Rise of the Tactical Hunting Rifle

AR platforms broke into the Hunting World several years ago and now they are increasingly accepted at deer camp for their Accuracy, Light Weight, Modern Options.

The advancements that rifle companies are putting into firearms is astonishing, utilizing designs like titanium alloy actions, large bolt handles and carbon fiber-wrapped barrels to increase accuracy.
A modern shooting platform, more appropriately known as a “tactical rifle for the marksman shooter,” is becoming popular for the big game hunter. I was introduced to such a platform a few years ago, first seeing one of these “sniper” rifles after we landed on a backcountry airstrip in central Idaho’s Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.

Lee Freeman, owner and custom rifle builder for Oregon Mountain Rifle Company, was in our hunting camp. Once the tents were up and gear stowed away, we pulled out our rifles to make sure the zero hadn’t changed on the bumpy flight. The first thing I noticed about Freeman’s rifle was that it was folded in half.
The stock had a hinge on it so the rifle could be compacted down, easily fitting in a backpack for a long haul, or in a duffle bag for a bush flight. Oregon Mountain Rifle Company – now based in Billings, Montana, after moving from the West Coast state last year – makes the Lonerock Ti Chassis, a rifle with precision long-distance accuracy yet is very lightweight, coming in under 6 pounds.

THE RIFLES THAT we take afield to hunt our favorite big game are often designed and put to the test on the battlefront first. This idea is not new and so when some anti-gun groups start spouting off about not needing an “assault rifle” to hunt deer, the hunter knows that the rifle is but a tool to use in the pursuit of their game. We want the best tools we can have to not only be a better hunter and shooter, but also to
be respectful of the animal we harvest for a quick and humane end to the hunt. The concept of using a “tactical” weapon for hunting is nothing new.
Let’s start with the end of the Revolutionary War, where soldiers learned to premeasure powder and
keep it in a paper pouch. This was the start to the modern cartridge case and made for quicker follow-up
shots to help put food on the table when the hunter took afield. Instead of pouring powder from a powder horn, they simply reached into their possibles bag, pulled out a paper pouch and tore it open to pour the necessary amount of dry powder into the rifle. Further advancements led to the primer and a metal case to hold a cartridge and make it weatherproof.
Advancements from the Civil War included the first glass telescopic scope and the “sniper,” making it possible for those arriving home from war to feed the family by taking game at astonishing distances.

And so through time, and war, the rifle has evolved, but it is still a tool. Some would argue that the Winchester Model 94 was an assault rifle of its time. The repeating firearm could shoot as fast as you could work the lever. This rifle was used to tame the West and led to the .30-30 Winchester, one of the most used whitetail rounds ever produced.
Today we have modern advancements in rifles that were tested in the battles in Iraq’s deserts and Afghanistan’s mountains. The rifles used by military marksmen are not the mass-produced, stand-in-lineand-shoot-the-silhouette rifles of the infantry. Instead, they are fine-tuned and customized to the shooter.

Once again, the hunter took up these arms and put the technology of accuracy to the test in the woods. Firearms manufacturers are now making semi-custom and custom rifles for the hunter that have the same comfortable feel as those used for fighting in a foreign land. And even those hunters who never served are realizing that an accurate rifle is an important tool.

OREGON MOUNTAIN RIFLE Company’s Lonerock Ti Chassis Rifle has other advantages besides its folding stock. The cheek piece is adjustable to fit tight against the shooter’s face, making for proper sight alignment. The length is adjustable, so the person behind it can easily have a proper “fit” to the firearm, and the stock itself is made from a polymer, making it ultralight.
Speaking of lightweight, the Lonerock Ti Chassis action is made of titanium. This light and extremely strong metal makes it possible to have a rifle that is sub-6 pounds and yet able to hit a target over 1,000 yards away. Freeman, OMRC’s owner, custom makes the barrels, which is what the company is known for. Barrels are carbon fiber-wrapped to long-range length, maximizing the ballistics of the hunter’s caliber of choice. At the end of the barrel is a brake that expels the gases to the sides and out of the top, but the bottom of the brake is solid. This allows the shooter to lie in a prone position and not have dust and debris fly up when they shoot. The design also keeps the muzzle “jump” to a minimum and reduces recoil, making shooting very comfortable. When topped with high quality glass, the shooter can often watch the round hit the target.
Several other firearms manufacturers also make custom and production rifles with similar configurations. Kimber Firearms Manufacturing has the Advanced Tactical SOC (Special Operations Ready) II and Savage produces the 110 Elite Precision in both right and left-handed options. Browning makes the X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Max LR with a camo finish to help conceal the hunter. Each of these rifles incorporates military and
police marksmanship details, from adjustable triggers to fine-tuning cheek pieces on the stock. Other
details include an oversized bolt handle, making the gun easy to grab with gloves on, and a rail to lock downthe scope with the proper eye relief.