Mossberg invited me to South Africa in 2014 to go on a safari and to be the first to try a new bolt-action rifle. I love hunting and am always eager to test new rifles. This is the original Mossberg Patriot. The new rifle was called the Patriot. It is available in 13 chamberings and a suggested retail price $594. A patriot is a rebel, a colonial American who seeks freedom from oppression, and is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to get the point across. This was the 1776 definition. They came from all walks of life and needed guns that they could trust. Mossberg’s history and the ongoing assault on firearm freedoms across America, the Mossberg Patriot was a fitting name for a new rifle. It features a twin-lug, push feed bolt-action with a spring-loaded plunger extractor and a spring-loaded plunger-ejector. The bolt handle is similar to the Winchester Model 70’s, with checkering and all. It feeds from a 2 ounce polymer magazine. The barreled action is held in position by two screws that sandwich a magwell/polymer bedding block/block between the stock and action. It’s a simple, but effective way to provide bedding. The first animal that fell to the Patriot was an impala. Next, I hunted near the Limpopo River and took a waterbuck as well as a sable at 120 yards. I then traveled south to Kimberley, where I met my 14-year old son, who joined me on another safari. He used the same Patriot to capture a warthog at 160 yards and a kudu at just over 300 yards. An impala was taken at approximately 240 yards. My son and me went on another safari the next year. He took many more warthogs at different distances and also a kudu bull at nearly 500 yards. He used the original Mossberg Patriot. The author’s son shoots with a Mossberg Patriot.
The rifle’s stock had been in Africa for nearly two months and was starting to look a little rough. My son was attached to the rifle, partly because it had been an important part of his introduction into Africa, but also because it worked exactly as a rifle should. He grabbed his pocketknife, and, much like a fighter pilot would, he scratched tally marks on the Patriot’s stock. These marks were meant to reflect all the kills. My son developed a strong passion for Africa and we were able to spend many months there together over the next few years. Geoffrey Wayland, who owns Fort Richmond Safaris and is without doubt the best professional hunter that I’ve ever shared the field with was 17 when he suggested that my son try buffalo hunting. I agreed and the Mossberg Patriot was the rifle I used for that safari. The Patriot was designed for the.375 Ruger. However, the synthetic stocked and stainless Cerakoted Patriot can still be purchased for $505. In May 2017, I hunted black bears on Vancouver Island. I thought the Patriot in the.375 Ruger would work well. We hunted along the coast from a small boat, and the bears would descend along the banks as the tide rose. We found a nice bruin on a grassy plateau, and we set up a stalk from about 400 yards. One bullet was enough to take out the bruin at 90 yards. It took only one bullet from about 90 yards. Our boots covered nearly eight miles while working with a herd. We finally had an opportunity, but there was not enough cover and we could only get the distance down to 100 yards. Geoffrey told my son to sit down and, when the buffalo turned wideside, poke him in his shoulder. As the buff wheeled, the Patriot roared and another bullet hit him in the backside. The hunt took most of the day, but the bull didn’t move more than 50 yards. The first bullet had centered his heart and the second had taken out his hip. My son and me had used the same Patriot on epic adventures 10,000-miles apart. The second bullet had taken out the hip. The Mossberg Patriot in the.375 Ruger performed flawlessly.
My next adventure with a Mossberg Patriot will be in 2002, long before the Patriot was invented. When I discovered about the Newfoundland Grand Slam, I was out hunting for woodland caribou in Newfoundland. It’s when a hunter captures a woodland caribou and moose on the same hunt. It’s not bragging rights or accomplishments that make it so special. It’s the experience of hunting for all three species in one week. It’s not easy to find woodland caribou tags, and I was lucky enough to get mine 16 years later. I chose another Patriot for that hunt; this time, a 6.5 Creedmoor tack-driving Patriot. The final segment of the Newfoundland Grand Slam is a 350-pound black bear that was taken with a Mossberg Patriot Revere. The moose was easy. One of the guides saw a bull right across the lake that the lodge overlooks at lunchtime. I grabbed my rifle, and he was gone within a few shots. Although the caribou was a bit more difficult to capture, he was able to be collected in one day. The bear on the other side required several long, uneventful days in a tree stand watching a bait pile while waiting. The Newfoundland Grand Slam was completed when a 355-pound bear was steeped out. Although I shot poorly on that hunt, the sub-MOA rifle shooter must still do their part. The Patriot Heads West
I went on a coyote hunting trip in Wyoming in February 2002. I had several rifles, but I was able to test Hornady’s V-Max load for 6.5 Creedmoor with the Patriot I used in Newfoundland. We were calling for a deep draw when two coyotes came in fast. I dropped the large male and they stopped at the ridgeline, about 150 yards away. His mate turned and ran, but made the error of looking back at her lover. The Patriot’s bolt, a fast-cycling Patriot’s bolt, was the hero. The video showed the coyotes being killed in just 5 seconds. My poor shooting in Newfoundland was a cause for redemption. Flying East from Atlanta
My son and I spent another month in Africa later that spring. We were filming several video productions. I was the hunter and he was cameraman. The same Patriot that I had taken to Newfoundland, Wyoming, and Wyoming was also with us. I used it to capture my largest kudu bull. I started taking other clients out to call Jackals and we were very successful until the shooting began. After a week, we had called in many jackals, and the clients managed to miss all of them. I finally convinced my son to join me and bring the 6.5 Creedmoor Patriot. He said I needed a good rifle, and that he could shoot it. Two other clients were positioned in tactical locations and we set up our camp near a dry waterhole. It took some time, but eventually two jackals slipped in. My son and the Patriot plowed into the dirt when one stepped on the bank of the waterhole at 120 yards. The Patriot Heads South
My last adventure with a Mossberg Patriot was as the COVID pandemic was sweeping the country. In January 2020, I was in Sonora, Mexico with another 6.5 Creedmoor. I was prepared for extreme distance and had the LR Hunter Patriot version of the Patriot. I was looking for a ghostly Coues deer buck. We spotted a group deer grazing in a pasture near the ranch where we were hunting. It was just after dusk on our first day. I sat down and a Mossberg Patriot LR Hunter rifle stopped me from going further. It is available in several versions, ranging from $400 to $800, and could be the right rifle for you if you are looking for guns that you can trust. My son and I have used Patriot rifles in various forms to hunt everything from coyotes, bison, and other animals. Mossberg’s Patriot rifles have been a great tool for my son and me on everything from coyotes to buffalo. We salute all Patriots. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be downloaded in MOA. Get Free Targets
