Cmmg Mk3 Dtr2 Semi Auto Rifle 65 Creedmoor 24 Barrel Review

CMMG has joined the ranks of gunmakers chambering ARs for the increasingly pop 6.5 Creedmoor, and its new Mk3 DTR2 in that caliber doesn't disappoint.

What makes the new CMMG Mk3 DTR2 an appealing option?

• CMMG has added the 6.5 Creedmoor to its proven Mk3 AR-x rifle platform, and the DTR2 variant is loaded with features.
• The Mk3 DTR2 features a 24-inch heavy barrel, CMMG's RML15 M-LOK handguard and a Geissele SSA two-stage trigger.
• Furniture on the Mk3 DTR2 includes Magpul's respected PRS stock and MOE grip.
• The author was able to achieve sub-MOA groups with the rifle using Winchester's Match 140-grain BTHP loads.

New rifle cartridges come up along all the time, only relatively few manage to stand up the exam of time. The half-dozen.five Creedmoor is a notable exception to this dominion.

The brainchild of ever-innovative Hornady engineers, the 6.five Creedmoor has been with us for well-nigh a decade now. The cartridge was intended to be an off-the-shelf competitive match cartridge, and it might have remained in that narrow niche had it not been for the explosive rising in popularity of long-range shooting and hunting in recent years.

Seducing shooters with the virtues of minimal elevation drop and air current drift at long range, the cartridge employs long and relatively heavy, high-ballistic-coefficient bullets. It has proven to be an inherently authentic cartridge, and it produces less recoil than the venerable .308 Win. Loaded with proper bullets, information technology'southward a very constructive round for hunting medium-sized game. Judging by the number of ammo makers loading the cartridge and the growing number of manufacturers chambering rifles for it, the 6.5 Creedmoor is here to stay.

Now CMMG, the Missouri-based maker of loftier-quality modern sporting rifles, has answered the siren call of the 6.five Creedmoor with — count 'em — four new AR-platform rifles chambered for the cartridge.

"Nosotros accept noticed a growing interest and proficiency in long-range shooting among our customers," explains Tyson Bradshaw, CMMG's product development manager. "The 6.five Creedmoor made sense because it's ballistically suited for this awarding and has grown tremendously in popularity over the by 2 years."

Bradshaw says CMMG designed all four new models to exist capable long-range rifles that work great for target shooting or hunting medium-sized game, and the models come in different configurations to allow you to choose your level of customization.

The base model in the new burglarize lineup is the Mk3, which has an MSRP of $1,799.95. The gun has a 20-inch barrel with a medium profile and comes with a CMMG single-stage trigger and A2 furniture and compensator. Equipped with a CMMG RKM15 KeyMod paw guard, it weighs ix pounds.

For $100 more than, you can go the Mk3 P model. It's similarly equipped merely has a 24-inch heavy-taper barrel and Magpul MOE pistol grip and MOE stock. It weighs ten.iv pounds.

The next pace upwards is the Mk3 DTR, which besides has a 24-inch heavy barrel, CMMG unmarried-stage trigger, Magpul MOE pistol grip and PRS (Precision rifle/Sniper) fully adjustable stock. With CMMG'due south new RML15 Thou-LOK handguard, information technology weighs 11.three pounds and has an MSRP of $two,099.95.

This brings united states of america to the rifle sent for testing, the meridian-of-the-line Mk3 DTR2, which weighs xi.3 pounds and has an equally hefty price tag of $2,274.95. Hither'due south a much closer look at what you'll get for your coin.

Turning Heads At The Range
Unboxing the Mk3 DTR2, I was surprised to find there was very little that was really black on what I expected to be a black rifle. That's considering the gun sent by CMMG had its upper and lower receivers, and the RML15 M-LOK handguard, protected with a Cerakote finish in CMMG's "titanium" color. Contrasting with the blackness grip and stock, the effect is rather stunning, and the burglarize proved to be a head-turner at the range.

Below that atmospheric condition-resistant terminate, all Mk3s are built on 7075-T6 aluminum AR-10-proportioned receiver sets. Each uses a burglarize-length gas system. Internal components are mostly Mil-Spec. The bolt is fabricated of 9310 steel, and the bolt carrier is 8620 steel. The firing pivot is chrome-plated 8640 steel, and both carrier and carrier primal are chrome-lined. CMMG rifles have a lifetime warranty against defects in material or workmanship.

The DTR2 has a heavy profile, 24-inch 416 stainless steel butt with a 1:8 twist, which favors heavier bullets. The barrel is capped with CMMG's SV cage brake. Combined with the rifle's weight, it reduces the Creedmoor's already-mild recoil to a negligible level. The muzzle is threaded five/8-24, so you can add a muzzle device or suppressor of your choice.
Controls are in the usual place but are not ambidextrous. There is no forward assist, which helps shave off a little weight.

Furniture consists of the Magpul MOE grip and PRS stock. I've always liked this fully adjustable stock because of its rigidity and stability and because it doesn't catch and yank on facial hair as many telescoping stocks can. The burglarize comes with a unmarried 20-circular AR-x PMAG magazine.

One big difference in this superlative-end Mk3 is the addition of a Geissele SSA ii-stage trigger. This is a huge improvement over the creepy, heavy Mil-Spec triggers on many ARs. Information technology has a light initial have-up earlier coming together a solid stop. The trigger so breaks crisply with a bit more force.

On my Lyman trigger gauge, information technology broke cleanly and consistently at an boilerplate pull weight of 4 pounds, 5 ounces. As a guy who'due south spent a lot of time with bolt-activeness rifles with fine triggers, I would prefer that the pull be but a bit lighter, simply I can likewise understand why some people aren't besides slap-up on that concept with AR-platform guns.

With a rifle similar the Mk3, which begs to be used in long-range shooting, I would exist tempted to swap out the ii-stage trigger for something like a unmarried-stage Timney AR trigger with a lighter pull weight. This is not a criticism of the Geissele, which is very proficient — it'south a affair of personal preference and knowing that a lighter trigger enhances my long-range accuracy with any burglarize, regardless of the activeness type.

Putting The Mk3 To The Test
When I first zeroed the rifle at the range, the third round out of the magazine hung up halfway out of the rifle's ejection port. I cleared the gun and resumed shooting, and it never hiccuped again as I fired more than 100 rounds, pausing just once to swab out the butt halfway through the session. The rifle fed, fired and extracted without issue, and after that initial failure to eject, spent shell casings ejected positively about ten yards to the side and slightly forward.

For testing, I mounted a Leupold Mark iv 4.5-14x50mm LR/T (long range/tactical) telescopic, with M1 knobs and a Tactical Milling Reticle, using a rock-solid, cantilevered Burris PEPR mount. This is a great combo for long-range hunting and target shooting.

Average velocities of the four mill loads I tested over a CED M2 chronograph yielded a pleasant surprise. All zipped along at speeds quite shut to factory-stated velocities, ranging from 53 fps faster to 26 fps slower. Interestingly, the slowest, at ii,684 fps, turned in the best performance.

Testing produced mixed results. Although I only had iv loads, the burglarize showed clear likes and dislikes. The Federal Fusion 140-grain load produced average groups merely less than 1.v inches, with a all-time group of 1.33 inch. Hornady'south Precision Hunter 143-grain ELD-X load did a bit better, with average groups of 1.17 inches and a best group of but a hair over one inch.

The Mk3 didn't like the ane light load tested, group 120-grain bullets into an average group of two.57 inches. That wasn't a huge surprise, with the barrel's 1:8 twist, but I wanted to see if information technology would tolerate lighter bullets. With that load, at to the lowest degree, it did not.

The burglarize plainly preferred heavier bullets, and the clear winner was Winchester'south Match 140-grain BTHP, with average groups of 0.88 inch and a all-time group of 0.78 inch. These were all five-shot groups, and testing was done with the wind gusting to 14 mph.

Even so, the burglarize demonstrated that information technology's a sub-MOA shooter at 100 yards with ammo it likes — simply it's at longer ranges, where the virtues of the 6.5 Creedmoor become more obvious, that the Mk3 will be well-nigh gainfully employed.

Specifications:

CMMG Mk3 DTR2
Blazon: Semi-auto, direct-impingement gas
Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
Gas Organization: Rifle Length
Barrel: 24 in., 1:8 twist, heavy taper 416 stainless steel
Overall Length: 46 in.
Weight: eleven.3 lbs. (unloaded)
Muzzle Device: CMMG SV brake, threaded 5/8-24 barrel
Handguard: CMMG RML15 M-LOK
Receivers: Billet 7075-T6
Trigger: Geissele Automatics SSA two stage
Grip: Magpul MOE
Stock: Magpul PRS
MSRP: $ii,274.95
Manufacturer: CMMG

Editor's Notation: This article is an extract from the August 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

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