Channel fans and family, this one is a look back to February 2023. I was at the Sig Sauer media event, and one of the guns I was really looking forward to getting my hands on was the now iconic Sig Cross, or more specifically, its heavy new sibling: the Sig Cross PRS.
The original Cross took a lot of people by storm, and hunters loved it. The question it begged was simple: how good of a precision rifle can this platform be, and can we get one tailored for PRS and the other gun games? Sig’s answer is the Cross PRS, and if you see me struggling to pick it up in the video, that’s because this is one heavy bad boy.
Quick note: this is a hands-on walkthrough at the Sig media event, not a SlavGuns range test and evaluation. No groups, no chrono, just what I saw and felt with the rifle in my hands.
TL;DR
- Same idea, different mission: the original Cross is a light chassis hunting rifle. The Cross PRS keeps the chassis, folding stock and smooth action, then piles on weight and competition features.
- Heavy contour barrel: stays cooler longer, so you can finish a stage without a big point-of-impact shift.
- Longer rail with ARCA: drops straight onto a tripod or ARCA bipod.
- Balance tricks: a bag rider on the buttstock and extra weight inside the pistol grip.
- Little touches: extended mag release, a different bolt knob, and a selector that doubles as a thumb shelf.
From hunting rifle to PRS rifle
When the Sig Cross came out, it was primarily designed to be a hunting rifle. Because it’s a chassis gun it’s super lightweight, pretty much on par with your traditional hunting rifles like the Ruger American, right around 5 to 6 lb in my estimate. But unlike a lot of rifles in that weight class, you get an actual chassis, a folding stock and a very nice action.
The Cross PRS flips the script. It was designed primarily for PRS gun games, built to fit the Production division, with the features that PRS shooters, and long-range shooters in general, actually care about. If you missed the original Cross, I first saw it back at SHOT Show 2020 alongside Sig’s BDX 2.0 gear. Here’s that Sig BDX 2.0 and original Cross rifle first look.
What changed on the Cross PRS
1. Heavy contour barrel
The first thing you notice is the barrel. It’s a bigger, heavier contour, so it’s going to stay cooler for a longer period of time. That means you can send your follow-up shots and finish a course of fire without a massive change in point of impact.
2. A longer rail with ARCA
The rail is completely different. It’s longer, and it incorporates an ARCA rail. Shooting off a tripod has become all the rage, and whether you’re competing, hunting, or just have back issues, ARCA is freaking awesome. I’ve done a number of videos on this. If you’re new to it, start with my Sunwayfoto TL3240CS tripod article or check out the Swagger EXTREME bipods.
3. Bag rider and a weighted grip
Moving back, the buttstock is a little different. There’s a bag rider on there, which adds a bit more weight and helps balance the gun. Inside the pistol grip there’s additional weight to further balance things out. Bag riders are one of those cheap upgrades that make a real difference; see what one did for my groups in the adjustable bag rider review.
4. Extended mag release and bolt knob
The little touches don’t stop there. The extended magazine release was very easy to reach and work even with my medium-size hands, so swapping mags is quick. The action is the same smooth Cross action, and the bolt knob is a little different, possibly a bit longer.
5. The selector that doubles as a thumb shelf
This is one of my favorite details. Precision rifle shooters don’t hold a gun like a regular AR pistol grip. We hold our thumb facing forward, which helps get a straighter trigger pull. Sig reshaped the selector so it gives you a little thumb shelf while you’re holding the rifle. Sig calls it an ambidextrous PRS thumb rest. Very, very nice.
Weight: heavy, and room to go heavier
This is definitely a heavier gun. On camera I ballparked it around 16 lb. Sig’s launch spec lists 14.2 lb with a magazine, so call my arm the uncalibrated scale. There are M-LOK slots all around, so you can bolt on external weight and get it up around 20 to 22 lb. That should be very doable. Because the barrel contour is heavier, it doesn’t look like you can stuff weights inside the forend, so plan on external weights.
What Sig lists for the Cross PRS
We didn’t read off specs in the video, so here’s what Sig published:
- 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Win at launch
- 24″ free-floating stainless heavy contour 5R barrel, 5/8×24 threads
- One-piece aluminum receiver with a two-piece M-LOK handguard and removable steel ARCA rail
- Steel-frame folding precision stock, adjustable for length and comb height
- Two-stage adjustable match trigger
- Weighted PRS-style grip, ambidextrous thumb rest selector, AICS-pattern magazines
- About 44.5″ overall length, Elite Concrete Cerakote finish, 20 MOA Picatinny rail
Configurations change over time (Sig’s page currently shows the .308 Win model), so check the listing before you buy. You can see the current Sig Cross PRS on sigsauer.com.
Who it’s for
If you want a light, packable hunting rig, the original Cross is still the one. If you want a factory rifle that shows up to a PRS match with the ARCA rail, the weight, the bag rider and the thumb rest already sorted, the Cross PRS is the one Sig built for you. For another factory rifle built around the same idea, check my booth look at the Seekins HAVAK Hit and Hit Pro.
Bottom line
Sig took a rifle hunters loved for being light and made it heavy, steady and match-ready without losing the chassis, the folding stock or that smooth action. The thumb shelf selector and the ARCA rail are the kind of details that tell me somebody at Sig actually shoots PRS. I was looking forward to getting it on the range and putting some rounds through it.
The gear I actually run on the range is in my Amazon picks, and you can find precision rifle upgrades at Anarchy Outdoors.
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Keep squatting.
Light Cross for the hunt or heavy Cross PRS for the match: which one would you build around? Tell me in the comments.
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