Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/590511
If YOu WANT TO GO You can check out Steve Jones at www.Backcountryhunts.com, email him at stevejones@backcountryhunts.com, or phone him at (575) 887-6178. GeAR TeSTS Mossberg takes aim at the classic hunting rifle genera with its new Patriot, a melding of the best features of its previous push-feed 4x4 and ATR rifles with a dash of classic design. The stock lines are reminiscent of the Winchester Model 70. Straight comb and belly, nicely rounded forend tip, and a sleek, open grip in walnut or synthetic. The bolt handle has been repositioned from the 4x4 so there is no chance of it getting in the way of the trigger finger. The LBA trigger has wisely been retained. This is the trigger with an integral safety lever in the center of the shoe. Until it's pulled back, the rifle cannot fire. Shooters can self-adjust trigger pull from 7 to 2 pounds without fear of inadvertent firing. The polymer drop-box magazine is slick, easy to load, and functions flawlessly. Barrels are 22-inches, fluted, and recess crowned. The Patriot is chambered for a variety of modern rounds from .22-250 Rem. through .375 Ruger, and each rifle ships with Weaver-style bases already attached. Amazingly, Patriots retail for less than $400, an impressive value for a classic rifle capable of grouping factory ammunition MOA. In keeping with the all-American format of our rifles, Linda and I fitted them with Leupold's bright, sharp VX6 2-12x42mm scopes. With that power range, we were ready for shots at any distance while secure in the consistency and durability Leupold scopes provide. Two one-shot kills came as no surprise. Nosler's Trophy Grade ammunition featuring bonded-core Accubond bullets proved an excellent choice for open-country mule deer. With their high ballistic coefficients, Accubonds minimize drop and deflection while maximizing retained energy. Their solid construction ensures reliable expansion, deep penetration, and impressive terminal performance. In my ongoing search for practical hearing protection, I tried ESP Stealth digital hearing protection, custom-fitted devices that don't fall out, enhance hearing, yet cut off noises above 90 decibels. I was able to hear ambient sound (better than usual) and understand conversation while remaining ready to shoot without overstimulating my eardrums. Finally, I shod myself against the rocks and cacti of the High Plains with LOWA Bighorn Hunter GTX boots, a top-quality, German-made leather boot that fits my foot perfectly while turning away sharp objects and providing solid traction and ankle support. It's nice to be able to continue walking after days of hiking, and these quality boots help me do that. he author's Mossberg Patriot in 7mm Remington Magnum. Opposite: Linda Powell dropped this heavy-horned buck with one shot from her Patriot in .308 Winchester. T S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S 1 3 3 elk, two roving packs of turkeys, two coyotes, and eight big- eared does and fawns. Where had those bucks disappeared? "There they are!" Steve announced shortly after we'd rejoined him. We stood atop a ridge between two drainage basins and watched a flighty bunch of does, wondering again how the males of the species could hide so well when a pair of them burst from the brush within bow range. "Get around there, get around!" Steve encouraged me, but I was already scrambling to clear the head-high thicket. As I did I found both bucks emerging from a narrow but deep side draw no more than 70 yards away. The big one was on the left. "Is that him? The one we jumped back there?" "Same one. That's him. Better take him." I was debating whether to risk a running shot. The buck had shifted into his breed's famous pogo bounce, but going straight away and up the far slope, it wasn't putting him off the reticle. My bullet would impact somewhere along the spine. But before I could pull the trigger, he stopped. They both stopped, turned broadside no more than 80 yards away, and stared. It was throwback behavior, the '60s all over again. I leveled my borrowed rifle across the ancient plains landscape of New Mexico, centered the new Leupold VX reticle over the old buck's heart, and fired. The bullet flew true. Heart-shot, the buck dashed wildly, stumbled, and fell. The High Plains of New Mexico is still mule deer country. n