Mauser’s M18 has been around for a couple of years, but 6.5 Creedmoor in this particular iteration of the model is new for 2022. Modzelewski said, “The Mauser has a good palm swell, and has a trigger that’s perfect for hunting.” It breaks cleanly at 2.5 pounds.
This rifle’s overall length is 43.5 inches with a 23.625-inch barrel. The action and barrel are blued and bedded into a polymer stock. The butt pad is easily removable to add length of pull spacers, which was noted by all evaluators as a good feature. The M18 was the second heaviest rifle tested, tipping the scales at 8 pounds, 1 ounce, before an optic was mounted.
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To wring this rifle out, a Leupold Mark 5HD 3.6-18×44 scope rode on a one-piece mount. It’s relatively easy to find a scope mount for the M18, since it’s the same that fits on a Remington 700 standard-length rifle.
This rifle scored two sub-MOA 100-yard groups, with the smallest five-shot group measuring 0.606 inches. Searching online, one can find the M18 in this configuration for $700, making it the least expensive rifle in the test.
