Rifle Setup: Christensen Ridgeline vs. Seekins PH2

[MontanaMuley]

In the market for a new rifle setup this offseason and would like some help and feedback.

My criteria:

Budget: $3,500 for full setup (rifle/scope/rings)

Use case: Primarily on deer sized game. Occasional elk.

Shot Distance: 95% of shots will be within 400 yards, but want the ability to shoot up to 600 yards if conditions allow.

Caliber: Leaning heavily toward 6.5 PRC, but I'm open to suggestions.

After extensive research, I have narrowed it down to:

Rifles:

-Christensen Arms Ridgeline
-Seekins Havak PH2

Scopes:

-Vortex Razor HD LHT 3-15x42
-Zeiss V4 4-16x44

Rings:

-Talley Lightweights
-Vortex PMR

Break (if buying Seekins)

-Seekins ATC

Thank you for your help and suggestions!

 

[Doc Holliday]

Christensen Ridgeline, and I would recommend this scope over the 2 you have mentioned:

Trijicon Tenmile HX 3-18x50 SFP w/ MRAD Center Dot (Red/Green Illumination), 30mm, Satin Black Riflescope 3000009

FREE SHIPPING on Trijicon Tenmile HX 3-18x50 SFP w/ MRAD Center Dot (Red/Green Illumination), 30mm, Satin Black Riflescope 3000009

www.eurooptic.com

 

[MontanaMuley]

Christensen Ridgeline, and I would recommend this scope over the 2 you have mentioned:

Trijicon Tenmile HX 3-18x50 SFP w/ MRAD Center Dot (Red/Green Illumination), 30mm, Satin Black Riflescope 3000009

FREE SHIPPING on Trijicon Tenmile HX 3-18x50 SFP w/ MRAD Center Dot (Red/Green Illumination), 30mm, Satin Black Riflescope 3000009

www.eurooptic.com

Thank you. I'll check out that scope. What makes you prefer the Christensen over the Seekins?

 

[AndrewMT34]

I have no experience with Christensen rifles but I absolutely love my Seekins Havak PH2.

6.5 PRC is a great caliber and will absolutely take elk, but if you are going to elk hunt often or want to try some heavier bullets I'd look into the 7 PRC.

 

[MontanaMuley]

I have no experience with Christensen rifles but I absolutely love my Seekins Havak PH2.

6.5 PRC is a great caliber and will absolutely take elk, but if you are going to elk hunt often or want to try some heavier bullets I'd look into the 7 PRC.

Appreciate the feedback! My thinking is to start with the 6.5 PRC this year (since it serves my primary use case without overkill) and add a 7PRC or 300PRC in the future for larger ungulates.

 

[Doc Holliday]

What makes you prefer the Christensen over the Seekins?

I don't have anything negative to say about Seekins, and have no experience with them. They look like very nice rifles.

I am on my 4th Christensen and have been very pleased with my purchase on all 4.

From an apples to apples standpoint, the barrel on the Havak PH2 does not appear to be carbon wrapped like the Ridgeline, which to me is the only reason to buy the Ridgeline (vs the Mesa)

 

[wind gypsy]

Seekins if only for the stock. It provides a much better platform for shooting than what they put on the ridgeline.

I would get a tikka roughtech or Sako s20 (for $1100 on euro optic right now) over both of them though. x2 on trijicon over vortex or zeiss.

 

[cacklercrazy]

In the market for a new rifle setup this offseason and would like some help and feedback.

My criteria:

Budget: $3,500 for full setup (rifle/scope/rings)

Use case: Primarily on deer sized game. Occasional elk.

Shot Distance: 95% of shots will be within 400 yards, but want the ability to shoot up to 600 yards if conditions allow.

Caliber: Leaning heavily toward 6.5 PRC, but I'm open to suggestions.

After extensive research, I have narrowed it down to:

Rifles:

-Christensen Arms Ridgeline
-Seekins Havak PH2

Scopes:

-Vortex Razor HD LHT 3-15x42
-Zeiss V4 4-16x44

Rings:

-Talley Lightweights
-Vortex PMR

Break (if buying Seekins)

-Seekins ATC

Thank you for your help and suggestions!

I will follow this. I've been eyeing the ph 2 also.

 

[MontanaMuley]

Seekins if only for the stock. It provides a much better platform for shooting than what they put on the ridgeline.

I would get a tikka roughtech or Sako s20 (for $1100 on euro optic right now) over both of them though. x2 on trijicon over vortex or zeiss.

Thanks for the suggestions on the Tikka and Sako. The Seekins stock does fit me better than the Christensen. Specifically, I have to "reach" for the trigger on the Christensen vs. it being right there while handling the Seekins.

 

[wind gypsy]

Thanks for the suggestions on the Tikka and Sako. The Seekins stock does fit me better than the Christensen. Specifically, I have to "reach" for the trigger on the Christensen vs. it being right there while handling the Seekins.

Yeah, to get your hand in a position for a good trigger press on that ridgeline stock it has to kind of float off in no mans land.

 

[IdahoBeav]

I own a Ridgeline and get good results. I have only handled the Seekins, haven't shot it, but I would still go with the Seekins over the CA. The Ridgeline has a ton of bad reviews, stories of rifles going back and forth from the CA factory, etc., and there have been big discount sales on the Ridgeline and Mesa here and there the last couple years, almost like CA and retailers are trying to purge bad batches.

I'd look at what you can afford from Nightforce or even Leupold over a Vortex. Sending binos and spotters in every year for warranty replacements is one thing, but having to dismount, remount, and re-sight a rifle every year is another.

 

[MontanaMuley]

I own a Ridgeline and get good results. I have only handled the Seekins, haven't shot it, but I would still go with the Seekins over the CA. The Ridgeline has a ton of bad reviews, stories of rifles going back and forth from the CA factory, etc., and there have been big discount sales on the Ridgeline and Mesa here and there the last couple years, almost like CA and retailers are trying to purge bad batches.

I'd look at what you can afford from Nightforce or even Leupold over a Vortex. Sending binos and spotters in every year for warranty replacements is one thing, but having to dismount, remount, and re-sight a rifle every year is another.

Appreciate the insight on the rifle and scope. I've had good luck with the Vortex Razor line, but will check out what Leupold and Nightforce has in similar price range.

 

[idahodave]

I have owned both. I liked both.

Give me the Seekins by a wide margin, if forced to choose only one though.

Dave

 

[JCMCUBIC]

Anyone know the mag box OAL in the Ridgeline? If it's a standard short action it will be 2.8-something. The PH2 in 6.5 PRC comes with a 3.14" detachable mag box. The extra OAL freedom is a good thing if you reload.

I've been shooting a Seekins in 6.5 CM for a couple of years and a previous one in 6 CM. I really like them, so I'd go with the PH2 just on fit and previous experience.

 

[MontanaMuley]

I have owned both. I liked both.

Give me the Seekins by a wide margin, if forced to choose only one though.

Dave

Thanks Dave. What are some features/benefits that tilt the scale to Seekins for you?

 

[wind gypsy]

Anyone know the mag box OAL in the Ridgeline? If it's a standard short action it will be 2.8-something. The PH2 in 6.5 PRC comes with a 3.14" detachable mag box. The extra OAL freedom is a good thing if you reload.

I've been shooting a Seekins in 6.5 CM for a couple of years and a previous one in 6 CM. I really like them, so I'd go with the PH2 just on fit and previous experience.

The 6.5 PRC mag boxes are a hair over 3" in the ridgeline. Wouldn't be able to fit factory ammo in them at 2.8.

 

[BigAl!]

Just throwing this out there. I've got a PH2 in 6.5 PRC for sale in the Guns Classifieds.

 

[MontanaMuley]

Just throwing this out there. I've got a PH2 in 6.5 PRC for sale in the Guns Classifieds.

Thanks for sharing, BigAl. I will keep that in mind if I decide to go with the PH2.

 

[idahodave]

MontanaMuley,

Ridgeline shot good after some load development, but it took a while (and money) to get there. The factory chamber was REALLY tight on the Ridgeline as well fwtw. Literally every load I tried in the Havoc printed sub-moa. I'm convinced I could have dropped a Black Cat and a ball-bearing down the barrel and got MOA groups in the Havoc. It's just stupid accurate with 180 VLDs in my 7mm Rem Mag out as far as I've shot it (700ish).

The ergonomics of the stock I believe are much better on the Havoc imho, though that is subjective I acknowledge. The stock itself is MUCH more rigid on the Havoc, but I haven't handled the new FFT stock on the Ridgeline so that might be a closer race on the newer Ridgeline models.

While the Havoc action STARTED rougher than the Ridgeline, after a bit of use I think the Seekins is much smoother. I don't still have the Ridgeline, so in it's tough to do a direct comparison in all honesty.

Magazine length goes to the Havoc in terms of seating high BC bullets waaaay out there.

Same for twist rate. In 7mm Rem anyway, the Seekins is 1:8 as opposed to the Ridgeline's 1:9. Prolly a moot point in the 6.5 PRC I suppose.

Again, I'd happily shoot either one the rest of my life. I'd just be more confident doing it with a Seekins. Their customer service (while unlikely you'd ever need it) is beyond reproach from all accounts. The same cannot be said of Christensen Arms.

Just my two cents.

Dave

 

[MontanaMuley]

MontanaMuley,

Ridgeline shot good after some load development, but it took a while (and money) to get there. The factory chamber was REALLY tight on the Ridgeline as well fwtw. Literally every load I tried in the Havoc printed sub-moa. I'm convinced I could have dropped a Black Cat and a ball-bearing down the barrel and got MOA groups in the Havoc. It's just stupid accurate with 180 VLDs in my 7mm Rem Mag out as far as I've shot it (700ish).

The ergonomics of the stock I believe are much better on the Havoc imho, though that is subjective I acknowledge. The stock itself is MUCH more rigid on the Havoc, but I haven't handled the new FFT stock on the Ridgeline so that might be a closer race on the newer Ridgeline models.

While the Havoc action STARTED rougher than the Ridgeline, after a bit of use I think the Seekins is much smoother. I don't still have the Ridgeline, so in it's tough to do a direct comparison in all honesty.

Magazine length goes to the Havoc in terms of seating high BC bullets waaaay out there.

Same for twist rate. In 7mm Rem anyway, the Seekins is 1:8 as opposed to the Ridgeline's 1:9. Prolly a moot point in the 6.5 PRC I suppose.

Again, I'd happily shoot either one the rest of my life. I'd just be more confident doing it with a Seekins. Their customer service (while unlikely you'd ever need it) is beyond reproach from all accounts. The same cannot be said of Christensen Arms.

Just my two cents.

Dave

Hey Dave, thanks for the explanation. It's helpful to hear from someone who has handled both. I've heard nothing but good things about Seekins.