A Ton Of Rifle For Your Money: Thompson/Center .308 Compass – Full Review

To learn more, visit https://www.tcarms.com/firearms/bolt-action-rifles/t-c-compass-rifles/t-c-compass.

To purchase a Thompson/Center Compass on GunsAmerica.com, click this link: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=Thompson%20Compass.

I first fired one of the new Thompson/Center Compass rifles at a pre-release event and was immediately hooked. Why? It’s a very affordable rifle that shoots and handles like a very unaffordable rifle. What’s not to love about that?

My first impression of the Compass was very favorable. It’s not like I fired a few shots and made some snap judgment. Rather, I came to that conclusion after firing over 780 rounds from the same rifle in just two days. For a bolt-action rifle, that might qualify as cruel and inhumane punishment, especially considering that the barrel got so hot, I completely melted a rifle rest. Still no word on whether the gunsmiths back at Smith & Wesson have removed all the melted goo from that barrel… Anyway, I shot the heck out of one of these rifles, chambered in .204 Ruger, and it performed. As a result, I wanted to get my hands on a more versatile caliber model and give it a more in-depth trial.

Specs

• Chambering: .308 Winchester
• Barrel: 22 inches
• OA Length: 41 inches
• Weight: 7.25 pounds
• Stock: Synthetic
• Sights: None
• Action: Bolt-action
• Finish: Blued
• Capacity: 5+1
• MSRP: $399

The sample for this review was a Compass chambered in .308 Winchester. As of this writing, Thompson/Center also offers the Compass in the following calibers: .204 Ruger, .223 Remington, .22-250, .243 Winchester, .270 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, 7mm Remington Magnum, and 7mm-08. During SHOT Show 2017, the company announced yet another caliber option – 6.5 Creedmoor.

The Quick Tour

Let’s start with the barrel as that’s the really important part, at least for accuracy and longevity. This model features a 1:12 twist rate, but that’s caliber specific, so yours may vary depending on which model you choose. The unique thing is the 5R rifling pattern. The pattern sports more rounded lands and grooves so there’s no “cutting” into the bullet jacket as it’s forced down the barrel. The idea is that less bullet deformation leads to better accuracy. The other benefit of the 5R rifling is that fewer hard edges in the bore result in less fouling and therefore easier cleaning. One day, I’ll work up the nerve to ask the person who had to clean my very abused Prairie Dog Compass how the fouling was after 780 rounds of .204 Ruger.

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So the marketing benefits claim accuracy, but so does everyone. What makes this $399 MSRP rifle stand out is that it comes with something far more rare in its price range, a minute of angle accuracy guarantee. Simply put, Thompson Center puts in writing that your rifle will shoot three shots into a one-inch group at 100 yards. Of course, you have to use quality ammunition that’s capable of the same accuracy, not junk. I put that to the test, and we’ll cover the results later in this article. Or you can ask relatives (if there are any left) of the disintegrated Prairie Dogs if this rifle is capable of hitting them from 300 to 600 yards away. The answer is a resounding yes.

There’s one more big thing to mention about the barrel. It comes factory threaded. I love this feature because once you shoot suppressed, you’ll never go back. It’s so easy for a manufacturer to add this at the factory and such a pain to do on your own. The threading pattern varies by caliber. For example, .204 Ruger, .223 Remington, and .22-250 feature a 1/2×28 TPI pattern while .243 and larger caliber rifles have a 5/8×24 TPI pattern. The Compass comes with a thread protector cap with a knurled surface so you can easily remove it by hand.

The timing on an affordable factory rifle with a threaded barrel couldn’t be better. I’m very encouraged by the possibility of the Hearing Protection Act passing and being signed into law something this year. That means that buying a suppressor will be no harder than buying the rifle itself. No special paperwork, no $200 check to Uncle Spendy, and no waiting period of six to 12 months to get your suppressor. Pester your Congress Critters on this issue now, we’ve never had a better opportunity to get this done.

Moving on, the Thompson/Center Compass employs a detachable magazine. The magazines in all calibers are flush fit with the bottom of the stock, so you don’t have to worry about the rifle getting hung on on gear, rests, or your support hand. Capacity depends on caliber. Most calibers have a five-round magazine capacity, and Magnum calibers have a four-round capacity. The .308 Winchester model shown here holds five rounds in the magazine plus an extra in the chamber if you like. The magazine drops out the bottom of the stock with the press of an inset lever. It’s an easy system, and I found the magazine simple to load. Of course, you can leave an empty magazine in place and single feed into the chamber as well. The magazine itself is mostly polymer, so it’s almost entirely rust-proof.

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The bolt operation is smooth and positive. it uses a three-lug design that offers plenty of strength and a solid lockup. The bolt lift angle is 60 degrees. In plain English, that means that the bolt operates without the operator having to live the handle too high. If you have a scope mounted, that leaves clearance for your hand with less chance of interference from the scope body. 

One of the hidden gems in this rifle is an adjustable trigger. Using a series of three nuts, you can make easy adjustments to both pull weight and over-travel. Just remove the action from the stock, and you’ll see those three nuts behind the trigger assembly. The two on the top adjust the pull weight while the single one on the bottom sets the over travel distance. It goes without saying to exercise extreme care while tinkering with the trigger. Too light a weight can be dangerous, and the wrong over travel setting can prevent your rifle from firing at all. When finished, apply a couple of drops of nail polish to keep everything locked in place.

From the factory, the trigger weight on this particular rifle measured a consistent five pounds. A little on the heavy side for my preference, but since it’s fully adjustable, I see why the Thompson/Center folks send it out on the weightier side. The single-stage trigger is grit-free and has a nice crisp break. If I keep this rifle, I might consider adjusting the trigger down to 3 1/2 pounds, but other than that, it’s good to go.

The safety is mounted on the rear right side of the bolt and easily accessible by the firing hand thumb. It’s a three position safety that performs the following functions:

– Locks the trigger and bolt operation. If you’re trekking through the woods, you might use this safety position to ensure no accidental discharges or unplanned bolt openings.

– Load and unload. The center safety position allows the bolt to operate so you can load a shell into the chamber or remove one. This position prevents trigger operation.

– Fire. As the name implies, this one unlocks everything so you can operate the bolt and fire a shot.

Shooting the Compass

I mounted a Burris Fullfield E1 3-9x40mm scope to the compass as it seemed an appropriate price point match. The compass includes Weaver-style sight bases, so all I needed was a set of one-inch rings to finish the process.

I fired some shots “as is” to feel the relative recoil of the Compass .308 with nothing done to the muzzle. Recoil was mellow, and the substantial recoil pad was easy on the shoulder. 

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With that out of the way, I decided to put the threaded muzzle to good use. I mounted a SilencerCo ASR muzzle brake so I could attach a SilencerCo Specwar 762. That made shooting the Compass a whole new bundle of fun, so I kept it on for the rest of the shooting. While physics is still physics, the addition of the big heavy silencer mellowed out perceived recoil even more and brought the noise down to a much more neighbor-friendly level.

For ammo, I used four different factory loads:

Sig Sauer Elite Performance .308 Winchester Match 168-grain. These cartridges are loaded to exacting tolerances and use the world-class Sierra Matchking projectile.

Federal Premium Gold Medal 168-grain. Also using the Sierra Matchking projectile, this one is an accuracy demon.

Federal Premium Gold Medal 175-grain. For longer range applications, this load uses a slightly heavier Sierra Matchking bullet.

Federal Premium Fusion 165-grain. This load is, for lack of a better word, a bonded type of expanding hunting round where the jacket is fused to the lead core inside. It’s designed for expansion and consistent penetration, not match grade accuracy.

First up I shot for velocity, using a Shooting Chrony Beta Master Chronograph placed 15 feet down range from the now relatively quiet muzzle. I didn’t record velocities without the suppressor attached, but you might assume that the numbers below have a slight velocity boost from the suppressor, perhaps 20-30 feet per second. 

	Velocity (feet per second)
Federal Gold Medal Match .308 Winchester 168 grain	2,621.7
Federal Gold Medal Match .308 Winchester 175 grain	2,620.3
Sig Sauer Match Grade OTM .308 Winchester 168 grain	2,638.0
Federal Fusion .308 Winchester 165 grain	2,643.7

For accuracy, I set up targets and 100 yards and fired three shot groups. With a “hunting” rifle like this, I prefer not to heat up the barrel with higher shot volume, and the three-shot approach is more of a realistic indicator of what it needs to do in the field. I fired from a concrete bench using a Blackhawk! Titan III adjustable rest with rear bag. I weighed down the Titan with a 25-pound bag of lead shot to firm things up. I also kept the suppressor attached for all the accuracy shooting. Because fun. Also, while suppressors usually cause a constant shift in point of impact, I’ve not yet seen one that had a negative impact on accuracy, so I didn’t feel like keeping quiet would skew the accuracy measurements of the Compass rifle. 

Here’s what I measured.

	Distance	Group Size (3 shots)
Federal Gold Medal Match .308 Winchester 168 grain	100	.58”
Federal Gold Medal Match .308 Winchester 175 grain	100	.92”
Sig Sauer Match Grade OTM .308 Winchester 168 grain	100	.67”
Sig Sauer Match Grade OTM .308 Winchester 168 grain	200	2.16”
Federal Fusion .308 Winchester 165 grain	100	2.01”

So, using match grade ammo, the Compass absolutely lived up to its one minute of angle factory guarantee. As for the Fusion results, that’s consistent with most every other Fusion caliber and load combination I’ve tried from different rifles. It’s designed for penetration and expansion performance, not match accuracy, so the larger group didn’t surprise me.

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Closing Arguments

There’s a lot to like about this rifle. With an MSRP of $399, you’re going to find it for somewhat less than that if you shop for it here on GunsAmerica.com. The accuracy and associated minute of angle guarantee is a rare thing for a rifle at this price point. Then you factor in things like the threaded barrel and adjustable trigger, and you’re quickly getting a lot of value for that four hundred bucks. I’m getting one. Perhaps a 6.5 Creedmoor … .

To learn more, visit https://www.tcarms.com/firearms/bolt-action-rifles/t-c-compass-rifles/t-c-compass.

To purchase a Thompson/Center Compass on GunsAmerica.com, click this link: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=Thompson%20Compass.