Christensen Arms Mesa opinions

[Jhy]

I’m a Lefty and have a Tikka T3 lite in 30.06 on back order. I’m not very confident in it coming anytime soon, Beretta is less than helpful to my direct dealer - no estimate whatsoever on it appearing…. I’m now considering two things-
1.a 308 based on ammo availability as the ballistics are so similar and I have no need to shoot above 180grainers, most likely 150 or 165s.
2. A CA mesa - I previously hadn’t considered as they don’t chamber in .06. For the price difference I would think the CA would be an upgrade however I’m seeing some mixed reviews which surprised me. I know this site loves its tikkas and that was my first choice but my options are limited in LH in terms of stocks, finishes, etc and the mesa is appealing at first glance. Are there really issues with their quality or am I just seeing a few lemons getting too much attention? At 1500 bucks for a lefty I certainly don’t want a rifle that doesn’t perform at least equal to a $900 Tikka….

 

[Lawnboi]

Have owned both. Buy the tikka.

 

[XLR]

I’m a Lefty and have a Tikka T3 lite in 30.06 on back order. I’m not very confident in it coming anytime soon, Beretta is less than helpful to my direct dealer - no estimate whatsoever on it appearing…. I’m now considering two things-
1.a 308 based on ammo availability as the ballistics are so similar and I have no need to shoot above 180grainers, most likely 150 or 165s.
2. A CA mesa - I previously hadn’t considered as they don’t chamber in .06. For the price difference I would think the CA would be an upgrade however I’m seeing some mixed reviews which surprised me. I know this site loves its tikkas and that was my first choice but my options are limited in LH in terms of stocks, finishes, etc and the mesa is appealing at first glance. Are there really issues with their quality or am I just seeing a few lemons getting too much attention? At 1500 bucks for a lefty I certainly don’t want a rifle that doesn’t perform at least equal to a $900 Tikka….

If you want an awesome setup, I would suggest going to https://jaoutdoors.com/product-category/tikka-actions-accessories/. You can get a left-handed tikka action $625, a tikka factory barrel $100-250, and one of our chassis $1200 and be into an ultralight, super-accurate rifle for under 2k!

 

[Jhy]

Have owned both. Buy the tikka.

Been trying to for several months with multiple dealers including a deposit through a direct dealer- they don’t exist in lefty .06 and their rep has no idea when they will…

 

[dirtytough]

You can get a left-handed tikka action $625, a tikka factory barrel $100-250,

Isn't that about the price for a new Tikka that comes with a stock? Does the barrel come installed on the action?

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

I personally would pass on the 308 Win. There are better options out there from a ballistics perspective.

May want to expand your search to include the 270 Win and 6.5 CM (still look for your 30-06).

Are you set on Tikka? If so, you likely are going to have to wait or go a similar route to what XLR mentioned. Boils down to how patient or impatient you are.

But if you are open to things outside of Tikka, I'd suggest hitting a local store and shouldering as many rifles as you can. Write down the models of those that shouldered well and are in your budget range (or close to it). Then go look for them in left hand in your desired caliber(s).

 

[SuperDUECE22]

My CA Mesa has been flawless but so have my t3 lite tikka's

 

[Bubblehide]

CA gas a solid reputation of being hit and miss, with quality and accuracy, just do a search here.

 

[Brook.Trout]

I’ll put a vote on CA! I’ve had two mesas and both shot great, never any accuracy issues or anything. I have a buddy with two mesas and both shoot great too.

Never seems to be anything bad about a tikka though. They are also great guns

 

[XLR]

Isn't that about the price for a new Tikka that comes with a stock? Does the barrel come installed on the action?

I think that is about the same price as a factory tikka with a stock but they can be hard to come which he is experiencing. I don't think the barrel comes installed but that would be something that you would have to ask J&A. I'm sure there is someone local to him that could torque the barrel on and the tikkas headspace close enough to run prefits so I would have to bet headspace would be correct... Just wanted to throw another option out there for people to think about! It is a patient man's game right now for getting into quality rifles!

 

[Jhy]

I personally would pass on the 308 Win. There are better options out there from a ballistics perspective.

May want to expand your search to include the 270 Win and 6.5 CM (still look for your 30-06).

Are you set on Tikka? If so, you likely are going to have to wait or go a similar route to what XLR mentioned. Boils down to how patient or impatient you are.

But if you are open to things outside of Tikka, I'd suggest hitting a local store and shouldering as many rifles as you can. Write down the models of those that shouldered well and are in your budget range (or close to it). Then go look for them in left hand in your desired caliber(s).

Tks, I already have a .270. My real issue is committing this one to be a lefty. I really like the feel, fit and finish of the x bolt hunter (more so than the tikka if I’m honest) which is made in lefty and there are a few out there, but it’s difficult to find anyone saying their tikka didn’t shoot or complaints about the trigger….

 

[CBECK61]

I sold rifles for the better part of 8 years in a large retail store. Tikka's have always been hard to beat for the price point and I absolutely despised CA for almost half the time I was selling them. When they started building their own actions and stocks they really turned their sh*t around.

As far as features go I consider the Mesa well worth the upgrade as long as the extra money isn't relegating you to a cheaper scope. I.e A $900 tikka with a $1000 scope is going to preform better than a $1500 CA with a $500 scope.

The trigger tech is a good upgrade. Tikka triggers aren't bad but they also aren't great. The CA stock is a good improvement IMO over any tikka stock offered. Threaded with a muzzle break is also a win. I don't think the upgrade will shrink your groups considerably as the tikka's shoot really well but the extra features are nice to have. Finish is marginally better than a tikka blued or stainless (their stainless finish kinda sucks). I assume the Mesa is a pull button barrel at that price point although I could never find any source to confirm. Tikka's cold hammered forged barrels are super durable but open up with heat more than a pull button typically.

We sold a few hundred CAs a year and had very few problems or negative feedback from customers. The 5-6 guns I saw that had problems were fixed by CA customer service. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one and have been very happy with the 6.5 creed and 7mm rem mag I owned.

 

[Jhy]

I sold rifles for the better part of 8 years in a large retail store. Tikka's have always been hard to beat for the price point and I absolutely despised CA for almost half the time I was selling them. When they started building their own actions and stocks they really turned their sh*t around.

As far as features go I consider the Mesa well worth the upgrade as long as the extra money isn't relegating you to a cheaper scope. I.e A $900 tikka with a $1000 scope is going to preform better than a $1500 CA with a $500 scope.

The trigger tech is a good upgrade. Tikka triggers aren't bad but they also aren't great. The CA stock is a good improvement IMO over any tikka stock offered. Threaded with a muzzle break is also a win. I don't think the upgrade will shrink your groups considerably as the tikka's shoot really well but the extra features are nice to have. Finish is marginally better than a tikka blued or stainless (their stainless finish kinda sucks). I assume the Mesa is a pull button barrel at that price point although I could never find any source to confirm. Tikka's cold hammered forged barrels are super durable but open up with heat more than a pull button typically.

We sold a few hundred CAs a year and had very few problems or negative feedback from customers. The 5-6 guns I saw that had problems were fixed by CA customer service. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one and have been very happy with the 6.5 creed and 7mm rem mag I owned.

Thank you for the insight, and talking myself back into considering one again lol

 

[JDMBEND]

Feel your pain. Been trying to find a Left hand Tikka 300 Win Mag with zero success. Found one recently on Gun Broker, dropped out when it hit $1300.00.
Now reluctantly, looking at other options.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I sold rifles for the better part of 8 years in a large retail store. Tikka's have always been hard to beat for the price point and I absolutely despised CA for almost half the time I was selling them. When they started building their own actions and stocks they really turned their sh*t around.

As far as features go I consider the Mesa well worth the upgrade as long as the extra money isn't relegating you to a cheaper scope. I.e A $900 tikka with a $1000 scope is going to preform better than a $1500 CA with a $500 scope.

The trigger tech is a good upgrade. Tikka triggers aren't bad but they also aren't great. The CA stock is a good improvement IMO over any tikka stock offered. Threaded with a muzzle break is also a win. I don't think the upgrade will shrink your groups considerably as the tikka's shoot really well but the extra features are nice to have. Finish is marginally better than a tikka blued or stainless (their stainless finish kinda sucks). I assume the Mesa is a pull button barrel at that price point although I could never find any source to confirm. Tikka's cold hammered forged barrels are super durable but open up with heat more than a pull button typically.

We sold a few hundred CAs a year and had very few problems or negative feedback from customers. The 5-6 guns I saw that had problems were fixed by CA customer service. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one and have been very happy with the 6.5 creed and 7mm rem mag I owned.

This ^^^ i own two CAs and have friends and family that own another dozen more between them all. All are great shooters!

 

[MeatMissile]

I have both. The CA feels like a higher quality gun. It should at the cost difference. With a 700 footprint, it’s also easy to get parts that are compatible. In a long action, it offers greater OAL latitude than a Tikka. The opposite is true for “short action” cartridges since the Tikka uses one action length and has M+ magazines to stretch OAL a bit.

The CA handles recoil a bit better, but that’s dependent on the individual. Both brands shoot great. I agree that a Tikka with a higher quality scope is a better setup than a CA with a mediocre scope.

 

[MTMeatHunter]

I have a Mesa and a stainless T3x in my safe now. I really like both of them and both shoot sub 3/4” for five shots with factory ammo. I have no plans to sell either but do I think the Mesa I own and love was worth the extra money compared to my Tikka? Nope. Sure don’t. No plans to sell my Mesa but if I could do it over, personally I’d just buy another Tikka. The “upgrades” on the Mesa just aren’t really a game changer IMO.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

My Mesa is a real shooter. It took a trip back to the factory to get it to work right, but CA handled it without hesitation and turned it around within a week.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

My Mesa is a real shooter. It took a trip back to the factory to get it to work right, but CA handled it without hesitation and turned it around within a week.

In the spirit of the scope drop testing conversations...

Why buy a rifle that doesn't work out of the box? Shouldn't they deliver a fully operational rifle the first time every time?

 

[MeatMissile]

In the spirit of the scope drop testing conversations...

Why buy a rifle that doesn't work out of the box? Shouldn't they deliver a fully operational rifle the first time every time?

One issue that caused most of the problems was a bad batch of springs. If you have a roll pin punch, a small hammer, and opposable thumbs, you can fix it in about 3 minutes. Assuming you drop the spring and have to look for it for a minute.