There is no denying that a MDT chassis with a Bartlein barrel, and Jewel trigger , with a Spuhr mount and Schmidt Bender has and advantage over the Ruger RPR with Vortex PST.
Both rifles are capable of shooting half MOA. Both rifles are capable of using the same 10 round AICS magazines, with or without extra baseplate extensions. Both rifles can have the same muzzle brake or suppressor, and neither rifle is so light as to constitute a serious disadvantage for spotting misses. Both can be chambered in 6mm Creedmoor, as well. The RPR can have the same arca-swiss rail as the MDT, since multiple companies make rails that attach via MLOK.
In total, the custom rifle might net you 1-2 extra points only if it's substantially heavier and in a lighter caliber. This would only be due to a lower recoil that allows you to spot misses more easily from an unsteady position, but then again you'd be more likely to miss in the first place since the hotter 6mm Creedmoor in the RPR would have a larger margin for error on wind than the slower calibers.
Both scopes are FFP. Both scopes have quality tracking that is usually dead-on for the entire adjustment range, or can be warrantied until a properly tracking scope is received. Both scopes have good options available for reticles that are useful on holdover stages. Both scopes are capable of adjusting from 5-25 power, with 25 power for prone stages like KYL racks and 10-14 for just about everything else.
In total, the Schmidt
MIGHT net you a single point, and that's a big maybe. I've only ever seen a single target in all the competitions I've attended where the clarity of a S&B, NF, or TT (and the like) might provide an advantage over a PST. It was a day with heavy mirage, the target was small (2" square at 250 yards), and it had a grey background the same color as beaten up steel. Even with my Schmidt I had a hell of a time trying to see the plate, but luckily it was hung from a colored strap that made it easy to aim at the plate even without seeing it because you could just aim 1" under the end of the strap.
The high end scopes provide no quantifiable advantage, they just make the picture look a little clearer, are less likely to need warranty replacement or repair, and have some extra features for QoL such as additional reticle choice, smoother turret feel, and easier zero stops.
I agree....but can you deny that high end gear gives one an advantage over others?
I can and will deny that high end gear gives an advantage equal to more than about 2-4 shots over the course of a match, in a best case scenario for the high end gear. Once you reach the bare minimum requirements for gear, anything beyond that is mostly just for convenience or personal preference. The bare minimum requirements are below:
- Rifle capable of at least 3/4 MOA groups
- A bipod is also generally a must
- Ballistic calculator (free apps for this available on any smartphone included) and/or DOPE book compiled with past data
- Scope with reliable and accurate tracking, or at least a consistent tracking error that you have measured
- Scope must be capable of resolving 1 MOA targets at up to ~1,200 yards - a feat accomplished easily by even the cheapest Athlon scopes
- FFP is better than SFP, but provides no real potential advantages outside of holdover stages
- A couple shooting bags for stability, which can be easily handmade using beans and fabric
High end bags are an advantage only in the fact that someone else has tested it to work and you don't have to put in the time to make something similar yourself. High end rifles are an advantage only in that they can help mask the flaws in someone's shooting fundamentals, because someone with solid fundamentals for recoil management and trigger control won't perform differently if they're shooting a 10lb rifle with a 5lb trigger or a 25lb rifle with a 0.5lb trigger. High end scopes provide image clarity, but even the cheapest optics out there have enough clarity to see the targets you shoot in a PRS match.
Shooter skill, on the other hand, is the reason that people with $8,000 rifle builds can end up in both first place and in last place. Give a top tier shooter that RPR with a Vortex PST and they'll still be a top tier shooter. Give a new shooter that $8,000 rifle setup and they'll still almost always place near the bottom of the match.
I know this because I was that new shooter with top of the line gear once. I worked out a deal with a local gun store where I did some sales and ammunition reloading work for them, and in exchange I got to use their demo rifle for PRS matches. The demo gun was a $5,000 Christensen TFM with a Tangent Theta and an Atlas bipod. They also let me use their Labradar and full reloading setup including a Prometheus powder measure. At the match I was able to borrow a RRS tripod from other shooters, a Kestrel for ballistic calculations, the adapters required to attach any arca accessory to my rifle, and whatever bags the people in my squad had brought with them. All I had of my own at the time was my phone's ballistic calculator and a pair of shooting bags (one Tactical Udder and a Reasor Precision rear bag).
All told that was about $17,000 worth of gear I had available for use at my first match. $5,000 rifle, $4,500 scope, $1,300 tripod, $5,100 powder measure, $600 Kestrel, and $500 in shooting bags or acra accessories.
I went to my first national match and scored 49 points. The winner (David Preston) had a rifle that cost about $4,000, a scope that cost $2,000, and the same kind of setup for tripod/bags/accessories. He did not have a Prometheus to load his ammo with, and both his rifle and scope were less expensive than what I was using. He still kicked my ass by hitting more than 2x the number of targets that I did. In fact there were only about 20 shooters that placed worse than I did at that match.
BOTTOM LINE That $8,000 rifle and scope setup might gain you 4 points over the course of a match compared to the $2,000 RPR and Vortex PST setup. Doug Koenig, for example, still places in the top 20 at national matches regularly using his cheap production class setup. Practice and experience will gain you literally 50 points or more over the course of a match, even if you're using cheaper gear.
n new world cause that dude won the match with that shit. NOW I CAN BE JUST LIKE 308pirate. 
