OutdoorHub Review: The Bear Creek Arsenal .300 Win Mag Huntmaster
Nicolas Lenze 02.29.24
My anti-gun father once told me that nobody hunts with an AR-15 and that the whole thing is an NRA conspiracy. Even being 17 years old and living in southern California, I knew that the opposite was true. The massive success of AR-patterned rifles has driven the platform to some interesting places, especially for those who hunt with them. If you’ve ever wanted to hunt a moose with an AR, now you can. One of those interesting places is the Bear Creek Arsenal Huntmaster, a side-charging AR-patterned hunting rifle, chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum.
Hunting Rifle coverage on OutdoorHub
- Modular Hunting: The New Christensen Arms Modern Hunting Rifle (MHR)
- The Mesa FFT Hunting Rifle From Christensen Arms Has Arrived
- New Cadex Defence CDX-R7 CRBN & SPTR Hunting Rifles
- The Ruger American Predator- A competent hunting rifle from a trusted manufacturer
Bear Creek Arsenal Huntmaster: Specifications
- Caliber: .300 Win Mag
- Capacity: 5
- Barrel length: 20”
- Twist rate: 1:10
- Weight: 11.25 lbs.
- MSRP: $1,989.00
Out of Hibernation
Sacrifices must be made for every feature of a firearm. The feel of a rifle is always dependent on the balance of the pros and cons. The .300 Winchester Magnum caliber is a big boy, and an unavoidable consequence of this type of round is that the gun also needs to be large. The Bear Creek Huntmaster is, in fact, quite grand. The rifle weighs almost 11 and a half pounds. That said, using the ultra-familiar AR pattern makes it a breeze to manipulate, at least so far.
The BC-8 double stack magazine holds five rounds. The MOE stock is fixed and the action is charged with a right-side charging handle. To save weight, Bear Creek removed some of the top rail on the handguard. Personally, I’d rather have the rail and pay for it in weight, but this rifle is mostly aimed toward hunters who probably won’t be adding too many things up top. It’s still good to have the option, though.
A Very Angry Bear
This is not your backyard squirrel gun. The .300 Win Mag is a powerful round, often used against elk and moose. The ammo I used for this test was a bit of a mix. The caliber is not a cheap one to practice with, so I shot some groups using three types of ammunition. Shots were taken off a tripod from 100 yards.
GROUP 1 – Hornady Superformance 165-grain GMX
GROUP 2 – Federal Premium Terminal Ascent 200-grain
GROUP 3 – Federal Premium Vital Shok 180-grain Nosler Accubond
Round performance, especially from a hunting perspective, is measured in more ways than group size. All this tells us is the consistency of the round. It doesn’t account for the way the bullet acts on impact, or how fast it gets there. However, the best grouping round was the Vital Shok. Although, the two rounds in one hole shot with the Terminal Ascent could be telling of that particular round’s consistency. I know I messed up one of those shots.
Considering the purpose of this rifle, I thought I’d take it hunting. I’m pretty far out of season, but a steel target the size of a vital zone will do for now. This target is at 610 yards. We went back to our platform and proceeded to hammer the steel with my remaining rounds of .300 Win Mag hatred. We were delivering the ill will through a Steiner Predator 4 6-24×50.
Back to the Cave
I really wonder what the thought process was when making this rifle. I don’t see much need for a semi-auto .300 Win Mag. I also don’t believe every firearm needs to solve every problem. If I was taking a .300 hunting, I feel completely comfortable with a bolt gun, but the option of four quick follow-ups could make me feel a little more comfortable when up against a more dangerous animal.
Those four follow-ups wouldn’t be too difficult to manage, either. The Huntmaster is surprisingly manageable. I put an EOTech on it and ran a Bill Drill because of science. Yes, it pushed me back and I had to readjust after the fourth round, but all of the hits were clean. It’s possible. I also really appreciate the sling attachment points. My “tactical” shooting background means that I carry some preferences. One of those is with slings, and I love that I can keep the Huntmaster close to the front of my body like I would a carbine.
Accuracy was far more than acceptable. I’m not a pinpoint shooter, and the groups I was able to lay down were more than adequate. Hits on steel at distance were no problem at all. There are some minor fit and machining blemishes that only matter if you care about how your gun looks. I’m more concerned with performance.
If you’d like to take a look for yourself, get more information on the Bear Creek Arsenal website. Be sure to follow along on social media. Bear Creek can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Good luck this coming season!
