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Mike Dickerson

The Mossberg Patriot Revere On Target In 6.5 Creedmoor

Chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, Mossberg’s Patriot Revere rifle combines old-school good looks with high-ballistic-coefficient performance — at a price the masses can afford.

What makes the Mossbert Patriot Revere Stand Out Among Bolt-Actions:

  • European walnut stock.
  • Laser-cut checkering.
  • Rosewood grip cap and forend tip.
  • Flutted bolt.
  • Lightning Bolt-Action trigger.
  • MSRP of $823

There’s something special about hunting rifles made of polished, blued steel and high-grade walnut stocks executed in the classic fashion. That combination goes together like a warm campfire and a fine, single-malt whisky, and it’s increasingly difficult to find in factory production rifles.

In a market dominated by ubiquitous black synthetic stocks and a rush to embrace all things tacticool, such rifles evoke a more genteel time when custom stock makers were much in demand and their products were viewed not just as functional tools, but as works of art.

Today, regrettably, such rifles often come with hefty price tags. Mossberg has challenged that status quo with the Patriot Revere, one of the newest — and nicest — versions of the company’s affordable Patriot line of rifles. The Revere has been around for a couple of years now, but it was newly chambered for the 6.5 Creedmoor for 2018, creating what may be a nearly perfect blend of old and new. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the eye-catching Revere is the fact that Mossberg brought it to market at a price that’s well below the cost of most similarly appointed guns — and below the price of wood-stocked flagship models from the likes of Remington, Ruger and Winchester.

The rifle’s design is a mix of old-school good looks and contemporary features, such as a spiral-fluted bolt and detachable magazine.
The rifle’s design is a mix of old-school good looks and contemporary features, such as a spiral-fluted bolt and detachable magazine.

While Patriot rifles are generally thought of as economy rifles, with a MSRP starting at $441 for the synthetic-stocked Predator model, the Revere represents the top of the line. Even a cursory glance tells you the Revere is a cut above the norm, and a rifle that any hunter should be proud to own. It has a MSRP of just $823. With a real-world price below that, here’s a closer look at what you’ll get for your money.

Head-Turning Good Looks

The first thing you’ll notice about the Revere is its oil-finished European walnut stock, of a grade Mossberg calls Premier 2.0, which is a definite step up from wood stocks found on most factory production rifles these days. It has fine-line, laser-cut checkering on the grip and forend, and it’s adorned with a rosewood grip cap and forend tip. These are nicely set off by thin, contrasting maple spacers. It also has a very well-fitted ¾-inch recoil pad set behind a black spacer.

A two-position safety does not lock the bolt down when the safety is engaged.
A two-position safety does not lock the bolt down when the safety is engaged.

The net result is a decidedly retro look matched to a stock design with clean, straight lines. In this regard, it seems to borrow a bit from Winchester, Weatherby and Remington rifles of yesteryear. If those firearms contributed their DNA to a bullet-slinging offspring, I imagine this is what it would look like.


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A machined, tubular receiver is mated to a 24-inch sporter-profile barrel. Both have a lustrous, deep blue finish. The barrel has a recessed target-style crown not always seen on rifles in this price category. Mounting scopes is a cinch because the rifle ships from the factory with Weaver-style bases already installed.

For testing, the author used a Weaver Super Slam 2-10X42mm riflescope. It was a cinch for the author to mount as the rifle came with Weaver-style bases installed.
For testing, the author used a Weaver Super Slam 2-10X42mm riflescope. It was a cinch for the author to mount as the rifle came with Weaver-style bases installed.

In a nod to contemporary styling, the bolt has deeply cut, elegant black spiral flutes. The bolt fluting is aesthetically pleasing to my eye, but it also has a couple of practical benefits: Reducing weight is one, and the other is an exceptionally slick-cycling bolt. It is, in a word, smooth. The bolt is not a one-piece design. Rather, it is assembled from three components: the handle, body and head. The bolt head, which uses two substantial locking lugs, has a traditional plunger ejector and Sako-style extractor. The bolt handle is knurled for a firm grip.

This brings us to one component of the rifle I was somewhat less-than-pleased with: The bottom metal isn’t metal. It’s polymer. I know that’s part of the reason Mossberg can price the rifle so affordably, but I found myself wishing the company could have gone the extra step and used metal, even if it did add a bit of cost and weight to a 7-pound rifle.

A two-position safety does not lock the bolt down when the safety is engaged.
A two-position safety does not lock the bolt down when the safety is engaged.

You’ll also find a polymer component sliding into the bottom of the action in the form of a detachable box magazine. While I would’ve been perfectly happy with a hinged metal-floorplate magazine design, I generally prefer detachable magazines to be of the metal variety. Lest I be accused of succumbing to grouchy old hunter syndrome, I do recognize the weight-saving properties and durability of current-generation polymer magazines. I just prefer metal as a purely personal preference.

The magazine clicks firmly into place in the magazine well and drops freely into the hand when you operate the magazine release lever, which is protected against accidental tripping by being recessed into the bottom of the stock.

The bolt, assembled from three pieces, has two substantial locking lugs and deep spiral fluting. Cycling is exceptionally smooth.
The bolt, assembled from three pieces, has two substantial
locking lugs and deep spiral
fluting. Cycling is
exceptionally
smooth.

The magazine well is also made of polymer, and extends on its top side into two tabs, which actually form part of the bedding system for the rifle as the action screws pass through these tabs to secure the action to the stock of the rifle.

The Savage-esque LBA (Lightning Bolt Action) trigger on the Revere had just a hint of barely-noticeable creep, but it didn’t bother me because it was predictable and consistent. Don’t take that as a criticism, for it’s still a much nicer trigger than many found on guns in this price range. Although you can adjust the trigger within a pull-weight range of 2-7 pounds, I left it as it arrived from the factory for testing. Dry-firing it for the first time, I discovered, with what might have been the sound of the Hallelujah chorus playing in my head, that the trigger broke at an average pull weight of 2 pounds, 9 ounces. I’ve tested far too few factory rifles in the past several years that come with a trigger this good.

A rosewood grip cap, adorned with an “M,” is fitted to the bottom of the grip.
A rosewood grip cap, adorned with an “M,” is fitted to the bottom of the grip.

You’ll find the rifle’s safety lever located on the right side of the receiver just behind the top of the bolt handle, within easy reach of the thumb when the rifle is gripped in a shooting position. The safety is a two-position design and is disengaged when pushed to the forward “fire” position. When the safety is engaged, in the rearward position, the bolt is not locked down. This allows you to cycle rounds through the action with the safety in the “on” position.

Functionally, everything on the rifle worked exactly as it should. Operation was instinctive and automatic, as it should be with any good rifle. I found it easy to load rounds into the magazine, and they fed, fired, extracted and ejected without skipping a beat.

Performance When It Counts

All things considered, the Revere is a great-looking rifle that you can buy at a great price. But would its beauty prove to be more than skin-deep? To find out, I mounted atop the rifle an old favorite, a Weaver Super Slam 2-10x42mm rifle scope, which I’ve long favored for testing rifles with great confidence that the scope will hold up to sustained shooting sessions.

A ¾-inch recoil pad, bordered by a black spacer, is precisely fit to the stock of the rifle.
A ¾-inch recoil pad, bordered by a black spacer, is precisely fit to the stock of the rifle.

Since the rifle is purely designed for hunters, I tested it with five different 6.5 Creedmoor factory hunting loads, measuring velocities over a Competitive Edge Dynamics M2 chronograph. Velocities were quite close to factory advertised velocities with one exception: The Federal Big Game Trophy Copper 120-grain load stepped out 103 fps faster than the factory number. This was the only load tested with an all-copper bullet, and the Revere didn’t seem overly fond of it, turning in average five-shot groups of 1.70 inch.

The rifle did better with the other four tested loads, producing average groups of under an inch and a half, with best groups running just slightly over an inch. The best performance was with the hottest round tested, Hornady’s Superformance load with a 129-grain SST bullet, which clocked in at 2,953 fps. Average groups with this load were 1.23 inch, with a best group of 1.13 inch. Two other tested loads matched that best-group size exactly.

Mossberg Patriot Revere

But these five-shot groups only tell part of the story. The rifle had a pronounced tendency to group the first three shots in a string tightly, with shots four and five opening groups up a bit, which is to be expected with a sporter-weight barrel as it heats up.

To satisfy my curiosity, I took note of where the first three shots went in each group. Measuring only these, four out of five tested loads produced sub-MOA average results, with best groups for those loads running under half an inch. That’s the kind of accuracy I’ve come to expect with good rifles chambered for the inherently accurate 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge, and it’s all the accuracy you should ever need in a hunting rifle.

In a lifetime of hunting, I can’t ever recall encountering a deer dumb enough to hang around while someone shot at it five times. It’s the first shot that counts, and sometimes the second — but if you haven’t dropped that buck with the third shot, I’d wager you won’t do it with the fifth.

With a competent shooter behind the trigger, the Patriot Revere will perform when it counts, and look great doing so.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the October 2018 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Gun Review: Browning’s X-Bolt Pro Proves No Lightweight

Browning’s X-Bolt Pro gives hunters magnum firepower in an attractive, lightweight, go-anywhere package. It might just be Browning’s best turn-bolt hunting rifle yet.

How this Browning proves a backcountry pro:

  • The X-Bolt pro, regardless of caliber, comes in at below 7 pounds.
  • Much of the weight reduction is achieved from its fluted sporter-profile barrel.
  • Additionally, a spiral fluted three-lug bolt shaves an ounce or two.
  • Finally, a carbon-fiber stock keeps things light.
  • Opposed to using strips, the X-Bolt Pro's stock is built by weave wrapping carbon fiber.
  • The gun comes outfitted with a muzzle brake and its bore is lapped.
  • The Browning Feather trigger breaks at 3.5 to 4 pounds.
  • The best group of the .300 Win. Mag. tested was .82 inch with Browning BXR 155-grain loads.
  • The MSRP of the X-Bolt Pro runs from $2,069 to $2,129 depending on caliber.

Unless you’ve spent the last decade or two in a gun-knowledge-free zone, such as the headquarters of the major American TV news networks, you’ve probably noticed that hunting rifles have been getting lighter. Just as there has been a race to the bottom — in regard to price — between the most economical bolt-action rifle models, there has been a corresponding race to produce guns that are light enough to blow away in anything more than a stiff breeze.

The Pro incorporates high-end design elements and finishing touches typically found on custom rifles costing twice as much.
The Pro incorporates high-end design elements and finishing touches typically found on custom rifles costing twice as much.

This is widely heralded as a great thing for those who hunt vertical country, and it is — to a point. As with most good intentions, things can get carried to extremes, and there’s a price to be paid for that. Some manufacturers offer lightweight factory rifles that sacrifice bullet velocity for modest weight savings by the simple expedient of using thin, chopped-off barrels, often paired with flimsy synthetic stocks and cheap components.

At the other end of the spectrum are custom ultralight rifles priced at $4,000 or more. These ultralight rifles can be a joy to carry, but they’re not necessarily a joy to shoot. Many people find ultralight rifles more difficult to shoot accurately due to increased recoil, and that challenge only increases with rifles chambered for the thumper magnums.

To my way of thinking, the nearly perfect go-anywhere, do-anything backcountry rifle occupies the “light-enough” category — meaning it’s light enough to carry all day but not so light that it kicks like a mule on steroids or requires me to modify my shooting technique to place bullets where I want them to go. It should have a barrel long enough to achieve optimal velocities for chosen cartridges, to include magnums, and it should have an excellent trigger to aid in making accurate long-range shots. It should also be nearly impervious to the elements.

The unique Browning bolt-unlock button, situated atop the rear of the bolt handle, allows you to cycle the bolt with the safety engaged.
The unique Browning bolt-unlock button, situated atop the rear of the bolt handle, allows you to cycle the bolt with the safety engaged.

The good news is that there’s an emerging class of rifles that check all these boxes, and more, by taking advantage of the latest gun-making technologies and materials while refusing to compromise on things that matter most. A great example is the new Browning X-Bolt Pro. It is, as its name implies, a seriously well-designed tool for serious hunters.

Semi-Custom Features

Weighing in at a svelte 6 pounds, 9 ounces, in the .300 Win. Mag. version I tested (rifles chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor shed an additional 8 ounces of weight), the X-Bolt Pro can be thought of as a semi-custom factory rifle. A lot of that has to do with the finishing touches and high-end design elements that elevate the rifle above the level of the already well-regarded basic X-Bolt platform, all while shedding unnecessary weight from the rifle.

With the Pro, a lot of that weight reduction has been accomplished by removing a fair amount of metal from the gun. The rifle has a lightweight sporter-profile fluted barrel, but it still measures a full 26 inches in length in guns chambered for .300 Win. Mag., 28 Nosler, 26 Nosler and 7mm Rem. Mag. It is, happily, adorned with an effective muzzle brake and comes with a thread protector. In another nod to custom guns, the 1:10 twist barrel has been given a proprietary lapping treatment, minimizing the need for break-in. While shooting up a considerable amount of ammo with the rifle, I was amazed at how little fouling accumulated in the barrel.

The three-lug bolt is spiral fluted, as is the bolt knob, cutting additional weight and adding to the rifle’s considerable aesthetic appeal. It proved to be a real head-turner at the range, judging by the number of people who felt compelled to interrupt my testing by inquiring about the rifle.

Considering the amount of .300 Win. Mag. ammo fired during testing, the author was pleased the X-Bolt Pro came equipped with an effective muzzle brake.
Considering the amount of .300 Win. Mag. ammo fired during testing, the author was pleased the X-Bolt Pro came equipped with an effective muzzle brake.

That’s partly due to the rifle’s distinctive, true carbon-fiber stock, which is constructed with the carbon-fiber weave wrapped 360 degrees around a sound-dampening foam core. This use of what Browning calls a “second generation” carbon-fiber weave, versus individual strips of carbon-fiber joined at seams, further reduces weight while significantly adding to the rigidity of the stock. It’s exceptionally difficult to make this stock bend. Trust me, I tried.

The rifle’s good looks — and resistance to inclement weather — are further enhanced with a well-executed Cerakote treatment of the stainless-steel barrel and action as well as the bolt and all exterior metal. This rifle shrugs off the elements as a result, and the “burnt bronze” color of the abrasion-resistant Cerakote finish complements the dark brown hues of the stock, which mute any potential game-spooking reflective glare.

Accuracy-enhancing measures include glass bedding of the action to the stock, and the barrel is free floated along its entire length. Fit and finish on this rifle is excellent, right down to the ubiquitous Buckmark logo on the bottom of the trigger guard and the gold-plated trigger blade. The Pro simply exudes quality from the moment you pick the rifle up, in a way that too few factory rifles do these days.

Beyond The Basics

The X-Bolt Pro retains all of the unique characteristics of a standard X-Bolt which, taken together, equate to a lot more than a run-of-the-mill bolt-action rifle. These features include a 60-degree bolt throw, a tang-mounted safety with a cocking indicator, the Browning Feather trigger, a bolt unlock button and the Inflex recoil pad. I especially like the X-Bolt’s signature X-Lock scope-base mounting system, which doubles the standard number of mounting screws from four to eight. It’s a rock-solid base-mounting system like few I’ve ever seen.

The Pro uses a spiral-fluted, three-lug bolt. It cycled smoothly, with a short, 60-degree throw.
The Pro uses a spiral-fluted, three-lug bolt. It cycled smoothly, with a short, 60-degree throw.

The excellent Browning Feather trigger is supposed to be pre-set at the factory to a pull weight of about 3½ to 4 pounds, and I measured the break on my test rifle at a consistent 3 pounds, 9 ounces. The trigger is adjustable within a range of 3 to 5 pounds, but I left it where it was because it broke so cleanly, with absolutely no take-up, no creep and minimal overtravel, that it felt lighter than it really was.

One distinctive feature of X-Bolt rifles is the unique bolt-unlock button, situated atop the portion of the bolt handle that mates into a recess in the action. Engaging the safety locks the bolt down, but you can use this button to unlock the bolt and cycle the action without disengaging the safety. The bolt itself cycles smoothly, with no binding, unlike some spiral-fluted bolts I’ve encountered.

Bottom metal is — wonder of wonders — actually made of metal, while the detachable magazine is a tough polymer design that sits flush with the bottom of the action. The rotary magazine drops freely into your hand when you trip the magazine release lever, which is protected within a recess in the bottom metal, and it feeds rounds straight in line with the chamber. Capacity is three rounds for magnum cartridges and four rounds for standard cartridges.

The rifle is actually made by Miroku, in Japan, but that matters little from a practical viewpoint. Miroku long ago established a very well-earned reputation for producing some excellent firearms, including Browning shotguns and some rifles licensed by Winchester Firearms.

Convincing Performance

Given the rather slender profile of the Pro’s barrel, I wasn’t really expecting tack-driving accuracy from the rifle at the range because groups typically open up as such barrels heat up — and heat up they do in my hands. It’s not that I’m impatient, mind you, but I do have to deal with such pesky things as deadlines, and I often want to see how well a gun shoots when it’s running a little hot and dirty. Of course, you would never run a barrel hot when hunting unless you’re doing something inordinately wrong. It’s the first shot or two that counts, rather than how a gun groups after a lot of ammo goes down the tube.

x-bolt-ballistics

I found that groups did open up a bit as the barrel heated up, as anticipated, but I was pleased at how well the X-Bolt Pro performed at the range. Most tested loads produced average groups of around 1½ inches, which will convincingly accomplish just about any mission for which you might choose to employ a .300 Win. Mag. cartridge.
Interestingly, the rifle showed a bit of a preference for lighter bullets, with the best performance turned in with Browning’s BXR (rapid expansion) 155-grain load. This was also the hottest factory round tested, with the matrix-tip bullet stepping out at 3,257 fps, and it produced an average-group size of 1.12 inch and a best-group size of 0.82 inch.
X-Bolt-Specs
The next-tightest groups were with 180- and 185-grain bullets, which did slightly better than bullets in the 190-200 weight class. Velocities for most of the tested loads exceeded or were quite close to factory-stated velocities, which are, in many cases, achieved with longer barrels.

I consider that excellent overall performance for such a light rifle, let alone one that punches with magnum persuasion. When you consider that it’s also designed to handle the harshest environmental conditions, the rifle’s price tag ($2,099 MSRP for the version tested) starts to look a lot less steep than the mountains you’ll be climbing with the Pro slung over your shoulder.

For more information on the Browning X-Bolt, please visit: www.browning.com

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2018 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Gun Review: Stoeger P3500 Shotgun

The new versatile and affordable Stoeger P3500 pump gun chambered for 3½-inch shotshells proves you don’t need a fancy gun to get the job done.

What makes the Stoeger P3500 a good choice?

  • The Stoeger P3500 is simple yet versatile and can handle any intended job.
  • This ranges from putting meat on the table to defending your home.
  • At $399, the Stoeger P3500 is highly affordable, but performs way above its price range.
  • It chambers 3 1/2-inch shells and comes with a black synthetic or Realtree camo stock.

Pulling up to the hunting lodge at the Diamond K Ranch in central Texas, the first thing I saw was guide Thomas Neuberger and his son, Reed, skinning a 5-foot rattlesnake. I looked down at the Irish Setter snake boots on my feet and fervently hoped I wouldn’t have to test them against a live specimen during my hunt for Rio Grande turkeys. Rattlesnakes and I have a long history of mutual hostility, and I was not eager to renew the feud.

The author had to make a long shot with the P3500 to bag this Rio Grande gobbler.
The author had to make a long shot with the P3500 to bag this Rio Grande gobbler.

Forty-eight hours later, I was feeling snake-bit, but not in the traditional sense. Hunting hard, I’d had plenty of close encounters with turkeys. They just weren’t the right kind of turkeys. Twice, Reed and I were practically run over by pairs of jakes. On one occasion, a hen camped out so close to us that we could have poked her with the barrel of the new Stoeger P3500 12-gauge pump shotgun I was holding.

By late afternoon of the final day of the hunt, everyone else in the hunting party had tagged a nice turkey. Three fell to hunters using Stoeger’s new M3500 semi-auto shotgun and Burris FastFire II sights. Keith Heinlein, Stoeger product manager, stunned everyone when he took a once-in-a-lifetime bird that required an hour and a half of coaxing to come into range. Remarkably, Keith’s bird had — count ‘em — five beards, and Keith took him the old-school way, using the same basic, black P3500 pump gun that I was using, equipped with only a single red fiber-optic front sight.

For the last setup of my hunt, Thomas and I headed to the edge of a large field we hoped birds would work through to go to roost, and they did. About 20 hens flew in from the ridge behind us or filtered in far to our right, but only one visited our decoy hen. We counted five toms strutting on the far side of the field, but none could be persuaded to leave their hens and cross the big field.

With hope and time running out, my last chance rested with a bird we’d heard gobble a couple of times far down the ridge on our side of the field. We heard him drumming close behind us, at one point late in the day, but 30 more minutes ticked by until he finally emerged from cover and started working his way slowly toward our decoy.

He advanced and started to strut, but he changed his mind at the last minute and began to angle toward the birds on the far side of the field. I had to wait for the big gobbler to clear a tree to my right, and I watched as he gained distance with each step. I knew it was going to be a very long poke, but it was now or never.

Affordable Reliability

In the minds of most Americans, a 12-gauge pump shotgun will handle just about any chore, from putting meat on the table to defending the homestead. It will do both jobs admirably when deployed at an appropriate range and when loaded with appropriate ammunition. Pumps don’t have quite the allure of semi-autos or double guns, but they’ve always won the hearts and minds of Americans because they are both reliable and affordable.

The new P3500 is the big brother to Stoeger’s popular P3000 pump-action 12-gauge, but in a 3½-inch chambering.
The new P3500 is the big brother to Stoeger’s popular P3000 pump-action 12-gauge, but in a 3½-inch chambering.

The new Stoeger P3500 meets both of those criteria in spades. With a MSRP of $399 for the basic black synthetic-stocked gun — and a common retail price well below that — it’s a working man’s gun sold at a working man’s price, and Stoeger makes no apologies for that.

“We are targeting consumers who are looking for a value but will not sacrifice quality,” says Keith Heinlein. “These guns work, and work well, and will not break the bank. With the price point, quality and a 5-year warranty, there’s not a better-valued shotgun on the market.”

If you’re unfamiliar with the Stoeger brand, it might help to know that Stoeger Industries is a member of the Benelli USA family of companies, which also falls under the ownership umbrella of Beretta. Stoeger Industries has more than a million firearms in the market consisting mainly of shotguns in pump, semi-auto, over/under and side-by-side configurations.

The P3500 is actually manufactured by a company in Turkey named Stoeger Silah Sanayi A.S., which was formerly known as Vursan. Beretta Holding purchased the company in 2002, and the operation was modernized with CNC-controlled machinery and formal quality process controls. The resulting quality of guns manufactured there allows Stoeger to back them up with a 5-year warranty, including round-trip shipping if the gun ever needs repair.

Synthetic Simplicity

The P3500 shotgun is initially available with a synthetic black stock and forearm or a Realtree MAX-5 camo finish with 26- or 28-inch chrome-lined barrels. Barrels have a full-length, stepped vent rib and are adorned with a highly visible red fiber-optic front sight. The gun is quite similar to Stoeger’s prior P3000 pump-action model. It’s still a versatile, do-it-all shotgun, but it delivers more power by virtue of the fact that it’s chambered for 3½-inch shells.

The Stoeger’s trigger broke crisply, if a bit heavily, at a pull weight of slightly more than 8 pounds. The shotgun employs a standard crossbolt safety located at the upper rear of the trigger guard, and it can be broken down within seconds for cleaning.
The Stoeger’s trigger broke crisply, if a bit heavily, at a pull weight of slightly more than 8 pounds. The shotgun employs a standard crossbolt safety located at the upper rear of the trigger guard, and it can be broken down within seconds for cleaning.

Ergonomically, the gun worked fine for me and handled nicely thanks to its trim lines and a slimmed-down forend. This gun is neither elegant nor clunky. It’s just what you would want and expect in an everyday shooter that’s equally at home in a muddy boat bottom or a turkey blind. Happily, the gun has sling swivel-stud attachment points fore and aft, and it carries well on a sling. The gun weighs 7 pounds, but it feels lighter than that to me. Recoil is moderated with a rubber butt pad, but it was significant enough during pattern testing that I was content to stick with 3-inch shells.

The gun comes with one modified choke tube, but it will accept a variety of non-Crio Beretta and Benelli choke tubes. Use of steel shot is fine with the modified choke tube, but it should not be used with any tighter chokes, according to Stoeger. For our hunt, we used Stoeger’s extended extra-full turkey choke, which patterned beautifully and helped account for a half-dozen turkeys, with as many shots fired, on our hunt.

The P3500 has a black anodized aluminum receiver and steel magazine tube that comes with a plug to limit magazine capacity for hunting, when required. Dual action bars promote reliable, non-binding cycling of the action. The bolt assembly rides between the rails, and the action utilizes a Benelli-style rotating bolt head. I found cycling to be smooth, requiring little effort, but you need to make sure you push the forearm all the way forward when closing the action so that the rotary bolt fully engages. The safety is a standard crossbolt design, and the shotgun breaks down easily and quickly for cleaning and transport.

Given its real-world price, it’s hard to find anything to dislike about the P3500. My chief complaint was the somewhat heavy trigger pull, which I measured at slightly over 8 pounds with a Lyman trigger gauge. That’s a bit heavier than I prefer, but the trigger broke in sufficiently crisp fashion that I really didn’t notice it in the field.

Last-Chance Gobbler

Stoeger’s Keith Heinlein had already used the P3500 to demonstrate, in admirable fashion, that you don’t need a tricked-out, camo’d-out shotgun to kill a turkey. It was now my turn to do the same, but the bird in my sight picture was rapidly opening the distance between us with each step.

I had confidence in the P3500 and Stoeger’s extra full turkey choke. It had produced very impressive patterns in testing at 25 yards shooting Federal’s 3rd Degree 3-inch turkey load with 1 ¾ ounces of shot, which distributed pellets in a fashion that make it well-suited to both close- and long-range shots. This unique load contains 40 percent No. 7 Heavyweight (tungsten-based) shot, 40 percent No. 5 copper-plated premium lead and 20 percent No. 6 Flitestopper lead.

Stoeger P3500 Specs

The second the bird stepped clear of a tree that was blocking my shot, Thomas used a diaphragm call to cutt at the tom, making him stop and raise his head. I fired instantly, and the bird folded on the spot. Of course, I never noticed the recoil. Later, when we checked the distance from where I fired to where the bird dropped at the shot, you could have knocked me over with a feather. It was exactly 70 yards — and it wasn’t a fluke shot with a lucky couple of pellets. Upon close examination, we found the gobbler’s neck and wattles to be riddled with shot.

It was a dramatic ending to my first hunt for a Rio Grande turkey, and the credit goes exclusively to the P3500 shotgun with Stoeger’s extra full turkey choke and Federal Premium’s 3rd Degree shotshell. This was my first time using both, but it’s a pretty safe bet it won’t be my last time shouldering a P3500 and heading afield. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more effective combination for turkeys at any price — or a shotgun that’s more willing to do whatever you ask of it.

This article originally appeared in the November 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Gun Review: CMMG Mk3 DTR2 in 6.5 Creedmoor

CMMG has joined the ranks of gunmakers chambering ARs for the increasingly popular 6.5 Creedmoor, and its new Mk3 DTR2 in that caliber doesn't disappoint.

What makes the new CMMG Mk3 DTR2 an appealing option?

  • CMMG has added the 6.5 Creedmoor to its proven Mk3 AR-10 rifle platform, and the DTR2 variant is loaded with features.
  • The Mk3 DTR2 features a 24-inch heavy barrel, CMMG's RML15 M-LOK handguard and a Geissele SSA two-stage trigger.
  • Furniture on the Mk3 DTR2 includes Magpul's respected PRS stock and MOE grip.
  • The author was able to achieve sub-MOA groups with the rifle using Winchester's Match 140-grain BTHP loads.

New rifle cartridges come along all the time, but relatively few manage to stand the test of time. The 6.5 Creedmoor is a notable exception to this rule.

The brainchild of ever-innovative Hornady engineers, the 6.5 Creedmoor has been with us for about a decade now. The cartridge was intended to be an off-the-shelf competitive match cartridge, and it might have remained in that narrow niche had it not been for the explosive rise in popularity of long-range shooting and hunting in recent years.

Seducing shooters with the virtues of minimal elevation drop and wind drift at long range, the cartridge employs long and relatively heavy, high-ballistic-coefficient bullets. It has proven to be an inherently accurate cartridge, and it produces less recoil than the venerable .308 Win. Loaded with proper bullets, it’s a very effective round for hunting medium-sized game. Judging by the number of ammo makers loading the cartridge and the growing number of manufacturers chambering rifles for it, the 6.5 Creedmoor is here to stay.

CMMG Mk3 DTR2 - 1Now CMMG, the Missouri-based maker of high-quality modern sporting rifles, has answered the siren call of the 6.5 Creedmoor with — count ‘em — four new AR-platform rifles chambered for the cartridge.

“We have noticed a growing interest and proficiency in long-range shooting among our customers,” explains Tyson Bradshaw, CMMG’s product development manager. “The 6.5 Creedmoor made sense because it’s ballistically suited for this application and has grown tremendously in popularity over the past 2 years.” 

Bradshaw says CMMG designed all four new models to be capable long-range rifles that work great for target shooting or hunting medium-sized game, and the models come in different configurations to allow you to choose your level of customization.

The base model in the new rifle lineup is the Mk3, which has an MSRP of $1,799.95. The gun has a 20-inch barrel with a medium profile and comes with a CMMG single-stage trigger and A2 furniture and compensator. Equipped with a CMMG RKM15 KeyMod hand guard, it weighs 9 pounds.

For $100 more, you can get the Mk3 P model. It’s similarly equipped but has a 24-inch heavy-taper barrel and Magpul MOE pistol grip and MOE stock. It weighs 10.4 pounds.

The next step up is the Mk3 DTR, which also has a 24-inch heavy barrel, CMMG single-stage trigger, Magpul MOE pistol grip and PRS (Precision rifle/Sniper) fully adjustable stock. With CMMG’s new RML15 M-LOK handguard, it weighs 11.3 pounds and has an MSRP of $2,099.95.

This brings us to the rifle sent for testing, the top-of-the-line Mk3 DTR2, which weighs 11.3 pounds and has an equally hefty price tag of $2,274.95. Here’s a much closer look at what you’ll get for your money.

CMMG Mk3 DTR2 - 3Turning Heads At The Range
Unboxing the Mk3 DTR2, I was surprised to find there was very little that was actually black on what I expected to be a black rifle. That’s because the gun sent by CMMG had its upper and lower receivers, and the RML15 M-LOK handguard, protected with a Cerakote finish in CMMG’s “titanium” color. Contrasting with the black grip and stock, the effect is rather stunning, and the rifle proved to be a head-turner at the range.

Beneath that weather-resistant finish, all Mk3s are built on 7075-T6 aluminum AR-10-proportioned receiver sets. Each uses a rifle-length gas system. Internal components are mostly Mil-Spec. The bolt is made of 9310 steel, and the bolt carrier is 8620 steel. The firing pin is chrome-plated 8640 steel, and both carrier and carrier key are chrome-lined. CMMG rifles have a lifetime warranty against defects in material or workmanship.

The DTR2 has a heavy profile, 24-inch 416 stainless steel barrel with a 1:8 twist, which favors heavier bullets. The barrel is capped with CMMG’s SV muzzle brake. Combined with the rifle’s weight, it reduces the Creedmoor’s already-mild recoil to a negligible level. The muzzle is threaded 5/8-24, so you can add a muzzle device or suppressor of your choice.
Controls are in the usual place but are not ambidextrous. There is no forward assist, which helps shave off a little weight.

Furniture consists of the Magpul MOE grip and PRS stock. I’ve always liked this fully adjustable stock because of its rigidity and stability and because it doesn’t catch and yank on facial hair as many telescoping stocks can. The rifle comes with a single 20-round AR-10 PMAG magazine.

CMMG Mk3 DTR2 - 4One big difference in this top-end Mk3 is the addition of a Geissele SSA two-stage trigger. This is a huge improvement over the creepy, heavy Mil-Spec triggers on many ARs. It has a light initial take-up before meeting a solid stop. The trigger then breaks crisply with a bit more force.

On my Lyman trigger gauge, it broke cleanly and consistently at an average pull weight of 4 pounds, 5 ounces. As a guy who’s spent a lot of time with bolt-action rifles with fine triggers, I would prefer that the pull be just a bit lighter, but I can also understand why some people aren’t too keen on that concept with AR-platform guns.

With a rifle like the Mk3, which begs to be used in long-range shooting, I would be tempted to swap out the two-stage trigger for something like a single-stage Timney AR trigger with a lighter pull weight. This is not a criticism of the Geissele, which is very good — it’s a matter of personal preference and knowing that a lighter trigger enhances my long-range accuracy with any rifle, regardless of the action type.

CMMG Mk3 DTR2 - 5Putting The Mk3 To The Test
When I first zeroed the rifle at the range, the third round out of the magazine hung up halfway out of the rifle’s ejection port. I cleared the gun and resumed shooting, and it never hiccuped again as I fired more than 100 rounds, pausing only once to swab out the barrel halfway through the session. The rifle fed, fired and extracted without issue, and after that initial failure to eject, spent shell casings ejected positively about 10 yards to the side and slightly forward.

For testing, I mounted a Leupold Mark 4 4.5-14x50mm LR/T (long range/tactical) scope, with M1 knobs and a Tactical Milling Reticle, using a rock-solid, cantilevered Burris PEPR mount. This is a great combo for long-range hunting and target shooting.

Average velocities of the four factory loads I tested over a CED M2 chronograph yielded a pleasant surprise. All zipped along at speeds quite close to factory-stated velocities, ranging from 53 fps faster to 26 fps slower. Interestingly, the slowest, at 2,684 fps, turned in the best performance.

CMMG Mk3 DTR2 - performanceTesting produced mixed results. Although I only had four loads, the rifle showed clear likes and dislikes. The Federal Fusion 140-grain load produced average groups just less than 1.5 inches, with a best group of 1.33 inch. Hornady’s Precision Hunter 143-grain ELD-X load did a bit better, with average groups of 1.17 inches and a best group of just a hair over 1 inch.

The Mk3 didn’t like the one light load tested, grouping 120-grain bullets into an average group of 2.57 inches. That wasn’t a huge surprise, with the barrel’s 1:8 twist, but I wanted to see if it would tolerate lighter bullets. With that load, at least, it did not.

The rifle obviously preferred heavier bullets, and the clear winner was Winchester’s Match 140-grain BTHP, with average groups of 0.88 inch and a best group of 0.78 inch. These were all five-shot groups, and testing was done with the wind gusting to 14 mph.

Even so, the rifle demonstrated that it’s a sub-MOA shooter at 100 yards with ammo it likes — but it’s at longer ranges, where the virtues of the 6.5 Creedmoor become more obvious, that the Mk3 will be most gainfully employed.

Specifications:

CMMG Mk3 DTR2 SpecsCMMG Mk3 DTR2
Type: Semi-auto, direct-impingement gas
Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
Gas System: Rifle Length
Barrel: 24 in., 1:8 twist, heavy taper 416 stainless steel
Overall Length: 46 in.
Weight: 11.3 lbs. (unloaded)
Muzzle Device: CMMG SV brake, threaded 5/8-24 barrel
Handguard: CMMG RML15 M-LOK
Receivers: Billet 7075-T6
Trigger: Geissele Automatics SSA two stage
Grip: Magpul MOE
Stock: Magpul PRS
MSRP: $2,274.95
Manufacturer: CMMG

Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the August 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Gun Review: Bergara LRP Elite Rifle

Bergara LRP Elite - 1The firearms industry has, at times in its history, been accused of being hidebound, stuck in the past and resistant to innovation, but there’s plenty of evidence that is no longer true.

As a case in point, consider the Spanish manufacturer Bergara, which found success over the past 10 years producing aftermarket replacement barrels and OEM barrels for rifle makers. Bergara’s approach was to wed an old technology—button rifling—to state-of-the-art machinery, robotics and exacting processes to mass-produce affordable, custom-quality barrels from the finest Spanish stainless steel. Bergara succeeded, in part, thanks to guidance from the late Ed Shilen, a legendary precision barrel-maker.

Bergara LRP Elite - 2Building on that success, Bergara’s parent company, BPI Outdoors, launched a line of U.S.-built Bergara custom rifles in 2012, and the guns quickly established a solid reputation for accuracy. These rifles, as you might expect of most guns with the word “custom” attached to them, were not cheap. Recognizing the demand for more affordable high-quality rifles, the company responded last year with two new lines of production rifles, the Premier Series and the Performance Series, which brought prices more in line with high-end production guns.

One of the newest offerings to emerge from the Premier Series is the BPR17 LRP Elite, a chassis rifle chambered in .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor and, surprisingly, the 6mm Creedmoor, a wildcat.

Now, before you stodgy old hunters (like me) deride this new gun as just another heavy chassis rifle for snipers or the tacticool crowd, you may want to take a closer look. With a weight of 10.5-11 pounds, depending on caliber, the gun is heavier than most traditionally stocked bolt-action rifles, but that added weight is no hindrance in a deer blind. It can actually be advantageous when sniping prairie dogs at distance in wind, and you get the added advantages of bulletproof bedding and the ability to accessorize with optics, lights, lasers and suppressors. The LRP Elite has already found a home with several law enforcement agencies, and it’s showing up in PRS (Precision Rifle Series) matches.

Bergara LRP Elite Review - 3Custom-Quality Barrels
To understand Bergara rifles, you need to understand Bergara’s innovative approach to making barrels. This is the only component of the LRP Elite rifle that isn’t made or assembled in the U.S.

Our .308 Win. test rifle came with a 20-in., 416 Premium stainless steel, Cerakoted barrel. It began life as a straight bar of highly regarded Olarra stainless steel, which must demonstrate less than .004 in. of deviation before Bergara will use it for a barrel. It is straightened, if necessary, and a precise hole is drilled through the bar. Three separate honing spindles with diamond-tipped bits polish the interior surface to a mirror-like finish, removing tool marks and leaving only a very fine cross-hatch pattern.

“These honing marks are truly microscopic and are similar to, but much finer, than what you will find in a freshly honed engine cylinder,” said Ben Fleming of BPI Outdoors.

A carbide rifling button is then drawn through the barrel, at an appropriate twist rate per caliber, and the barrel is inspected to ensure groove diameter deviation of less than 2/10,000 (.0002) of an inch. Barrels are then stress relieved in a high-temperature heating process. Since much of the work is accomplished with advanced machinery (and one or two manufacturing secrets that Bergara won’t reveal), the company is able to offer custom-quality barrels at production-barrel prices.

Bergara LRP Elite review - muzzleRifled barrels for the LRP Elite are shipped to a shop in Georgia, where final production and assembly of the rifle is done. This includes barrel profiling, chambering, threading and crowning. The No. 5 taper LRP Elite barrel, which I would call a medium-heavy profile, comes with a threaded muzzle (5/8×24) and a Dead Air Armament Key Lock Muzzle Brake. Whether a .308 rifle really needs a muzzle brake is open to debate, but this one does more than reduce perceived recoil. It serves as a mount for attaching Dead Air Armament Sandman-L and Sandman-S suppressors directly to the brake.

It’s worth noting that all work at the Georgia facility is overseen by a former production manager from the U.S. Marine Corps Precision Weapons Section.

Bergara LRP Elite review - actionSlick Action, Great Trigger
The Georgia facility is the birthplace of the LRP Elite action. Bergara says it has a Remington 700 “footprint,” and one of the first things you’ll notice when you pick up this rifle and work the spiral-fluted bolt is the smoothness of the action. It is, in a word, slick. I found it easy to cycle the action using just the pinky finger of one hand.

The action is made of 4140 Chrome Moly steel and has a black Cerakote finish like all other exterior metal surfaces on the rifle. The bolt head, gas shield and other small parts are nitride-finished to increase hardness and wear resistance. The bolt body is made of 416 stainless steel and left unfinished as a nice contrast to the otherwise all-black, all-business countenance of the rifle.

The floating, two-lug bolt head is self-adjusting, which theoretically contributes to enhanced accuracy. Inside the bolt face, you’ll find a standard plunger ejector. The extractor is a sliding plate design, and is dovetailed into the face of a locking lug. The bolt handle is smooth and slightly oversized.

Bergara LRP Elite review - triggerI was pleased to discover that the rifle is equipped with a Timney 517 flat-blade trigger. I haven’t counted lately, but I’d guess that half of my bolt-action rifles wear Timney triggers, so it’s safe to say I’m fond of them. This one comes with a two-position safety which does not lock the bolt down. The trigger’s pull weight is adjustable from 1½ to 4 pounds. The trigger on our test rifle broke cleanly and crisply at 3 pounds 2 ounces, with absolutely zero creep, and I left it at its factory setting to duplicate a buyer’s out-of-the-box experience.

The LRP Elite rifle comes standard with a 20 MOA base, manufactured by Talley, attached with 8×40 screws versus standard 6×48 screws.

Bergara LRP Elite review - forendNo Bedding Required
A Mega Orias chassis (a collaboration between Killer Innovations and Mega Arms) nestles the Remington 700-ish action into a solid V-block, and secures it using a patent-pending, self-adjusting recoil lug locking system. Tightening the bolt on the bottom of the chassis makes an expansion clamp expand against the recoil lug. The recoil lug, in turn, is pushed against a self-adjusting, half-round piece of steel that’s held in place with a magnet. This system automatically adjusts for any angularity difference between the recoil lug and the chassis, eliminating the need for traditional bedding materials.  The system sounds more complicated than it is, but provides rock-solid bedding for the action.

“It is genius,” said Fleming.

The Orias chassis is machined from 7075-T651 billet aluminum and has a protective black Cerakote finish. It has a removable rear trunnion which is compatible with all AR-style buffer tubes and buttstocks. There are four hardened-steel, anti-rotational, nitride-coated QD inserts for attaching slings, and you’ll find 11 KeyMod attachment slots on either side of the forend and seven on the underside.

Bergara LRP Elite review - releaseThere’s also an ambidextrous magazine release consisting of twin paddles, with raised grooves, riding flush with the leading edge of the trigger guard and protruding to either side. It takes a bit of getting used to if you haven’t used this style of magazine release before, but operating it quickly becomes second nature. There’s plenty of room inside the trigger guard for a gloved trigger finger, and gloves won’t get in the way of using the magazine release.

Bergara LRP Elite review - stockThe chassis comes with a rubberized pistol grip that will find favor with those who like finger grooves. It is also equipped with a Magpul PRS (Precision rifle/sniper) stock. I’ve used this stock to good effect before, most notably in a NRA long-range shooting school, while working over targets at 400-1,000 yards. The stock, which is adjustable for length of pull and comb height, provided a precise individual fit and optimal eye-to-scope alignment.

Bergara LRP Elite review - testingRange Results
Happily, our test rifle arrived with a Nightforce NXS 5.5-22×56 scope mounted and zeroed at 100 yards, minimizing set-up time for testing. Unfortunately, I had to contend with spring weather in south-central Texas, which meant thunderstorms with windy days in between. As a result, all testing was done over two days when the wind gave me mild fits, with wind speed varying eight to 19 mph on both days. Talk about real-world conditions.

The Bergara handled it like a champ, turning in great groups despite the windy conditions and being fed only hunting, not match, ammunition.  Half of the tested loads turned in average groups measuring an inch or less, while all six tested loads averaged well under an inch and a half.

Bergara LRP Elite review - accuracyFederal’s 165-grain Trophy Copper load and Hornady’s Custom Lite 125-grain SST load tied for best-group honors, with both loads producing single-best groups measuring 0.58 inches. For that matter, the rifle shot sub-MOA best groups with all but one of the tested rounds. With factory hunting ammo, under windy testing conditions, this was very good performance.

There was only modest velocity drop-off, ranging from 29 to 88 fps, from factory advertised velocities for five of the loads out of the rifle’s 20-inch barrel. The Federal Trophy Bonded Tip load actually zipped along 32 fps faster than advertised.

Bergara LRP Elite review - partingFunctionally, the rifle did everything it is supposed to do. It fed from the detachable five-round magazine flawlessly. Extraction and ejection were normal. The trickiest part of operating the rifle was inserting the magazine while shooting the rifle from the bench. It takes a little practice to get the magazine started smoothly, and I would gently suggest that the chassis could benefit from a little beveling of the magazine well.

That’s just nit-picking on my part. Overall, it’s hard to find fault with the way the rifle is put together or how it performs. The main objection some may have is the price ($2,600), but it helps to remember that you’re essentially buying a custom-quality gun at a production-gun price. As I quickly discovered, the more you shoot the LRP Elite, the more it starts to look like a bargain.

Specifications:

Bergara LRP Elite review - specsBergara Premier Series LRP Elite
Type: Bolt action, pushfeed
Caliber: .308 Win., as tested
Barrel: 20 in., 416 stainless steel, 1:10 twist
Weight: 10.5 lbs.
Chassis: Mega Orias
Stock: Magpul PRS
Grip: Rubber finger groove
Trigger: Timney 517 flat blade
Magazine: Accuracy International 5-round
Muzzle Device: Dead Air Armament Key Lock Muzzle Brake
Price: $2,640
Manufacturer: Begara

Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the July 2016 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Browning X-Bolt Long Range Hunter Review

Browning X-Bolt Long Range Hunter -fThe new Browning X-Bolt Long Range Hunter pairs excellent accuracy with a stylish, born-to-hunt platform.

Every once in a while, you pick up a new rifle and find that you have difficulty putting it down. You examine it minutely and run your hands over it. You work the bolt repeatedly, shoulder the gun and maybe dry fire it a few times, and a little voice inside your head says, “This one’s a shooter.”

That was my first thought when I picked up Browning’s new X-Bolt Long Range Hunter Stainless rifle. This model was introduced earlier this year along with its somewhat better-known stablemate, the X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Speed rifle, which has seemingly hogged the media spotlight since birth.
I really don’t know what it was, but this new Long Range Hunter spoke to me, whispering sweet promises of tight bullet groupings down range. Maybe it was because I’ve been testing a string of entry-level rifles lately, and the Long Range Hunter exudes quality in ways that less-expensive rifles don’t. Maybe it was the rifle’s all-business, 26-inch stainless barrel. Maybe it was the carbon-fiber-finished stock, or the fact that the rifle sent for testing was chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, an innately accurate cartridge.

Whatever it was, it didn’t take long to discover that the rifle lived up to its promising first impression, as you’ll soon see, by turning in a stellar performance at the range.

gd_landeen_browning-3Grip and Grin
In addition to 6.5 Creedmoor, the new Long Range Hunter Stainless rifle is chambered for some potent long-legged hunting cartridges, including 7mm Rem. Mag., .300 Win. Mag., .300 WSM, .270 WSM and 26 Nosler.

The rifle may have a ubiquitous black-and-stainless appearance, but it manages to stand out, upon even cursory inspection, like a thoroughbred among mustangs. That’s partly due to the rifle’s stout, fluted, 26-inch matte stainless barrel, which has what Browning calls a “heavy sporter” contour. It’s made to appear even more substantial with the addition of a muzzle brake (you can remove it and attach a suppressor, if you wish, using the muzzle’s 5/8×24 threads).

You’ll also quickly notice the rifle’s carbon-fiber-dipped composite stock, which I find attractive in a nouveau-tech sort of way. The trigger guard sports the distinctive Browning Buckmark logo, in gold, and the rifle is further dressed up with matte nickel-coated sling swivel studs.

browning x-bolt long range hunter 1Handling the rifle, you’ll find that it is, in a word, “grippy.” Dura-Touch armor coating on the stock has a slightly tacky feel to it that I like. The coating works in concert with the soft-touch stippling in the forearm and pistol grip to ensure a solid grip in wet weather. As Browning notes, the coating adds a layer of protection to the stock, but it is not indestructible—just avoid spilling harsh solvents on the stock or insect repellants containing DEET.

Given its light stock and long barrel, the rifle has a definite weight-forward feel to it, but I don’t see that as an issue since most rifles designed for long-range shooting are going to be shot off sticks, sand bags or some other rest. Having more weight out front can help steady things up, especially when shooting in wind.

The rifle, weighing in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces unloaded, is no lightweight compared to, say, newer lightweight mountain guns with barely-there stocks and pencil-thin barrels. It is, however, still light enough to tote anywhere you wish to tote it, and it’s considerably lighter than many guns marketed as long-range rifles.

gd_landeen_browning-12The gun’s bottom metal and trigger guard are, happily, actually made of metal. This bucks the recent trend toward integral synthetic trigger guards, magazine wells and such. That’s a good thing, as far as I’m concerned, because you’ll never have to replace an entire stock simply because you broke a plastic trigger guard. Overall fit and finish are quite good with this rifle, which lives up to Browning’s usual high standards in this department.

This extends to the well-fitted Browning Inflex recoil pad, which Browning designed to work on the principle of “directional deflection.” The recoil pad has internal ribs that function, theoretically, to direct recoil energy downward, rather than straight to the rear, to lessen impact on your face and shoulder. For me, it seems to work as advertised. Between the rifle’s muzzle brake and recoil pad, recoil was hardly noticeable.

browning-x-bolt-1X-Bolt Extras
The bolt has three substantial locking lugs and a short, fast, 60-degree lift, providing lots of clearance for mounting scopes. I found that the bolt cycles quite smoothly with a straight push to the front or pull to the rear of the action. However, it fits into the action with tight tolerances and can get a little sticky if you exert undue downward pressure on the bolt handle while cycling. Under normal conditions, and with a little muscle memory, it shouldn’t be an issue. One minor annoyance, for me, is that shiny, sun-reflecting bolt finish common to X-Bolt rifles. I’ve never understood why anyone would put a highly reflective surface on any part of a hunting rifle.

This is just nit-picking on my part, as the positives far outweigh any possible negatives with this rifle. Consider, for example, the Browning Feather Trigger. It’s a single-stage design utilizing polished and chrome-plated components inside an alloy housing. It has no creep, no take-up and minimal over-travel. Browning pre-sets the trigger pull weight on X-Bolt rifles at approximately 4 pounds. The trigger on our test gun broke at 3 pounds, 14 ounces, as measured with a Lyman trigger gauge. That’s a bit heavier than I prefer, but the trigger is adjustable down to 3 pounds. Because it broke so cleanly and crisply, I left it at the factory setting, which is perfectly acceptable for most hunting purposes.

gd_landeen_browning-5The rifle’s two-position tang safety engages and disengages with an audible click, and the bolt is locked when the safety is engaged. A bolt unlock button atop the bolt handle allows you to cycle rounds through the action with the safety engaged. Three-position safeties do the same thing, but the Browning design doesn’t require you to manipulate the safety to unlock the bolt. There’s a cocking indicator at the rear of the bolt that you can both see and feel.

Another well-designed component of this rifle is its polymer rotary four-round magazine. I normally make a curmudgeonly frown when I hear the word “polymer” associated with any part of a rifle other than a stock, but this magazine evokes nothing but smiles. First and foremost, it is sturdily constructed. The release button is protected within a recess in the bottom of the stock to prevent accidental dumping of the magazine. The magazine inserts smoothly into the mag well and pops freely into your hand when you press the release button. It does not rattle in place, as some detachable magazines do. Rounds loaded smoothly and easily into the magazine, and they fed flawlessly through the action. There were no issues with extraction or ejection of fired cases.

gd_landeen_browning-8One other feature of X-Bolt rifles that I’m somewhat enamored of is the X-Lock scope mounting system, which consists of four holes drilled into the top of the receiver bridge for each front and rear scope-mount base. The holes are placed outboard from center and angle in toward the bolt. This system effectively doubles the standard number of attachment points over conventional base-mounting systems, adding strength and robustness. The precise placement of the holes allows bases to be attached at all four corners, ensuring proper alignment of the scope atop the receiver. For testing, I used a set of Talley Lightweight 30mm rings designed for the X-Lock system, and the resulting setup was as solid as it gets short of welding rings onto a rifle.

browning-xbolt-accuracytestConsistently Accurate
In testing the rifle with five factory loads, with bullet weights ranging from 120 grain to 140 grains, I expected the 26-inch barrel to deliver good velocities, and I wasn’t disappointed with the numbers reported by my CED M2 chronograph. In most cases, velocities mildly exceeded factory-stated velocities. The biggest surprise was Nosler’s Match Grade 140-grain load, which beat the factory number by 205 feet per second (fps), making it slightly faster than the Federal American Eagle 140-grain load.

x-bolt-accuracy-2As good as those figures are, accuracy testing produced some real eye-popping numbers. For starters, every single load tested delivered sub-MOA best groups at 100 yards. All but one load served up average groups under an inch, and the only one that didn’t grouped into an average of 1.19 inches. The best of the bunch, in this rifle, was Hornady’s Match 120-grain A-MAX load, which shot a best group of 0.30 inches and average groups of 0.57 inches. Federal’s American Eagle 140-grain OTM load wasn’t far behind, with 0.70-inch average groups and a half-inch best group. As for loads using hunting versus match bullets, Hornady’s Full Boar 120-grain GMX load also averaged under an inch with a 0.54-inch best group.

It’s been quite some time since I tested a new factory rifle that shot this well, this consistently, with a range of bullet types and weights in factory ammunition. With a MSRP of $1,429.99, the new Long Range Hunter isn’t cheap, but based on what I’ve seen, it can go toe-to-toe with some custom long-range hunting rifles costing far more. Compared to many guns in this category, the price of entry suddenly seems a lot more affordable.

gd_landeen_browning-11Specifications:

Browning X-Bolt Long Range Hunter
Type: Bolt Action, Push-feed
Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor, as tested
Barrel: 26-in. matte stainless steel
Rate of Twist: 1:8
Weight: 7 lbs. 3 oz.
Stock: Composite, carbon fiber finish
Trigger: Adjustable Feather Trigger
Magazine: Detachable four-round
Muzzle Device: Removable muzzle brake
MSRP: $1,429.99
Manufacturer: Browning; Browning.com

Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the October 2016 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

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