FINALLY got to play with a Mossberg Patriot. Handled a few in the LGS's but that's it. A friend of my son bought his wife a scoped/combo youth model in .243Win. She is a work away RN who is home only twice a month so the only time to get this set up for season was on the afternoon of day they called me. With any firearm whether new or used I like to spend as much time giving it a going over until I feel it's good to go before shooting it. Couldn't happen this time. I didn't remove the bbl'd action from the stock. Ran a bore snake through it. Got the chamber dry. Lubed behind the locking lugs and in the cocking cam slot. Didn't seem to be an excessive amount of oil in the action but I did wipe down what I saw. Checked the action screws. Checked for fore arm pressure on the bbl and found it not only to be free floated but centered in the bbl channel. Scope was canted a bit and the knurled knobs that hold the rings to the bases weren't tight enough. I removed the scoped rings and found the bases tight (guessing they were loc-tited). Leveled the 3-9x40 scope (didn't think to check the brand) and adjusted it for optimum eye relief after setting the focus for her. Although I didn't measure the LOP of the stock I'd say was in the 12 or 12.5 " range. Bore sighted it. ~45 minutes later after having them standing around watching me I felt it was ready to go. LUCKILY my wife kept them occupied talking. The ammo was Federal Blue box 100gr SP's. I had her dry fire it few times to feel the trigger. NICE at maybe 3.5lbs. I've got an old Outter's Varmint Rest mounted on an old 450 dozer cage. Pretty stable. First shot was ~2" low but dead center for windage at 25yds. Gave the scope 32 clicks up which put her second shot ~.75" low and still dead center on windage. First shot at 100yds was almost dead center inside the 1.5" circle. Four more shots were all within the 3" diameter circle that surrounded the center one. She did GOOD for someone with very limited shooting experience. Just goes to show what a shooter can do with a rifle that fits,has a decent trigger,and doesn't wallop them at the butt end. As for that particular Patriot you can color me impressed. In fact if it's okay with my granddaughter I'll order her one except without a scope as I have one for it.
