American RIfleman article Ruger Precision Rimfire

[Travelor]

Anyone read the latest NRA Rifleman mag? Here is my evaluation of the article.

Article on RPR is more a fluff piece that a honest evaluation. The magazine problem was not even addressed.

All of us are having magazine problems due the shortness of the supplied 15 round magazines in relation to the magazine and wells fit problems. Mine routinely jams on the last round out of the BX-15 and BX-10 magazines.

Also a rifle that averages .8" groups at 50 yards shot off the bench is NOT GOOD. I had a very brief period when my RPR shot well - before that and after that brief period the accuracy is mediocre to frustratingly POOR. It has driven me nuts trying to get the gun to shoot well in prep for local PRS style 22 matches. I find it interesting the gun was shot in testing with a 7x32 scope rather than a higher power one.

In fairness, the trigger pull on my rifle is great for a factory supplied unmodified trigger and I really enjoy the threaded muzzle for my silencer. I alaso think the stock and barrel shroud is great.

Now if this thing will just shoot repeatable groups of .5" at 50 yards and the magazines fit and function properly I would be a happy camper.

 

[hlee]

You are surprised that a gun rag article is mostly fluff? Hmm...

 

[richthe1]

Anyone read the latest NRA Rifleman mag? Here is my evaluation of the article.

Article on RPR is more a fluff piece that a honest evaluation. The magazine problem was not even addressed.

All of us are having magazine problems due the shortness of the supplied 15 round magazines in relation to the magazine and wells fit problems. Mine routinely jams on the last round out of the BX-15 and BX-10 magazines.

Also a rifle that averages .8" groups at 50 yards shot off the bench is NOT GOOD. I had a very brief period when my RPR shot well - before that and after that brief period the accuracy is mediocre to frustratingly POOR. It has driven me nuts trying to get the gun to shoot well in prep for local PRS style 22 matches. I find it interesting the gun was shot in testing with a 7x32 scope rather than a higher power one.

In fairness, the trigger pull on my rifle is great for a factory supplied unmodified trigger and I really enjoy the threaded muzzle for my silencer. I alaso think the stock and barrel shroud is great.

Now if this thing will just shoot repeatable groups of .5" at 50 yards and the magazines fit and function properly I would be a happy camper.

I really want a rimfire rifle in a chassis and the RPRimfire looks great on paper, but with most people having accuracy issues I’m probably just going to have to pay a lot more and put a CZ455 in a chassis.

 

[quickdraw]

RpR is how it should be listed. If Ruger could get it to an MOA or sub-moa rifle it would be well worth the price and a little more. If an aftermarket barrel gets it there then it is worth the price and attention. As it stands now it is just another 22 rifle in look alike package. Precision is what the rifle is packaged and advertised as and it is not precise or even overly accurate.

Right now the package is still selling well based on the reputation of the centerfire RPR so I don't expect Ruger to do anything about it. It has it's value based on it's design and flexibility but don't think that precision has anything to do with this rifle. It's a 1.5moa or greater rifle at best. Nothing wrong with that but it won't redefine the rimfire world the way the original RPR is doing for centerfire precision rifles.

 

[cwmoss]

^^^ What he said.

 

[lash]

I really want a rimfire rifle in a chassis and the RPRimfire looks great on paper, but with most people having accuracy issues I’m probably just going to have to pay a lot more and put a CZ455 in a chassis.

Do yourself a favor and save a buck. Put a Savage MKII BV in a chassis and get the same accuracy that the CZ provides with a better trigger. 2 cents.

 

[richthe1]

Do yourself a favor and save a buck. Put a Savage MKII BV in a chassis and get the same accuracy that the CZ provides with a better trigger. 2 cents.

I was considering that, but after reading this thread it’s making me think twice...
https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/why-do-people-seem-down-on-savage-rifles.6898840/

 

[lash]

I was considering that, but after reading this thread it’s making me think twice...
https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/why-do-people-seem-down-on-savage-rifles.6898840/

Yeah I get it, but will counter with...that was a discussion about center fire rifles, and while I don't disagree too much with the gist of that, if you want consistent accuracy for a lower cost than a custom or say a Voodoo, this does it.

My BV cycles every time and is smoother than some others that I've shot. 1/4"+ at 50. IT does. I don't always for sure.

 

[Frankr]

Here’s my take on it.
I bought one for my 10 year old because
1. The stock adjusts to fit him and will accommodate him as he grows.
2. It takes Ruger mags (although 15 rounders seem to have issues in some guns)
3. It has AR pistol grips that I can swap out to fit him
4. Bolt action with enlarged knob (he likes my CZ that has an after market knob)
5. Free float barrel (should help in accuracy).
6. Threaded for suppressor
7. Factory scop rail installed (got the 0 MOA also).

Things I wish it had

1. Lightweight barrel
2. 16” barrel
3. Match chamber
4. User swappable barrel like the 77/22 or CZ 455 (using an armies wrench isn’t bad)

I can’t comment on accuracy because it’s his birthday in a few weeks then we will see but I hope it’s decent. As long as it holds around 1/2” at 50 yards from sandbags, it will be great. If it shoots like a run of the mill 10-22 then it will get a new barrel. I want him to enjoy it and having a gun that fits you, is accurate and reliable make shooting enjoyable.

 

[OLD308]

Had my RPR for a while now. Never had a mag issue to date. Bought if for NRL22 competition Not accurate enough for competition. Best group through a wide ammo test was 1” at 50 yards. So I’m waiting on a barrel. Even after the new barrel gets here ($425) and guaranteed to shoot 1 MOA, thats way cheaper than my other target 22lr.

 

[Travelor]

A buddy and I each purchased a GM replacement barrel in an attempt to get better accuracy.

My GM barrel was apparently bored off center as I was having baffle strikes AND the POI without the silences was 12" to the right of the Ruger factory barrel. With the silencer on the POI shifted 3.5" up and 2" to the left. GM has sent a return tag. Accuracy was NO BETTER that the Ruger barrel (this was the 3rd Ruger barrel as the first shot terribly, the second was hitting the baffles in my silencer. The third is shooting no better than the first factory barrel - 1.25" at 50 Yards and 4" at 100 yards .

My buddy's new GM barrel is shooting no better than is factory Ruger barrel. He's trying to decide what he is wanting to do with his. I can't see him keeping the barrel as it was just under $180 delivered.

At this point it appears that each of our guns will be going to the next local Gun Show and sold - with factory barrels reinstalled.

 

[MTWelder]

I stated this in another thread, but in case some of you haven't seen it- I had a very similar experience with mine. Terrible accuracy even after installing a match chambered barrel from Shaw. The problem I found is the bedding, particularly at the rear of the action. After fixing the bedding mine is now very accurate and the fix was cheap and easy.

 

[richthe1]

A buddy and I each purchased a GM replacement barrel in an attempt to get better accuracy.

My GM barrel was apparently bored off center as I was having baffle strikes AND the POI without the silences was 12" to the right of the Ruger factory barrel. With the silencer on the POI shifted 3.5" up and 2" to the left. GM has sent a return tag. Accuracy was NO BETTER that the Ruger barrel (this was the 3rd Ruger barrel as the first shot terribly, the second was hitting the baffles in my silencer. The third is shooting no better than the first factory barrel - 1.25" at 50 Yards and 4" at 100 yards .

My buddy's new GM barrel is shooting no better than is factory Ruger barrel. He's trying to decide what he is wanting to do with his. I can't see him keeping the barrel as it was just under $180 delivered.

At this point it appears that each of our guns will be going to the next local Gun Show and sold - with factory barrels reinstalled.

Man, that stinks. Sorry to hear that, but thanks for the warning.

I stated this in another thread, but in case some of you haven't seen it- I had a very similar experience with mine. Terrible accuracy even after installing a match chambered barrel from Shaw. The problem I found is the bedding, particularly at the rear of the action. After fixing the bedding mine is now very accurate and the fix was cheap and easy.

I’ve heard a lot of tips and tricks.
(1) The bedding you mentioned above
(2) Shooting without the thread protector
(3) Using 10rd mags instead of 15rd
(4) If using Mlock bipod adaptor shave some of the threads of the screw off, otherwise it hits the barrel
(5) Test different torque values on the action screws and see which works best
(6) Get the “new” chassis if you got the old original chassis design

Anything I’m missing?

 

[heartburn]

A buddy and I each purchased a GM replacement barrel in an attempt to get better accuracy.

My GM barrel was apparently bored off center as I was having baffle strikes AND the POI without the silences was 12" to the right of the Ruger factory barrel. With the silencer on the POI shifted 3.5" up and 2" to the left. GM has sent a return tag. Accuracy was NO BETTER that the Ruger barrel (this was the 3rd Ruger barrel as the first shot terribly, the second was hitting the baffles in my silencer. The third is shooting no better than the first factory barrel - 1.25" at 50 Yards and 4" at 100 yards .

My buddy's new GM barrel is shooting no better than is factory Ruger barrel. He's trying to decide what he is wanting to do with his. I can't see him keeping the barrel as it was just under $180 delivered.

At this point it appears that each of our guns will be going to the next local Gun Show and sold - with factory barrels reinstalled.

I hate to see this as I have watched your posts and the work you have put into getting your rifle to perform. You have been critical while still supportive of Ruger and kept the community up to date and aware of things you have seen improve and degrade performance between this board and RFC. I can understand wanting to be done with the RPR and moving on, but I hate to see it happen. Maybe trying the tab/ear bedding that MTWelder has suggested could help out, I have seen his posts about this several times in a couple of different threads and boards but have yet to see if anyone responds with findings after doing this on their rifles.

I reviewed my recorded group averages and my rifle averaged about 0.519 over 38 groups shot with a mix of CCI SV and Federal UM22 with the factory barrel. This doesn't account for every ammo and shot fired from my rifle but it is the only documented data I have for mine. Not MOA and I did see the occasional flyer, but not the 1.5" average 5 shot group others have posted. Through break-in with the new GM barrel I am not seeing 0.25 groups, but I don't have many rounds through it yet and have not measured and documented the break-in groups.