(Photo Provided by Author.)
January 30, 2025
By Joseph Von Benedikt
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Located in an out-of-the-way town in Brazos County, Texas, Horizon Firearms is known as the force that brought the 22 Creedmoor to legitimacy. I reported on that fantastic varmint cartridge in the June 2024 issue of Shooting Times . A sister company with Stiller Actions, Iota Stocks, and TX Ammo (under the Kaspar Outdoors umbrella), Horizon is also known for building super rifles.
Reviewed here is the Venatic Wombat. (Say it fast—it sounds like “fanatic wombat,” which is awesome because it’s named after “nature’s cuddliest little death machine.”) This rifle is what founder Derrick Ratliff terms a “CORE Plus” rifle. It occupies a space between the company’s bread-and-butter CORE series rifles and its full-blown Custom Select rifles.
Unique Features The Venatic Wombat rifle is built using Stiller’s new Wombat action , an aggressively skeletonized all-steel action that’s hewed to such light weight that it competes with most titanium actions, but it has none of the high-maintenance nature of titanium.
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Although legendary of old, in recent years Stiller Actions languished a bit. The onslaught of new companies building modern custom actions sort of buried Stiller in the backwaters. When Ratliff’s company purchased Stiller, it revitalized the company and dynamically reengineered Stiller’s actions to meet current demands and expectations. Adding the new Wombat to the action lineup to serve serious backcountry hunters was a natural progression in bringing Stiller back to the forefront of custom rifle actions.
The Wombat action is made by Stiller and is aggressively skeletonized to reduce weight. The hyper polish and DLC coating make for super smooth operation. (Photo Provided by Author.) As you can see in the photographs, the Wombat is skeletonized more than any other action (that I’m aware of, anyhow) . Fundamentally, it’s a Remington 700-type push-feed action. Dual, opposing locking lugs provide secure lockup, a modified M16-style extractor reliably hauls fired cases out of the chamber, and a stout spring-loaded pin ejector in the boltface hurls empties out the ejection port.
Wombat bolt bodies are made of 4140 steel, fluted with flat-bottom grooves to reduce weight and provide a place for fouling and crud to gather without choking up the action. Rearward, the bolt shroud is deeply scalloped. The hollow-knobbed, machined aluminum bolt handle may be removed by unscrewing a crossbolt and swapped out if desired. The receiver steel is 416R stainless. Once machined, actions and bolt bodies are given a “hyper polish” and DLC coating to ensure smooth cycling. It’s a great-looking finish with a hint of coppery hue glowing through the dark tungsten-like color.
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The Wombat action comes with a one-piece, 1913-spec 20-MOA Picatinny rail. This is important because the deep skeletonizing of the action results in a unique surface for scope bases. Modern bases that fit Zermatt, Big Horn, Defiance, Nesika Bay, Savage, and others work as well, but the included Wombat rail sports contours machined specifically to match the top of the action. It’s a good-looking setup. Short actions, such as the one shown here, weigh just 23 ounces and are 7.85 inches in length. Long actions weigh 25 ounces and measure 8.70 inches. Both are available in right- and left-hand configurations.
Two thoughts struck me when I first examined my Wombat action. First, it’s intriguing because it’s so light and has such a unique appearance—a captivating mix of spiderweb organic strength and aggressive industrial machining. Second, it could be problematic in really gnarly conditions, where the big holes machined through the rear receiver ring could allow water, snow, dirt, mud, and detritus into the inner workings.
Familiarization with Horizon’s various models made me realize that the company really favors detachable box magazines. I’m a big fan of hinged floorplates for hunting, but hey, if you want a DBM system, by all means get it from a company that specializes in them. My Venatic Wombat utilizes Horizon’s own AICS-compatible bottom metal and comes with a terrific machined aluminum, three-round magazine made by Hawkins Precision. It’s also compatible with high-capacity AICS-type magazines made for short magnum cartridges. Like most companies these days, Horizon utilizes TriggerTech triggers in its rifles. The one in this Wombat was adjusted to break at an icicle-crisp 1 pound, 12 ounces. It makes clean shooting really easy.
The Wombat’s bottom metal is AICS-compatible, and the 6.8 Western rifle came with a Hawkins Precision three-round magazine. High-capacity AICS-type magazines also fit and function well. (Photo Provided by Author.) Another factor that makes for consistent, accurate shooting is the ergonomics of the Iota EKO X stock . Hand-laid of carbon fiber, it’s lightweight, rigid, and engineered for precision shooting. The near-vertical grip positions the shooting hand and wrist correctly for prone shooting, and the shape of the palm area and the integrated, ambidextrous thumb shelves help minimize grip torque while shooting. The cheekrest area is nice and high, aiding in achieving a consistent cheekweld. A negative slant in the topline of the comb minimizes the bite of the stock during recoil, and a squishy LimbSaver pad softens kick.
Up front, the fore-end is industrial in look and feel. A square bottom and sides help get stable over sandbags and when bracing against the side of a barrier. There’s a short flush-fitting section of 1913-spec rail recessed into the tip of the fore-end, making it easy to mount a bipod with a Picatinny-type head. Although it’s a far cry from the svelte, quick-handling classic riflestocks of the great British rifles (which were long considered the pinnacle of riflestock design), the EKO X sure makes it easy to shoot consistently from precision positions.
The Wombat’s Iota carbon-fiber stock features a high comb, a near-vertical grip, and integrated ambidextrous thumbrest positions. (Photo Provided by Author.) Horizon uses a lot of all-steel barrels and does some of the most spectacular fluting and machining patterns I’ve ever seen. However, to endow this particular mountain-rifle build with both accuracy and barrel rigidity at a minimal weight, the company installed a state-of-the-art Proof Research carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel. Then—and something I’ve never seen before—Horizon fluted and crosshatched the carbon fiber. I presume it’s for looks and to make the barrel grippy when grasped because it doesn’t reduce weight very much, but I think it’s cool.
This one is 22 inches long, which is what I’ve come to prefer for the best combination of manageable balance and size with a suppressor, without giving up much in velocity. Horizon installed a slick little indexable side- and top-ported Iota SIM muzzle brake. It takes the bite out of recoil, but for the most part, I shoot the Wombat with a compact Banish Backcountry suppressor .
The 6.8 Western Wombat utilizes a 22-inch Proof Research carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel with very unique crosshatching.(Photo Provided by Author.) Various popular chamberings are available, as the Wombat rifles are built to order. Mine is in 6.8 Western—a thoroughly modern cartridge that started strong during COVID and continues to gain momentum. It’s a forward-looking .270, something we haven’t seen in a century. Fast-twist rifling enables the use of long, streamlined contemporary bullets; tight chamber tolerances promote off-the-shelf accuracy with factory ammo; and efficient cartridge case design optimizes propellant burn for maximum consistency.
As a fun bit of trivia, the 6.8 Western cartridge was introduced in 2021, 98 years after the .270 Winchester came out in 1923. It’s now been 101 years since Americans wholeheartedly adopted what would become one of the most popular hunting cartridges of all time. I think it’s fitting that the 6.8 Western would take up the .270-caliber torch a century later and carry it into the future.
Supreme Accuracy I had four different 6.8 Western factory loads on hand. They were Browning’s Long Range Pro ammo loaded with 175-grain Tipped Sierra GameKings, Winchester’s Copper Impact loaded with Winchester’s own made-in-house 162-grain monometal bullets, Winchester’s Expedition Long Range ammo topped with 165-grain AccuBond Long Range (ABLR) bullets, and Winchester’s budget Power-Point loaded with lead-tipped, flat-base 170-grain bullets.
Before heading to the range, I installed a lovely Swarovski 3.5-18X 42mm Z5 BT scope in Seekins Precision one-inch rings and added a Spartan Vidarr bipod to the rail in the fore-end tip. On a whim, I tossed a seven-round MDT magazine into my range box, figuring it couldn’t hurt to test-feed it in case I decide to try the rifle in NRL Hunter competition.
(Data Provided by Author.) Boresighting put my first shot eight inches low and three inches right on the 100-yard target. I made an adjustment to the scope, and to my great glee the next shot cut the quarter-inch center neatly out of the bullseye. My first group with the Browning 175-grain LR Pro load (my go-to for accuracy in the 6.8 Western) cut a 0.75-inch group. The next two were at or less than 1/2 MOA. What a splendid start.
As it typically does, Winchester’s 162-grain Copper Impact grouped very well also, averaging 0.77 inch over a series of three consecutive three-shot groups fired at 100 yards. The 165-grain ABLR load also averaged under one MOA. Winchester’s 170-grain Power-Poin t was the only factory load that didn’t—and it was way over. For whatever reason I’ve not had good accuracy with the 6.8 Western Power-Points, and although this rifle shot them better than most, the average was still 1.79 inches.
I didn’t have time to handload for the rifle due to looming deadlines, but I look forward to doing so in the future. Top-notch bullets specifically designed for fast-twist .270-caliber rifles in 6.8 Western, 27 Nosler, and so forth are becoming common. At the time of this writing, heavy-for-caliber, high-BC options can be had from Berger, Barnes, Nosler, Hammer, and Sierra. I have no doubt that with a tuned handload, this Venatic Wombat will print sub-half-MOA groups.
Function Reliability was stellar throughout testing. Cartridges fed, chambered, fired, extracted, and ejected without a single hiccup. But that’s what one should expect from a fine custom action.
I will say that like most actions fed by a detachable box magazine, feeding wasn’t super smooth. But that’s the case with nearly any AICS-fed rifle. They can be very reliable, but they are rarely as smooth-feeding as an action loaded from an internal magazine with a hinged floorplate or, for that matter, from an individually engineered magazine, such as Browning X-Bolts and Tikka rifles use.
At just under 7.5 pounds completely set up with the Swarovski Z5 scope, the Venatic Wombat is one of the liveliest, most responsive precision hunting rifles I’ve used. It shoulders well, points naturally, and balances nicely. Although ideal for serious backcountry hunting for all species up through elk-size game, the Venatic Wombat in 6.8 Western would also serve wonderfully in any scenario that didn’t involve dangerous game. It’s quick handling enough to hunt whitetails in big timber, accurate enough to reach down a Texas sendero and tip over a distant buck or wild hog, and durable enough to handle extreme hunting from Alaska to Africa to the mountains of Asia.
Excellent touches on the Wombat include a specially crafted Picatinny rail and an adjustable TriggerTech trigger. (Photo Provided by Author.) There’s a bit of lead time after ordering one, but that’s typical of most custom and semicustom riflemakers. Horizon Firearms keeps most of its CORE series rifles in stock, but adding custom features puts a CORE Plus rifle out a few months. It’s worth the wait. In the Venatic Wombat’s price realm, there are actually rather few rifle models. Generally, you’ll find high-end production rifles and semicustom rifles up to about $3,500. The really high-end ones from Gunwerks, Proof Research, AllTerra Arms, and the like kick in at about $7,000.
That’s all ghastly expensive, and old-timers would have choked on their chewing tobacco at the price tags. However, the modern rifleman is more informed on what makes a superb shooting instrument, and no matter how surprising we may find it, the market tells us that hunters are willing to spend big money on fine hunting tools. Clearly, there’s a place for rifles like the Venatic Wombat. Horizon wouldn’t have such a backlog of orders otherwise. If you’ve been yearning for a lightweight, accurate, ergonomic backcountry hunting rifle with reach and authority, and you are willing to spend about half the cost of a new four-wheeler on one, I highly recommend looking into Horizon’s Venatic Wombat . It’s a very cool rifle that really performs.
VENATIC WOMBAT SPECS MANUFACTURER : Horizon Firearms horizonfirearms.com TYPE: Bolt-action repeaterCALIBER: 6.8 WesternMAGAZINE CAPACITY: 3 roundsBARREL: 22 in.OVERALL LENGTH: 41.4 in.WEIGHT: EMPTY 6.25 lbs.STOCK: Iota EKO X carbon fiberLENGTH OF PULL: 13.75 in.FINISH: DLC coating with hyper polish barreled receiver, Venatic Green camo stockSIGHTS: None, optic rail installed on receiverTRIGGER: 1.75-lb. pull (as tested)SAFETY: Two positionMSRP: $4,850