Mossberg Patriot Predator SF Rifle Review

The Mossberg Patriot has always been a very affordable and reliable bolt-action rifle, and I’ve done a lot of hunting with it in its various forms. In fact, I took one of the first Patriot rifles to Africa in 2014. Since then, I’ve hunted across the United States and in Mexico and Canada with a variety of Patriot rifles. Currently, Mossberg lists seven variations of the Patriot and will soon be adding an eighth—the Patriot Predator SF (Suppressor Friendly). Because of the growing popularity of suppressors for hunting, the current hot trend in rifle manufacturing is shorter-barreled rifles. Most Mossberg Patriots have threaded muzzles already, but besides this new rifle, the only Patriot with a barrel shorter than 20 inches is a Predator chambered for 450 Bushmaster. This new rifle offers a short suppressor-friendly barrel, and it’s chambered for a number of popular big-game cartridges.

Mossberg Patriot Predator SF Specs

• Length: 36.75 inches
• Weight: 6.34 pounds
• Barrel: 16.25 inches, threaded at 5/8×24 w/ thread protector
• Action: Bolt action
• Trigger: 2.25 pounds (as tested)
• Capacity: 5+1 (detachable magazine)
• Finish: Blued steel
• Stock: Black synthetic
• Available Chamberings: 22-250 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 7mm PRC, 308 Winchester (tested), 300 Winchester Magnum, and 450 Bushmaster.
• Price: $536.00

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Mossberg Patriot Predator SF Overview

This shorter-barreled Patriot has a threaded, standard-contour, non-fluted barrel and barrel length is cartridge dependent. In 308 Winchester, which is what my test rifle was chambered for, the rifle comes with a 16.25-inch barrel. The other chamberings offered are 22-250 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor, 450 Bushmaster, 6.5 PRC, 300 Winchester Magnum, and 7mm PRC, and those rifles will have an 18-inch barrel. Mossberg threads the barrels on Patriot rifles into the receiver, and when the headspace is set, they lock the barrel in place with a barrel nut. The rifle will ship with a 15-slot Picatinny scope rail already installed, and Mossberg’s Lightning Bolt Action (LBA) trigger, which is user adjustable from 2 to 7 pounds, will be standard.

The Patriot has a two-lug, push-feed bolt with a 90-degree throw, and the bolt body has spiral fluting around its circumference. The LBA trigger breaks clean and crisp, but the safety does not lock the bolt handle down when you place it on “safe.” The stock on this rifle is the same as other Patriot Predator rifles and is a simple synthetic stock with impressed textured areas at the grip and forend. It’s fitted with a thick and soft rubber butt pad and two sling swivel studs, and the trigger guard is molded into the stock. Like all Patriot rifles, this newest version feeds from a detachable magazine, and the magazines Mossberg uses for the Patriot are one of its best features. They’re made of polymer, only weigh 2.3 ounces, and are released from the stock with a recessed lever just forward of the magazine. The magazine for the 308 Winchester holds five rounds, allowing a field ready 5+1 capacity. Capacity varies with other chamberings.

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Mossberg Patriot Predator SF Shooting Results

My extensive experience with Mossberg Patriot rifles had me expecting a bit better precision than what this rifle delivered. Over the years, I’ve evaluated more than one Patriot rifle that would routinely turn in sub-MOA five-shot groups at 100 yards. This was not one of those rifles. Overall, it averaged 1.48 inches. That’s still not bad, especially considering the Leigh Defense load averaged right at an inch, and that you can pick this rifle up for less than $500. But it does illustrate two things. The first is that quite often, less-expensive rifles are the most finicky when it comes to ammunition. The second is that when you only test one rifle of a specific model, you can never be certain whether you’re testing a best, representative, or worst example. Based on my experience, my guess is that most Patriot Predator SF rifles will shoot at least a little better than my test rifle did.

From an operation standpoint, the rifle functioned perfectly. The magazine was easy to load, the action fed from the magazine smoothly, and extraction and ejection were flawless. However, when you just shorten a rifle’s barrel, it can become unbalanced, and without a suppressorm this Patriot was a tad butt-heavy. That made the rifle handle well and come to the shoulder fast, but it was a tad difficult to hold on target. With a 7.8-ounce Silencer Central Banish Backcountry suppressor attached, the rifle was just a tad muzzle heavy, balancing about a half-inch in front of the front guard screw. This slight muzzle heaviness worked very well for off-hand shooting; ringing 8-inch steel plates off-hand at 100 yards was not a problem, and the rifle performed well on the moving deer target. Mossberg designed this rifle to be suppressed and that’s how most of the shooting was done.

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Final Thoughts of the Patriot Predator SF

Pros

• Suppressor Friendly
• Compact
• Inexpensive

Cons

In the interest of full disclosure, this rifle has a back story that I’m involved in. Last year, I organized an African safari for seven hunters who’d never been to Africa, and I asked Mossberg to provide a special, shorter-barrel, more suppressor-friendly version of their Patriot Predator for the safari and the pre-safari training at Gunsite Academy. I also suggested Mossberg offer this rifle as a cataloged item. I’m glad to report they’ve added it to their Predator lineup. It’s cool to have influenced a product and be involved in early testing. Jus to be clear, I haven’t and won’t receive any compensation for my involvement.

But that involvement did give me some unique insight that’s generally not gained during a regular rifle review. The training at Gunsite and the safari provided some great field-performance information. I helped with the training and took the time to hunt with every hunter in Africa, where nearly 30 head of game was taken. Some shots were very close and quick, while others were at ranges out to around 300 yards or so. Everyone was impressed with how well the rifles handled with a suppressor attached, and the rifle’s short, suppressed length was nice when getting in and out of the hunting trucks.

Based on the performance of the test rifle, you’ll not be driving any tacks and may not shoot any brag-worthy groups. But you’ll also not break your wallet if you buy one. This is the least expensive and one of the most suppressor-friendly rifles we’ve evaluated all year.

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