Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Ruger SFAR in 6.5 Creedmoor

This morning, before the rain started at SHOT Show range day, my buddy and I each shot Ruger’s sample 6.5 SFAR.

First, our conclusion: We’re each enthusiastically gonna get one!



Now, for the details: The sample 6.5 SFAR had a can screwed on the front, so recoil and blast could not be properly assessed, though recoil was certainly lighter than expected. Precision also could not be properly assessed because questionable Aguila ammo was all that was provided, and the scope was mounted about 3/8” too low (it was a real struggle to get a full field view). The Ruger dude in charge said the ammo had been iffy for them, and he was not happy with it. But, it must have been the cheapest that could be found. (We nevertheless easily busted the clay pigeons set out at 100 yards [yawn], and the Garmin showed 2,450-ish.) The rifle ran perfectly for me, but my buddy had a feed jam on his last round (after the photo). Though it was not a perfect showing, the rifle was a very attractive specimen, with which we were most impressed. An attribute which we found quite compelling is its precision rifled, 5R, nitride treated barrel. My personal experience with Ruger 5R rifling and nitride treated barrels has been extremely positive with my AR-556 MPR and my Ruger Precision Rifle, both in 5.56 NATO, as well as with my Black Nitride treated, pre-WW II Savage 219 with its conventionally rifled .30-30 barrel. With proper ammo and break-in, I have very high hopes for our 6.5 SFARs, when we get them.

thank you for the report, to me and this is just my opinion, the 6.5 CM makes sense in an accurate bolt gun and for some reason 308 seems to be more appropriate for a semi auto rifle unless said rifle shot 1 MOA or better consistently. I don't know if the sfar has shown this kind of accuracy in anything I have read.

We’ll see. Now arranging to get one. Expectations are high.

Results with my conventionally rifled Ruger AR-556 MPR have been most satisfactory:




… and, with my 5R rifled Ruger Precision Rifle in 5.56NATO, impressive:


.65 MOA works out to about 4” @ 600 yards.

I really enjoy the 16” 308 version. With a SWFA 1-4, I can easily maintain under 1.5 moa at 100 yards. With the SWFA 10x mounted, I can keep it at just under 1 MOA. No plans on getting the 6.5 CM version, but interested in seeing what it can do in terms of accuracy.

Gonna take a while to get the rifle, and then to get it running its best. So, please stand by.

Why the 308 vs 6.5 CM issue in an AR vs bolt gun. I can't rationalize that in my mind.?

the AR 10 type rifles I have had, maybe 3 of them were in 308,IIRC they were 2-3 MOA type guns in my hands anyway, (even had an FAL once) so not in my hands would they be 500+ yard guns. The bolts I have had and still own are much more accurate and I have a couple in 6.5CM. So why would I want a long range and weaker cartridge in a gun that is not long range capable? Of course this is just my opinion, maybe there are flaws in my thinking, but if I have a 2-3 MOA gun, why not have the most powerful 2-3 MOA gun possible? Again, maybe the 6.5 CM SFAR is a 1/2 MOA gun and I am mistaken, if it were a true 1 moa gun I sure would be interested. If it were a 1-2 MOA gun in 308 I would be interested, seems like there still is some controversy over its performance or quality control.

If you get a good 6.5 Creedmoor semi auto, you'll love it. I'm not sure about Ruger though. Seems idiotic that they did not use the proper scope mount. I'm sure this is not their first rodeo?? You'd think to show off your product, you'd have that sob set up properly. You'd also have a rifle that functioned flawlessly, and shot very accurately.

If the Ruger has a good 5R barrel, I'd expect it to shoot 5 shot moa groups, no problem. My S&W Performance Center 6.5 Creedmoor shoot groups of around .8 moa for 10 shots, so 5 shots at moa should be more than doable with the Ruger.

The concept is cool, having a much lighter weight AR10 type rifle, but if it's not reliable or accurate, that would be a hard pass for me. Personally

Thanks to the OP for posting his results with the SFAR, but there are still many questions that need addressed. The report of his buddy having a failure, is not good, and why the hell was Ruger using such crap ammo?

I have a PSA 6.5 CM and it is a great shooter, but man it is heavy. I am sorta keen on a light one. I'll be watching this one.

I have not had a performance center gun, I had the S&W MP10, a DPMS, and a SR762 ruger, I reloaded for them and they were reliable, they were however heavy, and so so accurate, at least for me. The sig cross trax in 308 is looking pretty interesting, its on my list of things to waste my money on. At my age if you walk around for a 1/2 mile or more with a 12 pound rifle plus your other gear at some point it becomes an annoyance and the trade off in working a bolt instead of just pulling the trigger becomes more palatable. I don't need to lay down fire on the deer, but would like to reliably hit one at 2-300 while not sweating so much.

That makes sense to me.

I cannot fathom an AR thats a 2-3 moa gun but I've never had the AR10. I need to buy a bear creek lower I guess, all I have is an armalite. Bear creek has some really good deals and the 15 platforms have been acceptably accurate.

But that does make sense.

As to power, its all over rated. The right bullet in the right place is all it takes. I have more than a few deer with 223 out towards 600 and never an issue with that.

What makes no sense is thinking if you have an inaccurate gun that the power is going to help you. Power on a bad shot rarely does plus the power makes it harder to shoot. Unless you move way up like my 458, there I can shoot a bear in the back end if thats all I have and the bullet will reach vitals and often times will exit kind of thing.

140 6.5 vs 150 .308. The 140 might even penetrate more due to smaller diameter. Its more likely to give up more of its energy inside the animal too. Granted you can shoot bigger in the 308. And even the 6.5 but thats kind of apple to apple comparison.

If you have accurate bolt guns then its not how you shoot the AR I wouldn't think. Its you have not had a good AR.

Of course the odds of me ever owning a ruger are pretty slim so I likely won't find out how accurate these are.

As to power, its all over rated. The right bullet in the right place is all it takes. I have more than a few deer with 223 out towards 600 and never an issue with that.

I have not had a problem killing deer(s) and pigs with a 5.56 either, OTOH where I have hunted all my life in the southeast a good blood trail is pretty important, blood trails with deer I have shot with larger rifles have always been a bit better when well hit than what a 5.56 has given, this may have been bullet dependent as I am most familiar with the tsx bullets in the 5.56. Yes I am sure the AR10's I had would deliver better than 2 MOA with extensive reloading efforts and with an expert shooting them.

If you get a big exit wound you have better odds of a better trail. FWIW I'm noticing bigger exits from 140 Berger match bullets in the 6.5 than the 308 and Berger 185 match bullets used to give. Just an FYI.

But I hear you on the blood trail part. Most don't want to trail while we just love that part of the hunt. of course now that I have a dog its even more fun to trail. But I get it.

If I was worried about thick brush, and almost all states have areas of it, I'd try CNS shots period. I've been on my hands and knees crawling after a brown bear in a tunnel so I know what you mean.

And a last story... We followed a blood trail a ways in a swamp once over close to Louisiana. 223 and I hit a vine or something just before it splattered the deer. Broke that deers front leg low and never could quite catch it. Not a killing shot but I digress. Wife said buy something bigger. Went to 50 beowulf and 275 barnes X. Deer still ran about the same distances but they did tend to leave a bit better blood trail most times.

Been attending “Range Day” at SHOT for too many years, now. Only rarely will a rifle manufacturer provide the best ammo and have its rifles set up the best possible way. Most figure, quite correctly I’m afraid, that the majority of media types cannot shoot well enough to discern the difference (sorta like casting pearls before swine). There are noteworthy exceptions, however, with those manufacturers who showcase their precision long range products on the few 500+ yard range bays available, and those few media people with the proper skills and experience. (By the way, I’m not a media guy, and I’m not nearly as skilled as some media guys with whom I am acquainted.)

Back when Ruger first introduced its Precision Rifle, they went all out, presenting samples for test firing with Hornady Match ammo on a 500 yard range bay and at steel targets. Those rifles performed surprisingly well, as does my personal RPR in 5.56NATO.

While I certainly wish it had been otherwise, I understand Ruger’s uninspired approach this time, given the 100 yard limitation of their range bay and the short range nature of their other products presented for test firing, as if the 6.5 SFAR was included as an afterthought.

I’m itching to get my hands on a 20” 6.5 SFAR, to see what’s possible.

Get a Tikka. ha ha..

After you get it, keep us posted. The rifle I mentioned in a previous post, has had zero failures, and shoots lights out, but it is heavy. The concept of the SFAR is pretty cool. I hope they work out well. Lighter makes it easier to pack, but excellent accuracy/precision is going to be the icing on the cake. rost mentions the BCA, and if those shoot moa, I'd for damn sure expect the Ruger to do just as well. My sample of AR10's is very small, but both of the ones I've had, shoot almost as well as my AR15's.

I have a tikka CTR in 6.5CM with a 2.5-10 x 42 NF in Seekins precision rings, for some reason it likes most 140ish grain bullets over Hodgdon and IMR 4350. It is kind of humiliating to shoot it at 100 yards at the range as it often looks like you missed the target completely, with your second, third shot, but then I usually do something stupid like not pay complete attention and shoot one 1/2" away from the first hole.

Exactly. That is why I shoot a lot of 400+ yard targets now. I will say that the S&W Performance Center has, at times, shot better groups way out there than the CTR. However, talking about packing a rifle around and hunting with it, my suggestion for Tikka is always going to be a Superlite or lite. There is absolutely no need to pack a CTR, or a heavy AR10 in the woods. At least for my style of hunting. The heavy AR10 is excellent for playing around at the range though.

absolutely! I don't like to pack the CTR! We just got a tikka compact in 6.5 for the grandboys, and it shoots damn near as well as the ctr. the dude we got the compact from had put a different trigger spring in it. Nice trigger!

FWIW.. the very last thing I expected today was stopping at a shop. And they had a BCA AR10 lower in. I looked at it a bit and ordered one asap. 230 bucks out the door. 2 stage trigger though it will take some tuning its not totally clean at all. With the BCA AR10 uppers showing for under 300 bucks next spring I will know how their AR10 stuff works. Hmmm I should look into what mags too I suspect.

That said I also heard the first bad stuff about BCA other than on here. Owner that I know very well said they had a couple that came in with bcg that had metal shavings and where rough. IE they didn't get blown out and cleaned. I clean any gun I get before I ever shoot it just in case. No matter the make.

Anyway he said they had 2 uppers over a few years that just scattered shots all over the place. Called BCA and they sent new uppers asap if they were in stock and the new ones worked just fine.

I don't like using warranty. But you need good warranty. And I always go back to the first ever expensive scope I bought. At the time I was listening to folks say Leupold was it... and I had bought into that. When Zeiss were on sale one day I just said what the heck. Dump some money. Dang did it make a fool of my L scopes. But it also broke on the first shot out of the 300 wtby. They had good warranty. I have actually used Zeiss warranty as often as L, but the optics and repeatability of the Z have always been better but thats another topic.