What Do You Think of the RPR?

[Capybara]

I owned a Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 CM (below) that I had to sell due to divorce. I really liked it and was just getting into long range precision rifle before I had to go through all of that. I am looking to eventually get back into it, although the only local range I can practically go to tops out at 1,000 yrds. For me, a beginner, it would be thrilling to tighten my groups on steel at 1,000 yards. I reload although I am far from a precision reloading fanatic but I would like to evolve my reloading skills to compliment my long range shooting skills.

I've been looking at the Tikka, Bergara, Howa and Savage options but the reason I bought the RPR was because it was basically ready to go out of the box, attach an optic and get shooting. I like Ruger and I thought the RPR was a very nice rifle. If I gain skills though and get better, will I regret the RPR? For those of you with a lot of experience into "fun" level long distance, what do you think of the RPR, if you've ever shot one? I'm not interested in matches and competition and I doubt I will ever go down the rabbit hole of serious long distance shooting but I do like just having fun and being able to ring steel at 800-1000 yards and perhaps go for tighter groups at those ranges and obviously at closer distances eventually.

I doubt I will ever shoot much past 1,000 yards as there just isn't that kind of shooting area very close to me and I don't like to drive 6-7 hours round trip just to shoot. Anyway, thoughts on the RPR versus Savage or the other options I mentioned above for a newb? I know that the optic is just as important, if not more so I am trying to budget into also affording a good optic too.

 

[1KPerDay]

For the money it’s pretty impressive IMO. But I’m also a noob.

 

[JFrank]

I owned a Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 CM (below) that I had to sell due to divorce. I really liked it and was just getting into long range precision rifle before I had to go through all of that. I am looking to eventually get back into it, although the only local range I can practically go to tops out at 1,000 yrds. For me, a beginner, it would be thrilling to tighten my groups on steel at 1,000 yards. I reload although I am far from a precision reloading fanatic but I would like to evolve my reloading skills to compliment my long range shooting skills.

I've been looking at the Tikka, Bergara, Howa and Savage options but the reason I bought the RPR was because it was basically ready to go out of the box, attach an optic and get shooting. I like Ruger and I thought the RPR was a very nice rifle. If I gain skills though and get better, will I regret the RPR? For those of you with a lot of experience into "fun" level long distance, what do you think of the RPR, if you've ever shot one? I'm not interested in matches and competition and I doubt I will ever go down the rabbit hole of serious long distance shooting but I do like just having fun and being able to ring steel at 800-1000 yards and perhaps go for tighter groups at those ranges and obviously at closer distances eventually.

I doubt I will ever shoot much past 1,000 yards as there just isn't that kind of shooting area very close to me and I don't like to drive 6-7 hours round trip just to shoot. Anyway, thoughts on the RPR versus Savage or the other options I mentioned above for a newb? I know that the optic is just as important, if not more so I am trying to budget into also affording a good optic too.

View attachment 1135511

A former range mate of mine shot the Ruger quite well at our 600 Benchrest matches.

 

[citizenconn]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Unless you found the RPR lacking then you would probably like the newer version even better as they have fixed some of the issues over the years with the older models. They even have a custom shop version that offers nice upgrades for a bit more $$.
https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/new-for-2022-ruger-custom-shop-precision-rifle/

You may also ask yourself whether you want to stick with a 6.5 CR or go to another chambering like the 6.5 PRC which will give you a little more reach over the CR.

I like the Savage precision rifle in an MDT chassis a bit better myself, but everyone I've known who has an RPR had nothing but good things to say about them.

If you are going to use the rifle for something other than target shooting you may want to look into one of the hybrid rifles that are very popular now such as the Bergara HMR (Hunting Match Rifle) or Springfield Waypoint. Both are excellent rifles and Bergara has a lot of stock options and packages to choose from. Every Bergara rifle I have shoots superbly.

The best advice I can give is to look at the used shelves at your LGS or wherever you get your firearms. There are a lot of fellas like you who have had to let really nice rifles go because they were in a tight spot and the prices can be much more affordable.

Good luck and enjoy searching.

 

[Capybara]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Unless you found the RPR lacking then you would probably like the newer version even better as they have fixed some of the issues over the years with the older models. They even have a custom shop version that offers nice upgrades for a bit more $$.
https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/new-for-2022-ruger-custom-shop-precision-rifle/

You may also ask yourself whether you want to stick with a 6.5 CR or go to another chambering like the 6.5 PRC which will give you a little more reach over the CR.

I like the Savage precision rifle in an MDT chassis a bit better myself, but everyone I've known who has an RPR had nothing but good things to say about them.

If you are going to use the rifle for something other than target shooting you may want to look into one of the hybrid rifles that are very popular now such as the Bergara HMR (Hunting Match Rifle) or Springfield Waypoint. Both are excellent rifles and Bergara has a lot of stock options and packages to choose from. Every Bergara rifle I have shoots superbly.

The best advice I can give is to look at the used shelves at your LGS or wherever you get your firearms. There are a lot of fellas like you who have had to let really nice rifles go because they were in a tight spot and the prices can be much more affordable.

Good luck and enjoy searching.

Thanks for the input. Yes, I very much liked my RPR and that was Gen 1 so I am sure the current models are even a bit nicer. I did take a look at the custom shop model, very interesting upgrades on that one. Since I already have a set of dies and I think I will max at 1,000 yards simply because there is no other place to shoot farther than that near me, I think 6.5 CM will be a good cartridge. May I ask which features or characteristics about your Savage do you find more appealing? I won't be hunting and will likely not shoot
competitively. For me, it's just a personal goal to be able to consistently put a projectile roughly where I want it to go at that crazy long distance, I think it will also help my marksmanship at "normal 100-300 yard ranges with other rifles as well as precision marksmanship is a skill. I'm a decent clays shooter and a shotgun instructor so precision rifle is the absolute opposite of that, which is intriguing, it's a different way of thinking and shooting. I want to broaden my shooting skills in rifle and pistol. I'm not really a good shot at either, although I can bust clays!

Fortunately I have a good relationship with the owner of my LGS so I will ask him to keep an eye on his consignment and used racks.

 

[Charlie98]

I have shot a 6.5CM RPR next to my .308 Savage model 10... I thought the RPR was a bit rough and clunky compared to my Savage. My Savage is not a rail or chassis gun like the RPR, so I'm only talking about the action and shooting impressions. That is not to say it wasn't accurate... it was.

Just last week, a friend of mine bought a Savage model 10 that had been put into some sort of chassis, in 6.5CM. Bought it off the used rack for $800. I had a chance to handle it today, and the action on that one is even smoother than mine.... so either the previous owner worked on it, or it's a very good example. Looking at his rifle... it sort of looks like they took the very same action of my rifle (which is the cheapo version of the model 10) and put it in a Oryx chassis (I remember the name, now....) He is still waiting on his scope, so we don't really know how it shoots, yet.

I would go window shopping if I were you. You have your experience with your RPR... I would look at some of the other rifles out there, including an equivalent Savage or other mainstream brand, or even some of the specialty rifles like Christanson. If a budget is a determining factor, that will weed some of them out. The used rack isn't a bad place to look, either, and particularly for a starting- or mid-range rifle.

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

I owned a Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 CM (below) that I had to sell due to divorce. I really liked it and was just getting into long range precision rifle before I had to go through all of that. I am looking to eventually get back into it, although the only local range I can practically go to tops out at 1,000 yrds. For me, a beginner, it would be thrilling to tighten my groups on steel at 1,000 yards. I reload although I am far from a precision reloading fanatic but I would like to evolve my reloading skills to compliment my long range shooting skills.

I've been looking at the Tikka, Bergara, Howa and Savage options but the reason I bought the RPR was because it was basically ready to go out of the box, attach an optic and get shooting. I like Ruger and I thought the RPR was a very nice rifle. If I gain skills though and get better, will I regret the RPR? For those of you with a lot of experience into "fun" level long distance, what do you think of the RPR, if you've ever shot one? I'm not interested in matches and competition and I doubt I will ever go down the rabbit hole of serious long distance shooting but I do like just having fun and being able to ring steel at 800-1000 yards and perhaps go for tighter groups at those ranges and obviously at closer distances eventually.

I doubt I will ever shoot much past 1,000 yards as there just isn't that kind of shooting area very close to me and I don't like to drive 6-7 hours round trip just to shoot. Anyway, thoughts on the RPR versus Savage or the other options I mentioned above for a newb? I know that the optic is just as important, if not more so I am trying to budget into also affording a good optic too.

View attachment 1135511

Ok so the reason the RPR is nice IMHO, is due to the fact that the 6 and 6.5 Creedmoor, and 308 version takes DPMS pattern mags such as 25rd PMAGS!

 

[Capybara]

Ok so the reason the RPR is nice IMHO, is due to the fact that the 6 and 6.5 Creedmoor, and 308 version takes DPMS pattern mags such as 25rd PMAGS!

That is a nice bonus!

 

[Ks5shooter]

I have a gen 1 in .243 with a Leupold 8-25 50 mm FFP. 103 gr eld-m bullets and its a tack driver.Im in bed at this hour just surfing the web.My knee replacement is throbbing a bit from physical therapy today.So no pics until morning. Go with what you know and do another RPR.

 

[Varminterror]

If I gain skills though and get better, will I regret the RPR?

If you simply develop skills in the area of casual, long range plinking, then no, it is not likely you will regret the RPR.

Absolutely DO avoid buying a ton of aftermarket parts to turn the RPR into a gussied up, $2000+ RPR, which is still just an RPR. Bolt knobs, barricade blocks, bolt shrouds, mag releases, etc… not good purchases for an RPR, and just add cost, without really improving performance. That money is better spent on training, ammo, and/or saved towards a custom rifle, if you so decide later that the RPR doesn’t meet your evolved needs.

If competition is in your future, then the RPR isn’t a great starting point, because it’s not actually a relevant ending point for any form of long range competition. It handles tall and round, so for PRS, it won’t be as stable, and it is lighter than the rifles used for the game, like my Defiance or Walkalong’s Impact rifle. It’s high off of the bench and not well suited for benchrest - check out SPJ’s Bat for what you should be seeking there. Not enough horsepower in any incarnation for ELR, unless you had it in 300PRC or 338Lapua and lived in Kansas where there are regular Light Gun class matches.

But… the RPR will shoot small, and will shoot long. I had a Gen 1 in 243win, then a Gen 2 in 6.5 Creed, which I rebarreled to 6 creed, and any of them shot small. When I first started in PRS competition, we saw a bunch of them, and I shot regularly with the gal who won the PRS Production division my first season, and a guy which got 4th the next season in Production (if memory serves), both with RPR’s - but then the rules changed and evolved away from a playing field where the RPR could hang. They’re not super smooth, refined tools; they’re affordable rifles which are very adaptable and shoot very small, backed by the support of a great company. Barrels are available far and wide. Not much to complain about, there.

 

[Capybara]

If you simply develop skills in the area of casual, long range plinking, then no, it is not likely you will regret the RPR.

Absolutely DO avoid buying a ton of aftermarket parts to turn the RPR into a gussied up, $2000+ RPR, which is still just an RPR. Bolt knobs, barricade blocks, bolt shrouds, mag releases, etc… not good purchases for an RPR, and just add cost, without really improving performance. That money is better spent on training, ammo, and/or saved towards a custom rifle, if you so decide later that the RPR doesn’t meet your evolved needs.

If competition is in your future, then the RPR isn’t a great starting point, because it’s not actually a relevant ending point for any form of long range competition. It handles tall and round, so for PRS, it won’t be as stable, and it is lighter than the rifles used for the game, like my Defiance or Walkalong’s Impact rifle. It’s high off of the bench and not well suited for benchrest - check out SPJ’s Bat for what you should be seeking there. Not enough horsepower in any incarnation for ELR, unless you had it in 300PRC or 338Lapua and lived in Kansas where there are regular Light Gun class matches.

But… the RPR will shoot small, and will shoot long. I had a Gen 1 in 243win, then a Gen 2 in 6.5 Creed, which I rebarreled to 6 creed, and any of them shot small. When I first started in PRS competition, we saw a bunch of them, and I shot regularly with the gal who won the PRS Production division my first season, and a guy which got 4th the next season in Production (if memory serves), both with RPR’s - but then the rules changed and evolved away from a playing field where the RPR could hang. They’re not super smooth, refined tools; they’re affordable rifles which are very adaptable and shoot very small, backed by the support of a great company. Barrels are available far and wide. Not much to complain about, there.

Thanks for your input. I doubt I will become too serious with this whole endeavor as I like shooting clays, plinking and trying to become a better handgun shooter, plus I am a reloader and I love C&Rs. There are only so many hours in a day so I have to be well rounded and enjoy each little facet of firearms ownership, but I do find shooting at 1,000 yards very intriguing, delving into wind, physics and just becoming a better shooter, so it sounds as if the RPR is perfect for the level I want to take it to.

If I do buy another RPR, it will stay stock, I am not a big accessory and customization guy, although I am kind of going nuts in dressing up my new Beretta 1301 Tactical with the Magpul stock, mag extension, Aridus CROM, red dot, etc. But that's a self defense shotgun that will also be for range fun. But the RPR would stay bone stock.

Be well!

 

[igotta40]

To the OP- I’m a novice as well, working (too slowly) out to longer distances. I have 5 chassis rifles-

RPR 6mm Creedmoor
Savage 110 Precision 300 Win Mag
Savage Axis II Precision .308
Savage 110 Elite Precision 6.5 Creedmoor
Howa 1500 HCR 6.5 Creedmoor

The Ruger is my first chassis rifle and I like it a lot, and it’s extremely accurate for me. Quite honestly the one most enjoyable to shoot and comfortable to sit behind and also to reload for, is the Howa. It had that awful looking distressed flag paint job, now it’s Cerakoted in WW2 OD Green. The chamber isn’t as finicky with brass sizing as the Savage. I bought the Savage Axis on impulse without really looking very closely at it. I had an Axis years ago and hated it. This one- working the bolt is like shifting gears in a VW bus, and it cocks on opening, but I was stunned when I got it scoped and sighted in. Five shots into one hole at 100 yards with my hand loads, repeatable. The 300 Win Mag takes too much powder to keep fed with ammo but it puts a big grin on my face. The Elite is like carrying a 4x4 fence post to the firing line but it has all the bells & whistles. Great rifle. They are all great rifles for a novice like me. Not trying to steer you, just sharing what I know.

 

[citizenconn]

May I ask which features or characteristics about your Savage do you find more appealing?

I like the MDT chassis on the Savage Precision better than the chassis on the RPR. I have both Savage Precision and Savage Elite Precisions and actually like the LSS-XL chassis (Precision) better in general than the ACC competition chassis(Elite Precision) for the shooting I do. If you were into PRS or other competition shooting the ACC chassis is probably the better option but it is heavier and harder to maneuver for me. I also like the stock options for the LSS-XL chassis on the Savage Precision better.

I do have a few Savage Axis II precision rifles that have a modified MDT Oryx chassis of sorts and think they are a good option for the price but not as nice as the LSS-XL chassis on the Savage Precision which uses a 10/110 action. Both Savages actions cock when you lift the bolt which a lot of folks find an issue with, but I put extended bolt handles on most of mine and that fixes any issues related to bolt lift for me. I picked Savages to begin with because of how easy it is for a home gunsmith to change barrels and set headspacing.

I do have a few Howa 1500s in MDT Oryx chassis and like them ok. The Howa triggers are not as easy to adjust/tune as the Savage triggers and they did not come with a rail or muzzle brake so even though they were cheaper to begin with than the Savage Precision models in the end the price was about the same once I bought the rail and muzzle brakes. The upside being that I get to pick which muzzle brake I want with the Howa instead of having to settle for the generic Savage brake. The Savage brake works fine on the 6.5 CR but for the 6.5 PRC and .300 PRC models I replaced the Savage brakes with something more effective. The LSS-XL chassis on the Savage Precision is definitely a step up from the Oryx chassis on the Howa. I was not at all interested in the other Howa chassis rifles I've seen such as the Howa HCR.

I have several older models of Savage chassis type rifles going back all the way to the 10BA which was in .308 (no 6.5 CR as it had not come into vogue yet.) The 10 BA Stealth is a great older model chassis rifle that you can often find on Gunbroker in 6.5 CR, new in the box, for $800-1000.

I initially picked the Savage models over the RPRs because I felt they would be easier for me to work on and I did not like the buttstock on the RPR, but if I saw a good deal on an RPR I would not hesitate to get one. All are very capable out to 1000 yards if the shooter can do their part and knows the ballistics.

There are a lot of other precision type rifles out there now than there were when I started in precision shooting. If one if willing to spend $2000-2500 the option are awesome and limitless. Under $1300 there are fewer good options but its still very doable. Many of my best rifles were gently used rifles I found for under $1000. Good luck searching.