I know exactly what consumers want. They want Sako L61R quality at Ruger American prices, and a right to bitch about it the "plastic" parts.
I just did a quick look around. In June 1962 the intro price of a Rem 700 ADL was about $115. Putting that through a CPI inflation calculator says that's about $940 today.
Yep, and my experience with 1960's and 70's 700's indicated they required considerable tweaking to shoot their best. After tweaking, they shot fine, often VERY well. My first .270 Winchester was a 700 ADL that, after free-floating the barrel and epoxy bedding, would shot 3-shot groups around 1/2" at 100 yards with ONE load.
But my present 6.5 Creedmoor is a Ruger American Rifle Predator. Out of the box, with a handload picked from past experience with 6.5 Creedmoors, it's first 100-yard group was .33". And that was 5 shots, not three. The WORST any of the four 6.5 Creedmoors I've owned (all factory rifles) has shot was 5 shots in an inch.
Am glad so many 24hour members are getting 1" groups with all their deer rifles in chamberings other than 6.5 Creedmoor. Maybe that astonishes some geezers who started handloading when 1" 3-shot groups were The Ideal. I'm a geezer myself so remember those days, but am growing just as weary of 6.5 "Creedmore" nitwits, who believe somebody, somewhere, is somehow demanding they buy a 6.5 Creedmoor.
I apologize if this sounds derogatory. Well, maybe half-sorry.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
