Last updated on April 8th, 2024
With more opportunities to go hunting on the cards I needed a few different caliber options for my hunting rifles. My hunting rifles get worked pretty hard in the western Queensland bush, with thick scrub, high temps and long distances covered on foot.
I settled on getting a rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor but one of the key requirements was picking a rifle without causing serious damage to the bank account. I landed on the inexpensive and nice traditional walnut stock of the Mossberg Patriot.
Mossberg
Having a long history in the firearms community and being based out of the US, Mossberg continue to release neat rifle setups including the recently released Mossberg LR tactical rifle. This isn’t my first Mossberg, with one of my first rifles I ever owned being the MVP Patrol in .223. It was a reliable rifle that served me well for years hunting and some occasional target shooting.
Construction
Starting from the back of the rifle, the recoil pad has some nice rubber padding. And better still it actually works really well at reducing felt recoil. The 6.5 is fairly tame already but with the nice but pad the recoil was a lot less than expected. The stock itself is made of a nice walnut, that has a traditional hunting feel to it that synthetic stocks simply can’t match. There is stippling on the grip near the trigger and on the foregrip, which looks great and helps the overall handling of the rifle.
Moving up to the rifles action, its design has been proven to work over its long history. Its great to cycle and satisfying for the price point the rifle comes in at. On top of the action there are Weaver style bases on the top of the rifle for fitting scope rings, I threw on some 30mm MDT rings which fit without issue. The magazine is a heavy duty plastic and its easy to load and feeds consistently. It holds 5+1 in 6.5 Ceedmoor. Moving to the front of the stock, there is a sling swivel under the forend and another back under the but of the rifle. I attached a Harris bipod to the front swivel and didnt worry about a sling as the rifle is fairly light overall.
Overall the rifle comes in at 8lb/3.7kg without an optic and has a total length of 42.25”/107cm. This is compact enough for me and has a weight I’m comfortable carrying all day.
Bolt & Trigger
For a hunting rifle it’s great to keep the weight down where you can, and the fluted bolt doesn’t just look good, it makes a difference. For the price bracket the rifle sits, the bolt is nice and easy to run. The bolt handle is a good size and has some added texture to help grip it, especially handy in wet conditions or when wearing gloves.
The bolt is removed by depressing the small button on the left rear side of the action. This is easy enough to do and makes cleaning and storage easy. The Safety switch is in the traditional spot on the right side near the bolt and is easily accessible with the thumb. When engaged the trigger wont function but the bolt can still be lifted so you can access the chamber.
I like being given the choice for trigger pulls and luckily the Mossberg Patriot has an adjustable trigger. It can be changed between 2 to 7 lbs, and knowing that trigger pull is a personal preference, it gives you some room to suit your style. Out of the box and testing it with the trigger gauge mine came in at 3lb and as a good break with minimal creep which I like. The trigger is a really nice feature of the rifle and exceeded my expectations.
Barrel
Another weight saving feature is immediately noticeable, the slick fluted barrel. With a total length of 22”, the barrel is a key component to the overall performance of the rifle and often a focus point for me when selecting any rifle. It’s coated in a matte blue that looks good and ensures it won’t reflect in the sun. The 6.5 variant has a 1:8″ twist so best suited to 125-140g projectiles.
The barrel is hammer forged and I was most interested in how it would perform when sighting in at the range.
In The Field
Out of the box and onto the workbench, before heading off to the range I mounted the Maven RS3.5-30×50 FFP scope as they have quickly become my preferred hunting scope, great glass and awesome reticles. At the range I started off by sighting it in at 100m and after bore sighting it, making a few adjustments, I started to squeeze off a few rounds to sight it in. Sometimes it’s a super simple process and luckily the rifle and the 6.5 Creedmoor were soon dialed onto the target.
I shot 3 x 3 shot groups once the rifle was zeroed, using Winchester Deer Season XP 125g ammunition. The results weren’t bad considering the price bracket the rifle sits in, I wasn’t expecting heavy target rifle results afterall. After making some more scope adjustments down and to the right, I was happy with how the rifle was setup.
Ill be heading off for my first trip out west with the Mossberg Patriot soon where ill give it a hard run. When the rifle is with you all day in the field you start to truly understand its characteristics. For the upcoming long weekend away I have some key features on my side, the recoil pad for dampening felt recoil, the crisp trigger and the overall lightweight of the rife setup.
The quality stock is also really nice in the hand. For those looking for more customization, there are plenty of aftermarket stocks available including some popular ones from MDT. The magazine is also easy to change and there isn’t a great deal of force needed to move a cartridge from the mag into the chamber.
Summing Up The Mossberg Patriot
Overall, I’m happy with the performance of the rifle so far and its slick traditional aesthetic is a nice change for the library. It’s always tough at the price bracket getting an inexpensive rifle that ticks the boxes, but the Mossberg has impressed and its now ready for a big trip.
For those looking to save a little more weight and maybe prefer a different aesthetic, the Mossberg Patriot also comes in a synthetic stock variant. Keep an eye on the @precisionrifle Instagram to see how it goes out west.
PRECISIONRIFLE