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Review: Alexander Arms Ulfberht Rifle
The Alexander Arms Ulfberht is a potent tool for long-range shooters that is capable of excellent accuracy, particularly as distances stretch.
According to ancient Norse history, a unique type of sword made of uncommonly strong and durable steel was produced during the Viking Age between the 9th and 11th centuries; the swords were engraved with the name “Ulfberht” and were regarded as some of the finest steel weapons of the time. It was the time of the Dark Ages, and weapons evolved, but today’s raider still relies on the same stealth, swiftness and force. There is a reason Alexander Arms chose to call its .338 Lapua Magnum rifle the Ulfberht. The name is appropriate because this semi-automatic rifle is capable of repeatedly hitting out to 1,000 yards or more with velocity and energy that only the .338 Lapua can generate. The hammer of Thor from afar.
When you speak with Bill Alexander, you immediately get the sense he is a student of the gun.
“I learn something new every day about our guns,” Alexander said. “Because no testing can conclusively create the environment the weapon will be used. I’ve been building these rifles for six years, and the design is ever evolving.” As we talk, Alexander pulls me into his world and the world of the Ulfberht and the .338 Lapua Magnum. This world of big-bore, long-range rifles is one filled with managing details—too fast a rifling, too slow rifling, the cut of rifling, consistency of ammunition, managing recoil—and channeling the power of the caliber to do what you want it to, which is hitting relatively small targets at long distances.
“To make the rifle stronger,” Alexander explains, “we decided to press fit the barrel into the receiver so the receiver helps absorb some of the pressure when a round is fired.”
The receiver is constructed of forged 9310 steel alloy with the barrel made of 4150 chrome-moly. It has a 1:9.3-inch twist rate.
“The rifling,” said Alexander, “uses a similar set-up as the old English Enfield rifle rifling with six grooves cut deeper and squared off.”
An Ergo Deluxe pistol grip is fitted to the receiver, which is also equipped with a Geissele Automatics SSA two-stage trigger. The pull weight averaged at 4.5 pounds. At the aft end is a Magpul PRS adjustable rifle stock. The stock has an adjustable cheek riser and LOP. The stock also folds to the right side of the receiver. The weapon can be operated with the stock in the folded position. It rapidly deploys or stows with the press of a button, locking the stock in the folded or extended position. This feature enables this massive rifle to be more compact and more easily transported.
Because the Ulfberht is serious firepower, I acquired some serious glass from Meopta. The ZD 6-24x56mm RD is specifically designed for long range. The illuminated Mil Dot 2 reticle has an integrated range finder and is calibrated for tactical calibers like 7.62×51 NATO/.308 Win., .338 Win. Mag. and .50 BMG/12.7x99mm NATO. Serious glass for a serious rifle. The scope features fast eye focus and MeoTrak II finger adjustable windage and elevation turrets. One click equals .25 MOA. Clicks are tactile and audible, and zeroing was especially easy. I used a Leupold MK2 Integral Mounting Systems (IMS) one-piece base, which gave me enough height to clear the Meopta’s 56mm objective. In hindsight—no pun intended—the Leupold set worked on the Ulfberht, but the mount is meant for AR-style rifles and was all I had on hand. In the future, I’ll use two rings spaced farther apart along the Meopta’s tube.
Frontline Defense (FrontlineDefenseUSA.com) is located in Warrenton, North Carolina, and it’s a top-notch facility offering handgun and rifle/carbine training. They also have a 1,000-yard range. Serious rifle, serious glass, serious yardage. Long-range shooting instructor and owner of Frontline Defense, Paul Smith called corrections and the Meopta and Ulfberht were beginning to run in sync. Smith is a Distinguished Honor Graduate of the U.S. Army Sniper School. His real-world training and insights make him a valuable resource to those shooting long. The last bit, to use one of Bill Alexander’s English expressions, was Bill Alexander himself. Bill offered to meet us at the Frontline Defense facility to wring out the Ulfberht. Bill brought with him some R&D prototype rifles, the next evolution of the Ulfberht. He also showed up with a bucket of Hornady ammo. With ammo prices at about $6 a round, I had a hard time scrounging up a few boxes of ammo. The .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge itself has been going through some growing pains. Initially, only Lapua produced ammo, but as the interest in long-range shooting has increased, other ammunition manufacturers are producing the round.
“With a clean gas tube your first two shots will be low,” said Bill after reassembling the rifle. “Your next shots will group higher and cluster.”
“If your shots continued to be all over the place,” Bill further explained, “I would suspect it was the optic or mount. The .338 Lapua has a devil of a time bouncing up the insides of scopes.”
The evolution of the Ulfberht is ongoing, and Alexander Arms will eventually have retrofit kits available to owners of older generation rifles. We fired an Ulfberht with a muzzle brake, and the reduction in recoil was evident compared to the rifle with a three-prong flash hider. The third rifle Bill was touting was equipped with a carbon fiber handguard and the barrel was relieved of metal in circular cuts. The cuts in the barrel reduced overall weight by two ounces. The third variant was also equipped with a suppressor.
The difference between shooting a .338 Lapua with a flash hider and compensated can be judged by the differences in felt recoil. The compensator greatly reduced recoil. The Ulfberht has more of push in the shoulder rather than a jolt. It is quite manageable if you are accustomed to larger calibers.
The Ulfberht shows its trueness at distance. The 100-yard sub-MOA group is pretty to look at, but the reality is that a cartridge like the .338 Lapua is built for the long game, and the ability to hammer steel at 1,000 yards in fast, successive fire is the Ulfberht’s sweet spot. For more information, visit AlexanderArms.com or call (540) 639-8356.
Specifications:
Alexander Arms Ulfberht
Caliber: .338 Lapua Magnum
Action: Semi-auto, long stroke piston
Barrel Length: 27.5 in.
Overall Length: 41.25-50 in.
Weight Unloaded: 19.8 lbs.
Buttstock: Magpul PRS
Handguard: Alexander Arms aluminum
Pistol Grip: Ergo Deluxe
Sights: None, optics ready
Finish: Black Melonite
Capacity: 10+1
MSRP: $5,800
Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the June 2016 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
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