I first tested a Stag Arms offering--the almost-mirror-image Model 3L--in 2005. I came away from that test impressed by the left-handed carbine's accuracy and reliability. And as an ambidextrous shooter, I found it a snap to operate from the port side.

Since then, I've tested several of Stag's right-handed offerings in various configurations in both .223 and 6.8mm SPC. Every one of those rifles proved as accurate and reliable as that first carbine, but when asked to review the new Stag 7 Hunter in 6.8mm SPC, I had mixed feelings. Though I expected the rifle to be every bit as good as the other Stag Arms rifles I'd tested, I've never been a big fan of the 6.8mm SPC as a hunting cartridge.

Like all of Stag's ARs, the Hunter's lower receiver is built from a forged billet of 7075 T6 aircraft-quality aluminum. The forgings are done in-house to ensure they meet the company's stringent standards. A soft Hogue pistol grip and conventional A-2 buttstock are standard, as is an exceptional two-stage match trigger. It comes with a single five-round magazine.

The Hunter's upper receiver is also forged from 7075 T6 aluminum. It is a flat-top design to facilitate scope mounting. Hogue's excellent free-float tube with a cushy rubber insert is standard. I like Hogue's rubber insert, as it protects my hand from the extreme heat generated during extended firing sessions and the brisk winter chill that turns aluminum tubes into icicles. A single sling swivel stud is threaded into the bottom of the handguard.

The Hogue handguard hides a standard, rifle-length gas tube--a big plus since rifle-length tubes are the most reliable in the AR clan. The handguard also conceals the bulk of the Stag 7 Hunter's 20.77-inch, stainless steel barrel, which is coated with Stag's corrosion-resistant, sand-colored S7 finish.

The Hunter's barrel is a medium contour. That's a bit heavier under the handguard and tapers down to 0.7 inch at the muzzle--ideal for a hunting-weight rifle. Its gas block has three Picatinny-spec slots on top for front sight mounting.

In keeping with its Hunter designation, Stag chambered the Stag 7 for the 6.8mm SPC. I've always thought the 6.8 is a bit anemic, but Stag's version has the improved Spec II chamber, which combines a .100-inch longer throat, four-groove rifling and a slower, 1:11 twist to make the Stag 7 Hunter compatible with some of the new, hotter loads on the market.

The increased freebore, fewer rifling grooves and the slower twist combine to decrease friction and pressure. And if the 6.8mm SPC is to be used for hunting, you want all the horsepower you can get.

It may be a .277, but the 6.8 pushes lighter bullets with lower sectional densities at significantly lower velocities than the .270 Winchester. The little bit of extra oomph provided by hotter loads increases the little 6.8mm SPC's lethality.

My review rifle impressed me right out of the box. Fit and finish were first rate, and there was absolutely no play between the upper and lower receivers. The crisp, five-pound trigger was exceptional, and the controls operated smoothly and engaged positively. The trim rifle felt good in the hands and came to the shoulder easily.

I mounted a Leupold Mark 4 3.5-10X LR/T scope with an illuminated, mil-dot reticle on the Stag 7 in a set of Mark 4 rings for my testing. I did the bulk of my accuracy testing while on a hunt at the famed Callaghan Ranch in South Texas. Fortunately, the Callaghan has a good range, so I got the Hunter zeroed quickly, then fired for effect.