Ruger Precision Rifle Review
The buttstock of the Ruger Precision Rifle is really a work of art. It is an AR design and can be replaced by an AR aftermarket stock as well as the can the pistol grip. The cheek piece is adjustable for height, the length of pull is fully adjustable and the recoil pad can be adjusted for cant. There is a Picatinny rail on the bottom of the stock for attaching an aftermarket pod for prone shooting. The bolt, when pulled back, slides into the area where the recoil spring would be on an AR. There is a place to attach a flush type swivel. Mounted on top of the action is a 20 MOA scope base which would come in handy for those long shots. Ruger really thought of it all in designing this rifle.
Shooting is over for the day.
When you first get to hold a Ruger Precision Rifle, right away you will notice the weight. Out of the box weight is just under 11 pounds. With my Trijicon TR-23 mounted in Burris tactical rings and a full (10 rounds) of 6.5 Creedmoor, it weighs in at 14.5 pounds. However, with this weight and the design of the rifle, the recoil was very mild and comfortable.
Included with the rifle are two 10 round Magpul P-Mag-10 magazines, a Key Mod attachment for attaching accessories. The magazines are marked .308 and I noticed that with factory Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor 140gr. A-Max, there was very little space to increase the overall length for reloads. So 2.78 inches is very close to maximum length for all three calibers.
This is all the ammunition tested. At the time of the test, this was every type of 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition available.
Since there has been a lot of information put out in the media about this rifle, I decided to keep it a while and really give it a work out. Would the rifle meet the demands of Mike Fifer: five shots under 1 inch at 100 yards? I did break the rifle in but it did not take too many rounds. I assume this was due to the 5R rifling. The weather in Texas was HOT. Some days it was over 100 degrees when I stopped shooting. Since my shooting room has air conditioning it had no effect on me or the ammunition. However, the mirage was terrible. So I actually tested all the ammunition on five different days. The results are the best groups fired. I did foul the barrel with one shot before each test.
These groups are five shot groups, fired at 100 yards. The velocities are the average of five shots fired over a chronograph which was set at 12ft. from the muzzle.
As you can see, the new Ruger Precision Rifle meets Ruger CEO Mike Fifer's demand, and more, of being capable of five shots in one inch or better at 100 yards. Even though I did not measure the three shot groups, I can say some of them were under .50 inch. I did not have a chance to shoot this rifle at more than 100 yards due to the heat, but I see no reason why it would not be just as accurate.
With a suggested retail price of $1399 and a street price of under $1200, this rifle is bound to be a hit with the precision, tactical, F Class, and the rest of us steel bangers. For more information go to: http://www.ruger.com/micros/rpr/.
After twenty-five years with a major law enforcement agency, John Johnston retired to the hill country of central Texas. His law enforcement career was diverse with assignments with the tactical/motorcycle unit, patrol, and criminal investigation. After retiring, writing became his calling. He started with a newspaper column, which he still writes, and then he moved up to major magazines in the area of shooting and hunting. He is known for his unbiased product testing and evaluations. Having a full size range from 25-450 yards next to his home was his dream come true. 2010 marked his fiftieth anniversary in the hunting, shooting and reloading sports. You will notice his writing style is quite relaxed and he prefers to write like he is speaking to you around a camp fire. John welcomes questions and comments whether good or bad. You can reach John at [email protected].
Shooting is over for the day.
When you first get to hold a Ruger Precision Rifle, right away you will notice the weight. Out of the box weight is just under 11 pounds. With my Trijicon TR-23 mounted in Burris tactical rings and a full (10 rounds) of 6.5 Creedmoor, it weighs in at 14.5 pounds. However, with this weight and the design of the rifle, the recoil was very mild and comfortable.
Included with the rifle are two 10 round Magpul P-Mag-10 magazines, a Key Mod attachment for attaching accessories. The magazines are marked .308 and I noticed that with factory Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor 140gr. A-Max, there was very little space to increase the overall length for reloads. So 2.78 inches is very close to maximum length for all three calibers.
This is all the ammunition tested. At the time of the test, this was every type of 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition available.
Since there has been a lot of information put out in the media about this rifle, I decided to keep it a while and really give it a work out. Would the rifle meet the demands of Mike Fifer: five shots under 1 inch at 100 yards? I did break the rifle in but it did not take too many rounds. I assume this was due to the 5R rifling. The weather in Texas was HOT. Some days it was over 100 degrees when I stopped shooting. Since my shooting room has air conditioning it had no effect on me or the ammunition. However, the mirage was terrible. So I actually tested all the ammunition on five different days. The results are the best groups fired. I did foul the barrel with one shot before each test.
These groups are five shot groups, fired at 100 yards. The velocities are the average of five shots fired over a chronograph which was set at 12ft. from the muzzle.
As you can see, the new Ruger Precision Rifle meets Ruger CEO Mike Fifer's demand, and more, of being capable of five shots in one inch or better at 100 yards. Even though I did not measure the three shot groups, I can say some of them were under .50 inch. I did not have a chance to shoot this rifle at more than 100 yards due to the heat, but I see no reason why it would not be just as accurate.
With a suggested retail price of $1399 and a street price of under $1200, this rifle is bound to be a hit with the precision, tactical, F Class, and the rest of us steel bangers. For more information go to: http://www.ruger.com/micros/rpr/.
After twenty-five years with a major law enforcement agency, John Johnston retired to the hill country of central Texas. His law enforcement career was diverse with assignments with the tactical/motorcycle unit, patrol, and criminal investigation. After retiring, writing became his calling. He started with a newspaper column, which he still writes, and then he moved up to major magazines in the area of shooting and hunting. He is known for his unbiased product testing and evaluations. Having a full size range from 25-450 yards next to his home was his dream come true. 2010 marked his fiftieth anniversary in the hunting, shooting and reloading sports. You will notice his writing style is quite relaxed and he prefers to write like he is speaking to you around a camp fire. John welcomes questions and comments whether good or bad. You can reach John at [email protected].
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