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A Rifle Worthy of Sheep
Lee J. Hoots
For five days I had struggled to remain focused as I chased Dall sheep in the Alaska Range. My guide was easily 10 years younger than me and probably 10 times more fit. I struggled on, however, knowing what the reward could be for using up every ounce of energy I could find. Now it was day six, we knew where at least two legal rams were bedded, and we had a plan to stalk them both. The first ram proved smarter than us and disappeared over the ridgeline before we could get in range. Just minutes later we found ram No. 2 as expected, lying atop a small outcropping covered in grass. There were three other rams with him, and we had crawled through a small saddle and right up on top of them all. I’ve never worked so hard in a lifetime of hunting for such an ordinary 70-yard downhill shot. I’m not sure any hunter can feel the same sense of accomplishment as a man who has just taken his first mountain sheep.
I had an unlikely partner on that particular hunt; a Mossberg 4x4 bolt-action chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum. Skeptical? Don’t be.
The 4x4 was introduced in 2007, two years after the company jumped back into the bolt-action centerfire market with its Model 100 ATR rifle. Both rifles are essentially built on the same, simple platform that has proven to be accurate and dependable. Button-rifles barrels are mated to receivers with a barrel nut that eases the task of headspacing during manufacturing and also serves to sandwich the recoil lug in place. A detachable polymer box magazine holds four standard cartridges or three magnum cartridges. The bolt is of three-piece design. The actual bolt head is pinned to the bolt shank which allows for ease of manufacturing as well. The bolt head houses a push-button plunger and side-mounted extractor. A two-position safety rounds out the design.
The ATR has a 22-inch barrel and was designed for short- and standard .30-06-length cartridges . The 4X4 handles the .30-06 crowd and will also accept belted magnums up to .338 Winchester Magnum and features a 24-inch barrel. The ATR’s stock is a very conventional sporter design while the 4X4’s stock is a bit futuristic. Unique sculpting in the fore-end and buttstock serve to lighten the overall weight of the rifle and give it a Euro look. Synthetic stock models feature a uniquely skeletonized buttstock. Both wood and polymer stocks are wonderfully narrow in the fore-end and wrist.
Don’t assume unfairly that all those "ease in manufacturing" items serve only to cheapen the rifle, a way to cut corners. Ease in manufacturing—something every manufacturer throughout the world considers each time a new product is conceived—keeps costs down and results in a lower price at the consumer level. Mossberg could build high-grade firearms with fancy wood and expensive engraving but at the cost of totally alienating its customer base. The 4x4, just like the 835 pumpgun or any other long arm in the Mossberg line, is designed to give long-lasting service at an affordable price.
I scoped my rifle with an old favorite, a Swarovski 3-10x42 A variable. For the hunt I used Federal Premium ammo loaded with 100-grain Barnes MRX bullets. This unique copper bullet features a core of tungsten and a polymer tip, giving it outstanding weight retention and a high ballistic coefficient. At the range I was able to shoot three shots into 1-inch squares. In Alaska, while shooting off a crude rest, accuracy was consistently in the 1½-inch range, certainly minute of sheep.
I’m giving my sheep-hunting partner a close inspection as I write this. Unlike my boots, knees and elbows, I can find but very minor scuff marks on the barrel, only one of which I can feel and it looks like it may have gone through the blueing. The injection molded stock still looks new.
With scope this rifle weighs a hair over seven pounds. The trigger breaks at just over four pounds on average. Not too bad, but I would prefer it lighter. The latest 4X4s now feature Mossberg’s Lightning Bolt-Action adjustable trigger system. It’s a sear-blocking trigger design made of aircraft-grade aluminum and it is said to be adjustable from 2 to 7 pounds. This enhancement makes the 4X4 all that more attractive in my mind.
A little redo on the plastic detachable magazine wouldn’t hurt my feelings, however. Other than that, I think Mossberg is right on target with the 4X4. It’s a unique rifle that stands out in a crowded market, and it will probably outlast your knees on a sheep hunt.
