Has the Ruger Precision Rifle Perfected Customization? I’m always on the lookout for a more affordable rifle for long-range shooting and I think I found one with the Ruger Precision Rifle, or RPR, Gen III. The first thing I noticed about the matte black frame was the amount of customization that you can do, so I put it to the test.
First and foremost, this thing hits what you aim at. It can be chambered in 6.0 or 6.5 Creedmoor, but I chose .308 because a lot of the rifles in my safe are the same caliber. The Gen III’s .308 barrel is 4” less than the other calibers at only 20” long, but it didn’t seem to affect accuracy.
Since it’s meant for longer distances, I was happy with the M-LOK and Picatinny railing. There was plenty of room for just about any rifle scope I can imagine you’d want to mount, but I went with my favorite optic and it fit like a glove.
The stock doesn’t just adjust directionally, but the cheek rest can be repositioned as well. I spent more than a few minutes getting it just right since I don’t usually see that, but I haven’t had to touch it since and it’s very comfortable to fire.
On top of the variety of scopes, you can use a different stock as long as it’s a buffer-tube style and you can swap out the trigger system. I stayed with the manufacturer stock because it felt good and had a small rail on the bottom that gave me a better grip on the sandbag.
As for the trigger, it can be tempting to configure to make something unique but I loved the one that came with it! You can adjust the tension between 2 and 5 pounds, so I got mine to around 3 because I like a little weight to the pull.
My RPR Gen III came with 2 10-round Magpul magazines, but you can use a lot of different magazine types with the way the well is designed. It was also nice that the safety and release are built like an AR.
The Gen III weighs about 10 pounds unloaded so that stock rail came in handy after a while. I did love that I could practice the bolt action with the safety on, because that cut down on the time I actually had to hold it up.
Ruger Precision Rifle: Is It The Real Deal?
I bought my Ruger Precision Rifle Gen III for around $1,200 and that’s one of the best purchases I’ve made. It’s very accurate at long-range, has plenty of room for a scope with eye relief, and I could’ve switched out the trigger, magazine, and stock. As it is, the only thing I changed was the caliber because this rifle is a great addition to your collection.
Richard Douglas writes on firearms, defense, and security issues. He is the founder and editor of Scopes Field, and a columnist at the National Interest, 1945, Daily Caller, and other publications.
Paul
December 7, 2021 at 9:51 pm
I had a RPR 24″ barrel chambered in 6.5 Creedmore. It was a tack driving rifle after I zero’d it with a Vortex scope.. Two things I didn’t like:
1. The bolt group felt “cheap.” The bolt shroud housed a bolt spring leverage removal tool and trigger adjustment Allen wrench. The bolt spring tool was a joke; cheap plastic and guaranteed too fly off when trying too remove the bolt spring. Furthermore, Ruger significantly redesigned the firing pin assembly catch but did not update their technical manuals or videos. Another negative for the bolt group.
2. The trigger group is very delicate. To remove the trigger group, you must remove a Allen wrench bolt, depress a very delicate top plunger type part, and horizontally tap out the trigger group. I have 30 plus years of experience and all the gunsmithing tools for working on rifles, pistols, etc, and this trigger group “RPMO” (Royally Pissed Me Off!).
Bottom Line: Good rifle, over engineered, would not want to use “downrange”. Keep this platform back at the peacetime shooting club …
RLD Montana 454 Casull
December 8, 2021 at 7:04 am
I would rather it have a 24 inch barrel as the velocity loss with a 20 inch barrel defeats the purpose of a long range rifle .20 inch works for a rim fire with limited powder but a 308 needs at least a 22 inch barrel and preferably a 24 inch to get the most of of this cartridge for long range shooting .
Sam
January 15, 2022 at 5:13 pm
“I bought my Ruger Precision Rifle Gen III for around $1,200 ”
Where, though?
And don’t say Cabela’s, because they start at $1500 there.
UptoWord
October 25, 2022 at 10:19 pm
This rifle is truly special. Ruger has done an amazing job with the design and engineering. The accuracy and reliability are second to none. I would highly recommend this rifle to anyone looking for a quality precision rifle.
Latestmodapks
May 28, 2023 at 1:43 am
This rifle is truly special. Ruger has done an amazing job with the design and engineering. The accuracy and reliability are second to none. I would highly recommend this rifle to anyone looking for a quality precision rifle.