Zeroing
The NEW Sig Sauer Cross Rifle
First look
We have finally received the NEW Sig Sauer Cross rifle, and on first look we think it's great! This is a brand-new concept that we haven’t seen before, Sig have combined the look of an AR style rifle with a bolt action. As PRS (precision rifle shooting) grows in popularity this fits into that bracket nicely but can also be used in the hunting/foxing world with its lightweight design and tactical chassis.
Calibres
The cross comes in three calibres – 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win and .277 Fury. We anticipate that 6.5 Creedmoor will be the most popular calibre for this rifle but having .308 as an option means it's competitive with the likes of the Tikka Tact and the Ruger precision in calibre choice. The .227 Fury is a cartridge designed by Sig in 2019, boasting some impressive ballistics it’s definitely a good alternative to .308 but the cartridge will probably be a slow mover in the UK as ammo and reloading components will be rare to find on the shelf.
Barrel
The Sig comes with a selection of barrel lengths for specific calibres. The 6.5 comes with an 18” barrel and the .308 & .277 have 16”, the barrel diameter on the 6.5 tapers down to 19.4mm at the muzzle so not a varmint barrel but it helps keep the overall weight down.
Chassis
The Chassis is Sig’s own design, its main features include:
- Picatinny Rail
- M-Lok Forend
- AR Style Pistol Grip
- Adjustable folding stock
- AR Style Safety catch
- AICS magazine compatible
- Adjustable length of pull and adjustable cheek height
The chassis is actually very comfortable when you put the rifle in your shoulder, you can fine tune the cheek piece and length of pull to bring your head into the perfect shooting position. It's very nicely finished in anodised black and feels like a good quality system, however the only issue we found is the folding stock can be a bit tricky to fold easily. The Tikka Tact has a much easier system, however once the stock is locked in position it is very rigid.
Trigger
One of the biggest problems factory rifles have always had are basic triggers, however this isn’t the case with the cross. It has a 50/50 curved/flat blade, which suits PRS shooters and hunters alike. Breaking at 3 pounds, the trigger isn’t the lightest in pull but is very crisp and doesn’t pull you off target when you're load developing or going for that tight group.
Accuracy
We tried out the Nosler RDF Match 140gr ammunition and got mixed results, as you can see from the image below after zeroing, we shot a 5 round group and had two fliers, however on the 3rd, 4th and 5th shot the rifle started to tighten up. No doubt after a few boxes of ammo this rifle will start to shoot sub MOA groups!
Verdict (Pros & Cons)
+ Very light weight and when chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor minimal recoil
+ Excellent factory trigger
+ Very modular, compatible with M-Lok and AR accessories
+ Unique design
- Limited choice of calibres, a .223 would have been nice!
- Folding stock can be tricky to fold quickly
- Some long-range shooters may prefer a longer barrel
Overall, a very exciting rifle that is completely different to anything else out there, it works for most types of shooting disciplines and is slick and smooth to operate. However, if you’re looking for a 1200yrd paper puncher or something to walk through the Highlands with this probably isn’t it!
- 5th October 2021