Also a brand new offering, the Sig Cross finally graces us with its presence. We’ve been waiting well over a year for the Cross production rifle since we first tested early prototypes. The Cross represents a fresher approach to the bolt-action rifle, bringing new design and processes like a one piece AR like receiver, while being mindful to keep tried-and-true elements like a three-lug bolt that’s more than adequate with an oversized bolt knob.
The Cross is minimalist, if you will, and while touted as a hunting rifle, in this early production version I see it more as an everyday, working rifle, meant to be with you whenever possible. Keep it in the truck, on the UTV or backpack, and handle what you need to when you need to.
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Now, just because it’s a working rifle doesn’t mean it’s not fun, because it is. Compactness in components, layout and overall size make it a rifle you want to have a reason to interact with. It folds down to 24 inches, with the 18-inch barrel we had on board making it the smallest of the group, if not the lightest, as well. Our resident 3-gunner found the AR safety to be odd, which I thought was odd, but she also found it to be a great thumb rest when shooting now that she’s adopted the proper way to shoot a rifle.
While reloading is one of our factors, it takes something different to raise any attention and the inside-the-triggerguard mag release didn’t get any love from Kendl. “Personally I do not like the release inside the triggerguard for newer shooters,” she said. “It could be a safety hazard.”
The Cross was fairly accurate, but five-shot groups eluded the 0.5-MOA space, even if we could put three or four rounds under that. We swapped out the Sig BDX optic, which is part of the complete rifle kit (Kilo range rangefinder too), so that we could aim better with one from Riton.
I personally liked the action a lot. It’s short, it’s robust and fast, and makes shooting lefty a far better experience than the others when manipulating the bolt. I still want a left-handed version, though. The Cross is going to be a very appealing rifle to many shooters, and for good reason.
