Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting RAR Predator at the SRM.....

Good write up. I would really like to get up to the SRM some time this summer. Don't have any illusions of winning, but it sure sounds like a lot of fun.

John

Hell Josh I think you're being way to hard on yourself! We had two FNGs with us that are fairly seasoned 1000 yd F-class guys and they shot a 28 and a 35!! That course is challenging!!! I think both Jeff and Rick dropped a couple of points this round. Like I said I think it's awesome you shot the RAR. You can shoot bud. We all said that last year after you shot the little 260/10x off your pack!!! Im sure every miss would have been a hurting critter! I'm not that competitive but every match I learn a little more about the wind. Hell I would never even try to shoot a critter that far but if I ever get to pull the trigger instead of watching someone else, I will definitely have the confidence!!

AND just to be clear my rig is only 2.5 times more than the the RAR!!! Hahahaha

DS,

You probably do more long range shooting than I do, but I would be very surprised if that hunk of schit they call a stock, wasn't the reason behind a lot of your misses.



Travis

Saw that on FB yesterday. Well done to her for the shooting and to you for the con you apparently pulled to get her.

You may be right.... and it is certainly a prime suspect.....

To reiterate..... I'm not really disappointed in rifle (I was at the time)..... I'm curious as to the issues I saw.... but not discouraged in the least. Once I get it ironed out.... I'm sure it'll be fine... especially since I bought it to throw around in the truck and loan out, I didn't buy it you make it into a match gun..... shooting it at the SRM was just for shiggles.

Thanks man... hell, it's a coyote and deer rifle anyway....

Other than the targets I totally screwed the pooch on.... you're right... pretty much everything else woulda smashed a big game animal, especially all the 'misses' on the small plates... man those things are little.

I need to shoot more small stuff.... rather than 8"-12" plates. That should be easy though.... prairie dog season opens in less than two weeks.... they're about like a 6" round... right?

I need to shoot off the tri-pod more too....

I'm just happy I didn't have to walk home.... it gets a little stressful trying to shoot a match... and manage her while she's shooting her fist ever match, with anything. Things got kinda tense more than once.... but in the end fun was had by all.

A HUGE thanks to both Ric and Bruce.... who were incredibly patient and helpful with her.... it woulda been much tougher without those guys knowledge and sense of humor.

DS, very interesting post. I admire your willingness to test yourself w/ less than optimal gear and your taste in girlfriends.

If someone wanted to learn the fundamentals of LR shooting I think you have proven that the financial obstacles are overstated. I was inspired.
Thanks for a great post.


mike r

How small are the small targets?

John

12" and 6" rounds or diamonds.

That's an impressive showing for yourself and the rifle. There should be a prize for having the huevos to bring a factory gun like the RAR. Amazing what you can get a good bolt rifle for these days if you don't care about shine.

For a competitive person, it does something to know in advance, then see with your own eyes at the meet, that other competitors have outspent you. It's a ton of pressure others don't have to manage. The wheels fall off faster. So to show up and bring solid game is outstanding. Props to you. To then discuss it accurately on the internet gets more props. I owe you a beer!

Enjoyable read....Kudos..

If there was just a section for RugerAmerican Predators, I'd say you did a very good showing...

That had to be fun....

I agree whole heartedly with Travis on the stock on these things... mine had no issues, like you read others having with theirs... but its still a piece of tupperware, period...

I competed in a couple of informal local 1000 yds matches...
shooting a 6mm Rem with a 1 in 7 twist...
I came in last place, but I didn't care...

the Remington managed to hit the paper each time at 1000 yds...
and actually performed better than I thought I would...

best of luck next time out...whatever you bring the next time..

cheers!

Deal on the beer.... that sounds a lot better than Ric's whiskey, and it's far less likely to have the adverse effect on my shooting the next day. As a super competitive guy... and a guy that'll talk a little schitt.... it did get rather frustrating. Hell.... I won't even play rec-league softball anymore because it's not good for my rage. But I've shot the match before, and knew what I was getting myself (and the rifle.... and Emily) into. I wish I could have kept that in perspective while I was shooting.

I've said all along.... a sub-8lb (maybe 9lb) 'Hunting Rifle' class would be awesome down there... it would be a stern test, that's for sure. I'd definitely be willing to throw $20 on a winner take all side-pot. If a guy could hit 40 off his pack and sticks with his hunting rifle.... that would be one deadly dude on a big game hunt.... just about anywhere.

If there was a class for sub-10lb guns mine probably woulda whooped ass.... seeing as it was the only one there.

I'm not thinking the stock is the issue.... see below...

Finally got out and shot the rifle the other day.... all be it in 10-15mph winds.

Here's the list of suspects for my issues in the second half of the match (erratic accuracy, mostly vertical):
1. Bad Zero/Lack of necessary accuracy
2. Bad Dope (factory ammo)
3. Scope went tits-up (tracking, RTZ)
4. Base Screws (broken/lose)
5. Ring Screws
6. POS Milk-Jug stock (forend contact, bedding)
7. My Stupid Ass going Nukl'r Whiskey the night before the shoot

I'm just going to concede that #2 is at least partially correct... simply because I didn't have enough rounds down range to "know" what my dope was... I had to make some presumptions.

I'm also going to concede that #7 was certainly a factor... especially as the day drug on.

#1 was a little messed up.... about .3 MILs right. Coulda been caused by: #3-#6

I'm not inclined to believe that #3 is an issue... this scope has been on a few rifles, and always tracked/retained/returned well.

When I pulled the rifle apart, the ring screws were all tight, and the rings were snug on the rail... eliminating #5

BUT.... all four base screws were about a quarter turn lose. I'm not sure why... but I honestly don't remember taking the rail off and making sure it was properly mounted/snugged. #4 is now the prime suspect... as it could have caused all the other issues... and the fact that the issues seemed erratic.

The stock (#6) looked good actually... there as no bedding chipped or worn unevenly. The barrel shows no signs of rubbing (see Jason's great "Ruger American Crappy Stock" thread) or other contact, and the action screws were still blody-knuckle tight.

So... base is re-mounted and screws re-torqued and lock-tighted. I've got it in 'hunt mode' now, wearing a Leupold Vari-X II 3-9x40 Tac in cheap weaver rings. With the brake and pack now removed... it weighs a skoosh over 7.5lbs.

I toyed a little with 123 Scenars over RE17... and it shows some promise with velocities up around 3000fps.... 123/.545/3000 is a bad ass stat line for 42-44 grains of powder.

More good stuff to come from this rifle....

Factory Browning A-Bolt with a VX2 Sporting Rifle Match Result


You'll see a 45 there on the page that beat lots of custom rigs...

Sounds like Ric is in for $20 running the Browning.... What's that rifle weigh all-up?

I'm in, I'll run the RAR....

Who else..... we can do it in August?

Glad you have some explanations, Dogshooter.

My RAR didn't come with a rail but alloy bases (Weaver brand?). Awhile back I had some issues and took everything apart and found the base screws loose like yours... and shiny spots on the receiver where the edges of the bases contact the receiver. This was a first for me as I've never had an issue with base screws coming loose. I figured it was operator error during install but wonder if the factory supplied rail/base and hardware quality are suspect?

I put Warne steel bases on the RAR and haven't had any issues since. The fit was noticeably better.

Jason

Exactly... This...^^^^^

What # or style of Warne bases fit the RAR?