Ruger SFAR

With careful selection of optics and mounts, the SFAR could potentially handle quite well in the woods. Something like a Leopold VX3i 3.5-10x in the AERO lightweight mount would keep the rifle from getting too bulky.

Or the Primary Arms micro 3x prism would be even lighter and more svelt.

 

I love those mounts doesn't help much on my 308, but they're nice and light and solid I have a couple on 5.56 guns too.

 

I'd called or visited just about every LGS in 1/4 of the state of Alabama...finally found one ($1029). I pulled the Burris RT-6 off one of my 5.56 guns to mount until I decide if I want a different optic. Hopefully I can get to the range on Friday to try 'er out.

 

That's exactly what I plan to put on mine.

 

Should be a good combo!

 

I handled one and was heartily impressed. If I was in the market for an AR10 type, I would probably look real hard at them. I'm not, so I didn't.

27oz is for the whole thing. You can mount it on a carbine buffer tube. A standard carbine stock saves about a pound.

 

Got mine out this afternoon to zero the Burris and MBUS sights. Left it in the #2 gas setting, only issue was the bolt failing to lock back on an empty magazine a few times.

I'll wind up putting either an 8x or 10x LPVO on it to help out my aging eyes...should be able to tighten the groups up.

 

I hear you there. I love my AR10s and AR15s but my Armalite AR10T with a scope on it is basically too heavy to be anything but a range toy. I love the velocity I get out of the 24" barrel though. That being said, the heavy 16" barrel on my DPMS recon shoots every bit as accurate as the 24" AR10T. With handloads, I'm always sub-MOA and frequently at, around or below 0.5 MOA with either rifle. I have developed a hankering for a Bergara B14 HMR in .308 and I'm just about to "pull the trigger" and then I see this Ruger SFAR and I am very curious.

This is the comment I mostly wanted to respond to. I'm 51 years old and have recently started getting back into physical fitness after suffering a back injury 2 years ago. I started running this past summer and I just ran 7 miles yesterday. I did the first 10K in a little less than an hour. I was a runner back in my Army days 25 years ago and it appears that my leg muscles didn't completely forget that training. With 3-4 months of intense training, they have been restored to at least close to where they were 25 years ago I think. I have run two half marathons in my life. The first time was in 1998 while deployed overseas. The second time was about a month ago. So, having seen these results in my legs, I have recently (within the past month) started lifting weights at the gym now too and I'm already seeing and feeling improvements in upper body strength. I have to think that my upper body muscles have retained some kind of memory as well. You have 9 years on me but I think that if you made going to the gym a habit, you would see benefits and I think a lot of times, it's a big old mental hurdle that you need to get over. And as for that pain you're feeling from working out yesterday, I have been in quite a bit of post workout pain over the past several months. It goes away and then you go to the gym or the track or the trail and tear yourself up again and you just keep doing it. Honestly, physical fitness is a much bigger part of my life than firearms these days. There are only so many hours in the day you know. Anyways, I'm just encouraging you and anyone else that is thinking about getting back into their "fit to fight" condition to do so but, at the same time, I don't know what your health history is so I don't want to encourage you or anyone else to do something that might be unhealthy. I can only provide my example as evidence of what is possible.

 

you could run from here to china but at around 68 your legs will start to fail you

 

This looks like an excellent patrol rifle for uniformed law enforcement.

With so many insane drugs flowing through the streets the additional stopping power of a proper .30 caliber rifle cartridge using expanding ammunition could make the difference in life and death. The .223 varmint rifles shoehorned into this role as current lack the power necessary to reliably stop a drugged up goblin right now.

 

Absolutely. I have come to not really like the PRS stock on my Armalite. It makes an already heavy weapon even more heavy. The original AR15/AR10 black plastic/resin/fiberglass/whatever fixed stock is hard to improve on IMO. It's lightweight, strong enough for a butt stroke and provides a good cheek weld and it has a compartment for storing hex wrenches and whatnot.

 

I'm hoping that by the time I reach that age, I will be able to just "coast" to the finish line but I do see old timers out there on the trail running. They're running slow but they're running and they're older than 68. I hope I'm that hard core at their age.

 

My son and I have an out and back 10 mile trail outside of our town where we run and ride bikes - we had just started our “back,” maybe a quarter mile from the end, when my son tripped and skinned his shin. I was cleaning him up when another runner came up from the “out” direction and stopped to check on us. We were just shy of 5 miles off of the trail head so we all had 4 3/4 - 5 1/4 miles on our legs, and at least 4 3/4 miles to get out. I’m not fast, and my 9yr old son isn’t either, but we pace out about 9:30-10’/mi on long runs. Our new acquaintance ran back with us.

He was 81.

 

That's good running. That's about what I run right now. I'm a few seconds away from a sub 8 minute mile. As I recall, my best time in the Army was 2 miles in 13 minutes and 40 seconds. In the back of my mind, I know I'm trying to get back to something like that. I looked at that Ruger BTW and just "pulled the trigger" on a .308 Bergara B14 HMR instead and 100 pieces of Lapua brass. That seemed like a heck of a lot of rifle for less than a grand and I have enough semi-autos lying around. It will be fun to reload for a bolt gun again.

 

How was recoil? I am curious about this rifle. I am sure I wouldn't have a problem but if I sat up one of my teen aged daughters to shoot it would it be a bad thing?

 

I held one of the 16 inch barreled one last Saturday.

Here's my question, would it make a suitable scout rifle substitute, as a scout rifle was meant to be a versatile weapon? Imagine a some iron sights and a red dot, putting the weight just over Cooper's standards, but substituting semi auto advantages over a bolt action.

 

I haven’t ran a single mile for a long time, something like 2013 or 2014 is the last time I saved a single mile in my tracking app, but have been considering doing so, since I really don’t know what my best mile would be “now.” My son is working towards his first 8’ mile, but we’ve been sick the last 3wks with multiple rounds of different crap, which put a damper on his progress.

I HAD been wearing a 20lb weight vest most days that he and I run together - both to train for a specific rifle match and to better align our paces… but the last month or so before we got sick, he’s been dragging me on the first couple of miles and wearing me out by the time we get to our backsides, so I’m gonna have to bail on the extra burden just to keep ahead of him now.

In HS, I remember only breaking 6’ a few times on single miles, but my 2 mile and 5k pace was 6:15-6:40’ for a lot of years, and through most of college, I held onto 7:30-8’ pace for 10k to half marathon distances. I didn’t run much for a few years, then got hurt in 2012 and lost 6months in recovery - tried to recover in 2013-15, running and triathlon, but just never could break faster than 8’-8:30 5k pace any more, and 10k and longer, I rarely break under 9’, usually that 9:30-10’… but I can hold that well, whether it’s 10k or 30k… as long as I’m not higher than about 3000ft, haha! Elevation kicks my ass too.

BUT… I’ll also say, I really don’t follow the philosophy that losing pounds of fat makes up for losing pounds of rifle. I don’t mind carrying a lot of rifle, but after spending ~18yrs restricting weight below “natural,” I’m about 20lbs heavier than when I was in the best shape of my life, and carrying heavy rifles is easier now than it was then. Carrying and moving almost EVERYTHING is easier now than it was then, despite being physically much weaker. “Mass in the ass” counts for something when you’re using it to move other things. So losing 5lbs to carry 5lbs more pack and rifle doesn’t necessarily pan out in practice.

 

I think maybe a better fit for the concept with a low power variable in a QD mount, with a set of decent flip sights for backup. I would also choose a 1" tube for weight savings over a 30mm.

 

I think this has some merit. Sort of the same concept of towing with a vehicle. A heavy truck is going to pull a heavy trailer much better than a lighter one, even with a seemingly worse power to weight ratio.

 

If the SFAR is not easily modifiable to take different barrels and other bits like an AR15 is then I would expect it to die off quickly. If it is built to be easily modifiable then I would expect it to take off quickly. As mentioned earlier, there are many “ar10” rounds that would be well served in a smaller package that would be more hunter friendly. .243 and 7-08 immediately come to mind and I’m certain that others would be marketable too.

 

Running. I was a track and cross country runner in HS. Set a record and went to State. That was 1965. People still ask me if I still run. No. I am an avid upland hunter and walk lots. I have had injuries over the years, Broken leg, sprain, blood clots. but always bounce back. 2 years I had a motorcycle accident, broke a toe, hand wrist, shoulder and other injuries. This fall I resumed hunting but just didn't have energy. Oct. 30th, I had a heart attack. 3 stents. Today I took my dog out and walked a little more than a mile. Hoping I don't have chest pains tonight. I notice that my legs aren't as strong.

 

if he did the work I did he be watching you from a seat. carried 1000's of packs roof shingles up 2 stories did the same with sheets of plywood. carried countless tons of lumber thru mud snow. quit school at 15 and started carrying lumber. worked to 66 and did lighter work last 10 years

 

I agree with the LPVO but in an Aero lightweight mount with 45° irons. Does anyone make a 1" 1-6X or 1-8X?

 

Closest I know if is the Leupold 1.5-5x or 1.75-6x. Their 30mm's aren't too bad on weight though. Burris had a 1.5-6x.