{"id":145223,"date":"2021-10-04T11:10:13","date_gmt":"2021-10-04T15:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=145223"},"modified":"2025-11-13T06:54:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T12:54:21","slug":"hunt365-field-testing-springfields-model-2020-at-home-at-the-range-and-in-the-stand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-field-testing-springfields-model-2020-at-home-at-the-range-and-in-the-stand\/","title":{"rendered":"Field-Testing Springfield\u2019s Model 2020: At Home, at the Range, and in the Stand"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Field-Testing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Whenever a big-name gun company jumps into a new category of firearms, it\u2019s a pretty big deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Springfield Armory has built its reputation on semi-auto handguns<\/a> and rifles like the M1A, the Saint line of AR-type rifles, and the Hellcat subcompact handgun. They manufacture great 1911s, but their brand tends to be geared in a tactical direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why the industry sat up and took notice last year when the company announced a brand-spankin-new bolt-actin rifle: the Model 2020 Waypoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Field-Testing
The new Springfield Model 2020 Waypoint is a sweet rifle. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Aram Von Benedikt put together an excellent review<\/a> of the Waypoint shortly after its release last year, and you should check it out if you want an overview of the rifle\u2019s specs and features (I\u2019ve also included the rifle specs at the bottom of this article). The Waypoint lives up to its 0.75 MOA accuracy guarantee, and Aram reported that he \u201cwould not hesitate to recommend the Waypoint to a friend shopping for a hunting rifle<\/a>, or to hunt with one myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I decided to take Aram at his word. I carried the Waypoint with me last whitetail season, and I stretched its legs at the range. The Waypoint lived up to expectations, and it may be the perfect crossover rifle for both competition and hunting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here to see the Waypoint on the Springfield website.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Field<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Waypoint arrived at my local FFL the day before I planned to start my whitetail hunt. My in-laws have 40 acres of land northwest of Fort Worth, Texas, which is where I usually hunt deer and feral hogs. Texas doesn\u2019t boast the countless acres of public land available to hunters out West, but that 40 acres and the surrounding properties have produced some nice bucks, and I always enjoy getting out during the Thanksgiving break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I topped the Waypoint with the 3-9x Redfield I\u2019ve used for the last few seasons (I know\u2014cheap scope, expensive gun), and headed out to do a little accuracy testing. I wasn\u2019t planning on a full test, just enough to make sure the rifle liked my ammo and I\u2019d be ready for the hunt the next morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After getting the rifle sighted in, the gun posted a 0.5\u201d three-leaf clover using Hornady\u2019s 129-grain SST Superformance 6.5mm Creedmoor load<\/a>. I like to quit while I\u2019m ahead, so I packed it up and went back to the house. I knew that if I missed a shot, it wouldn\u2019t have anything to do with the gun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Field-Testing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Field-Testing
First three shots with the 2020 after a bit of sighting in. I’ll take it. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I noticed during that range trip that the removable Radial Brake that comes with the gun blasts sand and dirt in all directions when shooting from the prone position. For a single shot on a whitetail, that\u2019s not a problem. But over an extended range session, I found my bag, clothes, and scope coated in a fine layer of Texas red dirt. It\u2019s not a huge deal, but it\u2019s something to keep in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next morning, I got up, grabbed the Waypoint, and headed out to the field. Carrying the Waypoint feels both familiar and unfamiliar. The Waypoint model I received<\/a> cuts weight using an AG Composites carbon fiber stock and a BSF barrel jacketed in a roll-wrapped carbon fiber sleeve. This carbon fiber technology is what allows the Waypoint to clock in at a manageable 7 pounds, 8 ounces (the version with the non-adjustable stock saves an additional 12 ounces).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Admittedly, the Waypoint is heavier than some of the ultra-light mountain rifles on the market these days, so your preference will depend on where you plan to hunt. But its weight is comparable to\u2014and even a little lighter than\u2014your classic wood-stock deer rifle. In that way, the Waypoint feels familiar, and you won\u2019t notice much difference in carrying this rifle through the deer woods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Field-Testing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Field-Testing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Field-Testing
A carbon fiber stock and barrel keep the rifle ultra-light for the profile.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Waypoint\u2019s tactical profile will be unfamiliar to those used to more traditional designs. The stock is beefier at both the front and the back, and the palm grip swells out like many of the popular target-shooting stock designs. But Springfield does a nice job balancing the tactical and the traditional. The forend is wider and longer, but it maintains the rounded edges necessary in the field. The adjustable stock is handy for proper head-scope alignment, and the grip angle is shallow enough to allow for awkward shooting positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t see any shootable bucks that day. Or the next. Or the next. I was on the last day of my Thanksgiving hunt, but I\u2019d seen deer in the late morning the day before, so I decided to hang out in a high-traffic area a little later than I normally would. Sure enough, around 9:30 a.m., about 70 yards away, out walked the first shootable buck I\u2019d seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m man enough to admit that buck fever is a real problem for me. Seventy yards is a chip shot, especially for this rifle, but I wasn\u2019t in a great shooting position (sitting, leaning to one side, gun rested on a post), and I only had a small window to shoot between trees and fence posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bang!<\/em> Hornady\u2019s Superformance ammo combined with the Waypoint\u2019s muzzle brake is no joke. I think my ears are still ringing, but I didn\u2019t notice at the time. All I noticed was the sight of the buck crumpling like he\u2019d been hit with a cement truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Field-Testing
This buck went down before taking another step.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re like me, and you struggle to keep the reticle from jumping with an animal in the crosshairs, the Waypoint includes some features you might appreciate. First, the TriggerTech trigger is absolutely top of the line. It can be adjusted from 2.5-5 pounds and features a patented, free-floating roller for what I think is one of the best breaks I\u2019ve ever felt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, the Waypoint\u2019s lock time is just 1.9 milliseconds. \u201cLock time\u201d refers to the time between the trigger break and the primer strike. As you can imagine, the shorter the lock time, the more likely you are to hit what you\u2019re aiming at. Springfield claims the Waypoint\u2019s lock time is up to 45% faster than the competition. Frankly, I have no idea if this is true. But 1.9 milliseconds isn\u2019t a long time, and I was glad on my whitetail hunt that the rifle went bang <\/em>as soon as I pulled the trigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Range<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Field-Testing
Of all the loads I tested, this Model 2020 liked the Precision Hunter the best.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I was happy with my buck, but a 70-yard shot is hardly a true test of the Waypoint\u2019s capabilities. Not having access to any long-range hunting opportunities, I did the next best thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most competitive shooters wouldn\u2019t consider a 700-yard shot \u201clong-range,\u201d but it\u2019s a healthy distance in any hunting scenario. I\u2019d even argue that the vast majority of hunters should try to get much closer before pulling the trigger on a living creature. But I wanted to know: if presented with an opportunity on a large game animal at 700 yards, could I make a shot with the Waypoint?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I headed down to Texas Tactical Training Center<\/a> to find out. I started by doing more accuracy testing to determine which of the 6.5 Creedmoor loads the rifle liked best. It shoots everything sub-MOA, but it seemed to prefer Hornady\u2019s 143-grain ELD-X Precision Hunter loads<\/a> over their Hornady\u2019s 147-grain ELD Match<\/a> and their 140-grain HTBT American Gunner<\/a>. I only shot one five-shot group with each load, but the 0.55\u201d Precision Hunter group was the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was my first day at TTTC, and the wind was gusting between 5-20mph. It wasn\u2019t an ideal situation, but hunting scenarios rarely are. I walked over to the long-range targets and got down in the prone position using a Magpul bipod and a rear bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had already swapped the Redfield scope for a Leupold Vx-3i 6.5-20x LRP<\/a> (a good decision), and I could see the 12-inch plate standing 720 yards away with the help of Vortex\u2019s new Fury AB range-finding binoculars (be watching for a full review on those soon!). My goal was to land the first shot at the 700-yard target within the vital area of an elk (about 18\u201d). If I could get closer to my point of aim, even better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Field-Testing
The farther set of targets was 720 yards away.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The wind was coming from 10:30, so I wasn\u2019t dealing with a cross breeze. I dialed for bullet drop, aimed at the center of the target, and pulled the trigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dong. <\/em>I saw the plate move before I heard the sound, and my shot had landed about four inches to the right of where I\u2019d been aiming (I should have accounted more for the wind). That first shot wouldn\u2019t have won me any shooting competitions, but it almost certainly would have bagged me an elk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I put three more shots down range without changing my point of aim to see what kind of group the rifle could produce. Impressively, those three shots all landed within about 3.5 inches of the first shot, a legitimate half-MOA group at over 700 yards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Field-Testing
I should have adjusted a little for wind, but at over 700 yards, this is an excellent group.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Last Shots<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Model 2020 Waypoint isn\u2019t the perfect high-mountain rifle. It weighs more than some hunting rigs, and it costs more than budget-friendly deer rifles. But if you\u2019re looking for one rifle that does it all, you can\u2019t ignore Springfield\u2019s first bolt-action offering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lightweight rifles are great in the mountains, but they\u2019re uncomfortable to shoot beyond three or four rounds. Heavy competition rifles are ideal for long-range work, but you wouldn\u2019t bring one to the deer stand. The Waypoint can transition between applications as well as any rifle on the market. It can excel in the field in both short-range and long-range scenarios. It\u2019s super-accurate and loaded with enough features to compete in precision rifle competitions, and it\u2019s comfortable to shoot during extended range sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It costs a pretty penny ($1,699-$2,399 MSRP), but if you\u2019re looking to make a custom-rifle investment without spending custom-rifle dollars, give the Waypoint a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specifications of model tested:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

CALIBER<\/strong>: 6.5 Creedmoor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COLOR<\/strong>: Ridgeline Camo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BARREL<\/strong>: 22″ Carbon Fiber, 1:8, Desert Verde Cerakote\u00ae H-256P<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RECEIVER<\/strong>: Model 2020 Stainless Steel, Desert Verde Cerakote\u00ae H-256P<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OPTIC MOUNTING<\/strong>: Picatinny Mount, Rem 700 SA Pattern, 6-48 Screws<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BOLT<\/strong>: Fluted 4140 Tool Steel, Nitride<\/p>\n\n\n\n

STOCK<\/strong>: Hybrid Profile, Adjustable Carbon Fiber, M-Lok\u00ae<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TRIGGER<\/strong>: TriggerTech Adjustable, 2.5 – 5 lbs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MUZZLE DEVICE<\/strong>: SA Radial Brake, Desert Verde Cerakote\u00ae H-256P<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAGAZINES<\/strong>: (1) 5-Round, AICS Short Action<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WEIGHT<\/strong>: 7 lbs 8 oz<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LENGTH<\/strong>: 43.5″<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MSRP<\/strong>: $2,399<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Few More Pics<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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