Mossberg Patriot .243 Win. Combo Bolt-Action Rifle with Scope

Description

mossberg patriot predator 243 Win. Combo Bolt-Action Rifle with Scope

Testimonial

I recently had the pleasure of running one of Mossberg’s Patriot Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor through its paces. To say I was pleasantly surprised with the look and performance of this rifle is an understatement.

Out of the box, one of the things that first struck me was the light weight of the rifle. At six and a half pounds empty, the Predator seemed to practically float out of the box of its own accord.  The synthetic stock and the fluted barrel account for much of the weight reduction.

The 22-inch barrel also helps reduce the weight. The Predator comes in either the Flat Dark Earth with a matte blued barrel or in Strata Camo with a Cerakote Patriot Brown barrel. I have to say, I preferred the contrast of the matte blued barrel against the FDE stock. The barrel is threaded for either a suppressor or a muzzle break. The Predator comes with a Picatinny rail for mounting optics. In this case I mounted a Blackhound Optics long range scope.

On the first trip to the range, I got the scope sighted in and ran the rifle through its paces with a variety of ammunition. This was my first experience with the 6.5 Creedmoor round and though I knew it had a reputation for having less punishing recoil, I couldn’t help but wonder if the recoil would really be easier in spite of the rifle’s light weight.

The ammo used in the review process consisted of two Swift loads, the 130-grain Scirrocco and the 140-grain A-Frame, Federal’s new 130-grain Terminal Ascent and the 143-grain Precision Hunter from Hornady.