On Sunday the TTAG crew attended SIG SAUER’S range event and put some rounds through their new CROSS rifle. A lightweight, modern take on the bolt-action rifle, the CROSS is sure to turn heads and generate interest among precision shooters as well as hunters.
Weighing in at just 6.5 pounds, the CROSS is lighter than the vast majority of traditional bolt-action rifles.
It employs a one-piece aluminum receiver rather than a stock or a chassis with a steel action bolted onto the top. The bolt rides inside the receiver and locks into a barrel extension. It’s all very AR-style rather than traditional bolt-gun style.
Channels are cut into the bolt body to help guide it and keep wobble to a minimum.
The highly adjustable, precision style stock offers tool-less length of pull and cheek rest adjustment. Additionally the recoil pad can be easily moved up and down and can also be canted left or right.
With the push of a button and a lift upwards on the hinge, the stock folds to the right and captures the bolt to lock it in battery.
On the range we stretched the CROSS out to 500 yards and it performed like a straight-shooting 6.5 Creedmoor should.
We found it light and maneuverable, but recoil was perfectly acceptable. The two-stage trigger was crisp and clean, though maybe slightly heavier than I would personally set a precision trigger at.
Action on the bolt was a bit grittier than we were expecting — not the glass-on-glass feel of a decent, custom action — but then again the MSRP of $1,699 to $1,779 or so is lower than we were expecting.
Overall it shot very well and has modern, sleek looks. Given the light weight, the folding stock, and the reasonable MSRP it should have no trouble finding a ready market.
The CROSS will be available in .308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 277 SIG FURY in either black or camo. Stay tuned, as we have more information on the new 277 FURY cartridge going live tomorrow.
