THE SWEET SPOT

Springfield Armory breaks into the hunting market with the Waypoint 2020 bolt-action rifle.

by Brian McCombie

Firearms from Springfield Armory have a well-earned reputation for quality and performance among handgun and MSR-platform customers. But in 2020 the Geneseo, Illinois-based manufacturer launched itself into a completely new market segment with the Model 2020 Waypoint, Springfield’s first boltaction hunting rifle in the modern era. “We recognized that Springfield Armory, while extremely well-known in the self-defense community, was relatively absent in the hunting firearms market,” says Steve Kramer, vice president of marketing for Springfield Armory. “The fact is that Springfield Armory has many passionate hunters on its staff, so it was decided that we wanted to deliver a rifle that we would be proud

to take into the field. We also realized that there is a great deal of crossover between serious hunters and fans of our other firearms, such as our 1911s.”

That realization initiated a multi-year project to develop a rifle that quickly has made serious inroads into the hunting market. Introduced in early 2020, the Model 2020 Waypoint features a premium carbon fiber stock, custom painted in either Evergreen or Ridgeline camouflage patterns, and the option of a steel or carbon fiber barrel. It also boasts an impressive .75 MOA accuracy guarantee (with quality ammunition), and is offered in 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, and .308 Win.

The Waypoint action features a fluted bolt and dual locking lugs that travel on precisely machined raceways for extremely smooth cycling. An enlarged ejection port, sliding extractor — for reliable operation in the most adverse conditions — and a hybrid dual-plane feed ramp all add up to fast and secure lockup of the bolt.

The Waypoint 2020 was a near-instant hit with hunters. “We’ve been very pleased with the response to the Model 2020 Waypoint's release, with extremely strong demand for the rifle,” says Mike Humphries, Springfield’s media relations manager. “The company has been working very hard since its launch to keep up with orders for it.”

So, how did a manufacturer known for its tactical firearms and expertise not only enter, but make some real noise in the hunting world? Springfield’s staff knew they wanted to make a bolt-action rifle, but pretty much everything else was in the “To Be Decided” category, including calibers, various features, and price points.

But what Springfield’s staff all agreed upon were the larger goals they had for a new hunting rifle. “We wanted to deliver a rifle that offered custom-grade features and performance, but at a production-rifle price range,” says Alex Joseph, director of marketing for Springfield Armory. “Actually, it’s relatively easy to make a high-performance rifle for a very high price. It’s much harder to make one like the Model 2020 Waypoint at the price we can sell it for.”

And the rifle had to be accurate — very accurate. “Accuracy is a result of repeatability,” Joseph says. “By harnessing cutting-edge manufacturing techniques, Springfield Armory was able to reduce variables to promote consistency and precision, two absolutely necessary qualities in a rifle that comes with a .75 MOA accuracy guarantee.”

As Joseph notes, Springfield Armory spent more than two years of intensive product development and refinement to create the rifle. Different calibers and prototypes were tried, various barrel configurations were examined, and thousands upon thousands of rounds were fired during development.

Just as important, though, were Springfield’s concentrated efforts to mate the available manufacturing technology with a process that would make the finished rifle more affordable. “While the bolt-action rifle is obviously not a new concept, technological advancements in recent years have opened new ways to make them even better,” says Kramer. “With the Model 2020 Waypoint, we sought to employ the latest manufacturing techniques and materials to deliver an extremely advanced bolt-action rifle at a price point far below a custom rifle.”

What Springfield needed to do here was solve a daunting conundrum: The engineering had to be perfect, but at the same time the design had to lend itself to efficient manufac-

 Five QD mounts are strategically placed to allow the rifle to be slung in a variety of configurations.  A 1-inch Pachmayr Decelerator butt pad helps to provide maximum recoil reduction.

turing. And, just as important, the process had to be repeatable. “It would be easy to make a custom-grade gun in small numbers. Making one at a large scale with repeatable results is where it got tougher,” says Chris Baumbach, Springfield’s R&D department and lead engineer on the Model 2020 Project.

During the prototyping process, Springfield’s R&D Team examined numerous custom features — including custom triggers, carbon-fiber barrels, and various stock configurations — to figure out which features could be incorporated into the manufacturing process without breaking the bank. Springfield’s R&D Team also reached out to a number of industry experts for feedback on the various features they were building into the prototype rifles. This included consultations with hunters having decades of field experience as well as professionals in the firearms manufacturing process. “As far as caliber selection went, we leaned toward the newer calibers on the market,” Baumbach says. “If we were able to generate good results with the latest cartridges, we knew tried-and-true cartridges like the .308 Win. would fall right in line.”

Hence, the many “6’s” in the Waypoint arsenal, as in the 6mm Creedmoor, the 6.5

the engineering of the rifle had to be perfect, but at the same time lend itself to efficicent manufacturing.

Creedmoor, and the 6.5 PRC offerings, in addition to the workhorse .308 Win.

OVERCOMING HURDLES

Of course, there were hurdles to overcome, and the prototyping process weeded out which features could be kept and those which simply didn’t fit within the larger manufacturing limitations of producing a rifle with a relatively wide price-point appeal.

“With the goal of providing hunters with a custom-grade rifle, we developed a wide range of custom-level components as well as precision manufacturing. While this is manageable with the small production numbers associated with traditional custom rifle builders, applying this to the scale of production Springfield Armory is capable of is a totally different matter. Strict quality control efforts are a must, and we believe the results speak for themselves with this rifle,” says Kramer.

For example, a great deal of work went into developing the carbon fiber barrel that is optional on the Waypoint. As Baumbach notes, the carbon-fiber barrel that was finally settled on is, “jacketed in a roll-wrapped carbon fiber sleeve and loaded under tension so 95% of the sleeve doesn’t contact the barrel, providing cooling air gaps and promoting cold-bore to warm-bore repeatability.”

The carbon fiber barrel trimmed approximately seven ounces off the Waypoint in 6.5 Creedmoor versus the stainless-steel fluted-barrel version. Both barrels are free floating, too.

When it came to the trigger for the Waypoint, engineers decided that a really good trigger just wasn’t enough. The rifle required a trigger that would minimize the possibility of

 Ammunition is fed by a detachable AICS-pattern, single-stack magazine.

HUNTING WITH THE MODEL 2020 WAYPOINT

In December 2020, I headed to West Texas on a mule deer and wild hog hunt with a Model 2020 Waypoint chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. The rifle was sub-MOA accurate, with a fine trigger and smooth-working bolt. My rifle featured the carbon-fiber wrapped barrel and the stock was finished in the Evergreen pattern.

Over a dozen people saw the rifle on that hunt and their reaction swere the same: “What a really cool-looking rifle!” And once they held it, all of them added, “Wow, that’s so damn light. I need one of these!” In the field, the 2020 Waypoint was easy to carry, took a beating without a hiccup, and helped me score ten animals, including my muley, two aoudad, and a handful of hogs. At my home range, I was able to peg three- and five-shot groups of .50 inch to .75 inch with nearly every brand of 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition I used. Although that’s the kind of accuracy that will let one compete in a long-range shooting competition, the Waypoint 2020 is definitely a hunting rifle.—BMC.

hanging up on the brush, clothing, and backpack straps.

Baumbach’s team selected the low-profile TriggerTech trigger with a non-snag safety that employed Springfield’s Frictionless Release Technology. It is user adjustable from 2.5 to 5 pounds with a patented, free-floating roller for a crisp, clean pull.

Springfield worked closely with AG Composites to develop the rifle’s premium line of carbon fiber stocks. Each stock is hand-laid, made from 100% carbon fiber and is pillar bedded. The Waypoint’s stock weighs in at just 1 pound 15 ounces with a standard comb, and 2 pounds 11 ounces with optional adjustable cheek rest.

PERFECT FIT

To create a perfect fit between bolt and receiver, Springfield machines both after heat-treating them to ensure the dimensions of the finished steel match the required specifications. In addition, the bolt is nitrided for wear and corrosion resistance. The Waypoint’s receiver, bottom metal, barrel shank, and muzzle brake are Cerakoted.

Springfield Armory settled on a detachable AICS-pattern single-stack magazine to feed ammunition. The magazine disengages easily via a latch inside the trigger guard. A 1-inch Pachmayr Decelerator butt pad provides maximum recoil reduction and shooting comfort, and an optional three-axis adjustable cheek comb allows the shooter to dial in the perfect fit for repeatable shooting comfort.

The Waypoint’s stock features five QD mounts strategically placed to allow the rifle to be slung in a variety of configurations. The removable SA Radial Brake on the rifle effectively reduces recoil by directing gasses outward.

That’s a lot of features for an “affordable” hunting rifle. With a suggested retail price that runs from $1,699 to $2,399, it certainly is not an “entry-level” rifle. For the price, though, it does deliver many features usually associated with custom-rifle investment. With the Model 2020 Waypoint, Springfield Armory has hit that sweet spot on the pricing scale between a custom rifle that costs thousands of dollars and a $1,000 offthe-gunrack rifle. In essence, the Waypoint offers hunters a high-end custom-grade rifle at a price far below what it would cost for a custom-built rifle.

Retailers and their customers can expect additional offerings and variants in the Model 2020 line in the future — once Springfield gets caught up on current orders. Booth #70443

(springfield-armory.com)

 The removable SA Radial Brake (left) rifle effectively directs gasses outward to reduce recoil. Thread protector (right).  Model 2020 Waypoint with optional carbon fiber wrapped barrel; the stock is finished in Ridgeline camouflage pattern.