **Desert Tech SRS M2** is wearing the Vector Optics 6-36×56 scope, its mounted in an **Area 419 scope mount**, and on top you can see the **US Optics RISE red dot**.

The controls are crisp and strong, you definitely feel like you can push against this tripod. By that I mean both physically and against its stops. The leg extension locks are very tight, and don’t require heavy torquing to lock the extensions in place. Same with the leg angle locks. And the ball head controls are very tactile allowing sharp control of friction settings.

Usability

I found the Tauron tripod to be every bit as comfortable to use as other tripods I’ve used. The rubberized leg extension locks are quick and easy to use, and deploying the legs of the tripod is quick and smooth. The articulation of the legs allows me to get into most any setup with this tripod, giving excellent support.

Articulating the ball head took a moment to get used to, but once I’d figured it out I quite liked it. Being able to lock both ARCA rails and picatinny rails was a great benefit. Two of the three legs have a foam grip area for comfortably carrying the tripod. Which is especially nice in extreme cold weather.

Value

Rokstad’s Tauron tripod is definitely less expensive than some of the competition. Even compared to some other tripods built overseas, it is still much more affordable. There is obviously good reason behind this, we all know there is no free lunch. While it is lighter than some comparable tripods, it is far from the lightest. It has great features and controls despite others having some better options. But all this should come as no surprise for a tripod that cost only four hundred and fifty dollars (at time of publication). Many of the comparable tripods cost double or triple what this one costs. I am sure I am not the only one who often will take the affordability over a slight advantage in performance.

Pros and Cons

I found very few things to hate on the Rokstad Tauron tripod. It was comfortable and easy to operate, and the controls were intuitive and easy to figure out. The product is well-built giving great stability for either observation optics or firearms. All the control surfaces have textured grip, and the sticky rubber grip areas make short work of extending the legs.

If I had to change something about this tripod, it would probably be the following; I’d love to put it on a diet. It’s not like a boat anchor or anything, but it could be lighter. That could be said for most comparable tripods as well, so keep that in mind. I’d also like it if they vented the legs, the air pressure built when extending or collapsing the legs does create some resistance that could be neutralized by venting the interior of the legs.

rokstad, vector optics, tripod, carbon fiber, nikon, fieldscope, desert tech, srs m2, — Here you can see the extended leg-locks that allows a hard stop for each leg

Also, I really like the dual clamp on the ball head, but I wish it had a lever to tension the clamp instead of a thumbscrew. Thumbscrews are a little less tactile for tensioning such a clamp, especially in the cold. And lastly, the tripod came with a very handy and well made carry bag, complete with a shoulder strap and such. Unfortunately they made the bag too small to use with the ball head installed, which is a massive drawback. I will likely never use the bag now, as I’m not likely ever going to be removing the ball head while transporting the Tauron.

Final Thoughts

Overall I think the Tauron is a great little tripod, meaning I think most folks out there would at minimum find it adequate if not better. If you are new to carbon fiber shooting tripods, I think this will work great for you. And if you have a collection of them as I do, this will fit in to it just fine.

rokstad, vector optics, tripod, carbon fiber, nikon, fieldscope, remington 700, .260 remington, us optics, — here you can see CBM Junior’s rifle mounted in the tripod via the pic rail up front

Rokstad’s Tauron tripod gives great quality and features at a price well below much of the competition. Like it or not, the price is likely due to its overseas construction. If you are looking for a great little tripod to put in your shooting gear, this one is worth looking at.

-CBM

Two Vets Tripods No Name V2 Inverted Tripod

July 6, 2025Ancillary gear, Product reviewcarbon fiber, no name V2 inverted, Tripod, two vets, two vets tripodscoldboremiracle

Introduction

Some ancillary shooting equipment is for comfort, and others are simply a must have. Today we are talking tripods, which in my opinion is a must have for some shooting situations. Specifically we are talking about the Two Vets Tripods No Name V2 Inverted tripod. Inverted meaning that the legs are configured with the larger diameter sections at the bottom.

Two Vets Tripods, non name v2, inverted, tripod, shooting tripod, carbon fiber, 10/22, .22lr, primary arms, glx 3-18, — My custom **10/22** riding high on the very tall **Two Vets No Name Tripod**

This and many other features of this tripod give you a great deal of support while shooting. While I am just a bit of a redneck who enjoys putting bullets in very specific places, I think I might help understand why you should add something like this to your kit.

The No Name V2 Inverted

Despite being a tripod without a name, the V2 has a great deal of features you’d expect from big names. By inverting the legs, and putting the narrower sections of the leg at the top, Two Vets reduced the size of the tripod head. Making the whole tripod more compact overall when collapsed.

Vortex Optics, Razor Gen III, gen III, Vortex Razor, 6-36x56, Desert Tech, SRS M2, 338LM, Two vets Tripod, — This Desert Tech SRS M2 was nicely supported using the Area 419 Dual clamp, you can read more about that Gen 3 Vortex Razor Here

Additionally by inverting the legs, the twist locks for each section are at the top of each section instead of the bottom. This makes deploying the legs quick by simply twisting the lock and sliding the leg out and twist again to secure it. This is further enhanced by very short 1/4 turn twist locks, so you don’t have to sit there and wind your wrist to get the legs secured.

US Optics, USO, LXR, riflescope, x-series, 4-24x56, scope, 6.5 PRC, PVA Modus, cole tac, two vets tripod, — My PVA 6.5PRC Modus rifle with the new **US Optics LXR 4-2 4×56**, the rifle rests in a a Precision Rifle Solutions saddle

Locking the legs in various positions is done using a spring-loaded lock that can be pushed from the back or pulled from the front. Making it easy from any position to adjust the legs. Additionally there are various threaded holes in the head and leg tops allowing you to attach accessories.

Two Vets Tripods, non name v2, inverted, tripod, shooting tripod, carbon fiber, ball head, 65mm, area 419, — note head details: threaded bosses for accessories, leg-locks and ball head

But There’s more

Fantastic additional features like the Area 419 ARCA Lock Dual clamp that works with ARCA rails or picatinny rails. And venting the legs to prevent air from slowing the deployment or stowage. Spikes are built-into the rubber feet and easily swapped out in the field. Centered under the head, there is also an anchor point you can hang a backpack or other weight from to help add stability to the tripod.

Two Vets Tripods, non name v2, inverted, tripod, shooting tripod, carbon fiber, rubber feet, spikes, — Spikes are concealed inside the rubber feet, they are easily threaded into position when required. Top quality on everything here, rubber grommets to prevent loosening, and both wrench-flats and a thru-hole to allow easy changes in the field.

Ball Head

The No Name V2 can accept any of the Two Vets ball heads, I chose to go with the 65mm head, because of the often heavy rifles that it will support. The ball heads allow smooth panning on the tripod with labeled degrees, as well as near infinite articulation. There are tension clutches built-in to add resistance and lock up the head should you choose.

SilencerCo, Omega 36M, Omega, silencer, suppressor, modular, 5.56, 9mm, 250, 338, desert tech, srs m2, apex optics, rival, two vets tripod, two vets, no-name inverted, ball head, — this SRS A1 Covert in 8.6 BLK is attached by its picatinny rail

Specifications

Two Vets No Name Inverted V2 Tripod
Weight	4lbs 12 oz
Leg Sections	4 / 3 Twist Locks
Main Tube Diamater	38MM Main Tube
Collapsed Height	26 Inches
Deployed Height	65.5 Inches
Angle Adjustments	Spring Loaded / Ratcheting Ears
Twist Locks	1/4 Turn Twist Locks
Intergrated Spikes In Feet	Yes
Head Options	Ballhead / any 3/8 head
Whats Included	Tripod & Spiked Feet
Max Weight Rating	100lbs

Field Shooting with Two Vets Tripods

Before I’d even left the house, I could see that a great deal of thought had been put into this tripod. It obviously had been built with shooters in mind. I do most of my shooting in the rugged Rocky Mountains and dry deserts of the intermountain west. My day to day shooting can be anywhere from 2400 feet above sea level clear up to 10,000 feet where the air in thin. I was particularly excited to get this tripod assimilated into my kit.

wo Vets Tripods, non name v2, inverted, tripod, shooting tripod, carbon fiber, rubber feet, remingont 700, 223 remington, vortex viper , YHM Turbo, — Getting over the top of vegetation often requires more than a bipod

Building a good shooting position is important whether you are a PRS competitor or a hunter. I enjoy both, and have incorporated tripod use into them both as well. Sometimes a tripod is just too easy not to use for a comfortable and pleasant shooting position. Whether it be just to get comfortably above grass and brush on the ground before you, or to shoot comfortably from a standing position at squirrels in a tree.

Two Vets Tripods, non name v2, inverted, tripod, shooting tripod, carbon fiber, 10/22, primary arms, glx 3-18,

Deployment

Deploying the No Name tripod is quicker than other tripods I’ve used. Instead of loosening the lock ring and either waiting for the leg to drop or pull it it out myself; I can simply twist a quarter turn, pull the vented leg down to where ever I need it, and twist it back into locked position.

Two Vets Tripods, non name v2, inverted, tripod, shooting tripod, carbon fiber, arca, area 419, arca lock, dual clamp, — the Area 419 ARCA Lock dual clamp allows you to attach both ARCA and picatinny rails, the switch you see on the right side is to engage or deactivate the ARCA Lock teeth

Folding the legs into the needed position was also enhanced by the easy to operate leg locks. I quickly found that you can either push them out from the back or pull from the front. And hooking up a rifle to the ball head was easy using the Area 419 dual clamp. I used it to easily attach both ARCA rail kitted rifles like my custom 22 or picatinny rail like on my custom 25 Creedmoor.

We can always wish for more compact tripods, but I found the No Name to be a good fit into my Eberlestock Just One pack that I have been using in these mountains.

eberlestock, just one, backpack, two vets tripod, no name, tripod, backcountry,

Adjustment

I already mentioned how easy it is to quickly adjust the leg-length of the No Name. Adjusting the angle is also quick, pulling out the locks to stop the legs at one of the three angles. The real rock star of adjustment though is the 65mm ball head on top of the tripod. Rotating a full 360 degrees with adjustable tension for your liking.

two Vets Tripods, non name v2, inverted, tripod, shooting tripod, carbon fiber, rubber feet, remingont 700, 223 remington, vortex viper , YHM Turbo, — this little custom Remington setup has taken quite a few hides

The large bowel also has two cuts at the front allowing a ninety-degree angle if needed for high angle shooting. A large tension knob makes it fast and easy to apply the clutch to the ball head. You can pull the knob out to reset its timing for maximum comfort. I found it a comfortable place to hold the tripod as well while setting position on targets.

Two Vets Tripods, non name v2, inverted, tripod, shooting tripod, carbon fiber, 10/22, arca,

With all these options I found it was convenient to get setup in nearly any position. It was just a matter of adjusting the leg-length or angle to get a solid setup.

Durability

All this is nice, but only if it lasts. The No Name is very well built, everything about it suggests it is high quality. Even the fasteners are engraved suggesting they take care of every little detail. The high quality parts and finishes are made to endure tough use.

two Vets Tripods, non name v2, inverted, tripod, shooting tripod, carbon fiber, tikka t3x, kahles k318i, meateater, banish, suppressor, 25 creedmoor, — my **Tikka T3x** in a custom **KRG Bravo chassis**

The carbon fiber legs are very rigid, even when extended the whole assembly gives a very robust feeling. All three sections of each leg are timed to stay indexed together, and even when the twist lock is loose they keep their correlation.

O-rings on threaded accessories keep things from coming loose and falling off, which I have had issues with before with other tipods. The only thing That has come loose in all of my shooting has been the threaded ball head attachment point. I suppose some simple blue loctite would take care of that, so it’s not a big deal.

Two Vets Tripods, non name v2, inverted, tripod, shooting tripod, carbon fiber, Savage B17, 17 hmr, bushnell R5, rimfire, silencerco spectre II, — Shooting prairie dogs on flat ground is often aided by a little elevation, this **Savage B17** brought hell from above the No Name tripod

Pros and Cons

I could come up with very few things about this tripod that I didn’t like. However I mentioned the ball head can come loose when turned counter clockwise, but I also mentioned thats an easy fix I simply haven’t chosen to apply. You might suppose the tripod is a little bulky for some activities one could say, both in size and weight. But this is something you know going in. If you are looking for a super compact and lightweight tripod for hunting backcountry, you might chose another option. But if you want heavy duty strength and rigidity for shooting competitions or perhaps law enforcement sharpshooter detail, this is a very good option.

two Vets Tripods, non name v2, inverted, tripod, shooting tripod, carbon fiber, ball head, area 419, — Here you can see how the ball head screws onto the top of the the tripod head. Tightening the panning-clutch followed by snap-spinning the head on seems to take care of any loosening issues.

For purposes like that the No Name V2 is a very good option. If offers quick and reliable deployment, with a sturdy and adjustable stance. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where the No Name wouldn’t be a valuable asset for building a solid shooting position.

My Conclusion

As you might have gathered at this point, I really like this tripod. I’ve used a few different tripods over the years and I really prefer this one. Not only is it a good product but it comes from a company that has good values and knows what their customer wants. And at the risk of sounding a bit cheesy, their product stands for itself.

You can spend a ridiculous amount of money on carbon fiber tripods, and this one certainly isn’t the cheapest. But I think if you are in the market for a good shooting tripod, your money would be well spent on Two Vets products.

-CBM

Check out more ancillary shooting gear here

Carbon Fiber Firearms

October 11, 2024blogcarbon fibercoldboremiracle

Introduction

I often talk about the technological advancements of our modern firearms, which have made big changes in the last 20 years. New processes like DLC finishes and 3D metal printing have become commonplace in the manufacture of our favorite firearms. But today we are going to discuss something a bit more revolutionary, nearly as revolutionary as the steel that those first arms were made from. Carbon fiber firearms have become more and more popular over the last few decades. And what was once discounted as superfluous, has now become mainstream. Today we’ll get familiar with the carbon options, and why you may or may not want to use them.

this **Bergara Crest Carbon** rifle and **Athlon Heras scope** are a fantastic lightweight combo

Carbon Copies

When I first heard about carbon wrapped barrels many years ago, I thought for sure it had to be some gimmick. That was until I was able to tour the Christensen Arms factory, where they were building aerospace parts alongside their firearms. Watching the way they made both barrels and stocks really started making sense.

Christensen arms MPR — carbon is used in both the barrel and handguard of this Christensen Arms MPR

Years later a little outfit called Proof Research also came to market, and then it seemed like every time I turned around there was another company offering carbon gun parts. The appeal of carbon is hard to deny; it is lightweight, and extremely strong and rigid. These are very appealing features for gun parts. Technology has made it possible now to make almost anything from carbon, and we as firearm owners are reaping the benefits. Let’s get into the actual parts you might see, and why you might want one.

carbon fiber — lightweight stocks like this one from **IOTA Outdoors** are super light, allowing more options

Continue Reading Here

good carbon options are available from popular manufacturers like this **Savage Impulse**

patriot valley arms Modus, 6.5PRC — This **Patriot Valley Arms Modus rifle** features a carbon fiber stock, they also offer carbon barrels

Using lighter components allows use of bigger scopes, suppressors and things like this US Optics TXH 3-18×50 and Silencer Central Banish Buck 30.

this **Springfield Armory Redline** uses a carbon fiber barrel for exceptional balance

Christensen Arms MPR 6.5 Creedmoor

June 26, 2023Product review, Shooting hardware6.5 creedmoor, carbon fiber, Christensen Arms, modern precision rifle, MPRcoldboremiracle

Introduction

I am not new to Christensen Arms rifles, I’ve been lucky to play with several of them over the last couple years. But today we are looking at a new to me rifle; the Christensen Arms MPR 6.5 Creedmoor.

The Modern Precision Rifle (MPR) is Christensen’s version of a light-weight sharp-shooting rifle. Whether it’s used for competition shooting or as a sniper rifle, the MPR brings some very modern touches to the precision rifle market. But are those features worthy of praise?

The MPR

Christensen’s MPR is based around their stainless steel action, a two-lug action very similar to the very popular Remington 700 like many other modern actions. The rifle tested here is chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, using a short action bolt. Like most Christensen rifles, the MPR is heavily reliant on carbon fiber.

Its carbon-wrapped match-grade barrel is largely responsible for the rifle’s lightweight, as are other parts of the chassis. At the end of the barrel it is threaded 5/8-24 and is fit with a matching muzzle brake for additional recoil reduction.

At the heart of the chassis is an aluminum block where the action is mounted. And the handguard is bolted on to the front and is made from a carbon fiber shaped tube. The MPR uses the very popular AICS pattern magazines and they feed nicely into the magwell of the rifle. Inspecting the grip looks to be a basic AR-15 type pistol grip, this is a nice feature as you can install whichever one suits your fancy.

The folding stock hinges just behind the tang of the action, I really like the way they designed the hinge mechanism. It’s quite tight and locks up as if there was no hinge at all. Just be careful to keep skin away from the area while folding or you may bleed a bit.

Fortunately the butt stock of the MPR is completely adjustable, which makes it very nice to adapt to each individual shooter. The whole thing is pretty handsome and put together very nicely.

Shop this and other Christensen Arms products

Rifle Setup

Surely I was going to need a good scope and at least a bipod to shoot this rifle well. I installed a Primary Arms ACSS Apollo 6-30X56 riflescope in a ZRO Delta Mount . To simplify I went with a Harris 6-9 bipod attached to the pic-rail on the bottom of the MPR handguard. For ammunition I brought along a few boxes of Hornady 140 grain match ammo. With everything put together, leveled and balanced I adjusted the rifle to fit me, and headed out for the range.

First Impressions

The Christensen Arms MPR 6.5 Creedmoor was plenty comfortable to shoot. It weighed so little compared to other similar rifles I have. As I sat behind it on a bench I ran the bolt a few times and felt the break of the trigger just to familiarize myself with it. Its bolt was easy to lift and snap shut, and the Trigger Tech trigger as usual felt outstanding.

I loaded the magazine and closed the bolt. As I broke the trigger everything felt right, the recoil was quite modest and running the bolt for round two sent the empty case flying. The M16 style extractor of the MPR does a great job getting brass out of the way for the next round.

I fired a few more shots and adjusted my scope to get a proper zero. At that point I tried to settle down as best I could and shoot a few good groups using both the Hornady and some Federal 130 grain match. I felt quite good about my shooting but I was not super excited about the grouping downrange, the first three groups of five-shots measured right around an inch. I tried again with my other ammo selection and got very similar results, my only hope is that perhaps this rifle doesn’t like what I feed it. And maybe there is something out there it will shoot better.

Into the snow

We decided to take the rifle for a hiking trip into the snow-covered Rocky Mountains, and I brought another type of Hornady ammunition to see if perhaps it faired better. With all my gear stowed on my back, my son and I headed into the cold.

The open country where we live makes an excellent place to hunt and shoot. Here in these breezy canyons I wanted to see how the MPR shot. Mainly to see how it would perform at longer distances and real-world shooting scenarios.

Normally this time of year I shoot at tiny snow patches in the dirt. But due to winter part 2, I was instead shooting at little dirt patches in the snow. The first target was about a three-inch muddy spot surrounded by white snow. I figured it would be easy to spot the impact and judge the shot.

After loading the rifle I steadied it and focused on my point of aim nearly four hundred yards away. I pressed the trigger and the suppressed gust of pressure echoed across the canyon. I’d added my Yankee Hill Machine R9 suppressor just to see if it helped the performance of the rifle.

The contrast of dark splattered dirt across the snow, and my hit was close enough to call it good in my opinion. So I continued my search for additional targets. We repeated the process until I had exhausted my curiosity and ammunition supply.

christensen arms MPR 6.5 Creedmoor — We also shot the MPR suppressed with the **YHM R9 suppressor**

Pros and Cons

I’ll be honest up front, I wasn’t exactly sold on the aesthetics of this rifle when I first saw it. I couldn’t exactly say what I didn’t like about it. But it has certainly grown on me a bit over the last few weeks. Everybody else thought it looked great so I’ll assume its just my weird taste.

I was really hoping this rifle would shoot better than it did. To be fair it is not a new rifle so its possible that it has been rode hard and put away wet too many times. But a rifle like this should shoot half-MOA groups all day. I just couldn’t get it to reliably do that.

On the plus side, I really appreciated many of the rifles other qualities. The light weight is always appreciated. And its comfortable and adjustable chassis made shooting it very pleasant. Little features like the folding mechanism, great trigger, awesome cycling and threaded barrel made adapting the rifle to my purposes easy. And of course improved my shooting experience.

Click here to see more about the MPR

Conclusion

I must say that I liked this rifle more than I expected to. And yet I’m torn because I am simply uninterested in rifles that won’t shoot reliably sub MOA. I’m lucky to have rifles ranging from discount economy models under four hundred dollars up to production sniper rifles that cost seven thousand dollars. And even the cheap ones I can typically get to shoot consistently sub MOA and often 1/2 MOA.

The Christensen Arms MPR 6.5 Creedmoor surely could be an outstanding rifle, I’ve heard of others that shoot outstanding and accurately. If this one did, I think I’d be hard pressed to let it go. But with a street price just under twenty-four hundred dollars, I’d need more convincing.

If you like this carbon fiber rifle, check out this custom one the 257 Blackjack

The 257 Blackjack

July 9, 2020blog, Product review, Shooting hardware25 caliber, 257 Blackjack, blackjack bullets, carbon fiber, custom rifle, proof research, remington 700coldboremiracle

Background

You may have read my piece on the 25 Creedmoor from a while back, if you haven’t then make sure you go read it after this. In that article about the 25 Creedmoor, I detailed how my nascency in precision rifle shooting began with a twenty-five caliber rifle. And that I had returned again to the quarter-bore. There’s more to that story, and today I bring you The 257 Blackjack.

One of the main reasons I quit shooting that old twenty-five 0’six, was because there was never a good bullet selection for it. The biggest bullets available were one hundred twenty grain, and they were hardly long-range bullets. They featured ballistic coefficients not much better than anything else designed in the sixties.

That was all about to change, and change for the better. I couldn’t have known how far down the quarter-bore hole I was going to fall when I first made contact with Blackjack Bullets.

The 257 Blackjack next to its larger parent, the 6.5 SAUM

The Blackjack 131 Ace

That first conversation I had was with Miles Johnson, the brains behind Blackjack Bullets. Like me he had often hungered for a better bullet for twenty-five caliber cartridges. But he had the intellect and drive to do something about it.

Miles is a smooth-talking guy, with very unequivocal purpose in conversation. The kind of guy you could sit around a fire with a bottle of whiskey and watch the stars. Before you know it he might be talking so deep about drag and aerodynamics that you have to start reading the bottle to find words you understand.

Our initial contact began my twenty-five Creedmoor project, Miles’ company Blackjack Bullets was producing the 131 Grain Ace bullet. I intended to make it the crown jewel of the project. Which has been an extremely superior performer for me lo these short two years, it leaves its six-point-five cousin in the dust.

The Birth of a New Cartridge

But Blackjack had been working all along on something even more threatening and treacherous. It was their own cartridge that was purpose-designed to make the 131 Ace sing a tune that nobody could touch. That project was the Two-fifty-seven Blackjack, a short action magnum cartridge based on the SAUM case.

It would fit in short action rifles, feed from AI patterned magazines. Pushing the Ace beyond thirty-two-hundred feet per second. It falls somewhere between the old 25WSSM and the 25SAUM wildcat.

The 131 Ace has an advertised G7 BC of .330. My personal experience and testing led me to believe that number is a tad conservative and that the number is more like .340. With an immaculate profile like that, the Ace when launched at these speeds is as flat as most available cartridges you can get. These bullets cheat the wind from its deviant influence.

Since the twenty-five Creedmoor had been such an outstanding success, I decided that I must indeed have the two-fifty-seven Blackjack as well. I figured it would be an amazing Rocky Mountain hunting rifle. So as soon as Miles had a reamer, we got started on the project.

The Pit Boss. Sporting a 24 inch Proof Research carbon wrapped barrel, and a YHM suppressor adorns the muzzle.

Building the rifle

With weight in mind, I decided I would spend the extra cheddar and get a Proof Research carbon fiber barrel with a 7.5 twist. My 25 Creedmoor is a 7 twist, but with the much faster Blackjack I needed a slightly less agressive twist. It was matched to a lightweight carbon fiber stock from Iota Outdoors.

Both would be connected with a simple Remington 700 short action. I swapped the factory trigger for a superior one from Trigger Tech, this has been a pretty standard practice for me. On top I mounted my US Optics TS 20X, which I think is perfect comapnion for this lightweight but long range hunting rifle. That said, I have a USO Foundation 25X on the way that might go for a ride on the Blackjack as well.

Trigger and magwell detail, all a perfect fit.

Next, it was time to start load development. Which requires making brass from something else, the easiest seemed to be Hornady 6.5 4S cases, they were cut, sized, annealed, then cut again, sized again, turned, and annealed. The finished product is a beautiful fat and short little case, it looks like the X47 after an all you can eat 24 hr buffet.

The Loading

Mine is only the third rifle chambered in the Two-Fifty-Seven Blackjack so load data was based entirely from what Blackjack bullets had tried in theirs. I tried several different powders, including H4350, H4831SC, but I ended up getting the best velocity with Alliant RL 26. With 56 grains of powder, I was getting just shy of 3300 feet per second.

Fireforming these fat little cases gave some slight variation in velocity, but that didn’t surprise me. I did quite a bit of testing with loads back and forth, which is a tedious process with such a limited supply of brass in which I was so heavily invested. Magnum primers seemed to give the cartridge too much of a pressure spike, and excessive wear to the cases. This forced me to back down to just a Large Rifle primer, which significantly softened the blow.

This change still gave me adequate velocity, but also saved my brass from being ruined prematurely. An added benifit that eased in extraction from the chamber. The Ace likes to run right around 3200FPS from the Blackjack, and that’s just fine with me.

Shooting the 257 Blackjack

With no shortage of space here in the Rockies, I decided to get the Blackjack out to some significant ranges. I wanted to see how well my projections panned out, and see how close the trajectory lined up with my ballistic computer Trasol.

My first distance conquered was 1025, this after confirming a fairly rough zero in the dirt at 150 yards. From there I dialed the indicated 5.3 MRAD, and closed the bolt. One of my favorite things about shooting that far, is the nice delay you have to get a good clear sight picture to watch the impact. The first impact was a touch low, so I corrected the .2 and fired again, making perfect elevation on impact. I then shot it at 1250 yards where it was slightly ahead of the predicted dope, and I had to dial back down half a MIl to get on target.

I then stretched it out to just a few hundred feet shy of a mile. 12.8 MRAD was just the ticket for that range. For the naysayers, that is two MIL’s ahead of the 220 grain 300 RUM I was testing a few months back. And at 1600 yards, the Blackjack is 300FPS faster than the RUM. With only 60 pounds of energy less than the RUM. These are of course estimations made by my ballistic calculator. But they appear to be spot on based on the data I’ve shot to within a reasonable margin of error.

Shooting these 25 caliber heaters through this carbon wrapped barrel can heat it up quick. This rifle was purpose-built to be a hunting rifle, so barrel heat is of little concern. Rare is the occasion that I shoot more than a couple shots. So the weight savings are far more valuable to me in a hunting rifle.

Reliability of the Blackjack

The recoil on the Blackjack is not bad at all, but for a short action I would call it sharp. Obviously, there is going to be some kick from something this spicy. Its certainly not bad though, I would compare it to a heavy 308 load, keeping in mind the eleven-pound rifle weight.

One of the many concerns I am hearing from people about this project is the old “barrel burner” comment.
Yep, its gonna get roasted. If it gets to 1200 rounds I’ll consider myself lucky, and then I’ll get another barrel cut and threaded and screw it on in too. That is if I haven’t found something even sharper than the Blackjack by then.

Another concern I have heard from many is about feeding. Short and fat cartridges tend to have feeding issues, especially with steep shoulders like the Blackjack. But to my gratification, I have yet to have a single malfunction. It smoothly feeds from an old beater AICS magazine, which will hold seven of these handsome dandies.

Whether the first, or last round from the mag, these hop right into the chamber without any hangups. And single feeding is no problem either, if you just toss them in with a bit of forward motion. So long as they clear the blunt breach of the barrel, the bolt closes smoothly.

Bolt knob detail. The 257 Blackjack was initially to be called the 257 Pit Boss, I decided to honor the original name by memorializing it here.

A Wildcat cartridge

A wildcat cartridge is an adventure wrapped in hundred dollar bills, but it is not without its fun and excitement. I am not even close to being done with the 257 Blackjack. Hunting season is just around the corner, and I fully intend on putting the Blackjack’s talents to work.

With both deer and elk to harvest this fall and winter. The downrange energy, and resistance to wind this lightweight but potent little rifle is a perfect candidate for these rugged Rocky Mountains that have become my winter range.

With any luck, brass will be commercially available within the next few months from at least one reputable manufacturer. Reamers and dies will also soon be available from Blackjack Bullets website, so it may not be too long before this little cartridge is made an honest one.

The Pit Boss has since received its scope upgrade, the US Optics F25X

Looking into the future

In the meantime, I will continue to prepare and practice for the hunting season waiting for the next best thing. Miles may have some mad scientist things going on at the Blackjack Lab somewhere in the hills of Oklahoma. The best news of all perhaps is that big names like Berger and Hornady are following the lead, coming out with better bullets for the quarter bore fans like myself. So the future of the 257 Blackjack, as well as my 25 Creedmoor, and any fast twist 25 caliber cartridge will be bright and long-lived.

-CBM