A New Breed of Big-Game Rifle

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Hunts take on a life of their own and if you can answer why one bull disappears into a sea of deadfall, yet another beds on the edge of an open slope, you should purchase a Mega Millions chance with your innate abilities. A flash of antler below and a follow-up study through my Sig binocular verified the antlers belonged to a bull bedded astonishingly, on the open edge of a steep slope below. How foolish was I for not purchasing a Mega Millions ticket?

Pushing my Bergara Premier MgLite forward, while crawling to a boulder on the slope ahead, elevated me enough for a shot — but only if the bull stood. The waiting game was short lived when, 15 minutes later, the bull stood to stretch and my Precision Rifle Series (PRS)-style rifle, cradled over my ALPS backpack, barked to end another grueling, backcountry public-land elk hunt in Wyoming.

DIY elk strategies learned aside, what I discovered from back-to-back seasons using a PRS-style rifle, is there is room for more than one rifle at the hunting table. The PRS-style of rifle would no longer be viewed as an odd second cousin to me, but rather a partner to get the job done in elk country and elsewhere as I would soon discover in the deer world.

Shiny, new objects can be appealing, maybe the reason I adorned my 1987 Toyota Extended Cab 4x4 pickup with yellow neon wiper blades way back in my youth. Maybe not, but new and flashy undoubtedly grabs your attention, hence my initial thought when I viewed Bergara’s Premier MgLite for the first time. Already familiar with their heavier PRS rifle, the Premier Competition that is “competition-ready right out of the box,” the leaner MgLite screamed hunting with its “Battlestar Galactica” streamlined appearance.

PRS rifles evolved from the support of long-range shooting events tailored from sniper-style shooting gatherings dating back to the 1990s. In 2012, the Precision Rifle Series held their first event and has since grown to include highly competitive national, and regional shoots held from coast to coast. Anyone with a desire to shoot long range competitively in real-world settings can find an event within a few hours.

Long range aside, the unique aspect of the event is the freedom of event organizers to design challenging courses. Targets range from 200 to 1,200 yards and beyond in demanding backdrops that require thought to land precise shots in haste. The environment incites innovation in rifles, optics, rests and calibers. Many innovations filter down to the hunting market including Bergara’s MgLite and new MgLite Micro.

Most companies now embrace the long-range, PRS interest with rifles such as Sig Sauer’s Cross-PRS, Ruger’s Precision Rifle, Mossberg’s Patriot LR Tactical, Christensen Arms MPR, Savage’s Axis II Precision and the Howa APC Chassis Rifle, to name a few by known brands. Some have links to PRS competition with an obvious obesity problem for backcountry hunting while others have embraced a Nutrisystem life, like the Bergara MgLite Micro. That rifle alone weighs only 5.8 pounds. Twelve pounds and north works for sitting in a Banks Blind overlooking a bean field, but not on a backpack hunt in the Montana wilderness. I considered a PRS-style of rifle for the latter and here is why.

PROS

Like anything, you find two sides to every story. Start with the pros. I directed my thoughts in terms of basic needs for backcountry success. That end point would include a lightweight rifle that was easily packable, had a slim profile and afforded plenty of energy to tackle elk, my primary target.

Begin with the lightweight and slim frame of many PRS hunting rifles. A few combine stocks with a hybrid look of old meets new, but many, like the MgLite, look to companies already producing a slim chassis. Bergara chose to mate its proprietary CURE carbon and steel weaved barrel with the XLR Element 4.0 Magnesium chassis. It alone weighs just 29 ounces and includes a built-in bubble level to ensure level cant on those longer pokes.

Weight savings continue on the chassis with a carbon-fiber folding stock and pistol grip. For me, a huge positive of the system is the folding carbon buttstock that minimizes the rifle's length when folded. When strapped to a backpack, it shortens its overall length to avoid hang-ups on dangling limbs or an elk rack strung over your shoulder.

For attachments, look to the M-Lok slots designed into the sides and bottom of the tan chassis. The Allen wrench adjustable cheek riser tailors to your sighting needs and various other systems on PRS rifles even allow length-of-pull adjustability. The MgLite exudes toughness with the chassis look. Combined, they all add strength to a system right at home in the rocks.

Bergara continues that beefiness with a stainless steel, one-piece bolt body with the head, non-rotating gas shield and bolt shroud sporting a Nitride finish.

The weight of my MgLite, chambered in .300 Win. Mag., was 6.8 pounds. Smaller calibers also minimize weight, but I follow a “carry a big stick” rule while hunting big game in rugged settings, especially elk. With the addition of a Sig Sauer Sierra6 BDX 3-18x44mm riflescope, a full magazine of cartridges and a rifle sling, my rifle weighed 9.7 pounds. Although not a true anorexic rifle, it carried easily in the mountains. Most of my days include six miles or more of hiking and ascending nearly 2,000 feet. Depending on the hunt and my physical state of exhaustion expected, I also mate a Silencer Central Banish 338 to the rifle with the standard threaded 5/8-24 barrel.

Another element most PRS rifles include is the use of a detachable magazine. Since my first Remington model 700 Stainless Steel with a detachable magazine, I fell in love. Some may see it as a negative to have a magazine hanging out. Feel free to move it to the section of cons below. For me, I appreciate the ease of clearing a rifle for safety and carrying an extra magazine to efficiently reload when seconds count. My MgLite followed a trend of using an AICS detachable five-round magazine.

Lastly, expect any PRS rifle to launch with a smooth sendoff. Competition shooters rely on triggers that do not creep and snap with a needed yank of power. The MgLite launch is facilitated with a TriggerTech Frictionless Release Technology trigger. It’s a single-stage, 3-pound pull weight factory trigger adjustable from 1.5 to 4 pounds. Personalize your pounds.

CONS

Of course, you may be a doubter and mentally adding cons to the PRS bandwagon for every sentence you devour. Begin with the obvious. Some of you may think of these chassis rifles as simply downright ugly. I have one friend who constantly harps on gorgeous grains in wooden stocks and eloquent lines of crafting. I prefer to look for a rifle more at home on the Snap-On tool truck that used to visit my dad’s farm implement shop weekly. I appreciate the fondness for wood, but in the backcountry, you want rugged and dependable, not an heirloom that requires wood polish between snowstorms.

Yes, some PRS rifles do take qualities of the traditional sporting stock and incorporate it into their designs, but many still hold strong to a “Starship Troopers” appearance. And like a turkey or elk diaphragm call that gags you, the rifle may just not feel right when you place it against your cheek. You may crave the feel of a straight comb, swept-back pistol grip and rounded forearm, all designed for standard-sized Homo sapiens. The squared forearm of most chassis stocks throws off many who feel the need to pull up a rifle and shoot it offhand in rare instances. Alas, the PRS style of rifle still offers the ability to snap-shoot but is ideally designed for a rest or to be cradled in a backpack or down jacket as you aim across a canyon at a year’s supply of elk venison.

Many traditional PRS rifles are still bloated to boast high accuracy results as I noted with Bergara’s Premier Competition that tops out at 12.7 pounds, without optics and gear. Many surge toward 20 pounds when accessorized. Your shopping could be diminished quickly when looking for a lightweight PRS rifle in a favorable hunting caliber capable of taking down deer and elk as opposed to ringing steel and taking down varmints.

Many of the hot PRS calibers today revolve around the 6mm starting point. Twenty years ago, the .308 Winchester (7.62 NATO) ruled as it was a military brat caliber designated for official sniper duties. Some herald the 6.5mm Creedmoor as a top choice and, no doubt it has killed a truckload of deer and elk, but shot scenarios in the backcountry rarely exhibit textbook setups. A little more oomph helps when angles and distance factor in. For an all-around elk and deer rifle, calibers like the .300 Win. Mag. I used or 7mm Rem. Mag. perform better under pressure. Better yet, consider the newer 7mm PRC and established 300 PRC, all which offer increased energy and high ballistic coefficient characteristics capable of taking thick-skinned and big-boned game. These and others in this lineup have ample energy to drop or stop an animal for a follow-up round.

Another negative that hits home in this world of high food prices, soaring fuel costs and inflation that affects your borrowing power, is budget. You can expect to spend more than $1,000 for the rifle alone and upwards for higher quality. My MgLite has a price of approximately $3,000 when you search for online deals. That is without a scope or accessories.

If you cannot get past the looks alone of a chassis PRS rifle, ignore flashy and embrace tradition. My attitude changed immediately with my first season of use and follow-up of toting the space-age-looking rifle. It is part of the family now.

FIRST CONFIRMATION IN ELK COUNTRY

After an opening morning cat and mouse game with some adolescent bulls the elk activity quieted. Ghost elk activity likely resulted from warm weather and the hum of distant ATVs rutting up far-off trails in my hunting unit. Nine days later, some spent sleeping in a bivy bag warding off temperatures in the teens, I knew a change was required to make the nocturnal elk move during shooting light. My HuntStand app flashed a weather warning. An overnight storm could dump just enough snow for that needed change to make elk stay out longer.

The next morning, I made my typical two-mile hike in the dark and the stinging snowflakes subsided as dawn broke. And as if on cue, I spotted bulls. My Sig Sauer rangefinding binocular tagged them at nearly 1,000 yards away as I made a hasty move. In midstride, I nearly tripped at the sight of bulls within shooting range appearing from behind a small ridge. Two raghorns trotted in surprised as I took several more steps to plop my backpack on a stump to cradle my MgLite. To my amazement, a mature bull was feeding below them and not alarmed. The smaller bulls stopped to reassess my snow camouflage form, giving me time to steady for a shot on the standing bull. The 200-grain ELD-X bullet hit with dominance, dropping the bull in its tracks and kicking off a PRS rifle love affair I continue to nurture today.

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