By Dave Workman | Senior Editor
Mossberg has a new chambering in its Patriot Predator rifle family, the 6.5 PRC.
Just in time for fall hunting seasons, Mossberg recently announced a new caliber in the Patriot Predator line, and according to some folks, it’s the “magnum” sibling of the 6.5 Creedmoor.
Enter Mossberg’s 6.5 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) version of the bolt-action Patriot Predator. It’s a rifle that will handle all kinds of challenges, in a caliber known to be a decent choice for mid-sized game, and some folks even suggest it for hunting elk in the back country.
The cartridge launches a bullet about 250 fps faster than the 6.5 Creedmoor, which seems to be the current “everybody needs one to be cool” caliber. But Mossberg may have hit one out of the park with its choice of the 6.5 PRC chambering.
According to Mossberg literature, two versions are available, both with 24-inch fluted barrels that feature threaded muzzles. One is finished in Flat Dark Earth with a matte blue barrel and action, and the other wears a True Timber Strata finish with a Patriot Brown Cerakote barrel and action. Barrels are cut with a 1:8-inch rifling twist. They come from the factory with a rail/scope base. Magazine capacity is 4+1, Mossberg says.
Stocks on both versions are synthetic and have a 13.75-inch length-of-pull, which is just right for shooting when one is wearing a bulky hunting coat or vest in the fall.
Here’s what Mossberg has to say:
“The Patriot Predator features Mossberg’s proven twin-lug, push-feed machined-steel action, fed from a lightweight polymer, flush 4-round box magazine. The standard contour, free-floating 24-inch barrel…is threaded (5/8”- 24 threads per inch) for the addition of a suppressor. A protective cap is included. The barrel is constructed of carbon steel.
“Every Patriot rifle features Mossberg’s patented LBA™ (Lightning Bolt Action™) user-adjustable trigger with a 2 to 7-pound range of adjustment, to help provide consistent shot-after-shot placement. A top-mounted Picatinny rail provides for ease of mounting and repositioning optics. And completing this performance-driven bolt-action package are oversized bolt handle; spiral-fluted bolt; and sling swivel studs.
“The classically-styled stock on the Patriot Predator rifle is well-designed for comfort and reduced felt recoil with its straight comb, rounded edges and raised cheekpiece. Giving the stock a modern feel is textured stippling on the grip and three surface areas of the forend…A polymer block insert with integral magazine well provides a simple, but effective bedding platform. Rounding out the stock design is a traditional black rubber recoil pad.”
I’ve fired several different Mossberg bolt-guns and never experienced a malfunction in any of them. They may not necessarily be “show horses,” because they’re designed to be workhorses. With the right scope—and I suggest any decent 3-9X model with upwards of a 40mm objective—this rifle/caliber combination is sure to contribute to notched tags and filled freezers.
MSRP on the blue model is $441 while the full camo version’s MSRP is $524, according to Mossberg literature.
