Ruger Precision Alternatives?

Foremost, I'm no David Tubb or Jake Vibbert. In fact, I'm just getting into the PRS world, and this was strictly due to my attraction to the Ruger Precision Rifle. Call me a Fanboy, but I'm objective and unbiased, and know the limitations of the system. The RPR is massed produced, with mediocre quality control, frequent manufacturing defects, and various demons that make each RPR different from another. But I also think its one of the most ergonomic and well balanced rifles I've used, and have tried many, including Tac-21, Cadex, MacMillan, etc. I'm also a tinkerer, and trust me when I say the RPR takes a fare bit of massaging to get it where you want it.

I Love my RPR's, but, it's been a journey. IMVHO, it's a great entry level rifle, if you're thinking about trying a precision match. Out of the box, it's generally a 1/2 moa rifle, but this varies wildly, depending on your setup and skill level. My first 308 shot +1 moa groups. Returned that and got the Creedmoor, which was hilariously accurate; like same-hole-at-100-yards accurate, running Hornady factory ammo. The problem was, once the barrel got past 300 rounds, all that went to hell, and no amount of cleaning, tinkering and refouling could bring it back below 1/2 moa; luck of the draw, I guess.

In the field.

At a recent PRS match, I watched experienced shooters with S&B scopes, mounted to gorgeous rifles from Cadex, MacMillan, etc, flounder during several simple stages. It was blatantly obvious that the rifle was not the issue. There was also a competitor from China, who won the production class, with an RPR & Nightforce NXS combo, beating some rather disgruntled high end gun owners. So yes, in good hands, the RPR can shoot, and hold its own. If I'm grouping over 1/2 moa, I know its not the rifle, its me.

If you like the aesthetic of any rifle, and it feels good under you, go for it, RPR or otherwise. Spend the time shooting rather than shopping, and you'll see that your skills can make up for most deficiencies in the gun, if there actually are any.

Some issues I had with mine, were as follows:

1) stock Samson hand guard mount was GARBAGE, and lends nothing to stabilizing this. Being round, it is difficult to stabilize and brace on rails, fenced, barrels, etc. Upgrade this if you decide to stay with the RPR. these sell quickly on CGN as they do work VERY well on AR platforms, and are a perfect 3-gun hand guard.

2) Trigger is strange with the blade setup. I removed mine, trimmed the spring, then cranked the tension and gave the sear a little polish. Much nicer, breaks cleaner and does so at about 2 3/4 pounds, which IMHO is safe for competition.

3) Bolt. I used a sharpie on the lugs to check seating, then, after finding one was not setting, used a small amount of 800 and 1200 grit lapping compound to smooth them out, by putting tiny dabs on the suspect lug, and cycling the bolt about a hundred times, re-checking every dozen or so iterations.
- I also took the time to buff the bolt with some very light compound, and did the same with the upper and its internal surfaces, using a dremel. It's actually pretty impressive now. When you first cycle the RPR's bolts, out of the box that is, you can usually hear the machining grooves of the bolt and rear shroud rubbing, which sounds like a very fine zipping sound. Polishing completely eliminated this, and it glides seamlessly now.

4) Stock. Once set, it works well, but adjustment is clunky and awkward. Replaced it with a PRS from Ellwood Epps, works great.

5) Barrel. I did like the original gen 1 barrel, but it was just not consistent, and found that it fouled heavily and quickly, regardless of the ammunition. After a long chat with JC from JC Custom barrels, who is a really nice guy, we worked together to develop a competition 4R 1:8 barrel, in 6.5X47 Lapua. I was so happy with it, I ordered another 6.5X47, and a 6.5 Creedmoor, which I'm now building. I had posted the development thread up here, but it was removed after it was found to violate the R&D clause of the forum. A few fellas here are running the JC barrels, and now other companies are importing some aftermarket RPR barrels. For the record though, a hand lapped, F-Class, stainless, bored after contouring, Rifle cut, hand machined barrel, is about as good as it gets.

Value

The Ruger RPR lets you shoot in the production class right out of the box. Add a respectable optic, and shoot away. The low price point for a complete rifle lets you supplement other gear that is very much a necessity for a PRS match, which can include, but is not limited to:

Rangefinder $300-800
Scope $500-unlimited
Bipod $100-400
Shooting bags (set of 3)- plump, medium & stock rest $200-600
Muzzle brake- $100-300
Range bag $60-300
Extra Magazines $50-500
Tripod & Head $100-500
Spotting scope or Binos $100-unlimited
Accessories- Flags/dope book/practice target sheets/etc $50-200
Cleaning Kit $50-400
Shooting Matt- $60-300
Ammunition- $.70-$4 per round.

Tally that up, and a $1500 ready to shoot rig is a pretty good deal. Once you've grown comfortable, you can then upgrade just about everything on it, as you see fit:

Barrel- JC Custom Barrels(Canadian) makes unbelievable stainless, hand lapped barrels for the RPR, in 308, Creedmoor, 6.5X47 Lapua and more. $600-700 IMHO this is the best upgrade barrel on the market; I have three.
Stock- Magpul PRS is an excellent option $300
Handguard- Seekins Precision V3 RPR in 12" or 15", $200USD
Trigger- Timney is releasing a single and two stage competition version for the RPR, est $150USD
Bipod- Harris or Atlas with Swivel & Cant $200-600
Scope- Vortex PST or Razor gen 1, Bushnell Elite, or similar in the 5-25X range(rarely will you use past 20X in PRS) $1200-2000
Magazines- AI style steel Magazines with the MPA floor extensions $80-150
Brake- Cadex MX1 or APA Fat Bastard or Little Bastard.

There's also the new bolts from PTG, stocks and numerous upgrades in the aftermarket pipeline.

So, grab an RPR in 6.5, 400 rounds of good ammo, like Hornady 129, 140 or 143 eld, add an entry level Mil/Mil scope, check out some great PRS tutorials on Snipers Hide etc, and go shoot.

I know that Bullseye in London has a bunch of Gen 2's and everything else you'll need to get started. There's active links to most vendors here; check them out.
 
I'd say get the RPR. I've not shot one but I handled a buddy of mine's that I shot a match with down in the States. He does quite well, btw. I'm also just getting into PRS shooting and run a factory Rem 700 .308 20" barrel. 2 matches in and I'm really wishing I had started with a 6.5. By the time you add up the cost of a Rem 700, swapping out the stock, adding bottom metal, rail, bolt knob, etc you're well into the price of a RPR that you can get in a better calibre and replace the barrel easily yourself if the factory barrel isn't up to snuff. The aftermarket is growing for them and you can easily do pretty much anything that needs doing to one yourself. Not to mention that you can shoot one in production class, unlike a modified 700. Honestly, if I had to redo things, that's what I would do.
 
Check out Insite. I did a review of mine on here. Mine is on a surgeon action. It costs but the action will probably outlive me. Integral recoil lug, integral 20 moa pic rail. 0.25 to 0.50 moa 10 shot groups. Insite's customer service is amazing to boot. The surgeon action also lends itself to switch barrels; Andy mentioned that I could even mount a barrel vice on the tailgate of my truck and change barrels right there.

If you go higher end over an RPR, I'd stick with the brand names: Insite, Cadex, PGW, TRG, AI, and etc. Customs will shoot just as good, but if you want to change things up and sell, you can take a hit on resale. That said, I've had a couple trued and rebarreled rem 700's and they would shoot the lights out. My last trued rem 700 cost me about $500 on resale; so with an average of 250 rounds down the tube, it cost me $2 per shot on top of the already $2 per shot; so $4 per shot. Which isn't too bad.

Savages are good as well, but same with the RPR, sometimes the quality control sucks and some lemons get through. But with a savage, if the action bites the dust, just buy another one. But I like my surgeon bolt because it is one piece of solid steel, nothing like a savage bolt. Same with the bolt handle. Last PRS match one guy's tuned rem 700 with a tactical bolt handle screwed on, just fell off. Small parts break. One solid piece of steel will last much longer.
 
I love my custom and it shoots great but I have said it before and will reiterate it again here - I will buy nothing but high-end factory stuff from now on.

It is tough to have an adequate analogy but a high end factory rifle (AI, TRG, PGW) is like a toyota - it just works all of the time. I would say an AI/TRG/PGW is like a ferrari but those things light on fire all the time...

Lots of guys (myself included and many at the matches) can be seen dicking around with stuff at a match and it sucks - feeding issues are the main thing, but other issues like Horse96 arise as well. An example, I have a Custom M700 in 6.5X55 built on a long action, screwed together by the Chou bros - awesome gun, super accurate and runs like a top now. I have to use 300WM AI mags that I adjust the feed lips on to get it to feed properly, last time I did it it took me about 2 hours each. If I have a mag go down in a match I am pretty much screwed as they are hard to find and won't work without adjustment when I do find them.

My TRG, go buy any TRG mag ($$$) slap it in and go, the same for my AI, and PGW, etc.

Ease of mind is worth something to me.
 
I'll second the JC Custom Barrels comment, I have one in .308 on my RPR and it shoots a single hole at 100 yards and I have shot 3/4 MOA at 885 with it both using the cheapest factory match ammo you can buy hornady steel match 155, I'm also just getting into this and have a lot to learn about distance and acuracy shooting. I like the option with the RPR that I can do the barrel swaps myself and in time if I feel the need can go to 6.5, but for now with what I do with it I'm more than happy with .308.

I actually just ordered another custom barrel from JC for my Rem 700 .223 SPS TAC that is in a MDT LSS chassis and can't wait to see the improvement it will have.

If anyone is looking right now in the EE is one of JC's RPR barrels in 6.5 creedmore for sale brand new unused, I'm very tempted to buy it and keep it for future use for the price it's at.
 
That's a good looking rig. MDT is also offering a .22 version of this for high volume low cost target practice, specifically for PRS competitors.
 
Sniffer said:
This guy is one that tried it and didn't like it: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1409555-To-the-RPR-owners-would-you-buy-it-again

In the interests of balance I have read a bunch of threads on here and there are mixed opinions for sure. I really like the gun and the price point is great I feel but I just don't want to be disappointed with how it performs (the most important aspect really)
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That would be me! hahaha

Honestly, a lot of it is opinion... What makes a good gun? It shoots well, almost all factory rifles that you will pay more then 1000 for will fit that bill...

Do you want the looks of RPR ? Is that Style of rifle what you want? If yes, then go hold one. See if someone will let you shoot it.

There are other alternatives, savage Ashbury and company. Savage released a "tactical" style line of firearm to rival ruger...

I would like to mention WEATHERBY's new line of "competition/tactical rifle". It is a weatherly in an MDT chassis system with their own mix of a RPR/Magpul buttstock... I was handling it the other day. Very exciting to see and at a good price (less then the rpr)

I have gone the Savage route with MDT chassis systems and enjoyed them. Savage rifles have always been shooters for me.

I have recently stumbled into an incredible shooter, a Remington SPS tactical, that I put in the Magpul stock... Got the rifle used, put a nice optic on it and put a new chassis/stock on it for less then the RPR and I enjoy it for WHAT I WANTED TO DO WITH IT. (Not only range visits on the bench)

There is even tikka offering tactical rifle.

In the end the decision is up to you, we can all argue and attempt to sway you. Only you know what you like and what you want out of the rifle.

I have owned/shot and used ALL of the brands I mentioned. I have constantly shuffled rifles in and out trying to find what I personally enjoy. Though the Remington SPS tac In a magpul looks great, shoots great and is ready for all weather abuse. It is NOT what I would call my ideal rifle.

As mentioned in my full write up. A Remington 5R HB with a nice crisp trigger (pick you're brand) and a McMillian A-5 stock is how I would go... As for accessories, bipods, scopes, slings, ect. Its again all up to your personal preference and budget....
 
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One thing I would disagree with, the sps is definitely not ready for all weather abuse. I had an sps in a tac 21 chassis that shot great, but no matter how much oil was constantly slathered on, it would rust like crazy. Ended up selling it off. I would recommend some extra protection/cerekote if thinking of an sps of any sort.
 
JC's barrels are cut-rifled and he corresponds with Boot Obermeyer. We have ordered JC's barrels and will compare with Criterion and Pac-Nor on Ruger PRS.

Regards,

Peter
 
langbanger said:
One thing I would disagree with, the sps is definitely not ready for all weather abuse. I had an sps in a tac 21 chassis that shot great, but no matter how much oil was constantly slathered on, it would rust like crazy. Ended up selling it off. I would recommend some extra protection/cerekote if thinking of an sps of any sort.
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My friend has one from 2008, he is the definition of weekend hunter... Don't think he has ever really cleaned it. Definitly not any specific attention. No issues...

Hopefully mine will be the same. If not, more of a reason to buy a Police.
 
I have an RPR and it has a couple issues.
The AI style mag falls out sometimes for no apparent reason.
The Ruger AI style mags jam up because the feed lip angle is wrong and rounds get wedged into the taper. Real AI mags are better.

The bolt has machining marks on it that makes a grinding noise when you cycle it. It gets annoying. If you've never had a better rifle you may not notice or care.

Mine is a 308 and accuracy is about 1.5 moa but that might be optimistic. I'll burn through the barrel before long and the next barrel I'll expect more from.

The rifle has its good points though. I like the 20 moa rail, trigger, folding stock, bolt features, field striping, cleaning ease.
 
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you could get a mossberg mvp LC if your not looking to break the bank and not completely sold on the RPR, I was in-between the mvp LC and the RPR and picked the RPR and very happy with it!
 
Canadiankeeper said:
like a Remington 700 police
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Remmy not so much

Better off with a Tikka or Savage Model 12 action or some action with steel across the top of the ejector port, it's stiffer to support the weight of a heavy barrel.

Remmy's have surprisingly little meat in the middle which creates a flex point that needs to be addressed by bedding the first few inches of the barrel. If the barrel is free floated like in a chassis then you cant.
 
Still thinking about one of these, I`ve really grown to like the idea and looks of the "Enhanced", got an email saying the local store had got some in so I might swing by for a look

I`ve also been looking at the Savage Stealth - pretty much ticks all the boxes that the RPR does and has some sweet features (slimmed down one piece milled chassis, 4 different calibers including 338 Lapua which gives options for the future etc etc)

Would love to see them side by side or hear a comparison from someone who's sampled both
 
Has anyone here experienced the original RPR and the new enhanced?

I`d be curious to hear if the Enhanced is a big step forward?
 
Since you didn't mention price I really like my Accuracy International AE MKIII. It is out of production but the AT is even better with a quick change barrel.
 
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