Mack Brothers Custom Rifle, Tested and Reviewed

Mack Brothers isn’t a family identify amongst hunters and shooters, however amongst discerning riflemen the corporate has a wonderful fame. Curiously, the model additionally has fairly a following amongst some shooters who’ve by no means heard of it. That’s as a result of for a few years Mack Brothers has produced top-quality actions for different gun makers, labeled with these corporations’ manufacturers, corresponding to Nosler and GA Precision.

Fortunately, the corporate is now not hiding its mild below a bushel and is now advertising its actions and customized rifle builds on to the taking pictures world. When Mack Brothers introduced it was making rifles in 2023 I jumped on the probability to get a gun constructed to my specs.

What I ended up with is, to my mind-set, the final word crossover rifle for looking and NRL Hunter-style competitors: a light-weight 6.5 Creedmoor on a Manners MCH Professional Hunter inventory that’s optimized for sensible subject taking pictures with next-level accuracy, ergonomics, and reliability.

The cherry on high is the inventory encompasses a distinctive tiger-stripe paint job, giving a personalised twist to the customized bundle.

• Motion: Mack Brothers Evo II two-lug bolt motion
• Inventory: Manners MCH Professional Hunter carbon fiber
• Barrel: Carbon Six 22-inch Sendero carbon fiber, threaded 5/8-24, 1:7.5 twist
• Backside Metallic: Mack Brothers DBM
• Cartridge: 6.5 Creedmoor
• Capability: 5+1
• End: Smoked Bronze Cerakote (receiver), nitride (bolt)
• Weight: 7 kilos (measured)
• Set off: TriggerTech Diamond set to 1 pound, 5 ounces (measured)
• Size: 42 inches (measured)
• Worth: From $4,995, relying on choices

Key Options

• Takes both AICS or AW magazines
• ARCA rail in entrance of journal properly
• Recessed Pic rail on fore-end to mount a bipod
• QD cup sling attachment factors
• 20 MOA full-length Pic rail on motion
• Modified M16 type extractor
• Toolless bolt takedown

Evaluate Highlights

• Light-weight, precision rifle with terrific accuracy
• Easy, dependable motion
• Glorious ergonomics on motion and inventory
• Superb craftsmanship, and match and end

Mack Brothers Customized Rifle Accuracy

The five-shot group common is .633 inches, representing 9 various kinds of ammo and 26 teams whole. The ten-shot common was .820 inches.

The rifle likes to be pushed aggressively and shot higher with agency strain, pulling the inventory again into my shoulder and reasonable cheek strain on the comb. As all the time, taking the slack out of the bipod — loading it by leaning into the rifle and shifting it ahead till the bipod legs attain their pure restrict of journey — ensures higher precision, too.

Mack Brothers Evo II Motion

The center of the rifle is Mack Brothers’ Evo II two-lug bolt motion. This can be a Remington 700 sample system with quite a few upgrades which have change into de rigueur on high-end precision rifles.

These embrace: A self-indexing recoil lug, for repeatability and accuracy; streamlined exterior bolt cease; one-piece nitride bolt physique with weight-reducing cuts; 20 MOA Pic rail (on actions for removable field magazines); threaded and pinned bolt deal with; set off hanger; toolless bolt takedown; and M16-style extractor.

Mack Brothers makes the Evo II from both 416 stainless (28.5 ounces) or, at a 28 p.c discount titanium (20.5 ounces). Though I wished my rifle to be as mild as attainable — each for ease of carry and to assist it make the 12-pound cutoff weight for NRL Hunter matches — I opted for the stainless motion.

I went that route as a result of the stainless motion may be lower to accommodate each AICS and AW type field magazines, whereas the titanium model can solely run AICS field mags. (The double-stack AW magazines are extra compact than the single-stack AICS mags, which may be a bonus in competitors when attempting to maneuver in tight areas or when the rifle is clipped right into a tripod.)

Additionally, stainless-steel actions typically run extra easily than titanium, although the Mack Brothers titanium actions I’ve performed with are pleasingly slick and don’t stick or chatter.

Evo II Motion Operation

The bolt on my Evo II glides forwards and backwards in an nearly easy trend. Despite the fact that there’s a little play within the bolt when it’s pulled to the rear of the receiver it doesn’t bind up or hesitate within the slightest regardless of how a lot lateral strain I exert on the bolt deal with.

The cocking movement is easy as properly. The power required to carry the bolt deal with and cock the motion stays constant by its 90 levels of journey, making for an excellent, predictable motion.

This refined design enhances the rifle’s shootability and reliability. Whether or not working the rifle unsupported or off a taking pictures bag it’s simple to cycle the motion and keep on track.

Push-Feed Design

Like a standard Remington 700, the Evo II is a push-feed system. However not like an old-school 700, which has an extractor that sits inside the bolt head and is supported 360-degrees round, the EVO II has an extended and sturdy M16-style extractor that lies inside a lower within the bolt head.

Some folks gripe in regards to the outdated 700 extractor design, faulting it for being too skimpy. I’ve by no means had any severe points with the 700s I’ve owned and shot over time, however for those who aren’t satisfied, chances are high you’ll love the beefy EVO II extractor.

One other factor to love in regards to the EVO II’s extractor is its simplicity. It acts as its personal spring, eliminating a possible failure level in a standard M16 design. 

In any occasion it has functioned flawlessly for me, as has the one plunger ejector, which kicks empties out of the motion with reassuring power.

Servicing the Bolt

Eradicating the bolt from the receiver is simple. The bolt-stop tab is low profile and doesn’t require a lot effort to depress, letting you pull the bolt free.

The firing pin meeting may be faraway from the Evo II with a robust twist to the bolt shroud, which disengages the lugs that maintain it in place. The quantity of effort to undo mine was substantial, so when you have a troublesome time eradicating yours simply twist more durable.

This offers entry to the firing pin, firing pin spring, and the inside of the bolt physique for cleansing and upkeep.

You may also take away the extractor by leveraging it up with a flat screwdriver bit and sliding it ahead. When doing this you must flex the extractor sufficient in order that the nub on the extractor clears the recess it sits in. Additionally be certain the bit you utilize is narrower than the lower in bolt face the place the extractor sits otherwise you gained’t have the ability to carry it excessive sufficient to perform the duty.

Eradicating the extractor enables you to clear out bits of brass shavings and fouling that may accumulate below the extractor blade and across the case head. To reassemble, put the extractor in its slot and slide it again till it clicks into place. This takes vital power, so you’ll have to push it towards a bench or different floor. I recommend dabbing a drop or two of gun oil on the extractor to assist it on its approach.

Journal Versatility: AICS or AW

My rifle got here with a low-profile Hunter journal from Hawkins Precision. It’s a center-feed journal that holds 5 rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor and extends only a third of an inch under the journal properly. Like all Hawkins’ choices, it’s properly constructed and enticing.

Placing 5 shells in it made for a decent match and prompted a little bit of bolt drag, however I used to be nonetheless capable of load the gun with out issue.

For primary vary work and looking this journal is ideal, however the backside steel, which is Mack Brothers’ personal design, is ready to accommodate each AW and AICS magazines too.

These are excellent for competitors the place you may need 10 or extra rounds in a stage. I used magazines from a number of corporations — MDT, Magpul, Accuracy Worldwide, Correct-Magazine — and didn’t have hassle with any of them.

I particularly recognize with the ability to run the 10-round AW magazines within the rifle since they’re unobtrusive, feed nice, utterly bombproof, simple to load, and straightforward to service.

There are quite a few types of backside steel for removable field magazines with many various journal catch methods. The Mack Brothers DBM is about essentially the most elegant of the lot and is ideal for a crossover hunter-competition rifle.

It operates a bit like a standard paddle launch, besides the wings of the paddle don’t lengthen exterior the set off guard. As a substitute, they’re built-in into the set off guard and sit flush inside it. It offers the underside steel and set off guard a easy, clear look.

The spring within the launch is stiff sufficient that it’ll by no means transfer by itself however may be simply actuated with the set off finger. When the discharge is pushed ahead, the magazines drop freed from their very own accord and by no means stick contained in the properly.

Longer AICS magazines rattle a bit aspect to aspect within the properly, however all different mags I’ve run have been cosy and quiet.

Manners MCH Professional Hunter Inventory

Greater than every other rifle element, shares have exploded lately by way of the sheer variety of accessible choices. There are answers for just about any sort of taking pictures, price range, and private desire.

As a contemporary looking inventory, I feel the Manners MCH Pro Hunter has few, if any, equals. It checks quite a few packing containers that I worth, incorporating options from the competitors and precision rifle scene in a light-weight design that’s proper at residence on a demanding backcountry hunt.

These parts embrace:

• Practically vertical pistol grip with ambidextrous palm swells
• Ambidextrous thumb cabinets
• QD cup sling attachments
• Flat fore-end with recessed Picatinny rail part for bipod
• Grooves on both aspect of inventory for improved grip
• ARCA rail in entrance of magazine properly
• Flat comb
• Integral aluminum chassis

The advantages of many of those options are apparent. The integral chassis gives rigidity to the connection between the motion and inventory, enhancing precision. The flat fore-end is helpful for taking purpose off a taking pictures bag. The ARCA rail enables you to clip instantly right into a tripod, permitting for glorious accuracy from an elevated place. The recessed Pic rail and QD cups make the inventory much less prone to hold up on gear or vegetation.

Mild, But Sturdy

Constructed from a carbon-fiber shell, the Professional Hunter weighs simply 1 pound 13 ounces, but is as rigid and inflexible as a dangling decide. I saved some weight on the inventory by going with a skinny recoil pad with rubber that’s solely a couple of quarter-inch thick. Because the rifle is chambered within the eminently shootable 6.5 Creedmoor, it doesn’t want extra cushioning than that to take care of the recoil.

Despite the fact that the barreled motion ideas the scales at 4 kilos 12.6 ounces, the entire rifle is simply 7 kilos with an empty journal put in.

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When configured for NRL Hunter competitors, with an MDT Ckye-Pod bipod, suppressor, and precision rifle scope, the rifle weighs simply 10.5 kilos, giving me a number of leeway so as to add a extra sturdy bipod (just like the MDT Triple Pull) and different equipment like a timer, dope card, and bubble stage.

I additionally actually just like the inventory geometry. The pistol grip fills the taking pictures hand and positions the set off finger in excellent alignment with the set off face. The fastened comb locations my head proper the place it must be, so there’s no pressure when wanting down a scope mounted with medium-height rings.

Manners, which has all the time had a stable fame for the standard of their shares, continues to refine their manufacturing strategies. With my inventory I used to be struck by how properly the raised texture on both aspect of the grip was executed. In an identical vein, the seam between the 2 halves of the inventory shell is barely noticeable. The inventory additionally emits a flat, lifeless sound when flicked with a finger or hit with a department, reasonably than the loud hole ring that some high-end carbon fiber shares give off.

Lastly, the inventory is painted with a customized tiger-stripe sample that compliments the smoked bronze Cerakoting on the receiver, backside steel, thread protector, and bolt deal with. The rifle is a looker, which is one thing everybody ought to anticipate from an costly customized rig.

Carbon Six Barrel

Previous to getting this rifle I solely had fleeting expertise with Carbon Six barrels. I’d shot a handful of rifles with their barrels up to now however had by no means spent significant time with one or put one to the take a look at.

The barrel on my rifle delivered glorious accuracy with each load I put by it. It has a Sendero profile and got here threaded 5/8-24. I shot it a bit initially with simply the thread protector screwed on, however rapidly opted to run it with totally different light-weight suppressors for almost all of the analysis, particularly a Thunder Beast Extremely 7, Gunwerks Six Ti, and Banish Backcountry.

The purpose of impression shift with these suppressors on board was minimal, however sufficient that you just’d wish to modify your zero for lengthy distance taking pictures when going from unsuppressed to suppressed fireplace.

The barrel has a 1:7.5 twist, which works nice for a variety of 6.5mm bullets however shines with projectiles weighing round 140-grains or extra.

As a result of I plan to make use of the rifle in NRL Hunter competitors I went with a 22-inch barrel giving me a great compromise between muzzle velocity and nimble dealing with with a can connected.

If I have been simply going to make use of this as a suppressed looking rig, I’d have opted for a 20- or probably even 18-inch barrel. However as a result of the NRL Searching collection specifies a minimal energy issue with handloads I wished a little bit further barrel size.

When configuring a rifle from Mack Brothers you may specify the barrel size. The choices go from 18 to 26 inches in two-inch intervals, which covers many purposes.

Mack Brothers Customized Rifle In The Area

Taking pictures tiny teams is one in every of life’s plain pleasures. And my Mack Brothers Customized definitely delivered on this entrance. Off the bench it printed teams from .327 inches to 1.026 inches, with the majority within the .4s, .5s, and .6s.

That efficiency at 100 yards, coupled with the rifle’s glorious ergonomics and easy motion translated to succesful long-range metal smacking. Whether or not taking pictures susceptible, the place I engaged metal previous 1,100 yards, or taking pictures positionally at sub-1,000-yard targets, the rifle dealt with like a gem.

It is vitally properly mannered, and I discovered it simple to keep up my sight image and name my photographs, after which cycle the gun rapidly for the following engagement.

From the standpoint of sensible subject marksmanship, it’s a remarkably succesful rig, one I’d gladly hunt or compete with.

Mack Brothers Customized Rifle Sturdiness

My confidence within the rifle was boosted by how sturdy it has confirmed to be over the past 12 months. I’ve put a number of hundred rounds although the rifle and have by no means had any form of problem with the way it feeds, shoots, ejects, and cycles.

Given the variety of rounds I’ve put by it, the rifle displays some well-earned put on, however nothing that signifies any form of drawback or potential concern.

The perimeters on the Picatinny rail on the fore-end are a little bit burnished. The nitride coating on the bolt is a bit worn, and the receiver simply behind the ejection port has a bunch of tiny dings the place the brass, spun round by the robust ejector, hits the receiver. In any other case, the rifle is as flawless because the day I took supply.

Mack Brothers Customized Rifle Professionals and Cons

As a certifiably crabby gun author I enjoyment of declaring the failings and foibles of the firearms I overview. It helps maintain gun makers who’re used to universally-fawning protection in test and offers potential patrons a clear-eyed account of what to anticipate.

This Mack Brothers rifle is subsequently a little bit of a disappointment since there isn’t actually something to gripe about. The one problem I skilled is when loading its five-round journal to capability. The cartridges have been a little bit tight and chambering the primary spherical took a bit of additional effort.

The one different unfavourable of the rifle is the worth, which is prohibitive for a lot of. However even at 5 grand, the rifle is an efficient worth, delivering the form of efficiency and craftsmanship one expects at that stage however that many different high-dollar rifles don’t.

The professionals of the rifle are quite a few. It’s mild and helpful. It’s correct and straightforward to shoot. It’s powerful and may present a few years of arduous use. You may simply service it within the subject. And it’s a pleasure to have a look at.

Last Ideas

I’m glad to see Mack Brothers stepping into the rifle making enterprise. Their actions, suppressors, and different equipment have helped them set up a stable fame because the firm was based by brothers Allen and Dale Mack again in 2007.

At the moment they provide 4 totally different rifles to select from: a standard wanting rifle, one with a collapsible inventory, a light-weight crossover rifle for looking and competitors much like mine, and a muzzleloader.

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That blend covers quite a lot of various kinds of clients, however the fashions share an identical design philosophy. All of them incorporate top-notch options, supplies, and ergonomics which have come to outline our highest high quality, and greatest performing, rifles.

It’s clear that Mack Brothers understands the high-end rifle market and is aware of which options are significant enhancements, and subsequently needs to be included, and people which are gimmicks to be averted.

I’d by no means wish to be pressured to personal only one rifle. What a boring existence that will be. But when I did have to decide on, this rifle could be on a really quick listing of contenders.