hunting rifle Archives

Preface

I’ve mentioned many times that I started out with a 25-06 as my first real rifle. So it should come as no surprise that I’m a fan of the caliber. But today is about a more modern project, the 25-06 has been around for a long time, and this one needed a nudge into modernity. Today I bring you a 25-06 worthy of 2025, a modern 25-06 Remington.

remington 700, 25-06, 25-06 remington, us optics, txh, 3-18, two vets tripod, cole tac, carbon fiber — I also did some initial shooting with my **US Optics TXH scope**

A Donor

This project began as a bone stock Remington 700 Long Range model, chambered in 25-06 Remington. While there was nothing wrong with it, it still featured similar barrel design features to the original. Mainly it used a slow barrel twist rate like a 1:10, and the steel barrel was a little heavy for mountain hunting.

The plan was to rebarrel the rifle, with a new Proof Research carbon barrel with a faster twist to allow use of modern bullets like the Hornady 13 4 ELDM and the Sierra 131 Match King. Other things like a threaded muzzle and such would also be added to make this rifle a little more appealing to modern culture.

remington 700, 25-06, proof research, carbon fiber,

Since the original fiberglass stock wasn’t terrible, I decided to stick with it. It wasn’t overly heavy, and both fit and looked good. Though we did shorten the stock for its future user, to make it even lighter and a better fit.

remington 700, 25-06, 25-06 remington, two vets tripod, cole tac, carbon fiber, arken optics, epl-4

Fresh Threads

Since this rifle was built to hunt, we cut the barrel at 20-inches. This might be a little short for some folks taste, but with the horsepower of the big ’06 case I expected velocity to be between 2800-2900. More than enough for most of the hunting we would do.

With a Proof Carbon barrel finished at twenty-inches, and a 7.5 twist. This rifle would do fantastic. Most of the machine work was done at my friends shop E.S. Tactical. I did a little machining myself to ensure the barrel channel would fit the large MTU style profile.

Once the barrel had been fitted, and the stock inlet for the new barrel, it was time to assemble the rest. With the trigger adjusted properly, and screws torqued town, it was time to mount a scope.

Range Prep

I ended up mounting a scope from Arken Optics, their affordable quality is matched by quality glass. This would make a good match for this rifle. I installed a Weaver picatinny rail, which was actually a touch longer than would work with my scope and ring selection. So I trimmed about half-an-inch off the front, which made it perfect.

The Arken EPL-4 is a 6-24x50mm scope, which would be more than enough for most hunting purposes. I mounted it in a set of Warne rings, followed by a quick boresight job. With the scope ready, I attached a Harris bipod and grabbed my Anechoic 35 suppressor to keep the noise down.

Ammunition Prep

With quite an inventory of 25-06 brass, I grabbed some Remington cases, and began prepping them to be loaded. After various tests, it seemed the 134 liked a charge of Hodgdon Hybrid H100V. Seated about 20-thousands off the lands, they would typically group around half an inch.

In the Field

The rugged Rocky Mountains where this rifle will prowl are home to big spaces. On various occasions now, I’ve taken the rifle into the high country where bears and elk roam. There we stretched the rifle out to see how it would perform in this country.

Shooting at small targets has been a great way for me to evaluate a rifle’s utility. I picked out a small rock surrounded by soft dirt, still damp from the previous nights rain. At 425 yards the rock measured about 6-inches round, a suitable target for a hunting rifle. After punching in some hard numbers to my ballistic solver, it came up with 2 MRAD. I dialed it in and fired several shots, all found their mark. I repeated the process for six-hundred, and nine-hundred yards as well. With predictable accuracy on 1 MOA sized targets. I knew I had a winner in my hands and couldn’t wait to put the hurt on some Mule deer with it.

The Deer Hunt

All that was left for this rifle was it maiden trip into the deer woods, in this case it would be the deserts of Southern Utah. The open country with sandstone peaks and Cedar trees would make perfect testing ground for this rifle.

mule deer, deer hunting, remington 700, 25-06, arken optics, dead air, nomad, suppressor,

This rifle was actually built for my cousin’s oldest daughter, and after practicing a bit with it she was ready for opening morning. Today was that morning, and Harley made a perfect shot, making an accurate double lung shot on a nice four-point Mule Deer from 370 yards.

Final Thoughts

My love for the 25-06 has only gotten better with this project, and Harley seems to be at the beginning the same kind of scenario. This little rifle promises to bring years of accurate shooting, and peak performance in a package that a 100 pound girl can run with authority. Or maybe even a guy like me.

-CBM

Preface

In our ever changing world there is some solace in knowing that we are spoiled for choice when it comes to sporting arms. Being a part of the firearm industry certainly offers me additional privileges and access, and today I intend to share with you another one the countless rifles I’ve been able to examine. Today we are taking a close look at the Springfield Armory Waypoint 2020 rifle chambered in 308 Winchester.

Springfield Armory, Waypoint, 2020, 308 winchester, US Optics, TXH 3-18,

The Waypoint 2020 is marketed as a lightweight precision rifle with a definite nod towards the hunting crowd. The Waypoint is a bolt-action rifle patterned after the extremely popular Remington 700 footprint. There is a variety of models but all of them feature a carbon fiber stock, and detachable box-magazines. Different color camo patterns can be selected, as well as other features like carbon-wrapped barrels and radial muzzle brakes. Let’s get into it.

The Springfield Armory Waypoint 2020

2020 Action

The foundation of the Waypoint rifle is the 2020 action, a two-lug ninety-degree bolt action much like the Remington 700 it closely resembles. I say closely because it greatly improves over it’s predecessor. The 2020 action uses a one-piece fluted bolt-body with a removable bolt-handle. At the front of the bolt you’ll find the sliding extractor and spring-plunger ejector. The sear is tripped by a Trigger Tech Field trigger, which in my experience is fantastic.

Springfield Armory, Waypoint, 2020, 308 winchester, US Optics, TXH 3-18, Banish backcountry, suppressor — the **Banish Backcountry suppressor** worked great with the Waypoint

At the back of the action you’ll find the bolt-stop/release. This is the stronger and superior design, making the bolt quick to remove and firmly stopped when it reaches the aft stroke. The Waypoint 2020 action comes with a scope base-rail installed, using both screws and dowel pins for security.

Carbon Fiber Stock

Rigid and lightweight are the first things that come to mind when feeling the Waypoint stock. At the back there is a soft rubber recoil pad as well as some flush mounted QD-cups for attaching a sling. The vertical grip is very modern and comfortable, allowing easy placement of your thumb at the proper angle. The Aluminum trigger-guard is also very well done, and features the mag-release in the front of the trigger area. And using AICS pattern magazines is a sure way to gain points with most shooters.

The front of the stock also features a QD-cup for sling attachment, as well as M-Lok slots on the bottom to attach a bipod. I found the stock to be very comfortable and very serviceable.

Carbon Wrapped Barrel

The twenty-inch barrel is carbon fiber wrapped, for weight reduction. At the muzzle it was threaded 5/8-24 with a radial muzzle brake installed to tame the rifle. Chambered in 308 Winchester the barrel features a 1:10 twist which allows for a great deal of bullet compatibility.

Springfield Armory, Waypoint, 2020, 308 winchester, US Optics, TXH 3-18, carbon fiber barrel

Specifications

Springfield Armory Waypoint 2020 308 Winchester
Weight	6 Pounds 9 Ounces
Length	41.5 Inches
Barrel	20-inch 1:10 twist Carbon Fiber
Trigger Adjustment	2.5-5 Lbs
Muzzle Device	Radial Blast Brake ⅝-24 threads
Magazine	AICS compatible 5-round
Optics Mounting	Picatinny Rail 6-48 Screws
Receiver	Stainless Steel 2020
Color	Evergreen Camo/Green Cerakote
MSRP	$2599

Range Preparations

In order to properly test the Waypoint, I would add a few things and bring along others. First off was a good scope, for that I decided to go with one of my favorites. The US Optics TXH 3-18 is a perfect scope for a precision hunting rifle, with a set of 34mm rings it dropped perfectly into place on the Waypoint. I’d also add a Harris bipod for supported shooting, using the M-Lok slots I attached a pic-rail section to make my bipod easy to install and remove.

For ammunition I brought a nice spread as well. First off were a couple selections from Hornady, the American Whitetail 150 grain ammo, and the Precision Hunter 178 ELDX. I also brought along some Barnes Vor-TX 130 grain ammunition as well as a box of DTM 308 Match 175 grain.

And just for good measure I also threw in my Silencer Central Banish Backcountry suppressor, which would make a perfect lightweight companion to this rifle.

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My first foray with the Waypoint was at a public range, not something I enjoy but worth the time. It took no time to zero the rifle with just a couple shots after I boresighted it. After which I shot a few different groups to see if the rifle preferred one ammo type over another. It came as no surprise that the DTM 175 match seemed to shoot the best, with a Barnes 130 grain in a very close second place. Velocities from those two were 2560fps and 3020fps respectively. After some accuracy testing, I continued shooting to see how the rifle functioned and fed.