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“I assume you’ll want a .30-Caliber of some sort for the plains game rifle?” Kerry O’Day and that I had been discussing the 2 MG Arms rifles they’d be offering for my hunt with Zambeze Delta Safaris in November 2020. The ‘dangerous game’ rifle could be an Ultra-Light in .416 Taylor that they had constructed beforehand (see TTAG review).
Kerry was right that any .30-Caliber could be the right cartridge to pair with their .416. i’ve hunted with .30-06’s and so on. previously, however I advised Kerry that in the event that they had been OK with it, I would like a 7mm Remington Magnum.
My Dad actually did have an effect on my preferences in firearms; my request to Kerry displays one other of his influences. I bear in mind seeing my Dad use his lovely Browning 7mm Remington Magnum on our whitetail hunts within the Texas hill nation. I bear in mind considering that it was such a strong caliber and it was…in comparison with the .243 Winchester that he had given me as my ‘deer rifle’.
So, after I bought my first deer rifle, I went for a Remington Model 700 in — you guessed it — 7mm Remington Magnum. That was lots of years in the past, and that I’ve taken all types of game with that Plain Jane Model 700.
Kerry stated that my desire was positive with him. That set the ball rolling for the development of the MG Arms Ultra-Light Plains Game rifle in 7mm Remington Magnum.
Specifications
Carol O’Day is in control of inventory design and building at MG Arms. She requested what design (colour sample) I would really like the usual Kevlar inventory to put on. I advised her that I used to be primarily going to make use of the rifle for the Plains Game portion of a safari in Mozambique. Carol is an old-hand in Africa, so she instructed their South Texas Camo end. When I acquired the rifle, I used to be more than happy with how this design appeared with the matte black Teflon end of the metalwork. The camo inventory was outfitted with a 1″ Decelerator pad.
The commonplace motion for MG Arms Ultra-Light rifles is a Remington 700 right-hand motion that’s been skeletonized. Optional actions embrace Stiller and Left-handed fashions. My rifle got here with the usual motion.
The bolt has an AR model extractor and is skeletonized and fluted.
The rifle options an SS National Match Barrel that’s free-floated with aluminum pillars and glass bedding.
It’s additionally outfitted with the MG Arms Super Eliminator muzzle brake. The brake does a superb job of mitigating recoil.
MG Arms put in a Jewell adjustable set off (pull weight: a mere 2 lbs)
The Ultra-Light has a two-position security.
I examined the rifle with Leupold’s VX-5HD 3-15x44mm CDS-ZL2 Riflescope that was mounted on the Ultra-Light with Talley Rings and Bases.
Range Session – Accuracy
I used three totally different cartridges for this evaluate.
Two varieties had been from Swift Bullet Company. One of the Swift masses was topped with 150 grain Scirocco and the opposite with 160 grain A-Frame bullets. Both the Scirocco and A-Frame cartridges gave close to MOA accuracy and thus could be appropriate for searching with the rifle despatched to me. However, the accuracy information got here from some customized masses with 62 grains of IMR 4831 and 162 grain Hornady ELD-X bullets.
MG Arms all the time offers a goal displaying how properly the customized rifle carried out with their customized ammunition. I all the time marvel if I will replicate their outcomes. In this occasion, the reply was a powerful sure. But, I’m getting forward of myself.
As with all my accuracy checks, I used the dimensions of teams obtained from the bench because the baseline for the accuracy from discipline rests. On the bench, I used a sandbag for the forearm and an Armageddon Gear Waxed Canvas Optimized Game Changer Support Bag for the butt.
I checked the muzzle velocity of the MG Arms Custom masses with my LabRadar. The velocity of 2816 fps I measured agreed properly with that supplied by MG Arms (2842 fps).
I’ll be utilizing my 4StableSticks‘ rests when I head to Mozambique. With that in mind, I used their Ultimate Leather – standing bipod rest – to collect ‘field accuracy’ information.
The goal pictured beneath got here from the 300 yard mark. The two-shot group was fired from the standing relaxation, not the bench.
Needless to say, I used to be more than happy to see the 300-yard group, however that was not the one sub-sub-MOA group I received. The graph offers the outcomes from each the bench and the standing relaxation for targets positioned at 100, 200, 300 and 400 yards.
The lacking information are attributable to the truth that I had just one container of the MG Arms Custom ammunition. In addition to this evaluate, I additionally wanted to make use of the Custom ammunition for a ‘Box Test’ of the Leupold riflescope. I selected to skip shooting at 300 yards from the bench and 400 yards from the sphere relaxation.
I used to be in a position to obtain sub-MOA teams in any respect distances, from each the bench and the Stable Stick bipod. Four of the six teams had been sub-0.5 MOA. That’s phenomenal accuracy for me, particularly from the standing relaxation at 200 and 300 yards.
Shootability
I do know that isn’t truly a phrase, however I prefer it. For this rifle, I’m referring as to if its Ultra-Light weight of six kilos would possibly make it nice to hold all day, however a critical ache (actually) to fireside. The reply for this rifle is, as I discussed beforehand, that the MG Arms muzzle brake dampens recoil to virtually nil.
I fired the primary 20+ rounds from the bench with no shoulder pad. I forgot to put on my regular gel pad. I didn’t bear in mind to place the pad on till I used to be getting ready to shoot from the Stable Stick relaxation. I put it on as a result of I believed that I would possibly get sore, not as a result of I used to be feeling important recoil.
Needless to say, I might shoot this rifle all day lengthy and never discover the recoil. But, I higher not have to do that whereas searching.
Specifications: MG Arms Ultra-Light in 7mm Remington Magnum
Caliber: 7mm Remington Magnum
Action Type: Remington 700 Action Skeletonized (squared & lapped, AR model extractor)
Capacity: 3 + 1
Overall Length: 45″
Barrel: SS National Match Barrel
Barrel Length: 23″+ brake
Muzzle Brake: MG Arms Super Eliminator muzzle brake
Weight: 6 lbs. (with out riflescope)
Stock: Standard Kevlar (13 oz; LOP: 13 1/2″)
Metal Finish: Matte Black Teflon
Stock Finish: South Texas Camo
Trigger: Jewell adjustable rigger (1-Three lb pull)
MSRP: $3995
Ratings (out of 5 stars):
Style and look * * * * 1/2
OK, I admit it. I’m beginning to soften in direction of non-wooden shares and non-blued metallic elements. This is a very nice trying rifle, with the engaging camo sample of the Kevlar inventory complimenting the Black Teflon end on the metalwork. The MG Arms of us all the time do an incredible job on skeletonizing and weight discount of the motion and so on. That gunsmithing additionally seems good.
Ergonomics * * * * *
I can’t wait to load up some extra ammunition, utilizing the MG Arms recipe, and get again to the vary. The recoil is so negligible, and the rifle’s accuracy is so good that it makes shooting this Ultra-Light completely satisfying. My ‘pet’ rifle is a Model 700 Remington and I like its accuracy and really feel. However, it weighs a superb 5 kilos greater than the MG Ultra-Light and kicks an entire lot more durable. I do know I’ll recognize the burden and dealing with of the Ultra-Light when searching African plains game.
Reliability * * * * *
The motion and bolt dealt with all three kinds of ammunition completely. There wasn’t a single feeding or extraction challenge.
Accuracy * * * * *
Wow! That ought to cowl it. Paired with the customized masses, the rifle resulted in sub-MOA teams from each the bench and the standing relaxation at distances of 100-400 yards.
Overall * * * * 1/2
I’m impressed with the seems, the sunshine weight and the excellent accuracy of the MG Arms Ultra-Light. I’m trying ahead to spending much more time on the vary, attempting out totally different masses and discipline shooting positions earlier than my safari in Mozambique.
Mike Arnold writes for quite a few shops; links to different articles will be discovered here.
[All photos courtesy of Mike Arnold.]
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