Ruger Precision Rifle Review: Part 1 - Introduction, Specifications and Summary

Ruger Precision Rifle Review
Part 1 - Introduction, Specifications and Summary
September 25, 2015

Once again, Ruger knocks one out of the park with their new Ruger Precision Rifle. This rifle is packed with features and performance and it is demonstrating it's performance regularly in various reviews in print and on the web. Sure, I'm a Ruger fan, and for good reason. Ruger has been providing features, quality, performance and value with their firearms for years and their new Ruger Precision Rifle may have just set a bar that many companies will have a hard time meeting. So what makes this rifle so great? Maybe it is 1/2 MOA out of the box, or the 2.25 to 5 lbs adjustable trigger, or their innovative magazine well design which accepts a variety of magazines on the market, or maybe their in-line recoil system, or maybe their new adjustable folding buttstock, or maybe blah blah blah (I think you get the point) and the list goes on. Wait, I shouldn't forget that you get all this for a price of around $1200 to $1400 depending on where you decide to purchase the rifle. Personally I find this an amazing price for this type of shooting platform.

Ruger has also done an amazing job with how they rolled out this rifle on their website. They provided a huge photo that allows you to drag the photo around and look at the details of the rifle. Since I'm a fan of details, it didn't take me long to know I had to get one of their Precision Rifles. At this time, the rifle comes chambered in three different short action calibers; 243 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor and 308 Win. All of these would made a great long range rifle (depending on your interpretation of long range), but it didn't take me long for me to decide on the 6.5 Creedmoor. I'm a big fan of the 243 Win and that was the first rifle I purchased for deer hunting over 35 years ago and I'm also a big fan of the 308 Win which tends to be the caliber I choose for most of my reviews, but the ballistic coefficient advantage you get from the 6.5 Creedmoor was too tempting to pass up.

Since I tend to be too long winded or detailed for some, I am just going to cut to the bottom line. For the price, I think you get an amazing amount of value, quality and performance. So, if you are in the market to get a long range shooting rifle based on a tactical styled platform, then decide on which caliber your want and go order or purchase the rifle right now before you spend your time reading this review or watching my various videos. Once you own it, then take the time to checkout my reviews and feel good about your investment.

If you are struggling on which caliber to purchase, I've provided some graphs below to help you compare the velocity, energy and drop for the three different calibers using currently available ammunition from Hornady and using Hornady's ballistics data and ballistic calculator. The three cartridges I selected to compare are the ones having the greatest ballistic coefficient for each currently available Ruger Precision Rifle caliber and the cartridge information is tabulated below. Keep in mind that depending on which type of ammunition you choose, these charts would be slightly different, but I think this gets the point accross.

Manufacture	Caliber	Bullet Weight	Bullet Type	Ammunition Type	Ballistic Coefficient	Muzzle Velocity (ft/sec)
Hornady	.243 Win	95	SST	Superformance	0.355	3185
Hornady	6.5 Creedmoor	140	A-Max	Match	0.585	2710
Hornady	.308 Win	178	BTHP	Match	0.530	2600

In my case, I selected the 6.5 Creedmoor because I feel it gives the maximum range prior to entering the transonic region and it can do this without having to shoot an extremely hot load to boost velocity. It also has the greatest ballistic coefficient which also minimized wind induced effects. Even if I had selected to compare this 6.5 Creedmoor against Hornady's .308 Win 178gr BTHP Match Superformance ammunition (not shown on this chart), I still would have gotten more range out of the 6.5 Creedmoor.

Figure 1

Bullet energy was not a criteria for me, but if so, after about 800 yards the 6.5 Creedmoor or .308 Win are so similar that the energy differences are not worth noting.

Figure 2

The .243 is flatter shooting out to about 900 yards where it crosses the line for the 6.5 Creedmoor. Since in most cases I will have a good idea on the distance to the target, the flatness of the .243 wasn't critical in my case. If I were considering shooting small targets less than 600 yards where I might not always know the exact distance to the target, I might have reconsidered my selection.

Figure 3

Depending on your shooting situations, what type of rifles you already own and ammunition availability in your area, you can make a case for any of these caliber offerings. At the time of this review, it seems finding a rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor is hard to do which might give you an idea on the popularity of other shooters making the choice for the 6.5 Creedmoor.

During my reviews I like to compare my results to the manufacturer's claims where possible so the following text in colored italics was taken directly from the Ruger website on 8/28/15 and gives the Key Features and Specifications for the Ruger Precision Rifle. The , and are my way to keep up with details that I have covered in this review with either photos, commentary or both.

Key Features

Medium contour (.75" at the muzzle) barrel features 5/8"-24 threads. Thread protector installed.
Barrels can be easily replace by a competent gunsmith using AR-Style wrenches and headspace gauges.
Highly accurate Ruger cold hammer-forged 4140 chrome-moly steel barrel with 5R Rifling at minimum bore and groove dimensions, minimum headspace and centralized chamber.
Equipped with a Samson Evolution Keymod Handguard. May be configured with any AR-Style Handguard.
20 MOA Picatinny rail secured with four #8-40 screws for increased long-range elevation capabilities
"Upper" receiver and one-piece bolt are precision CNC-machined from pre-hardened 4140 chrome-moly steel to minimize distortion.
Three-lug bolt with 70° throw features dual cocking cams and a smooth-running, full diameter bolt body.
Oversized bolt handle for positive bolt manipulation, with 5/16"-24 threads for easy replacement.
Bolt disassembly tool is stored in the bolt shroud for easy striker channel cleaning.
Inline recoil path manages recoil directly from he rear of the receiver to the buttstock, not through a traditional bedding system, providing maximum accuracy potential.
Magazine well front is contoured for a positive grip for bracing against shooting supports.
"Lower" magazine well halves are precision machined from aerospace-grade 7075-T6 aluminum forging and are Type III hard coat anodized for maximum durability.
Multi-Magazine Interface functions interchangeably with M110, SR-25, DPMS and Magpul®-style magazines and AICS magazines (works with some M14 magazines; two 10-round Magpul® PMAG® magazines included.
Ruger Marksman Adjustable™ trigger is externally adjustable with a pull weight range of 2.25 to 5.0 lbs.; wrench is stored in the bolt shroud.
Extended trigger-reach AR-style grip and 45° reversible safety selector.
May be configured with any AR-style grip and selector.
Ruger® Precision MSR stock with QD sling attachment points features a bottom Picatinny rail and soft rubber buttpad. The left-folding stock hinge is attached to an AR-style buffer tube and accepts any AR-style stock.

Specifications

Model Number: 18005
Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
Capacity: 10
Stock: Folding, Adjustable Length of Pull and Comb Height
Barrel: Cold Hammer- Forged, 5R Rifling
Barrel Length: 24.00''
Folded Length: 34.60''
Overall Length: 42.25'' - 45.75'' I measured 42.25'' - 45.50''
Height: 7.30''
Width: 3.30'' I got about 3.45
Weight: 10.60 lbs. is without magazine or provided accessories, 10.95 lbs. with them
Length of Pull: 12.00''- 15.50''
Twist: 1:8''
Suggested Retail: $1,399.00

This review is broken down into multiple parts with this page providing links to each part along with an overall summary of the specifications, pros and cons, and my final "bottom line" comments. Make sure you take time to checkout the other parts of the review because they contain many photos and lots of commentary. Also, there is an extreme amount of detail in those parts which is not covered on this page.

Ruger Precision Rifle Review: Part 1 - Introduction, Specifications and Summary
Ruger Precision Rifle Review: Part 2 - What's in the Box (10 photos and 1 video)
Ruger Precision Rifle Review: Part 3 - External & Operational Features (65 photos and 1 video)
Ruger Precision Rifle Review: Part 4 - Disassembly & Internal Features (38 photos and 2 videos)
Ruger Precision Rifle Review: Part 5 - Range Test (7 photos and 3 videos)

As you read these Pros and Cons below, keep in mind that it is hard to keep my particular preferences from creeping in the equation. Therefore, it is important that you take the time to look at the other parts of this review so you can decide yourself on items which may be more of a personal preference.

Pros:

Out of the box, my rifle's trigger pull was coming in at a very crisp 2 lbs 7 ounces. After tweaking the adjustment and many pulls later, it was coming in at a very crisp 2.35 pounds.
Ruger did a great job with the styling of the lower receiver assembly.
I'm still finding it hard to believe that Ruger could have packed as many features into this rifle and they are only asking a MSRP of $1399.
My rifle proved to be 1/2 MOA capable and my group average of 16 different 5-shot groups was 0.81".
The heavy weight of the rifle and optics made the recoil minimal and shooting the rifle very enjoyable.
Disassembly and reassembly is easy, just make sure you don't remove the bolt disassembly tool while the firing pin assembly is removed from the bolt.

Pro/Con/Comment (you decide)?:

The forend was not perfectly centered around the barrel when I received the rifle and I had to loosen the two screws, readjust the position of the forend and retighten the screws. My key point with this comment is that if yours comes this way, it is a simple adjustment to make it right.
I was a little surprised to see the bright shiny threads at the muzzle of the barrel under the thread protector. This gave me the impression there was no corrosion protection and I plan to ensure there is always some good rust preventative oil in this location.

Cons:

Although the safety selector works without issue, the safety selector switch is jiggly when in it's different positions (SAFE and FIRE).

Bottom Line:

I still stand by my bottom line comment from above. If you are in the market to get a long range shooting rifle based on a tactical styled platform, then decide on which caliber your want and go order or purchase the rifle right now before you spend your time reading this review or watching my various videos. I don't believe I have ever made this strong of a bottom line comment on anything I have reviewed so far so don't take this recommendation ligthly. Ruger has done a outstanding job with their new Ruger Precision Rifle which has proven to me to be a real shooter at a great value. With about 120 photos, 7 videos and tons of commentary, I think I have made my case that this is a great rifle. As always, don't just rely on my thoughts. Do your research and study other reviews and I think you will come to the same opinion that the Ruger Precision Rifle is a great shooting platform.

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