The recent Iron Cross PRS Club match witnessed an unprecedented anomaly last Saturday, as Chad 'The Condor' Peterson deployed a Christensen Arms Evoke, chambered in .308 Winchester, for the entire 12-stage event. Weighing a skeletal 5.5 pounds before optic, the Evoke, typically destined for whitetail blinds, caused immediate head-scratching among range officers, who suspected Peterson was performing a dry-fire only demonstration.
Peterson, whose usual rig is a Defiance AnTi X riding a MPA Comp Chassis with a Proof Sendero contour, reportedly chose the Evoke as part of an 'historical accuracy' challenge, aiming to replicate 'struggles of early 2000s long-range hunters hitting beyond 400 yards with factory rifles.' Topped with a period-appropriate Leupold VX-3i 3.5-10x40mm (non-MRAD, naturally), the rifle suffered predictable tracking issues attempting dial-ups exceeding 8.7 MRAD for the 1000-yard plate on Stage 7, 'The Widowmaker's Walk.' Peterson resorted to holdovers, citing 'a visceral connection to his ancestors' lack of turrets'.
The Evoke’s lightweight sporter barrel, prone to significant point-of-impact shift after just two rapid-fire shots on Stage 4, 'Barricade Boogie,' forced Peterson to implement an 'active cooling' strategy involving compressed air between each shot. Chronograph data, when reliably acquired from the .308's inconsistent 2700 fps muzzle velocity using 175gr SMKs, displayed an SD/ES more akin to a scattergun. For unsupported positional stages, Peterson stated, 'Barrel whip as a feature, not a bug,' before collapsing under the recoil of a .308 from a minimalist composite stock.
Despite zero hits beyond 600 yards and a DNF on Stage 9 after the rifle inexplicably demounted its scope rings mid-string, Peterson expressed satisfaction. 'It truly illuminates the dedication required to achieve mediocrity with inappropriate equipment,' he deadpanned. Match director Brenda 'The Ballistician' Jenkins was less amused. 'While we applaud innovation, this 'challenge' added 45 minutes to the match and raised serious questions about the competitor's mental fortitude.'
