If you’re a rifle building company, and not including a long-range rifle in your inventory today, you’re not moving in the right direction.

I started wrting long-range subjects during the two decades I worked for Varmint Hunter Magazine out of western So. Dak. In those early days, about the only major long-range applications taking place were military-oriented shooting events. Varmint hunters and paper-punching shooters back in those days were not fixed upon hitting anything much beyond 500 yards, and 1000-yard shooting was not even remotely considered by many.

Mossberg, a company with a long-standing reputation of building work guns for working people, came through with the Patriot bolt-action rifle some years ago, and its success allowed the company to keep the solid-functioning, basic-action design in their inventory. With that success and using a very solid, dependable-action push feed system, Mossberg decided to move straight ahead into the strongly emerging world of ultra-long-range shooting. The result of their planning is now offered to shooters in the new Patriot Tactical LR chassis rifle.

As to be expected of Mossberg, it’s a very complete rifle at a working man’s price point. At a time when just about everything has gone through the roof regarding over-the-counter pricing, this new, well-appointed tactical offering is turning out to be a major winner among 1,000-yard-plus, long-range rifle designs. I have shot rifles ranging from $3,000 to $24,000 and change models in long-range applications, and I very quickly observed that Mossberg hit the development deck running. Best of all, a shooter can still have enough money to feed the kids at home when buying this rifle.

It features the basic turn bolt Mossberg-designed Patriot 1.8 twist-barreled action installed on an MDT Aluminum V block Chassis tactical rifle stock, and a full .20 m.o.a. (minute of angle) picatinny rail installed on the receiver the new rifle. The system is an upgrade regarding the ability to adjust fit, retain special glass sights, and tack on extras as in bi pods, ranging equipment, slings and related gear. Going with the rifle-stock-building folks at MDT was, to my way of thinking, brilliant; even building a rifle yourself, half the price of that rifle could be tied up in a stock of this company’s design and quality. While many rifle stocks in polymer base material just can’t hold an accurate zero, this MDT stock is designed and built while keeping the one-mile shooter in mind. The aluminum spine associated with the rifle stock locks in the action and holds a zero just like many much-higher-priced, top-quality, long-range rifles.

In terms of action strength and dependability I have been shooting this very same action on a Mossberg 308 Win Scout rifle that doubles a ranch truck rifle over the course of five years.

The new LR rifle design retains the underside magazine well hardware designed as an AI (Accuracy International type). Paired with the push feed, full double lug designed barber pole bolt action, the new rifle design takes care of all those complicated, receivers-based accuracy considerations.

The trigger on the new LR rifle makes use of the double shoe release system and it is fully adjustable in term of poundage and break off points. When test shooting, I found the trigger to be factory set at just about 3 pounds, and after depressing the primary shoe with a move to the second phase, the rifle’s action broke crisp and clean. Accuracy obtained with the rifle was repeatable and seemingly natural, with a fou-round zero from scratch. In effect, I know where the bullet was going before I depressed the trigger.

The 22- or 24-inch carbon steel, medium bull barrel retains a 5/8-inch threaded muzzle with a threaded cap for mounting suppressors or flash attachments. Again, test shooting the new rifle by way of a Mack Brothers South Dakota suppressor, by way of some 130 grain Hornady ELD handloaded 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition that had been used for a Wyoming one-mile event through Federal Cartridge a week or two before, that the rifle shot a clean sub moa .644” at 100 yards. Mounting a Riton 5 Conquer 5-25X50 glass sight, and pushing the m.o.a. turret settings, coupled with the 20 m.o.a. rail, allowed me to walk the rifle out to 1000 yards almost effortlessly, and with some adjustment turns left over for additional extended range shooting. In the future, I have one-mile down range plans for this new shooting stick.

Chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, which was my choice of cartridges when testing this rifle, illustrates that it will function nicely as a static position shooting system that can cover commonly encountered wide draws or valleys covering several hundred yards when hunting western, open-country deer or elk. I have made clean kills to 540 yards (ranging partner spotter) with the 6.5 Creedmoor and a 140-grain bullet, shooting a chassis rifle off a tripod rest. This rifle is going to see work when the leaves turn and the air temperature drops off a bit. At a time when everything has gone totally nuts in the marketplace, it is nice to see some bright light at the end of the tunnel.

If you’re searching for a good long-range rifle at a very reasonable price, look no further than the Mossberg LR Tactical offering.

The new rifle is currently offered in 308 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC. Price point: $1,080