Black Rain Ordnance Contour Bolt Action Rifle

The classic bolt action rifle: It’s fun, reliable and accurate. But for a while bolt action rifles seemed like they weren’t keeping up with the times. Sure, the best “sniper rifles” are generally bolt action rifles. Yet, for many, bolt action rifles still feel more like stuffy traditional hunting implements.

The AR-15’s massive surge in popularity over the last two decades hasn’t helped bolt action rifles either. The AR-15 mentality has seeped into younger hunters who tend to look for different features in bolt action rifles. (Contrast this against what older guys such as myself look for in a rifle).

The younger crowd seeks out modularity in their rifles. They want the ability to accessorize their set-ups beyond just adding scopes. They’re simply used to the modularity afforded by firearms such as the AR-15. I get that. Luckily, gunmakers understand this too.

Some of the more exciting bolt action rifles are coming from companies who cut their teeth on AR-15s. One of those companies is Black Rain Ordnance. Black Rain Ordnance recently released a very nice bolt action rifle product line known as the Black Rain Ordnance Contour series. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a BRO-Contour rifle and take it for a spin. Several spins, actually. Here’s what I found.

Black Rain Ordnance Contour Features

The Black Rain Ordnance Contour rifle is available in several calibers. My test rifle was 6.5 Creedmoor–which thrills me because I’ve never actually spent meaningful time with the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge. (A few rounds at SHOT Show Range Day don’t really count). As soon as I unboxed my Contour, its Amend2 stock signaled that the Contour isn’t the type of bolt action rifle that I’m accustomed to.

The black PVD Titankote-finished stock includes a vertical pistol grip, which I instantly found appealing. The Contour’s stock features small sections of rail with four M-LOK slots on either side. The bottom portion of the stock also has two additional slots. These various M-LOK slots make accessorizing this Black Rain Ordnance bolt action rifle very easy. At the range, I shot my test rifle with and without a Magpul bipod. Magpul bipods aren’t crazy-stable like those units that serious PRS shooters use, but they work decently well. I also had one on hand.

The Black Rain Ordnance Contour’s polymer stock construction helps shed some weight from the total package. However, the Contour isn’t exactly a light rifle. Without a scope its weight comes in at nearly 9 lbs. For this review, I mounted a SIG-Sauer 5-20x Whiskey riflescope which naturally made my Contour even heftier. Considering that I’ve lugged a Remington 700 7mm Magnum hunting rifle up a mountain more than once, I didn’t think that the Contour’s weight felt uncomfortable.

“Well-balanced” is probably an apt descriptor for the Black Rain Ordnance Contour.

Its free-floated carbon fiber wrapped barrel also keeps a considerable amount of weight off the total package. I find that this material also helps keep the rifle relatively cool on the firing line. Black Rain Ordnance includes its proprietary Tempest self-timing muzzle brake on the Contour from the factory. But it can easily be removed to expose suppressor-ready threads. This is a part of the rifle’s modularity; I’ll further expand on this.

Contour Rifle Ft. TriggerTech

By default, the Black Rain Ordnance Contour comes with an adjustable TriggerTech flat trigger. Shooters can easily adjust it from 1 to 3 lbs. The push-feed Black Rain Ordnance Derecho action feels both solid and smooth. When I shot bolt action rifles, I like to run the bolt swiftly and with authority. The Contour’s Derecho action has no problem being man-handled. I found the knurling on the bolt handle to be quite useful–in addition to making the rifle look more attractive. Derecho actions are designed for strength and use three different locking lugs in addition to an integral recoil lug. They also have a fast 60-degree bolt throw, an added bonus. Although these rifles do feed from detachable magazines, they’re proprietary.

Modularity

Modern shooters want modularity. I think Black Rain Ordnance delivers with the Contour rifle. Its stock makes accessorizing easy. Its barrel is threaded for suppressors or other muzzle devices. But most modern bolt action rifles have those features nowadays. Taking things further, how many rifles allow you to change the barrel and bolt face only using basic tools? And without headspace concerns? It all boils down to two screws on the Contour’s receiver.

Shooting the Black Rifle Ordnance Contour Rifle

Although I wouldn’t consider myself an advanced precision-rifle shooter, shooting the Black Rain Ordnance Contour rifle allowed me to easily print 1-MOA groups. I’m confident that with the correct shooting accessories I could easily drive this rifle to shoot sub-MOA groups more consistently. Nonetheless, the Black Rain Ordnance Contour is quite the accurate rifle.

In addition to the 6.5 Creedmoor’s soft-shooting nature, the Black Rain Ordnance Tempest muzzle brake makes the Contour downright pleasurable to shoot. The flat, adjustable TriggerTech trigger is just lovely. Being that I’m used to factory deer-rifle triggers, I actually had to take some time to get used to the TriggerTech’s more precise trigger. The Contour’s trigger just needs the lightest touch. While it’s not a hair trigger, some care must be taken to avoid jerking it all the same. Once again, I like that the Contour’s action can be robustly cycled without fear of hurting the rifle.

The Contour’s proprietary magazine was reliable, but I wasn’t too keen on the magazine release. It consists of a lever behind the mag well, which can also be actuated from inside the trigger guard. While the release works, I didn’t find it to be particularly responsive. To drop the magazine, I had to hit it just right. Sometimes I even had to use both hands. I wouldn’t call the Contour’s magazine release a deal breaker, but I didn’t love it.

Ammo-wise, I fired three different factory loads, all of which my friends Ammo-to-Go sent me for this review.

125-grain Winchester Target & Practice FMJ
129-grain Hornady American Whitetail SP
140-grain Aguila Boat-Tail FMJ

This rifle liked the 129-grain Hornady American Whitetail soft point the best. This load punched some groups with only a few flyers, which I called and will own. The heavier 140-grain Aguila cartridge seemed to group with more dispersion. Though I could sometimes get consecutive shots within an inch, most of my groups with the Aguila load were closer to three inches from end-to-end. The Winchester cartridge proved better and printed groups that were closer to the Hornady load. These groups averaged between 1.5 to 2 inches, with some shots landing slightly tighter.

I tried shooting the rifle offhand, but I think I’d want a different setup were I to take it into the field because it’s very front-heavy. This is fine when shooting off a bench or from another supported positon, but it gets more difficult when trying to shoot off-hand. I’d likely remove the muzzle brake and mount a much lighter scope. In fact, I’m confident the Black Rain Ordnance Contour would shine as a fine hunting rifle if set-up properly. Because the Contour is so modular I have no doubts that configuring it for hunting could easily be done.

Final Thoughts

All in, I really like this rifle. I like its construction, its functionality, its flexibility and the way it performs. I really appreciate that it comes with a threaded suppressor-ready barrel that makes adding a can so straightforward.

Like mentioned previously, the Contour isn’t the type of bolt action rifle I’m used to. I never thought I’d be shooting a bolt action rifle that makes it possible to swap around for another caliber. And not to mention, that I could do it myself without special tools. Trust me, if I can do it, anyone can.

My sole favorite aspect about the Black Rain Ordnance Contour is that it’s a shooter-centered rifle. Its design allows the shooter to configure it to their needs. Because of the Contour’s modularity, you don’t have to choose between models with different features. You just buy this rifle and set it up as needed. This is why the Contour reminds me of the AR-15. It has nothing to do with its looks or action–or even its use case, for that matter. At the end of the day, the shooter decides how they want the gun. That’s the beauty of the modern AR-15 and the Black Rain Ordnance Contour bolt gun. Rifles like this one are propelling the bolt guns into the 21^st century.