After deciding it was time to upgrade my old .300 Weatherby to a fully custom rifle that could perform at long-range while not feeling like a boat anchor, I began the selection process. The hard part was nailing down the manufacturer I wanted to go with as there are so many great custom gun manufacturers out there right now. I first selected the caliber I wanted to have built (.300 PRC) and then went into researching which companies built a lightweight carbon fiber rifle that would hold up in the mountains and maintain accuracy if dirt and debris were to unfortunately build up. Eventually, I narrowed it down to a company based out of Boise, Idaho, AllTerra Arms.
I was very intrigued with the unique design of AllTerra’s custom action. The technology behind the action, bolt, and overall alignment to ensure benchrest accuracy while building a hunting rifle that would not fail under the extreme conditions that can happen throughout the course of a hunt had my interest. After a few conversations with the great folks at AllTerra about the rifle build and exactly which model would be the best for what I was looking for, I settled on the Mountain Shadow Carbon in a .300 PRC.
Another notable difference in selecting AllTerra was their turnaround time on a build. Most custom gun manufacturers were six to nine months out, and I wanted the gun for the 2022 season as I was in line to have multiple rifle hunts throughout the year starting in May. I was a little late in the game for ordering this rifle at the end of December, but to my surprise, AllTerra had the rifle built, scope mounted, and on its way to me by mid-February. It came zeroed in for factory ammo, all I had to do was send a few rounds downrange and sync it with my rangefinder and I was good to go.
From there, I took this gun on three different hunts, ranging from spring black bear to Sitka blacktail deer and mule deer. I had this gun in just about every scenario you could put a gun through with rain, snow, mud, and freezing temps. It performed flawlessly to the point that I loaned it to fellow hunters on two of those hunts. My Mountain Shadow Carbon was responsible for harvesting three of six bucks taken on our Kodiak, Alaska blacktail hunt. I was even more impressed with how well it handled my third season Colorado mule deer hunt with seven straight days of sub-freezing temps ranging from -3 to 25 degrees and on and off snow flurries five of the seven days. On the last day of the hunt, I spotted a bedded buck on an adjacent ridge 400 yards out. I had a small window between some outstretched tree branches that provided me with enough room for a solid shooting lane. After an adjustment to my yardage turret and verifying my angle, the buck was quickly anchored.
I reload for most of my rifles, so as soon as I had some spare brass to work with, I began testing some rounds. Todd Harney with AllTerra was always helpful with any questions I had and often had great recommendations. A side note that is worth mentioning is that the customer service for AllTerra is second to none. I have never had to wait very long for a response to any inquiries I have had, and more often than not, they have my answer right away. Anyways, I eventually found a node for my gun and was blown away with the accuracy that was capable with this large of a caliber.
If you are interested in owning your own AllTerra Arms custom rifle, you can visit their website at https://allterraarms.com or contact them by calling 208-203-1227. If you would like to chat with me more about my experience with AllTerra, you can always contact me at the Huntin’ Fool office at 435-865-1020.
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