Normal cycling sees the twin lug design close into the action low enough to allow the bolt to avoid fouling an optic in the open position. The bolt handle’s flattened top works – the thumb naturally rests into the curve at its end, with the forefinger taking the bottom round profile. The rear of the bolt has this same finish, along with a cocking indicator pin protruding through the shroud. Barrel and action are finished in matt black, somewhere between parkerising and conventional bluing. The flat-topped action had pre-installed weaver bases, with a neat ejection port to allow single shot loading. The crown is slightly recessed and the machining is accurate and clean. The muzzle is threaded ½x20 UNF and protected with a thread cap. Just be mindful of choosing any 100gn or 105gn rounds and make sure they will stabilise before buying a bigger batch. I did check the twist rate using a nylon bore brush and a tape flag on the cleaning rod my results showed a 1-in-10in twist. Starting from the front, the hammer-forged barrel sports the usual spiral twist that is synonymous with Steyr rifles. It’s hard to cover the Steyr’s barrel and action without leading into the safety and trigger that makes up the SBS system. This provides the best stability for holding an action inside a stock, it offers repeatable removal and re-insertion, and has a proven track record for significantly improving many rifles’ performances. The important feature that is not visible from the outside is the aluminium bedding. It really shines when rested on the front rails of a hunting box or high seat, and also takes a bipod really well – and in my case, the heavier SL5 moderator seemed to enhance the balance. The flat-bottomed forend sits nicely in the hand when standing, and is just as at home in the sticks. You will quickly come to appreciate the layout of a rifle that allows confident operation without the need of visual confirmation. The gentle palm swell suited my hands, the very natural trigger hand positioning gives solid hold with trigger, and the safety is intuitively placed. Shouldering the rifle for the first time reveals just how pointable the CLII SX is.
Lots of rifle manufacturers use this layout on their synthetic stocks, and it suits my kind of hunting and shooting very well – no bling, just quiet functionality. This is the first thing that grabbed my attention as I opened the case.
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