Springfield Armory 2020 Redline, Examined and Reviewed

Although I attempt to keep atop the unending stream of latest gun releases, the Springfield 2020 Redline caught me off guard. I hadn’t heard any pre-release rumors or whispers about it, and I knew one factor when it got here throughout my laptop display screen a number of quick weeks earlier than my annual Dall sheep hunt right here in Alaska: I needed to have one.

Since hunters have been packing rifles into the mountains, gun makers have been working to make them weigh much less and nonetheless shoot precisely—with various levels of success. Chopping weight is a tradeoff that impacts a rifle’s precision on paper, but in addition makes it harder to shoot precisely within the subject. Discovering the optimum steadiness of weight, ergonomics, and backcountry performance is a mountain hunter’s holy grail. That’s the objective that the Springfield 2020 Redline aspires to. It does so by making use of a few of the similar ergonomic options because the 2020 Waypoint in a lighter package deal—I couldn’t wait to get it into the mountains.

Specs and Options

• Cartridge: 6.5 Creedmoor (examined), .308 Win.
• Capability: 3+1, removable AICS-style field journal
• Weight: 6 kilos, 5 ounces (measured)
• Receiver: Stainless-steel
• Receiver End: Army inexperienced Cerakote 
• Motion: Bolt motion, two-lug
• Barrel: 20-inch, BSF, chrome steel, carbon-wrapped, 1:8 twist, threaded ⅝-24 on the muzzle
• Optics Mounting: One-piece Picatinny rail atop receiver, Remington 700 sample
• Inventory: Grayboe Trekker artificial inventory
• Total Size: 40.5 inches (measured, adjustable L.O.P)
• Set off: Triggertech adjustable, Curved shoe
• Set off Pull: 3 kilos, 9 ounces (measured)
• Value: $2,190

A Trendy, Gentle Mountain Rifle

The core of the Springfield 2020 Redline is the 2020 motion that Springfield first launched with the 2020 Waypoint. You possibly can learn extra element in regards to the motion in Taking pictures Editor John B. Snow’s preliminary assessment of the 2020 platform, however I’ll provide the fundamentals. The 2020 Redline motion is actually an optimized Remington M700. It makes use of a two-lug bolt that’s fluted and makes use of a sliding claw extractor, versus the smaller Remington extractors that match into the recess of the bolt face. It comes with a Triggertech adjustable set off and the motion includes a bolt launch button alongside the left facet of the receiver reasonably than contained in the set off guard. Many customized mountain rifles use the M700 as their basis, and that alternative serves the 2020 Redline effectively.

The Springfield 2020 Redline’s Trendy Barrel

Earlier than carbon-wrapped barrels got here alongside, a lightweight mountain rifle normally got here with a spaghetti-thin barrel that after two or three pictures would get hotter than a uranium rod throughout a nuclear meltdown. Many nonetheless do. The trade-off is suitable for a lot of searching conditions however, all else equal, a barrel that may shed warmth and maintain its level of affect for various rounds is healthier.  Complicating issues, the awakening of the plenty to the pleasantries and advantages of utilizing suppressors leaves the thin-tubed ultralight rifles wanting. Suppressors can work high quality on ultralight rifles, however small-diameter all-steel barrels are very delicate to the burden of a suppressor, with drastic shifts in level of affect, and lots of of them are lengthy, spindly, and awkward when a can is hooked up. 

Just like the 2020 Waypoint, the Springfield 2020 Ridgeline leverages carbon-barrel know-how, utilizing BSF chrome steel barrels that characteristic a carbon-fiber sleeve. It’s not appropriate to say these barrels are carbon-wrapped, as a result of not like barrels which are turned down and wrapped with laminated layers of carbon, these are turned down, fluted, then fitted with a carbon-fiber sleeve that’s held by the compression from a entrance cap that seems to be threaded over the muzzle. 

Barrel warmth isn’t a lot of a difficulty in most searching situations, however I did a lot of bench work with the Redline 2020, and each the barrel and solid-steel chamber space appeared to warmth extra slowly and dissipate warmth extra rapidly than all the opposite rifles I shot alongside it.

Optimized for a Suppressor

A advantage of the bigger diameter and stiffer carbon-fiber barrel on the 2020 Redline is that the rifle is an ideal match for suppressors. The rifle is available in both 20-inch-barrel, or 16-inch-barrel configurations, and chambered in both 6.5 Creedmoor or .308 Winchester. These shorter barrels will end in a small velocity loss, however they are often fitted with a light-weight suppressor just like the Silencerco Scythe Ti or Silencer Central Banish Backcountry with out changing into gangly or cumbersome. I additionally shot the rifle with a Silencerco Omega 36M, however deemed it too heavy to hold on a sheep hunt.

On a backpack hunt, I’m solely prepared to hunt with a suppressor till it turns into inconvenient. This rifle is ready to incorporate one seamlessly. Although I usually despise muzzle brakes, this rifle comes with a radial brake put in. Happily, it additionally features a plain, matching-color thread protector.

A Gentle Inventory with Precision Rifle Ergonomics

Essentially the most visually putting characteristic of the Springfield 2020 Redline is its inventory—the Grayboe Trekker. As with barrels, deciding on a inventory for a light-weight searching rifle is a trade-off. Historically, slimmed down M700s, Winchester Mannequin 70s, and their clones use dainty shares with skinny fore-ends to avoid wasting weight. The close to legendary Kifaru Rambling Rifle mainly eradicated the fore-end altogether. Grayboe took a special strategy with the Trekker. It’s a slimmed-down inventory that also maintains a few of the favorable options of a full-size goal inventory: a tall cheekpiece, palmswelled vertical grip, and a flat fore-end. It weighs 23 ounces on my postage scale.

The underside of the buttstock seems like that of a goal inventory that’s had the underside minimize away and hogged out, and the stiff fore-end makes no contact with the barrel by any means. The inventory comes with two sling swivel studs on the fore-end, and it’s a very good platform for an ultralight bipod mount like these from Spartan Precision (that’s what I outfitted mine with). It’s additionally good to relaxation on a capturing bag. The size of pull is adjustable by including or eradicating included plastic shims between the inventory and one-inch rubber recoil pad. A sensible and useful characteristic is the small bubble stage that’s constructed into the tang of the inventory.

The Springfield 2020 Redline within the Area

The perfect take a look at for any mountain rifle is to convey it to the sphere. The boring reality about mountain rifles is that more often than not you’re simply lugging them round. You would possibly carry a rifle round for 2 weeks and 80 miles within the mountains and never even get to fireside the rattling factor. Ask me how I do know. In consequence, the dealing with traits of an alpine rifle are equally as invaluable as their accuracy. 

Establishing for Sheep

I swiftly arrange my Redline, chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor with a 20-inch barrel, a couple of week earlier than my hunt. Given extra time, I’d have ordered a set of Talley Light-weight Rings and eliminated the one-piece Picatinny rail that got here with the gun. I mounted a Leupold VX2 2-7x33mm CDS, which is one in every of my favourite scopes for a sheep rifle.

I had some handloads sitting on the shelf, so I got down to see if one would work for my sheep hunt. With my first pictures, I used to be impressed by the ergonomics of the inventory. Being a lightweight rifle, it’s positively not as straightforward to shoot precisely as a heavy chassis gun. However the cheek piece and grip enable a lot better management of the rifle than extra engaging,  traditional-style light-weight shares. The swell on the grip stuffed my hand and allowed me a deep, stable hook on the set off. My pictures broke clear and I didn’t have to make any changes to the set off weight. 

The bolt has a 90-degree throw, however the downward-angling bolt deal with permits easy operation with out banging your fingers or knuckles on the scope. When operating this rifle, the bolt raise was gentle, it ran easily within the raceways, and ejected brass crisply.

I had two handloads utilizing Hornady 143-grain ELDX bullets, one with H4895 and one with Superformance powder. Each printed 10-shot teams between .9 and .95 inches, so I selected the Superformance load—I had extra of it. I zeroed the rifle and verified my elevation options out to 700 yards—effectively past the vary I’d ever make a primary shot at a ram. I used to be able to hunt.

A Backpacking Rifle

As talked about, most of a wilderness hunt for sheep is just carrying your rifle round in your backpack. There are a variety of various packs and methods to hold a rifle in these packs, however I discovered that the 2020 Redline was as handy to hold as any others, and the cutout within the buttstock made it particularly good for securing with a compression strap. 

The bolt doesn’t lock when the rifle’s security is engaged, however I normally safe a rifle with the bolt deal with in opposition to my backpack. I’ve heard tales of unfortunate or careless hunters shedding their rifle bolt within the subject when it’s pushed open by brush after which the discharge button is pressed in opposition to a tightly-stuffed pack. 

Although it forces the person to place their booger-picking finger contained in the set off guard, the journal launch is well positioned for a hunter who’s carrying their rifle in a backpack. Many different journal launch designs are susceptible to by chance dropping the journal freed from the rifle when carried on a pack. Hell, with some rifles, I’ll even tape the journal so it could actually’t be eliminated by chance.

After carrying that rifle round an appropriate variety of miles, I made a decision it was time to shoot a sheep with it. My shot was at 300 yards from a comparatively awkward place, mendacity inclined going through uphill, however capturing down over the sting of a cliff. I used the highest lid of my backpack as a capturing bag, and similar to on the bench, the geometry of the inventory helped me break a clear, stable shot, placing an previous ram down inside a number of yards of the place he’d stood.

Assured Accuracy?

Like many rifles adorning gun retailer racks, the 2020 Redline comes with an accuracy assure—a three-quarter-MOA assure to be precise. Extra particularly, it ensures “a three-shot group at 100 yards with high quality match-grade manufacturing unit ammunition, within the palms of a talented shooter.” 

Although we regularly disparage these accuracy ensures, there’s no method {that a} cheap particular person may say that my rifle doesn’t fulfill the phrases. It’s a rattling fine-shooting gun, particularly contemplating its weight. After my sheep hunt, I switched to a Leupold Mark 5HD 3-18×44 scope for added accuracy testing.  I recorded 41 5-shot teams with 7 kinds of ammo, and the common of the highest 10 teams, the system we use in our annual gun take a look at, measured .701 inches. The general common of the 41 teams was 1.111 inches. Manufacturing facility ammo standouts had been Federal Premium Centerstrike 140-grain BTHP, which averaged .844 inches and Hornady 140-grain ELD Match which averaged .917 inches. Handloaded 143-grain ELD-X bullets averaged .831 inches.

What The Springfield 2020 Redline Does Properly

The 2020 Redline does an excellent job of incorporating options that make it correct and simpler to shoot precisely whereas remaining light-weight. The shorter barrels enable the rifle to stay an affordable size when paired with a suppressor. 

The place The Springfield 2020 Redline May Do Higher

I haven’t been capable of finding many gripes in regards to the 2020 Redline, however long-term, I’d trade the one-piece base for Talley rings, and I believe it might be extra aesthetically pleasing if the fore-end of the inventory didn’t have an unnecessarily massive hole between it and the barrel.

Learn Subsequent: Nice Rifles for Mountain Searching

Ultimate Ideas

Although there are some lighter choices available on the market reminiscent of a few of Kimber’s choices, or the ever-resilient NULA rifles, the Springfield holds its personal. There aren’t many rifles on this value vary that may objectively beat the 2020 Redline on the subject of the whole package deal of accuracy, shootability, warmth dissipation, and suppressor compatibility.