Con Kapralos hails another triumph from Springfield
When Springfield Armoury released their 2020 rifle line that year, the first models in the Waypoint and Redline were both cutting-edge long-arms suited to serious hunting, quite a departure from their traditional military, law enforcement and self-defence offerings. The latest addition is the Boundary, the most significant variation in the 2020 range, with its classic hinged floor-plate magazine filling a niche many hunters have been calling for.
The Boundary still runs with the best componentry which ensures a superbly accurate and lightweight rifle, suited to the hunter who prefers to stalk their quarry and is prepared to go the extra dollar (or two) for the right firearm. Added to that is the fact Springfield offer a 0.75 MOA guarantee* with the Boundary, which shows complete faith in their workmanship and product.
Nioa, Australian importer and distributor for Springfield, sent Australian Shooter the 2020 Boundary model for review in .308 Winchester. They paired it with a fine Leupold VX-5 HD optic and some Federal Premium 165-grain Berger hunting ammunition, which had been tuned to the scope with a custom CDS dial. This service is offered by Nioa to all Australian customers who buy a Leupold scope with CDS dial option.
At a glance
The review rifle is the Boundary with 540mm fluted stainless steel barrel, which incorporates a 50mm radial muzzle brake fitted (a carbon-wrapped barrel version is also offered). It’s a push-feed action modelled on the Remington 700 pattern and comes fitted with an alloy Picatinny rail, spiral fluted bolt and over-size bolt-knob. The barelled action is finished in a satin stainless Cerakote and is mated to an AG Composites Sportsman carbon fibre stock in the Rogue camouflage pattern. The rifle measures 1040mm and weighs 3.04kg.
Barrelled action
The heart of the Boundary is the action which is identical to that offered on the Waypoint and Redline models. It’s based on the Remington 700 pattern, made from steel with a cylindrical profiled receiver with integral recoil lug. A rounded front receiver ring, flat-topped rear ring, scalloped flat on the left facet (with maker’s name and model engraved) and a flat slab on the right of the rear receiver ring make for an eye-catching profile.
Single gas ports are either side of the front receiver ring to vent away hot gasses from primer ignition. A bolt-release toggle lever sits at the rear left of the receiver and makes removal of the steel fluted bolt easy, while the Boundary is fitted with an alloy Picatinny rail from the factory to make optic mounting straightforward. The bolt is of a push-feed design with dually-opposing locking lugs, with a plunger-style ejector and extractor positioned within the face of one of the lugs. It’s spiral fluted which reduces weight and is nitride-coated for slick bolt travel. The bolt-handle is nicely profiled with removable bolt-knob in case a larger unit is required, though I found it ideal.
The barrel’s well thought-out for the rifle’s intended use. Being of stainless steel it’s of a semi-heavy sporter contour measuring 540mm, which incorporates a 50mm radial muzzle brake as standard. By way of reducing weight, it has six flutes measuring 340mm x 5mm wide along its length and is finished in satin stainless Cerakote as is the receiver. The brake is ⅝ x 24 and could be removed and the provided thread-cap installed.
Magazine
This harks back to the ‘tried and tested’ internal box style with a hinged floor-plate for removal of loaded rounds. The bottom metal, which consists of triggerguard, floor-plate and internal magazine box are aluminium, with the follower, magazine spring and floor-plate release actuator being steel. The entire unit is beautifully made and easy to remove and replace for maintenance. Magazine capacity is 4+1 which for a hunting calibre such as the .308 Winchester is perfect, rounds loading easily in a double-stack manner and picked up by the push-feed bolt without issue. Releasing the floor-plate is done by pressing the small actuator inside the trigger-guard, which doesn’t impinge on trigger function and worked positively. In a world of detachable box magazines, it’s nice to see Springfield offer this arrangement on the Boundary.
Trigger
It’s super-pleasing to see a premium trigger fitted in the TriggerTech Field unit. It features their patented ‘frictionless release’ technology and is adjustable for pull weight from 2½-5lbs with a patented free-floating roller, ensuring clean and consistent pulls (the test rifle was set at 3lbs which was excellent). The TriggerTech Field trigger also uses a two-position lever safety which worked as expected, though doesn’t lock the bolt down when in ‘safe’ position.
Stock
As you’d expect on a rifle of this quality, Springfield didn’t skimp and went the carbon-fibre route with the AG Composites Sportsman stock in Rogue camouflage pattern. It has a wide array of features to set it apart from other hi-tech synthetic offerings. Firstly, each one is hand-painted and in this case the Rogue pattern suited the satin stainless Cerakote of the barrelled action perfectly. Texture of the painted finish gave excellent grip, even in summer with sweaty hands.
The design with slender, reverse-comb stock and classic hunting rifle lines is fit for purpose as a serious hunting rifle. The pistol grip is super-comfortable and length of pull at 348mm was spot-on, while a premium Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad ensured a non-slip mount when shouldering. Sling swivel attachments are done quite differently on the Sportsman stock, using flush-mounted cups as opposed to standard studs, a nice touch.
Further to that the fore-end has provision for integral M-Lok slots for mounting bipod, another excellent feature and proof AG Composites certainly think outside the square where design is concerned. Bedding of the Sportsman is superb, with alloy pillars installed as standard and the barrel free-floating its entire length, attributing to excellent accuracy and 0.75 MOA guarantee.
Range and field testing
The rifle came sighted-in at 100m (thanks Nioa) and I tested it and the scope out to 300m. The rifle shot superbly as expected with the Federal ammo, all groups at all distances hovering between the 0.5-1 MOA mark. Now I’m far from a benchrest shooter, yet the 2020 Boundary and I seemed to ‘click’. It’s one of the best I’ve reviewed in a long time and pairing it with the Leupold optic made for an unbeatable combination.
If I was in the market for a dedicated hunting rifle this would be top of the podium. I intended to take the Boundary into the field for a pre-rut deer hunt in February until a family bereavement meant the trip was called off. Sometimes as much as we love our hunting, things beyond our control have the final say.
Who is it for?
The Springfield Armoury 2020 Boundary is squarely aimed at those who demand a lightweight hunting rifle, engineered and manufactured from top-grade components and made to perform in all environments. It’s offered in serious hunting calibres 6.5CM, 6.5PRC, 7mm PRC, 7mm Rem Mag, .308 Win, .300 Win Mag and .300 PRC and, with that 0.75 MOA guarantee, is a rifle the serious hunter will gladly pay a bit more for. More at www.nioa.com.au
*0.75 MOA guarantee for a three-shot group at 100 yards using premium ammunition in the hands of a skilled shooter.
Specifications
Manufacturer: Springfield Armoury, Illinois, US
Action: Two-lug 2020 (M700-pattern) with sliding claw extractor
Stock: AG Composites Sportsman in Rogue camouflage
Magazine capacity: 4+1 (.308 Win) internal box with hinge floor-plate.
Weight: 3.04kg
Length: 1040mm
Barrel: 540mm stainless steel threaded ⅝x24 with radial muzzle brake fitted.
Finish: Satin stainless Cerakote
Trigger: TriggerTech Field, adjustable 2½-5lbs.
RRP: About $4195 but shop around