Surgeon Rifle: Remedy .338 Lapua Magnum
Even though I won Top Shot Season
4 and a pro shooting contract with Bass Pro Shops, my self-taught amateurness is
often still on fully display. I recently tested the Remedy .338 Lapua Magnum by
Surgeon Rifles, both with and without a suppressor. For those of you who are
well skilled in rifle shooting, you may get a good laugh at some of the rookie
mistakes I made on my day out at the range. It’s a learning experience, and
lucky for me I like to learn whether it’s through my own mistakes, or through
intelligent readers such as yourselves.
I drove 2 hours to my closest long
distance range where I shot out to 600 yards. As to be expected, I met some
really nice folks. When I set up my rifle, my first mistake was not having a
stool as I assumed that they would have stools. My second mistake was that I
forgot my shooting mat at home, so guess I wasn’t shooting prone! Thankfully,
the R.O. had a spare stool so I was all set. I knew the Nightforce NXS 5.5-22×56
scope was zeroed in at 100 yards, but I had forgotten to check to see if the
scope used hash marks or mil dots, and then looking up ahead of time what the
corresponding hold would be at 600 yards. The Nightforce had mil dots, and
thankfully the other shooters were kind enough to give me an approximate hold to
get me on paper and walk it in.
The Remedy comes with a 5-round
magazine, and has a very smooth action with an oversized bolt handle. I held my
first sighting shot four hash marks below level, and broke the shot. The trigger
was feather light, which I loved. The trigger had minimal pre and post travel,
and I was able to easily rack another round while staying on target. I saw my
target come up from the pit, and there was no marker, indicating I had
completely missed. The R.O. asked me what my hold was, and he recommended I drop
down another two hash marks. My next shot was on paper. I walked it in with
eight more shots and was getting consistent groups. My other mistake was not
bringing a sandbag or a rear support for the buttstock, so it was challenging to
keep a steady hold on the bench. I was using my fist as a support.
Once I was dialed in I shot two,
5-round groups. My first group was 6.5 inches, and my second group was 4 inches.
Not too shabby. A few months prior, I shot this same rifle with a suppressor and
can report that it was very effective in reducing recoil and report. The
suppressor took the .338 Lapua recoil down to something around a low recoil 12
gauge shotgun round.
All in all, the Surgeon is a beaut
to shoot, and I can’t wait until I get to one again. If you’re in the market for
a high end rifle, take a look at Surgeon.