info on the mossberg patriot please

[chad]

Are these worth buying? Looking at getting my step son a rifle. Ran across a decent deal on one but I don't know anything about them.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I'd get a savage or base tikka and be done with it. I have seen but not shot the Mossberg rifles. They look like a shotgun maker made them; little finish/rough looking. I wouldn't buy one... I might buy a pump shotgun from Mossberg though..

 

[FEENIX]

Are these worth buying? Looking at getting my step son a rifle. Ran across a decent deal on one but I don't know anything about them.

A capt from my squadron (also name Chad ) bought one in .30-06 last year and he was getting 1.5" group at 100 yards with factory ammo (IIRC, it was 150g Fusion). I've handled the ones at my local Scheels and it seems OK but have not really shot any yet. A handload will definitely tighten up the group.

Good luck!

 

[Waynzee]

My younger brother was looking at one at our local gun dealer and for some $ more he bought a Savage Trophy Hunter with a Nikon scope on it. He said after he shot it and sighted it in that he was glad he bought the Savage. Also I recently bought a Ruger American Rifle in a 30/06 that I hand load for and if I was a better shot I could probably put bullets through the same hole at 100 yards with it.

 

[chad]

I let it go. Just never been a Mossberg fan at all. I am leaning towards the ruger american

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I let it go. Just never been a Mossberg fan at all. I am leaning towards the ruger american

That should be at least a decent pipe. My brother has one that shoots well.

 

[FEENIX]

I let it go. Just never been a Mossberg fan at all.

Now that you've made that decision, go with a Savage and never look back, best bang for your buck and best accuracy out of the box, not to mention best DIY friendly for him to explore later on.

Good luck!

 

[snox801]

Yep have to agree with feenix savage is the way to go. I've have lots of experience with both the ruger American and savage axis in .243 several different guns from both. The savages just always seem much better out of the box. Heck I've posted before about my good friends axis that I can repeatedly shoot 5 shoot groups @100 and cover with a nickel using factory Winchester 95gr combined tech. The others are not much off that mark. The rugers have shot very good also under moa. One ruger was brought to me to see if I wanted to buy it for $100 guy said it just wouldn't shoot. I took it to the range and he was right. Looked it over good and saw that the stock was putting a good amount of pressure on the barrel from one side. So I fixed that and tried a few different boxes of ammo and had it shooting sub moa in no time. Called the guy and told him to come get it. He could t believe it was the same rifle.

 

[snox801]

Also the savage is easy to play with after the fact with stocks and what not. Here is a picture of my friends axis .243 I helped him with. Doesn't have much rapped up in it but sure is a sweet rig.

 

[Waynzee]

Yep, Savage or Ruger for the price ya can't go wrong. But out of the box Savage will probably be the better shooter. Had to sand a little off the barrel channel on my Ruger too. But once I did, with my handloads it will put bullets in the same hole.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Yep, Savage or Ruger for the price ya can't go wrong. But out of the box Savage will probably be the better shooter. Had to sand a little off the barrel channel on my Ruger too. But once I did, with my handloads it will put bullets in the same hole.

Ruger is a bit more average for accuracy most of the time. They will shoot Really well though if they are happy with what they are fed. My best group last year was .300" at 200 yards with a ruger m77 Hawkeye sporter in 35 whelen tossing 220 grain speer flat point pills pushed by rl15. That was backed up with a cloverleaf at 100 yards by JWeigel, who had never fired the rifle before.

 

[Waynzee]

Ruger is a bit more average for accuracy most of the time. They will shoot Really well though if they are happy with what they are fed. My best group last year was .300" at 200 yards with a ruger m77 Hawkeye sporter in 35 whelen tossing 220 grain speer flat point pills pushed by rl15. That was backed up with a cloverleaf at 100 yards by JWeigel, who had never fired the rifle before.

Lefty, how did ya come up with R15 and 220 gr. bullet for your 35 Whelen? I would of thought that a slower burning powder would have worked better. But whatever gives the best accuracy is what I would use too.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Lefty, how did ya come up with R15 and 220 gr. bullet for your 35 Whelen? I would of thought that a slower burning powder would have worked better. But whatever gives the best accuracy is what I would use too.

Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide -- 35whelen

here you go... sub in a wlr, use necked rem '06 brass, and you have my load... btw, the speed in my Ruger is really about 2700 fps...

The whelen really isn't that overbore at all... It doesn't need that slow of a powder to fill the case at pressure.

 

[06nut]

This is my first post... been laid up recovering from knee surgery but just had the opportunity to play with a Mossberg Patriot in 30-06. Bought the rifle waiting for another to come in... mostly to find something to do with limited walking.

I did not shoot it before doing a couple of things, so can't really say definitively how they are out of the box, but here's my take.

Like most of the others mentioned, this one has what I call a Tupperware stock... rifle did not feel balanced and when you grip the forend the stock flexed quite a bit.

I have "altered" a few Ruger Americans and Savages in the past using Rockite to fill in the bedding area and hollow buttstock. On this rifle I actually used the Rockite and glass bedded the action. Didn't really add a bunch to the recoil lug area, but the stock is noticeable stiffer and balances well. I added a couple of pieces of 3/4 PEX in the buttstock on this one to give a little flexibility to weighting down the road if needed and to reduce weight in the butt.

I also replaced the factory base with a badger base (Remington 700 bases work with it).

Installed a Burris 3x9x40... just happened to have one currently without a home to sit on. It's a Droptine with the ballistic plex.

Bought the rifle as used but unfurled... not 100% on if it truly was but if it has been fired, I would say less than a box of ammo down the pipe.

It came with about 120 rounds of factory ammo... Remington 150 grain core locks and Winchester 150 power points... I basically bought some brass to work up loads for a dream rifle on order and got a rifle with the ammo.

Took it out to the range... sighted it in initially about 3 inches low at 25 yards... 3 shots into pretty much the same hole.

Cleaned the barrel and let it cool (a crisp 26 degrees outside so didn't have to wait too long). Set up a sight n see at 100 yards and shot three shots that were in the center triangle that measured .067. Walked the scope in 10 inch increments up, then down then 5 inches left and right and then back to zero... last three shot group was just north of the first three rounds and measured .085.

Tracking for scope was within an inch, and all 10 of these shots were done without cleaning... waited about 5 minutes for the scope tracking shots and last three shots were a string.

In this... I can say I would have no problem recommending the Patriot to someone looking for a rifle in this category.

I bought it to prep some cases to develop a few initial loads for a rifle for less than the tax for the other rifle... pretty sure I got a good deal.