I have always viewed rifle makers’ accuracy guarantees with a healthy amount of skepticism. Sub-MOA accuracy guarantees are as common as ticks on deer, but there’s a big caveat with these guarantees. Most production hunting rifles will only deliver their promised level of accuracy with premium factory loads they like. It’s rare to find one that will do so consistently with a variety of loads employing different bullet types and weights.

That’s exactly what the new Christensen Arms Evoke rifle did in range testing, printing sub-MOA average 100-yard groups with five tested factory loads. That’s impressive performance for any rifle, but it’s even more impressive when you consider that the Evoke is Christensen’s new entry-level rifle and costs less than $900. Before we get into range-testing details, here’s a closer look at the all-new Evoke.

Evoke’s Four Distinct Models

The Evoke is offered in four distinct, feature-rich versions. The basic Evoke has an OD green stock and smoked bronze Cerakote finish on the action and barrel. The Evoke Mossy Oak adds a Mossy Oak Bottomland camo stock. While the Evoke Hunter has a proprietary Christensen Arms camo stock and a factory-installed Picatinny rail for mounting optics. Evoke Precision, which should be available later this year, comes with a carbon fiber cheek riser, hex-pattern engraved barrel, Picatinny scope base, proprietary camo stock pattern and forward ARCA rail section. 

The basic Evoke, which I tested in 6.5 Creedmoor, is offered in 14 chamberings. These include traditional chamberings ranging from .243 Win to .375 H&H, as well as newer cartridges like 6.5 PRC, 7mm PRC, 7mm Backcountry, .300 PRC and .350 Legend. Depending on chambering, barrel lengths vary between 16 inches and 22 inches.  

Precision-Machined Receiver

All of the rifles are built upon Christensen’s precision-machined cylindrical receiver, which has an integral steel recoil lug and is pillar-bedded to the polymer stock. Action screw torque specification is 65 inch-pounds. 

The action’s two-lug bolt has an M-16-style extractor and a single plunger ejector. With six spiral flutes, the bolt cycles with buttery smoothness. Like the receiver and barrel, the hexagonal-shaped bolt knob has a protective Cerakote finish. I had no issues with feeding or ejection, but extraction was slightly sticky with one of the five factory loads I tested, which may be indicative of softer brass with that specific load and/or a slightly tight chamber. 

The top of the receiver is drilled and tapped for Remington 700-style scope-mount bases or rails, but you’ll need to use ones with larger-than-standard 8-40 screws, which add strength. Although the bolt throw is 90 degrees, I was able to use a set of low, lightweight 30mm Talley rings and still have sufficient bolt clearance for the Leupold VX-5HD 3-15×44 scope I used for testing. 

TriggerTech Trigger

All Evoke rifles are equipped with a single-stage, externally adjustable TriggerTech trigger. The trigger break is consistent and crisp, with zero creep and minimal overtravel. Rifles ship from the factory with the pull weight set at about 3 pounds. I adjusted mine down to 2 pounds, 12 ounces, which about as light as I like to go with a hunting rifle. A two-position safety does not lock the bolt down with the safety in the engaged position, which I would have preferred, but given how well this rifle shoots, I can happily live with that. 

The rifle comes with one polymer detachable, three-round magazine that I found easy to load. It fits flush with the bottom of the stock. Call me a Fudd, but I prefer flush-fitting magazines on a hunting rifle because it’s one less thing to snag on brush. The magazine drops freely into the hand when the magazine release lever is depressed. The lever is protected inside the forward edge of the trigger guard, which is large enough to accommodate a gloved finger. All bottom metal is Cerakote protected.

Evoke’s Stainless Barrels, Match-Grade Chambers

Barrels on Evoke rifles are a cut above those used on many rifles in this price category. The button-rifled, 20-inch barrel on my test gun is made of 416R stainless steel and has a match-grade chamber. It’s free-floated, and was hand-lapped before leaving the factory to remove any imperfections. The muzzle is threaded 5/8×24, and comes with a stainless, Cerakote-protected premium RFR muzzle brake installed. This is the same brake used on Christensen’s pricier Ridgeline and MHR rifles.

The barreled action mates to a polymer stock that bears little resemblance to the stocks used on many similarly priced rifles. Ergonomics were clearly top of mind with this design. The stock has a raised comb for a better cheek weld and eye-scope alignment. A 90-degree pistol grip can provide, for many shooters, a more consistent trigger pull and improved control. 

Other Features

The subdued, OD green color of the stock complements the smoked bronze Cerakote on the action and barrel. Visual enhancements include a muted gold-colored Christensen ram logo on the raised comb and matching horizontal bars on the tip of the forend. 

Beneath the forearm, which has a flattened bottom to rest securely on bags or rests, you’ll find a short section of Picatinny rail for mounting bipods or tripods. The rail has an integral sling swivel hole at the rear, and the buttstock has a traditional sling swivel stud. Proprietary stippling on forearm and grip is executed in a unique pattern that looks as good as it functions. The stock has a bit more flex in the forend than I would like, but that had no impact on accuracy.

The rubber recoil pad on the stock is a little stiffer than some, but it wasn’t really needed on a 6.5 Creedmoor-chambered rifle, and the RFR muzzle brake does a good job of taming recoil.   

Stellar Accuracy Of The Evoke

Range testing consisted of shooting three, three-shot groups with five different factory 6.5 Creedmoor loads with a variety of bullet weights. Velocities were measured with a Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph. On average, velocities for all five loads were about 80 fps slower than factory-stated numbers out of my test rifle’s 20-inch barrel. 

That was no surprise. The big surprise with this rifle was how well it shot, with all five tested loads producing sub-MOA average groups. The star performer was Federal’s 130-grain Gold Medal Berger match load, which printed 0.46-inch average groups and best group of just 0.20 inches (measured traditionally from outside edge to outside edge, minus the bullet diameter). Hunting ammo did nearly as well. Hornady’s 143-grain ELD-X Precision Hunter load shot a half-inch best group and 0.62-inch average groups. The lightest and fastest bullet tested, in an all-copper Barnes VOR-TX Long Range 127-grain load, printed 0.82-inch average groups and a 0.57-inch best group. 

Evoke Much Admiration 

There’s little to dislike with the Evoke and much to admire — especially its MSRP of just $898.99 and limited lifetime warranty. If you’re looking for an ultra-light mountain gun, however, the Evoke is not for you. It weighs 7 pounds, 7 ounces empty. Full-up weight of my test gun, with a scope and rings added, was 8 pounds, 14 ounces. The gun is no featherweight, but it’s a stable shooting platform that’s light enough for everyday hunting. Granted, my test rifle was a sample of one, but given its stellar accuracy, price tag and features, I’d say Christensen knocked it out of the park with the Evoke.

In fact, you may have noticed that I repeatedly referred to the Evoke as “my” test rifle. That’s because this one isn’t going back.

Christensen Arms Evoke Rifle Specifications

• Action: Push-feed bolt action
• Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor, as tested
• Weight:  7 Pounds 7 Ounces
• Barrel Length: 20 inches  
• Barrel Material: 416R Stainless 
• Barrel Twist Rate: 1:8
• Muzzle Thread: 5/8×24
• Barrel/Action Finish: Smoked Bronze Cerakote.
• Magazine/Capacity: Detachable, 3+1
• Trigger: TriggerTech Adjustable, 2.5-5 lbs.
• Trigger Pull Weight: 2 pounds, 12 ounces tested
• Sights: None, drilled & tapped, Remington 700 pattern using 8-40 screws
• Stock: OD green polymer
• Length of Pull: 13.5 inches
• Overall Length:  42 inches
• Free-floated Barrel: Yes
• Guaranteed Sub-MOA Accuracy: Yes
• MSRP:   $898.99

Christensen Arms Evoke Rifle Performance