Proof Tundra: Lightweight Hunter With A Tactical Bent

Outfitted with an adjustable, lightweight stock, the Proof Tundra Long-Range rifle extends the backcountry hunter’s reach.

What Make the Proof Tundra A Top Mountain Rifle:

• Lightweight carbon-fiber stock features an adjustable comb.
• At the bottom end, the rifle weighs a shade over 7 pounds.
• Features Proof’s lightweight and ridged Sendero contour barrel.
• Rifle outfitted with a hunting model of Defiance’s Ruckus action.
• Has a top-notch Trigger Tech trigger.

Chances are, Proof Research has been on your radar as of late. It’s pretty difficult to miss the Montana concern, given the carbon-fiber wrapped barrel specialists have spread their fire tubes far and wide. Truth be told, it’s entirely forgivable if you were under the perception that all the manufacturer did was provided the high-tech component for gunmakers. Though, you’re well served to know Proof makes a dang fine rifle in its own right.

Proof enough, the company’s freshly released Tundra Long-Range hunting rifle. The eighth complete gun in Proof’s catalog, the lightweight precision iron marries the company’s tactical and hunting lines to create a unique and adaptable system. In particular, the gunmaker has scratched together an excellent stock system that not only cuts the rifle’s weight profile but ensures hunters have accuracy to spare to make certain their long backcountry treks payoff.

Proof Stocks The Tundra Up

A hybrid of sorts, the Proof Tundra’s lightweight carbon-fiber stock is cut with the typical slender sporter profile with svelte fore and butt. However, it’s enhanced with a knob-lock height-adjustable Monte-Carlo cheekpiece. Once the nearly exclusive realm of tactical systems, hunters have come to appreciate a tailorable cheek rise. Creating stable weld, thus intuitive eye-to-scope alignment, the system makes setting crosshairs on a trophy quicker, while also improving the accuracy potential at long range. Precision at distance is about consistency, which stock helps deliver in spades.

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Further improving the system, Proof also included a pronounced pistol grip on the stock. Allotting more overall control, it’s a welcome improvement, especially for the hunter with the potential to take a shot over normal hunting ranges. Additionally, the stock does a number on the rifle’s overall weight, with the Tundra tipping the scales at 7 pounds, 3 ounces at the low end. In short, it’s more than deserving of the classification “mountain rifle” any way you cut it.

High-End Rifle Build

A more modern take on the stock is only the beginning with the Proof Tundra. The company didn’t cut any corner in producing a rifle more than capable of making a cross-canyon shot hit the mark. This includes one of Proof’s well-respected carbon-fiber wrapped barrels. In the case of the lightweight hunter, it’s the company’s standard Sendero contour, with a 1.2-inch shank that tappers down to a .90-inch muzzle. In addition to cutting weight, the barrel also offers exceptional heat-dispersion qualities and rigidity, giving a solid sheath to the stainless-steel bore.

To this Proof mates a Defiance Ruckus action, what appears to be the GA hunting model. While it follows the same design and tight tolerances of Defiance’s match models, it’s an open-top action facilitating top loading. A nice option in a pinch. Still, expect the one-piece bolt to be headspaced to +/- .001 inch, like Defiance’s competitive actions.

Other notables of the Proof Tundra include Trigger Tech trigger (model not specified), BDL magazine, modified ball bolt handle, single-piece pinned rail and 5/8-24” thread muzzle (factory-installed protector). The rifle is available in 11 of the most popular hunting calibers, including belted magnums. As to price, technology and performance don’t come cheap. The Tundra runs anywhere from $6,999 to $7,199, depending on caliber and customization.

Proof Tundra Specs
Caliber: 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 7mm Remington Magnum, 28 Nosler, .308 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 WSM, .300 PRC, .300 RUM, .338 Lapua
Weight: 7.2 pounds to 8.4 pounds
Barrel Length: 20 to 24 inches
Twist Rate: 1:7” to 1:10”
Barrel Contour: Sendero
Magazine Type: BDL
Length Of Pull: 13 5/8 inches
MSRP: Starting at $6,999

For more information on the Proof Tundra, please visit proofresearch.com.

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