In 2024 Christensen Arms introduced their new Evoke Hunter 7mm Backcountry rifle beginning full swing production and availability by mid-2025. The Evoke is lightweight, accurate, and well balanced. It features a Cerakoted 416R stainless steel barrel, adjustable TriggerTech trigger, polymer stock, and a removable RFR muzzle brake. Designed for backcountry hunting, the Evoke provides a blend of power and manageable recoil, especially in the 7mm Backcountry cartridge. In a nutshell, the Evoke is one of the more affordable, all-around rifles offered by Christensen’s Arms.
Christensen Evoke’s Trigger and Weight
Christensen’s Evoke Hunter features a TriggerTech trigger that is known for a creep-free break due to an internal roller system. The rifle I have in my hands came factory set at about 3.2 pounds and broke without creep. These triggers are easily adjustable without removing the stock. 700-style safety sits just to the right of the tang, where it is easily accessible.
Weight of the Evoke Hunter without a scope or other accessories is 7.7 pounds. Field weight of the rifle with accessories and ammo will no doubt come in between 9-10 pounds.
In addition to using an all-steel barrel, one of the ways Christensen Arms was able to keep the price down on the Evoke Hunter was by using an injection-molded stock rather than a more rigid fiberglass or carbon stock. The injection-molded system incorporates an aluminum block where the front of the receiver is torqued onto the stock.
The Evoke Hunter’s stock is a hybrid design, incorporating elements from traditional sporters as well as more modern precision stocks. The stock has a straight comb with a raised cheekpiece. Christensen advertises the Evoke Precision model with an adjustable cheekpiece, but the Evoke Hunter does not. I added a field expedient cheek riser to my rifle to enhance the cheek weld while hunting.
The Action
Currently Evoke rifles are using the two-lug Christensen M25 action. It’s a push-feed similar to the Remington M700, but sports additional features. The Evoke uses an M-16 style extractor above the right-hand lug which is held in place by a roll pin. The bolt release is located at the rear of the receiver and provides an oversized button for easy manipulation. The two-position Remington M700 style safety does not lock the bolt allowing the shooter to lift the bolt while the safety is engaged. The action uses a separate recoil lug similar yet again to Rem 700-pattern actions.
Key Features Evoke Hunter 7mm Backcountry
- 416R stainless steel barrel, 1 in 8 twist
- Adjustable TriggerTech trigger
- AICS-compatible bottom metal
- 3 round detachable magazine (4 round in non-magnum calibers)
- Injection-molded polymer stock
- Thick hybrid-angle grip
- Picatinny bipod rail
- Removable RFR muzzle brake
- Suppressor Ready
- 0-MOA Picatinny scope base
The Rifle’s Range Performance
My Christensen Evoke Hunter test rifle came equipped with a six-port muzzle brake. It did an excellent job of cutting recoil, the 5/8×24 threading makes it easy to add a muzzle device if so desired. The recoil is crisp but no more than say a .270 Win and certainly less than a .300 Win Mag. The magazine capacity is three rounds in the 7mm Backcountry.
With more and more hunters shooting from supported positions such as from a bipod or tripod aids in the field and the Evoke’s fairly vertical pistol grip vertical grip complements that trend. Additionally, the fore-end is relatively slim which is the best choice on a hunting rifle. The barrel is free-floated within the fore-end and the hunter/shooter should be aware that since this is an injection-molded stock, exerting pressure on the stock could cause it to contact the barrel.
The Scope
With a hunting excursion in mind, I mounted the Leupold VX 6HD 3×18-44mm Gen 2 scope courtesy of Leupold to the Christensen Evoke Hunter. There is little doubt Leupold produces some of the best hunting scopes on the market today.
This scope features Leupold’s Custom Dial System (CDS) and gives you the ability to customize your turret (adjustment dial) to your exact ballistics and environmental conditions. Once your new custom dial is installed, simply range the target, turn the dial to that number, and your shot should be dead on. Wind conditions will of course influence this and must be compensated for.
One feature that both the original VX-6HD and the VX-6HD Gen 2 model have over its competition, is what Leupold calls its Electronic Reticle Level found in the illuminated models. If you press and hold the VX-6’s on/off button for about 15 seconds, the red dot will flash when the reticle is canted and stay solid when level. Battery life is extended thanks to the scope’s motion-sensing technology that turns the reticle off after five minutes of inactivity then fires it back up when motion is sensed.
The Electronic Reticle Level is an awesome feature that alone puts Leupold above all other brands in this price category. This attribute can be handy not only when mounting the scope but also in the field for long range shooting.
Ammo Tested
Federal, the developer of the 7mm Backcountry cartridge is currently the only company manufacturing ammunition for this cartridge. They build five different loads for the Backcountry and I have tested them all except the 195gr Berger Elite Hunter.
All four of the Federal variations I tested shot well enough to hunt with. However, with accuracy always a good starting point for any hunting endeavor I elected to stick with the Federal 155gr and 170gr Terminal Ascent ammunition. The graph below shows my results off the bench with both weight grains hovering around the ½ MOA mark at 100 yards. I worked up holds for out to 600 yards with both variations with anticipation of upcoming Barbary Sheep and mule deer hunts.
Range results (3 shot groups off the bench):
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Factory listed Muzzle Velocity |
Factory listed Muzzle Energy |
Group Size, 100 yards, Christensen Evoke, 20” barrel |
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You can find reloading information out there for 7mm Backcountry, if you’re so inclined. Also, Lee Precision and RCBS are both producing reloading dies for the 7mm Backcountry.
Hunting with the Evoke in 7mm Backcountry
Barbary Sheep Hunt
Barbary Sheep also known as Aoudad have become quite the sought after exotic big game animal in the southwestern US. Mostly found in Texas and New Mexico after having been introduced as far back as the 1940’s to 1950’s by game ranches and state wildlife agencies.
The animal hails from northern Africa and is tough, resilient, handsome and adaptable. I like hunting them and consider myself fortunate to live in the southeast portion of New Mexico where the Aoudad is prevalent. Its less than an hour’s drive south into West Texas where I can also find these sheep.
With the Christensen Evoke in hand in the new 7MM Backcountry cartridge I was anxious to put the rifle to the test. I will state right here, that the Backcountry is really designed as just that, a “backcountry” bolt rifle with velocities rivaling any of the PRC and Magnum caliber offerings, but from a shorter barrel.
With rifles currently being offered in this cartridge as short as 16 to 18 inches in barrel length it is ideal for remote hunting venues. It also makes the addition of a suppressor more appealing in that you still end up with a short rifle with long range velocities and energy because of the design of this cartridge. Take a look at; 7mm Backcountry – Ballistics & Overview to get more information.
Tough Terrain
Honestly, I have never been on an Aoudad hunt that I would consider easy. The terrain they prefer is generally prime Ibex and Mountain Goat type habitat and they love to bounce around on bluffs and cliffs that makes even the most accomplished mountaineer shudder.
However, the Aoudad can sometimes be found in desert terrain with just low hills and subtle canyons. Such was the case when Jake, a ranch contact in West Texas called to say he was seeing sheep in an easy to access canyon on the ranch, I did not hesitate. For my aging legs this sounded like the perfect chance to put the Evoke in 7mm Backcountry to the test.
Morning Hunt
Arriving at the ranch before sunup one Saturday morning this past October I met with Jake who keeps track of all the hunting activities for the ranch. Leaving my truck behind and jumping into a ranch truck we wasted no time getting to a low set of hills and canyons on the eastern edge of the ranch. When I say low, I mean 30-to-60-feet high bluffs and cliffs. That’s easy compared to the 100 -300-feet cliffs I have often hunted Aoudad in.
On the drive Jake told me a herd of 30 or so sheep had moved into the hills in the last week or two and were consistently staying in the area. One reason; a spring in a nearby canyon with constant water. Jake said Aoudad often drift in and out of the location for the water and feed around the spring. Another positive, October is a rutting period and the rams were active looking for ewes.
Just as the rising sun was hitting the tops of ridges, we were in place along the canyon edge and glassing bluffs on the opposite side where Jake had routinely been seeing sheep. It did not take long to pick up ewes and lambs moving along the sides of the ridges. Within a few minutes we were also glassing two different mature rams. Any ram 25 inches or better is worthy of taking especially for a hunter who has never killed an Aoudad. In my case I was looking for something in the 30 inch or better category having previously taken sheep in the 26–28-inch range.
Rams In Sight
Both rams were certainly shooters. One was truly a massive old ram both in body and in horn mass. One horn looked to be close to 30 inches; however, his right horn was broken off about three to four inches from the tip. Still, he was an impressive sheep. The other mature ram marked all the boxes. Good mass, good chaps (Aoudad rams have a mane of sorts, from just under the neck down the front shoulders and legs), and horns that both Jake and I agreed would hit the 30-inch mark. It goes without saying, a ram can very easily be plus or minus an inch or two from your estimate especially when several hundred yards away.
Pulling the Trigger
I did not hesitate long, finding a ram in this category was all I hoped for. Out of the truck and on foot we eased to the edge of the canyon where several large boulders offered a suitable rest. The sheep opposite our position had focused in on our movement and were becoming nervous. Jake was already on the range finder and reported the distance bouncing around at 297 to 305 yards. Already on a solid rest, I placed the crosshairs just below the backline of the ram above the left shoulder (I was zeroed at 200 yards). The ram took a few steps, stopped and looked our way. I pressed the trigger instantly but never saw the ram fall.
Jake immediately reported the sheep down. He still had his head up and was trying to get up although it looked improbable that he could regain his feet. Just for insurance I held a bit lower and sent another 175gr Terminal Ascent into the left shoulder. The sheep rolled towards the bluff edge and off a 35-foot bluff into the canyon bottom. In retrospect, this ended up making retrieval of the ram simpler and safer than had he stayed on the bluff edge.
A Successful Hunt
Upon getting into the canyon, we found the ram was down for good with horns intact despite the fall. The tape put the ram just at 30 inches, an awesome sheep in my book. Once in a while a hunter gets a relatively easy hunt. This one turned out to be one of those. A rare occurrence for Babary Sheep.
While quartering and processing the sheep I tried out a new set of blades from Freemont Knives based in Riverton, Wyoming. The Farson Blade, patterned from an ancient native American stone tool found in Wyoming was excellent at skinning the Aoudad with its large cutting surface. The Farson Hatchet made quick work of the pelvis.
The Christensen Evoke was a pleasure to hunt with and without a doubt the Leupold VX6 HD made my job much easier. As to the 7mm Backcountry cartridge, the results speak for themselves and in reality, the 300-yard shot is child’s play for this cartridge.
Final Thoughts
The Christensen Arms Evoke Hunter in 7mm Backcountry is a well-designed rifle that blends lightweight features with enhanced accuracy conducive to long range shooting. It falls into its own category for remote hunting excursions. This makes it an ideal choice for hunters looking to get off the beaten path and into the backcountry.
As to the sheep, he made outstanding summer sausage and a handsome trophy. Hunting these animals in the rugged canyon and rimrock country of West Texas and New Mexico is a true adventure and challenge for any hunter.
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