By Keith Wood
Rarely a week goes by that I don’t get asked for advice on which firearm to purchase for a given task and budget. If big game is on the menu and you’ve got a couple grand in your pocket, my answer is likely to be the Springfield Armory Boundary.
The Boundary is built around Springfield’s 2020 action. The 2020 has EDM-cut raceways, a coned breech to ensure reliable feeding, a fluted bolt and an integral recoil lug. The stainless-steel action is machined after it is heat treated to prevent warpage and the chromoly bolt is nitrided. With two different materials, hardnesses and finishes, the action runs slicker than Misty from Myrtle Beach. Basically, you’re getting the features of a high-dollar custom action in a factory format.
The Boundary is offered with either a fluted, stainless steel barrel or a carbon-fiber-wrapped unit at a slight premium. Both are threaded 5/8-24 and equipped with removable brakes. Twist rates are optimized for modern bullets. Personally, I would have preferred shorter barrels since I rarely hunt without a suppressor these days, but that can be cured easily.
Springfield Boundary Features
The stock is made by AG Composites, a company that specializes in carbon-fiber construction. It has traditional sporter lines, which exist because they work, and an integrated M-LOK mounting point on the forend. This hard point is ideal for mounting a tripod, ARCA rail or, in my case, a Spartan Precision adaptor. QD swivel cups are integrated fore and aft.
This is a shootable, lightweight and rigid stock that is lightyears ahead of the Tupperware trash found on many factory rifles these days. The stock alone retails for $689 on AG’s website.
Remember when you bought a factory rifle and had to immediately spend another $150 on a replacement trigger? The Boundary comes with a TriggerTech already installed, so you can skip that step. These triggers are adjustable down to 2.5 pounds—you don’t even have to take the action out of the stock to do it. Thanks to the roller system devised by these clever Canadians, there’s no creep.
I’m gonna step on some toes here … I don’t care for detachable magazines on a serious hunting rifle. Sure, they’re handy if you’re walking from the UTV to your treestand, but losing your magazine on a sheep hunt because it wasn’t bolted down is a no-go for me. The Boundary uses a traditional BDL-style internal magazine and floorplate. Idiot-proof.
I’ve tested Boundary rifles in .308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor and, in this case, 6.5 PRC. Every one of them has been impressively accurate. I’m talking considerably better than the 0.75-MOA guarantee. We shot this rifle with Barnes’ Vor-Tx LR load with 127-grain LRX boattails, and you could cover the three-shot groups with your thumbnail.
Pushing the Boundary
The Boundary is a good-looking rifle, with a sponge-painted camo stock and grey Cerakote on the metal surfaces. In 6.5 PRC and with a 24-inch barrel, the rifle weighs in at 7 pounds, 2 ounces naked. Idiots who tell you that’s too heavy type more than they shoot.
A few years ago, if you wanted a rifle like this one, you’d have to spec it out and have a gunsmith build it. Today, you just open the box. The crazy part is the price tag. Buying these components retail would set you back $2,500 and that doesn’t include gunsmithing. The Boundary is basically a $3,000 rifle that you can buy for $2,000. I just found one online for $1,700 and they throw in a freaking XD-M pistol as a rebate! Take my money.
MSRP: $1,995.
Pros: Well-built, quality components, awesome accuracy.
Cons: Barrel length not optimal for suppressor use.
