Two years ago, Springfield Armory released their Model 2020 bolt-action rifle series to much acclaim – our own James Reeves awarded them a place in the list of his top five guns of 2020. He ran it through Thunder Ranch’s counter-sniper course and praised the rifle for its lightness, features, and performance. Federal Premium had launched its high-end Custom Shop operation the year prior, giving customers the ability to select from a choice menu of bullet styles and grains in a variety of calibers. Now Federal and Springfield have partnered to introduce a lineup of Custom Shop ammo specifically for the Model 2020 series.
Springfield Model 2020 and Federal Custom Shop @ TFB:
- This is the Way – NEW Springfield Armory Model 2020 Waypoint Bolt Rifle
- Full Review of the Springfield Model 2020 Waypoint
- Federal Custom Shop Expands Big Game Rounds to include 14 Cartridges
- [NRA 2019] Federal Premium Ammunition Custom Shop Announced
Springfield and Federal’s Custom Shop ammo collaborations come in four flavors, naturally coinciding with the Model 2020’s four chambering variants.
Federal Premium Custom Shop™ Centerfire Rifle Ammunition for Model 2020
Quantity: 20 Rounds
The Model 2020 Waypoint Rifle from Springfield Armory® represents a level of features and customization you won’t find in other factory firearms. It’s only fitting that Federal Custom Shop™ would offer loads specifically built for the revolutionary platform. Choose from several Custom Shop offerings loaded with Terminal Ascent and Nosler® AccuBond® bullets and optimized for the best ballistics and overall performance from the Model 2020 Waypoint rifle.
Every intimate detail of a great hunt combines to produce an experience as singular as the hunter themselves—as personal as Federal Custom Shop ammunition. Our team of experts build each round to order for results that are not merely accurate, but truly personalized to you, your firearm and your pursuit. These veteran craftsmen combine the best components with extra quality checks at every stage for the most consistent overall performance. Loads are then hand-checked for final inspection and cleaned before being custom-packed in durable, personalized packaging.
CALIBER WEIGHT BULLET STYLE MUZZLE VELOCITY MUZZLE ENERGY 6.5 PRC 130 gr. Terminal Ascent 3025 fps 2641 J .308 WIN 175 gr. Terminal Ascent 2520 fps 2467 J 6mm Creedmoor 90 gr. Terminal Ascent 3120 fps 1945 J 6.5 Creedmdoor 130 gr. Nosler® AccuBond® 2800 fps 2263 J
This ammo is intended to bring out the best in the Model 2020 series rifles, which already boast a .75-MOA guarantee from Springfield.
Along with the top-shelf marketing boasts, there is another shoe to drop, and it’s a big one: the price. A box of 20 rounds of Model 2020 Custom Shop ammo carries a $109.99 MSRP, significantly more than some other products which have shown solid viability. This is the same for all four calibers, .308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, and 6mm Creedmoor. This amount may be more than some shooters feel is worthwhile, particularly given the accuracy which can be produced by Model 2020 Waypoints using much more affordable rounds. Whether the Custom Shop rounds can generate significantly better performance, and whether any difference may be worth the money, will be up to each Waypoint shooter to decide. What do you think, readers? If you own a Model 2020, will you be giving these rounds a try to see if they optimize your rifle? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! See you at the range.