Spent yesterday comparing two Ruger Rifles.
One was wife's Ruger Precision Rifle, the second my Ruger American Predator.
Both in 6.5 Creedmoor.
Accuracy was pretty close on both guns............when cold. When the Predator gets hot, it starts walking, shot about 1 to 1 1/2 Minutes High. Let it cool down it goes back to zero.
The RPR doesn't care. Hot or cold it shot the same place.
Both didn't seem critical of changing ammo (to a point). The load was Honady Brass, Win LRP, and 41.7 grs of H4350. Three different bullets. Berger 140 gr VLD/Hunting, Hornady 140 gr. A-Max, and Nosler 142 gr. Accubond.
Both guns keep all three in the same group at 100 yards and hit 6 & 8 inch gongs at 300.................that is until the Predator got hot.....after about 7-8 rounds. Let it cool it goes back to zero.
Weight: The RPR is 10.6 lbs. The RAP is 6.6 lbs.
There was quite a bit of muzzle jump with the lighter Predator. I tamed that with a brake.
Both, as said, are accurate rifles and I guess serve different purposes. The Predator would be a great hunting rifle, light weight, and when hunting, if you need more then 3 rounds you have other problems the rifle wouldn't help.
The RPR is a bit heavy for my taste for hunting, but for precision rifle shooting you wouldn't have to worry about it getting hot and walking on you.
At about 1/3 the cost, the Predator would make an excellent budget hunting rifle. Judging by the cost of may Precision Rifles out there, the RPR would be a moderately prices Precision Rifle.
On either, I'd recommend a Brake or Suppressor. Not so much to tame the recoil on the RPR, but to assist with fast follow up shots. There is a bit of recoil with the Predator, plus the muzzle jump I mentioned, I wouldn't consider it without a brake or suppressor.
I'm going to pull the Predator out of the stock and see if I can help the heat problem by free floating the barrel.
Winchester solved the heat/walking problem on their Featherweights with the free floated barrels on the FN Model 70s. My Post 64 Featherweight walks when hot, my FN Model 70 Featherweight doesn't. Also the Post 64 is a 257 Roberts, the FN is a 270 Win. witch burns a bit more powder but still can shoot more rounds without walking. So maybe I'll get lucky by free floating the Predator.
For what its worth, my son has the RPR in 308. Its another winner in my opinion but I don't see any advantage of it over my Model 70 AMU built Match rifle I got from the CMP Auction Site, also in 308. Shooting the same ammo the Model 70 is a tad bit more accurate.
Anyway, for most of us, seeking a moderate price, accurate hunting rifle the Ruger American Predator would be an excellent choice. If one shops around you can find them for about $400 or less, that's pushing the econ price of todays Mosin's. It has no problem keeping groups to 1" or less, and is light enough to carry all day when a field.
The RPR is what it is, a moderate priced Precision Target Rifle, and for that purpose, if it wasn't for my love of Winchesters, would be my go to target rifle.
One was wife's Ruger Precision Rifle, the second my Ruger American Predator.
Both in 6.5 Creedmoor.
Accuracy was pretty close on both guns............when cold. When the Predator gets hot, it starts walking, shot about 1 to 1 1/2 Minutes High. Let it cool down it goes back to zero.
The RPR doesn't care. Hot or cold it shot the same place.
Both didn't seem critical of changing ammo (to a point). The load was Honady Brass, Win LRP, and 41.7 grs of H4350. Three different bullets. Berger 140 gr VLD/Hunting, Hornady 140 gr. A-Max, and Nosler 142 gr. Accubond.
Both guns keep all three in the same group at 100 yards and hit 6 & 8 inch gongs at 300.................that is until the Predator got hot.....after about 7-8 rounds. Let it cool it goes back to zero.
Weight: The RPR is 10.6 lbs. The RAP is 6.6 lbs.
There was quite a bit of muzzle jump with the lighter Predator. I tamed that with a brake.
Both, as said, are accurate rifles and I guess serve different purposes. The Predator would be a great hunting rifle, light weight, and when hunting, if you need more then 3 rounds you have other problems the rifle wouldn't help.
The RPR is a bit heavy for my taste for hunting, but for precision rifle shooting you wouldn't have to worry about it getting hot and walking on you.
At about 1/3 the cost, the Predator would make an excellent budget hunting rifle. Judging by the cost of may Precision Rifles out there, the RPR would be a moderately prices Precision Rifle.
On either, I'd recommend a Brake or Suppressor. Not so much to tame the recoil on the RPR, but to assist with fast follow up shots. There is a bit of recoil with the Predator, plus the muzzle jump I mentioned, I wouldn't consider it without a brake or suppressor.
I'm going to pull the Predator out of the stock and see if I can help the heat problem by free floating the barrel.
Winchester solved the heat/walking problem on their Featherweights with the free floated barrels on the FN Model 70s. My Post 64 Featherweight walks when hot, my FN Model 70 Featherweight doesn't. Also the Post 64 is a 257 Roberts, the FN is a 270 Win. witch burns a bit more powder but still can shoot more rounds without walking. So maybe I'll get lucky by free floating the Predator.
For what its worth, my son has the RPR in 308. Its another winner in my opinion but I don't see any advantage of it over my Model 70 AMU built Match rifle I got from the CMP Auction Site, also in 308. Shooting the same ammo the Model 70 is a tad bit more accurate.
Anyway, for most of us, seeking a moderate price, accurate hunting rifle the Ruger American Predator would be an excellent choice. If one shops around you can find them for about $400 or less, that's pushing the econ price of todays Mosin's. It has no problem keeping groups to 1" or less, and is light enough to carry all day when a field.
The RPR is what it is, a moderate priced Precision Target Rifle, and for that purpose, if it wasn't for my love of Winchesters, would be my go to target rifle.
