RISE OF THE HUNTING RI AR platforms broke into the hunting world several years ago and now they are increasingly accepted at deer camp
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JASON BROOKS
T
he 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
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American Shooting Journal // April 2022
