No love for Uintah Precision?

[PabloPlutarco]

I‘ve had my Uintah Precision UP-10 in 308 for a year, and have been pleased with how it has performed so far. As this is my first bolt action rifle, my frame of reference is limited to what I have read regarding other rifles. I know that Uintah Precision isn’t as popular as maybe Tikka or AI, but I’m curious to know why not.

 

[ArTeeKay]

Cost vs value, availability, modularity, aftermarket support, and reputation for reliable accuracy and function.

The UP-10 may be a fine rifle, but for it to ever have the mass appeal of brands like AI or Tikka, it's gotta meet at least 3 of those 5 criteria, and based on features alone, I think UP's rifle meets 1, maybe 2 of them, namely modularity and aftermarket support. These both come as a function of being sort of an AR type rifle, but that comes with it's own costs as well.

I'm pleased you're happy with your purchase, and I think a thorough review of your experiences with the rifle, both good and bad, would be welcome here.

 

[spife7980]

Also, looks gay

 

[ArTeeKay]

Also, looks gay

I guess you'd know as well as anyone, good buddy.

 

[cas6969]

I have one, two years now? When people ask me a bout it I basically tell them not to buy one, unless you're in a ban state, have money to waste and just want to play the "I have an AR lower and you can't do anything about it" game. But even for that there's options.
It doesn't do anything that something else (usually cheaper) does just as well or better. It's proven "particular" in use and in loading for it, and thus far accuracy has been pretty unimpressive.

I wanted something short I could put a folder on and make a compact packable setup. I probably would have been better buying a cheap SIG Cross and chopping the barrel, or a Howa Mini in a folding chassis.

 

[PabloPlutarco]

Cost vs value, availability, modularity, aftermarket support, and reputation for reliable accuracy and function.

The UP-10 may be a fine rifle, but for it to ever have the mass appeal of brands like AI or Tikka, it's gotta meet at least 3 of those 5 criteria, and based on features alone, I think UP's rifle meets 1, maybe 2 of them, namely modularity and aftermarket support. These both come as a function of being sort of an AR type rifle, but that comes with it's own costs as well.

I'm pleased you're happy with your purchase, and I think a thorough review of your experiences with the rifle, both good and bad, would be welcome here.

@ArTeeKay, thank you for the analytical answer; it makes quite a bit of sense. My initial attraction to the platform was due to the similarity to the AR system, the unfortunate circumstance of living in a non-AR friendly state, and not wanting to spend crazy money for my first bolt gun (I was originally going to get an Ashbury Precision Ordinance weapon, but that fell through). As you stated, UP has nothing spectacular going for it that will turn heads away from Ruger, AI, Tikka, etc. However, from my personal experience, it has thusfar been a reliable rifle, even enduring the rigors of a 3-day PRS course at Sig. I will try to provide a more complete synopsis in the future after it warms up aroud here.

 

[Milf Dots]

There are a ton of different firearms on the market that few have heard of, whose sales are low, or both. It often comes down to marketing and exposure.

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

 

[hlee]

Reliable bolt action should be redundant. If the best that can be said is that it is reliable, then it’s missing in a number of categories. That said, a lot of high dollar custom PRS rifles are less than 100% reliable.

 

[Rocketmandb]

My initial attraction to the platform was due to the similarity to the AR system, the unfortunate circumstance of living in a non-AR friendly state, and not wanting to spend crazy money for my first bolt gun

The thing is that for the price of the upper alone, you can get a pretty good bolt rifle. There's a reason why precision bolt rifles have the form factors they do, and there's a reason why ARs have the form factors they do. They don't align all that well.

 

[hlee]

The thing is that for the price of the upper alone, you can get a pretty good bolt rifle. There's a reason why precision bolt rifles have the form factors they do, and there's a reason why ARs have the form factors they do. They don't align all that well.

The form factor of precision bolt action rifles is mostly a legacy of iron sighted rifles. Iron sights on precision rifles went obsolete 50+ years ago, yet we are still left with rifles that require substantial cheek risers to align the shooter’s eye to the same plane of the modern magnified optic. Moreover, the significant drop at heel creates an angle that recoil can exploit. An angle not present in the “ar form factor,” where the action is in line with the receiver extension. For an example of a purpose built modern precision rifle, check out the Tubb 2000 rifle…

 

[PabloPlutarco]

The form factor of precision bolt action rifles is mostly a legacy of iron sighted rifles. Iron sights on precision rifles went obsolete 50+ years ago, yet we are still left with rifles that require substantial cheek risers to align the shooter’s eye to the same plane of the modern magnified optic. Moreover, the significant drop at heel creates an angle that recoil can exploit. An angle not present in the “ar form factor,” where the action is in line with the receiver extension. For an example of a purpose built modern precision rifle, check out the Tubb 2000 rifle…

Thank you @hlee for that info; I also looked at the Tubb ATR and found that information quite fascinating. Raises the question…how is it that such a well-designed firearm isn’t being more widely used, or publicized for that matter?

 

[BJames]

How is this different than a RPR?

 

[Longshot231]

I had an upper in 224V but gave it to a friend. Couldn't shoot Hornady 88 ELDM. I had a gadzillion rounds of that stuff and didn't want to switch. The AR style feed ramps will break the tips of those rounds.

Anyway, I got a custom built rifle in 224V that was light-years ahead of the Uintah and love it. So I gave the Uintah away.

I was also a little disappointed with their customer support when the tips of the 88 ELDMs were breaking. As it turned out the ammunition was at fault in the AR style rifles. Nevertheless, my e-mails and phone calls were not getting any replies.

I have an AR-15 with a RRA upper in 224V that's a tack driver with Federal GMM with 80.5 grain Bergers.

Also look at the price of the Uintah uppers now. A 20 inch upper in .308 is $1475. Whereas a comparable RRA upper with a 20 inch barrel is $945.

UPR-10 UPPER – Bolt Action AR Uppers | AR-10 & AR-15 | Uintah Precision

***DUE TO ORDER VOLUMES, UPR10 BACKORDERS HAVE ABOUT A 2-4 WEEK LEAD TIME*** **PLEASE ALLOW US 7-10 BUSINESS DAYS TO PROCESS IN STOCK ITEMS.*** The Uintah Precision UPR10 is a true bolt action upper for your DPMS LR-308 pattern lower or semi-auto rifle. The UPR10 brings the accuracy of a bolt...

uintahprecision.com

Predator HP Upper Half

Rock River Arms, Inc. offers a complete line of American made, custom built AR15 style rifles.

www.rockriverarms.com

I also didn't like that with the Uintah's bolt not completely closed it was still possible to fire the rifle. I tried it with an empty cartridge and live primer, only, inserted.

I chambered the case, closed the bolt but not completely and it was possible to fire the primer. I gave it to my friend with the stern warning that he needs to ensure the bolt is completely closed when chambering the round.

Speaking of the bolt, it feels like a WWII Moisin Nagant. The rifle is accurate enough but I got tired of operating a stiff bolt.

Depending on what you have, the trigger compatibility could be a problem. I don't have that problem with the RRA upper.

https://uintahprecision.com/trigger-compatibility/

 

[hlee]

Thank you @hlee for that info; I also looked at the Tubb ATR and found that information quite fascinating. Raises the question…how is it that such a well-designed firearm isn’t being more widely used, or publicized for that matter?

“Classic lines” sell. And, when you are in the business of selling, you sell what sells. David Tubb, when he designed the Tubb 2k, was in the business of winning championships. In that arena, you build what wins.

And, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that manufacturing a custom action/stock/chassis that follows the “traditional model” is easier- in many ways- than branching out into something new. A small manufacturer can’t stray too far from the herd and hope to maintain sales.

The Tubb 2k wasn’t the only bolt action rifle built like this, nor was it the first- at least I do not think it was the first.

Someone above mentioned the Ruger Precision Rifle. It also takes advantage of a receiver extension to put the recoil in line with the shoulder stock. Paired with an aftermarket barrel, like a Kreiger or a Bartlein, they can be real shooters. Mine is sub-MOA with the factory barrel.

Look up “Ljutic Space Gun” for a fairly old example. Also “tube gun target rifle” will bring up a number of examples of the type.

 

[DontShootEnough]

The lock time of an AR trigger/hammer mechanism is (all else equal) not as helpful for practical accuracy as that of a typical bolt gun.

 

[hlee]

The lock time of an AR trigger/hammer mechanism is (all else equal) not as helpful for practical accuracy as that of a typical bolt gun.

This is most certainly a theoretical downside of AR triggers, and an ocean of ink has been spilled over the years hashing out the advantages of various firing mechanisms. Anyone remember Remington’s EtronX? But, I wonder how much it actually matters to practical shooting. I mean, if you’ve built a really solid position, you could be firing a match lock and get a good hit- all else being equal. This is, however, another reason why someone might choose a more mainstream rifle over the Unitah Precision.

The above notwithstanding- and I realize we started the discussion with the Unitah Precision rifle- the RPR, T2K, and various “tube guns” employ traditional bolt action firing pins and trigger designs.

 

[PabloPlutarco]

This whole discussion has been very enlightening, and has given me a lot of insight with regards to what I need to be aware of when looking to buy or build a rifle in the future. Really appreciate all of the comments from everyone.

 

[epeet]

I think they haven't yet embraced some of the more niche market segments that they are perfect for - 300 Blk, 8.6 Blk, etc, etc. I think for most shooters, bolt gun with AR Ergos sounds fun, until you realize that you own 5+ ARs, and do you really want to drop 1k for a .75 MOA upper that has less overall utility than your 1.5 MOA AR. I love the concept personally, but not the price. But I will throw money at them if they make a PCC version in 9mm, for example.

 

[cas6969]

I love the concept personally, but not the price.

For ages I wanted and wondered why there were no bolt action uppers. Once I had one in hand there were lots of "Oh yeah"s, little hurdles I hadn't thought of. When I first learned of them I was really excited. But when saw the prices I said "Nope, nope, nope."
I didn't come around to it again till I was kicking around ideas for a short pack-able bolt gun (that I only theoretically had a use for.) I started pricing what it would take to put together a Mini Howa and an Elf Owl chassis and suddenly buying the upper and "using all the other parts that I already own" (He said, actually believing that would happen at the time he said it, Ha! Ha! Ha!), the Uintah seemed like the cheaper route.
First surprise was that you can only use a certain few triggers with it. That ended up being an unexpected additional $175 or so. The other surprise was my 6ARC came with a MGM 3 groove barrel. I've owned a lot of custom Contender barrels, some of them ridiculously accurate putting most of my rifles to shame. Maybe it was just bad luck, but the MGMs I had didn't impress me. So I was kind of bummed on that front. The snowball of stupid rolled down hill and got bigger and bigger and I threw more and more unexpected money at it, until I'd spent WAY MORE on it than the other options I was entertaining would have been.

 

[epeet]

I dropped $1000 on a Bolt 9mm THAT NEVER FED PROPERLY FROM MAGAZINES. It was really close to working, but the ejector was too small, and controlled feed didn't work well. So I get it, this hobby is sometimes just flushing cash down the drain. I don't understand with the price of ammo steadily climbing why there aren't more rifle platforms available in 9mm and .223.

I think one other thing Uintah is missing is their own lower that has a built in folder (or a Pic rail where the buffer tube hole would normally be since it doesn't need to be designed around buffer tube, better cheek riser options (don't need to account for charging handle), etc. Because then you could have a TINY, packable folder, and the only thing like that is the Mini Fix which is at a pretty crazy price and poor reviews (but also AR ergos). You can put something like this together with the Sig Cross stock, but it feels like they could offer a complete lower for ~$600 with these features and be a direct, and arguably better, competitor to the Cross and the Fix.

 

[IanN]

If it's a bolt action AR upper I want magnum bolt face.