Hunting

Sig Sauer Cross Trax

By: Dave Bahde

The ultimate lightweight and packable crossover rifle?

Bolt rifles have always maintained their popularity but have surged over the last couple of years. While anything but perfect, they suffer none of the function issues a semiautomatic rifle does. Bolt rifles are generally less regulated and avoid the “black rifle” stigma on the hunting grounds. ARs may be gaining in popularity when it comes to hunting, but it still remains the primary purview of the bolt rifle. However, hybrids like the Sig Cross are really starting to catch on. Bolt rifles are not quite as fast but are easier to suppress, run a variety of ammunition, and can be incredibly accurate. Using the same basic controls and ergonomics of an AR, the speed gap starts to shrink. One of Sig’s latest offerings in the Cross lineup is the new Trax model. Designed as a lightweight hunter, it is more than capable of filling a number of roles.

In an effort to streamline the footprint and shave nearly half of a pound from the already lightweight standard Cross model, Sig fits the new Trax model with their side-folding, non-adjustable Minimalist stock in place of the fully adjustable version, as well as the smaller AR-style handgrip from the company’s MCX Rattler.

Sig Sauer Cross Trax 308 Win

The Trax model starts with Sig Sauer’s proven Cross action, and from there, the company did everything it could to make it lightweight and portable. The lightweight 11.50-inch handguard is minimalist in diameter and skeletonized, with M-LOK accessory cuts on all four sides. Beneath the forend is a 16-inch stainless-steel barrel, chambered in 308 Win and threaded to 5/8 x 24 at the muzzle. Just behind the muzzle threads, the barrel tapers to interface with Sig muzzle devices, but the rifle also comes equipped with a squared-off shim to run any other muzzle device or direct-thread suppressor. The bolt knob is low profile with a handle that keeps things close and snag-free. Their “leg bone” Minimalist Folding Stock is very light, includes a small fixed cheek weld riser, and folds flat around the bolt knob. The trigger is a two-stage adjustable match design that proved crisp and predictable. The action’s top Picatinny rail extends the length of the receiver and onto the rear portion of the handguard, offering plenty of freedom of movement for your optic system. The Cross Trax uses the common AICS magazine pattern, with one five-round Magpul magazine accompanying the rifle.

The 16-inch, stainless-steel .308 barrel gets a 1:10 twist and 5/8”x24 TPI muzzle threads for mounting a brake or a sound suppressor, such as the ultra-light Silencer Central Banish Backcountry shown here. The shorter (than the standard Cross) lightweight skeletonized forend features M-LOK cuts at 3,6,9 and 12 o’clock with plenty of real estate to add a bipod, ARCA rail for a tripod, sling mount, or any other accessory for the job ahead.

Testing Equipment

Our test riflescope was a Sig Sauer Whiskey 6 3-18x44mm with the MOA Milling Hunter 2.0 reticle mounted in the second focal plane. Lightweight, this optic is a perfect match for this handy bolt rifle, with plenty of magnification for the 308 Win cartridge. I am pretty fond of most Sig Sauer optics, running numerous Sig red dot sights without a single issue, as well as quite a few of their Tango optics for various rifle tests. One of my favorites is an older FFP Tango 6 3-18x44mm I’ve had for years. Built to an older Mil-Spec, it’s heavy but very robust. When testing was completed, I walked away really impressed with the Whiskey 6 on my test rifle, especially given its feature set, light weight, and the very reasonable retail price of $899.99. While this is part of the “Hunting” line, it would be more than suitable for most uses.

To continue with the “light and handy” theme, we used Silencer Central’s Banish Backcountry Suppressor for most of testing. Constructed of a Titanium Alloy, the ultra-short 5.5” long by 1.6” diameter Banish Backcountry weighs in at an almost-not-even-there 7.80 ounces. Rated for calibers up to 300 Remington Ultra Magnum, the direct-thread Backcountry uses the industry-standard HUB mount, with several of the most popular thread pitches available at the time of order. The Backcountry proved quiet for its size and its six-baffle construction, and back pressure is minimal. Check it out at www.silencercentral.com

The one-piece black-anodized receiver is fitted with an AR-style ambi safety, a two-stage match trigger, a massive three-lug 60-degree short-throw bolt with a low-profile no-snag bolt knob, and a five-round AICS-pattern magazine with a release sitting at the forward-inside portion of the trigger guard.

Range Testing

In order to keep things practical, most of my testing was done using my truck, and Eberelestock X1 pack as a rest. I have had this pack for years, and it has seen miles of trekking; folded, without the suppressor, the rifle fits entirely within the pack’s sleeve without the extension. Add the suppressor, and it will protrude a few inches. Placing a shooting bag inside the pack makes it an excellent rest on almost anything you may find in the field. 100-yard precision testing was completed using this pack as a rest on a bench with an Armageddon Game Changer (standard and pint-sized) rear bag for support.

Accuracy was outstanding, although somewhat challenging with the Minimalist stock. Perfect for carry and field use, it is a bit too minimalist for your average group guru at the bench. With no adjustment and a pretty narrow profile at the shoulder, this stock is most certainly better suited to hunting. If you want to use the Trax as a base for something more tactical, you may want to swap it out for the fully adjustable Cross stock. Still, even given the stock limitation, my best five-shot group was an impressive half-inch cluster using Nosler’s Defense 175-grain HPBT. Nosler Defense ammunition has proven to be very accurate, and this rifle seemed to favor the 175-grain bullets in most cases. Everything was well under an inch, but the 168-grain and 155-grain seemed to open up group sizes a bit more. While Nosler ran the day, the Black Hills 178-grain Hornady ELDX also performed very well.

The Sig Sauer Cross Trax is very handy. It is smooth out of the pack, well-balanced, and fast to deploy from your back. Working around the truck, I found it to be very capable, even with the added length of a suppressor. Unsuppressed, it basically feels like a light 16” AR. Sig Sauer did a great job of designing the Trax to meet the task of a lightweight hunting rig but swap out the stock, and this could easily serve as a lightweight minimalist police rifle or for ranch protection from varmints, vermin, and predators.

While the 6.5 CM remains the Belle of the Ball, especially with “experts,” the 308 remains one of the most popular rounds available today. This includes hunting, law enforcement, and where anything more than the ubiquitous 5.56mm is needed. Sure, there are a ton of more “Gucci” cartridges out there, or what I call “ammunition de jure,” but the 308 will accomplish all but a very few tasks most anyone would encounter. There are two 6.5 CM barrels available, an 18″ and a 24″, that can be easily installed if that is something you require. In fact, Sig Sauer sells the parts to turn this into just about anything you want.

Using subsonic loads, it barely moves and is incredibly quiet — not ammunition most would use for hunting, but it sure was fun. Bolt lockup can be an issue when firing suppressed, so you need to wait a second or two for the pressure to dissipate on rapid-fire strings. However, this was less noticeable with the Banish Backcountry. Having run 308 precision rifles for decades, recoil is relatively soft to begin with, although with a lightweight rifle like the Trax, it’s definitely a little more noticeable.

Sig’s own Whiskey 6 3-18x44mm riflescope, equipped with the MOA Milling Hunter 2.0 reticle mounted in the second focal plane, proved a perfect match in weight and capability to the Cross Trax. While it’s marketed under the Hunting line, like the rifle itself, this optic would be more than suitable for most uses.

Final Thoughts

Bolt operation was smooth out of the box with no binding under hard and fast bolt manipulations. It worked with several types of ammunition without issue and three different AICS magazines, including Magpul and Accuracy International. Ejection was positive — run the bolt hard, and it flings brass out of the action with authority. Slow things down, and you can do everything from slowly ejecting brass to catching it. Depending on the configuration, the Trax is very packable and perfect for long hikes or treks into the backcountry. If you are looking for a lightweight and handy bolt rifle in one of the most popular calibers known to man, then make certain you add this one to your list. See the new Cross Trax at your nearest dealer, or for more information, contact Sig Sauer; Tel.: (603) 610-3000; Web: www.sigsauer.com.

The Cross Trax proved capable of impressive half-MOA precision using Nosler’s 175-grain BTHP load and well under one MOA for the other four tested loads.

Specifications:

Caliber: 308 Win

Action Type: Bolt action

Trigger: Adjustable

Rate of twist: 1-10

Barrel: 16-inch, stainless steel

Finish: Black anodized

Stock: Aluminum Minimalist

Magazine/capacity: AICS compatible, 5-round

Sights: Picatinny rail

Overall Length: 36.5 inches

Weight: 6.10 pounds

MSRP: $1,649.99

Load Velocity Accuracy

Hornady 155 GR American Gunner 2495 0.78 inches

Black Hills 178 ELDX 2420 0.60 inches

Federal 168 Grain Match 2480 0.80 inches

Nosler 175 Grain BTHP 2400 0.50 inches

Nosler 168 Grain ABLT 2500 0.70 inches

Bullet weight was measured in grains, and velocity in feet per second was measured using a Garmin. Accuracy in inches for three five-round groups fired from 100 yards using a pack as a rest from behind a bench.