This is a fantastic time to be a gun owner on a budget. Affordably priced guns have never been better, and guns like the Mossberg Patriot offer an entry level option that’s surprisingly refined and well-made. I had an idea about getting a complete hunting setup for less than $700. As I started shopping for rifles and optics, I realized how many very nice options one has in budget priced guns these days.
I settled on the Mossberg Patriot because, well, I like Mossberg. I primarily shoot their shotguns and I own a half-dozen variants of the 500 and 590. History matters, and Mossberg has a solid reputation for providing solid value to its customers. When shopping for a hunting rifle, I knew I wanted something that could take most north American critters and was eyeing something chambered in .308.
I ended up with a 6.5 Creedmoor for two reasons. I didn’t have anything that shoots 6.5 Creedmoor and it seems like the premium 6.5 hunting ammo is the same price as .308. This rifle would be tasked primarily with taking whitetail within 200 yards or so, and a 6.5 Creedmoor is more than capable of humanely downing southeastern deer. Why not give the new hotness a try?
The Mossberg Patriot – Simple and Easy
The Patriot has a 22-inch barrel that’s partially fluted with a recessed match crown, and 5/8×24 threaded for suppressor use. It’s got a simple synthetic stock in a brownish camo finish. It was the cheapest option I found, likely because this pattern doesn’t really match much of my local flora. I hunt with an orange vest and a red flannel, so color doesn’t matter to me anyway.
The bolt is also fluted and it’s incredibly smooth. I’ve shot a lot of less expensive bolt guns, and this is the smoothest of them—honestly, as smooth as some much pricier rifles.
Mossberg went a little fancy with the trigger. They installed an LBA user-adjustable design so the end user can adjust the pull weight from two to seven pounds. It’s got a little trigger safety blade device, a bit like a Savage. There are sling swivels, and there is molded texturing on the grip and handguard.
After a quick rail install, I ended up topping off the Patriot with a Hawke rifle scope. It seemed like a fairly nice budget optic to complement my very budget-friendly rifle. The Patriot system uses a removable five-round magazine, which makes life easy when it’s time to unload.
At 6.5 pounds, the Patriot is lightweight and easy to tote around in the field. The length of pull is 13.75 inches, which fits me just right. It may feel long to some smaller shooters, but for most adults, it should fit just fine. Adding adjustable LOP shims would be a fantastic upgrade, but that’s for pricer rifles. The overall length is 42.25 inches.
To The Range With the Patriot
The Mossberg Patriot isn’t really breaking any new ground. It’s your fairly basic bolt-action rifle. As mentioned, that bolt moves super-smoothly, even as it pushes a round out of the magazine and into the chamber. You have to appreciate the little things, and the fluted bolt looks and feels great. The bolt handle is large and is easy to cycle when wearing gloves. The short action throw is nice and short, which is another interesting characteristic for such an affordable gun.
The Patriot’s fluted barrel cuts some weight up front and makes the rifle balanced and easy to handle shooting offhand. The 22-inch barrel doesn’t feel like 22 inches, and holding the gun up and on target isn’t all that tough to do. It helps that the length of pull fits me quite well, and I’m not feeling overextended in one direction or another.
The safety clicks in and out of place easily and isn’t some loud affair that might spook a deer in the field. The stock’s texturing is fine, and the comb feels comfy against your face. It makes it easy to get behind the optic and snap it up and on target.
The 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge’s recoil is quite nice. It’s surprisingly light, which helped reinforce my decision to go with the caliber. I won’t be taking much advantage of its excellent long-range potential, but the Patriot’s good ergos may be an underrated benefit.
On Target
Zeroing is my favorite way to observe accuracy. If I can’t make consistent groups, it’s either me or the gun sucks. Luckily, neither of us sucked this day. The Patriot printed two sub-MOA groups as I got the optic dialed in. These were rested positions where I tried to eliminate my lack of skill.
My final group would have been a sub-MOA bull’s eye that I’d be proud to show off…if I didn’t slip just a hair and send a round to the right. The truth is that a sub-MOA gun needs sub-MOA ammo and a sub-MOA shooter. I’m no sub-MOA shooter.
I need to be able to hit an 8-inch target within 200 yards. That’s a walk in the park for the Patriot. It might not be a sub-MOA all-day type of rifle, but it’s more than adequate enough for hogs, whitetail, and beyond. The light recoil and short bolt throw make it quick and easy to get a follow-up shots off quickly and efficiently when you need them.
Ultimately, the Mossberg Patriot performs incredibly well, particularly for its price. It always goes bang, as you’d expect from pretty much any bolt gun, and consistently shoots straight, while loading, extracting, and ejecting without a problem. That’s not bad for a rifle I paid less than $400 for.
Specifications: Mossberg Patriot Rifle
Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor (also available in 16 other calibers)
Capacity: 5+1
Barrel Length: 22 inches
Length of Pull: 13.75 inches
Overall Length: 42.25 inches
Weight: 6.5 pounds
MSRP: Staring at $515
This one rifle I have been considering in .308.
How do you feel about the magazine that they use?