Background and links:

G.A. Precision (GAP) rifle in 6.5 PRC

Rifle:

Defiance Machine Ruckus GA Hunter (XM Length, 20 MOA integral Picatinny rail)
Manners Composite Stocks EH1 with adjustable cheekpiece, custom camo (thanks, Tom )
Bartlein Barrels 24-inch #4 Bull, 1-7.75 twist, carbon-wrapped
Hawkins Precision bottom metal
TriggerTech Diamond trigger
Atlas Bipod Model BT46-LW17


Optics:


Full weight mode
Vortex Optics RAZOR HD Gen II 4-27x56
Burris Optics XTR Signature Rings (34mm)




Lightweight Mode
Vortex Optics RAZOR HD LHT 3-15x42
Vortex Precision Matched Rings (30mm)



Load Development (what's that?):

To take full advantage of the Ruckus' 3.1-inch mag length, I had George Gardner at GAP throat this chamber for the Berger Bullets 6.5mm 156-grain EOL Elite Hunter. The fine folks at Berger were very generous in supplying me with bullets. Many thanks.

When the rifle arrived, most other components were scarce, but I was able to get my hands on some Hornady brass. The folks at Vihtavuori Smokeless Powders kindly provided some N565 High Energy Powder. And last, but certainly not least, our own shortactionsmoker (Darrik) at Whittaker Guns scrounged up some Federal 210M primers and sent them my way.

With hunting season pressing, a quick Satterlee ladder test generated a nice accuracy node at ~2935 ft/sec. I duped the dummy round provided by George for my OAL, loaded up some virgin Hornady brass with some charges bracketing my accuracy node, and hit the range.

I guess at this point, pictures are worth thousands of words, so:


First day after ladder test, 100-yard groups (.2 grain increments, FWIW).



First-day 200-yard group at accuracy node.


So, yeah. I was pretty much done with load development. George took all the fun out of it.

I took the rifle (in lightweight mode) on a Coues deer hunt with our own GregW, who had all his i's dotted and t's crossed, as usual. Alas, I was too slow getting over to and setting up at a shooting spot before a pretty good Coues deer buck followed the shadows around a knob and out of sight. We passed on a much smaller buck the last afternoon. The rifle remains unblooded.


INTERMISSION


Sooooo ... now we're getting on to the 2022 season, I actually drew a tag, and lo and behold the fine folks at Lapua got some of their very fine 6.5 PRC brass into my hands. I figured what the heck, George can't lock down ALL load development, so I went to the range Friday with a few goodies to shoot, including a Satterlee ladder test in virgin Lapua brass for the GAP. I set up and ... well, again here's a picture:


That's a 6-shot ~2.25-inch group at 300 yards while conducting Satterlee test.


So, I tinkered with POI a bit and shot a final group at 300 yards:



Sub .5-MOA. George wins.

Hopefully, there will be more to come as the season progresses ...



Postscript: Things I'd do differently -

1] Really none, because at the time of building, there was no XM-length AICS-based DBM unit available. But, that.
2] Even with a 20 MOA rail, this rifle required heaps more in order to approach the bottom of the big Vortex's elevation travel. So, I'd still opt for the Burris XTRs, but I gotta say, the Burris badging on the 34mm rings is rather loud.
3] It turned out I did not need the adjustable comb/cheekpiece unit on the Manners stock. It doesn't bother me, but I could have done without it.

Have no idea who George is? With that when shooting a rifle like you have. One must refer to yards as “hundo” it’s prs talk. I don’t write the rules I just follow them. I edited yo post to reflect that..

When you run a forum that has famous [fat, old, blowhard] guys posting and getting 20 billion views, you can afford custom rifles.

Hey I’m seasonally plump

George Gardener of GA Precision.

https://www.gaprecision.net/about-ga-precision/meet-the-staff/george-gardner.html

Lotsa work can go into that!

Nice rifle!

Another Loony steps out of the shadows!

You and your rifle are a good team!

Nice rifle.
Shoots really nice groups.
How many rounds have you put thru it so far??
It might not even be hitting it's best potential yet.
Hopefully you can kill something with it 👍👍👍
We all love " pics or it never happened"


You got some messed up looking fingers and finger nails though.
🥴🥴😄😄😄

Wasn’t he a big bushnell guy? Some more vortex for the win!!! Their stock is definitely goin up👊🏻😎

GAP still is a big promoter of Bushnell Elite Tactical. They're in the same town and Bushnell is a huge sponsor of PRS.

Listen man I work at the dump it’s equivalent to a county dump I make $12.62 an hour after taxes and paying medical because I only work 38 1/2 hour work weeks so I don’t get benefits so I have to pay for my own medical insurance which is 600 a month. I bring home $1026 a month $513 bucks every two week. So I’ll never be able to afford GA precision rifle and I will never meet this George Gardner either. I did see a savage axis I wanted it was $219 so I found a lawnmower at the dump and put a little work into it got it running and hung up some signs mowing yards for $20 but one of my first job was a yard that was 2 acres I spent the better part of five hours this is after I got off work mowing this place. After I was done I went to go collect my 20 bucks the lady started yelling through the door to get off her property or she was going to call the state troopers so I got out there. I ended up making about $60 until the lawnmower engine blew up and pushed back to the dump and can you believe it they charged me 30 bucks to dispose of it. So in the end only made $30 dollars.

Oh don’t forget the white oakleys and monster energy hat…

Anymore medical insurance is overrated.


I'm gonna start a givesendgo campaign to get you a new mower. I'll set the campaign's goal high enough to cover a self propelled model!

#WeGotU

Fine shooting

That's a nice piece of iron Rick... Congratulations!

Oh, I’ll sleep better tonight!👊🏻

How much money did you spend to get that kind of "accuracy"? Just curious.

Hey why dont you post up pic of one of your rifles..
Maybe even some of your targets you have shot also...

You know...
" pics or it never happened" kinda thing....

👍👍👍🤣🤣🤣🤣

Well Ric, it's a good looking outfit and it shoots nice. If'n them squares are an inch I see sub moa but not sub .5 moa. You gotta be 8snake to do that...mb

LOL! Had no idea you cared!

Ha! Just that last 300-yard group, MB, where my zig canceled out my zag for once.

I don't think I can hold .5 MOA anymore. That's what I'm telling myself anyway so I don't burn up components shaving group size here.

She'll do ...

I'm jealous

Gotta like a custom rifle mr rick, nice! gonna dynatec bore coat your bbl bore?

I put together a vz24/24" addams-bennett 308 win from parts i had on hand. bought the boyds stock, egw base, harris pod and timmny trigger, swfa 10x though. did the dynatec bore, cleans up nice.

Cha Ching.

Nice rifle Rick.

But it looks loud.

What tags you got??

😂😂😂 priceless entertainment

Everytime I remind myself that I'd rather spend money on gas and tags, I end up looking at GAP's webpage. That .22-284 NORMA looks interesting.

Man me dropping out of high school in 9th grade was not very smart on my part….. But supposedly we are getting a nickel raise next year…

That is one spiffy rifle!

I think I'll contribute some to that fund Kingston is starting for you.

But only if that self propelled job he wants to get you has at least a 20" cut. We want you to finish them yards faster to maximize our return on investment in your favor.

Good stuff Mr Bin,

thanks.

Are you bringing that rifle to Montana this fall?

Ric your right of course, it is a very good looking outfit and shoots as good as it looks.. more than a few years ago I loaded some guns and ammo into my old Toyota in early April of that year to drive north too Glasgow Mt.. I attended the Icebreaker ll LR shoot Scenarshooter put on. As well as getting to meet Scenar and crew I met Montana Marine , defave , Billy goat gruff and the GAP crew. George is quite the guy and a great shot. His guns seem flawless. Were more than a few GAP shooters there and they don't miss much. Congrats on a fine rifle.mb

Good looking rifle there, Rick! I hope you enjoy many successful seasons with it!

I've decided to go hunting with my son in Michigan this Fall for Whitetails......going to carry that .41 mag FA 97, hoping to take a nice fat doe with it!


Frog---OUT!

Looks plenty potent and you run it well Rick.
Enjoy the hunts.

Osky

Sooooo...

You wanta bust Bins chops with your snarky schitt in quotations and about cost.

But ain't got a picture of squat you have when your chops get busted huh???

Go figure....

"Pics or it never happened".
Is always KRYPTONITE to turds with eyes like you....


🤣🤣🤣

As long as your happy that's all that matters.

I'd be very happy with 6-shot ~2.25-inch groups at 300 yards. Reminder, 6 shots, not 3 like so many like to do.

My original response was a bit snarky and I don't want to imply that GA Precision's rifles are in any way connected to certain blowhards here. I have two of George's rifles, including this one (243 Ackley). I know, most of a rifle's performance is a result of the shooter, but GA Precision rifles help even a hack like me. An old friend who I often hunted antelope with in Wyoming always gave me cr*p over the custom rifle until he made a mess of one with 7 shots over the course of a half hour with his bone stock Remington. I had already tagged out (two goats, two shots at 400+ yards) and handed him this rifle and told him it would make a difference. He scoffed, then he filled his tag with one shot at over 300 yards and stopped ragging on custom rifles after that.

Damn and you are wearing Levi’s! Lucky! all I can afford are Kirkland brand pants.

What is the rifle’s first assignment?

Supposed to be an Arizona Coues deer, but I was too slow ...

Gonna hafta be a Montana whitetail (unless a mondo muley shows up first). I would shoot it for a local deer, but I don't want to re-zero it for lead-free ...

😎

There are hardly any whitetail in MT ;D , lots of wolves though.

Personally, I only count the holes I like. Sometimes it's only one.

Not saying any of you do that....

Why not use “lead free” monos for everything? The TSX or TTSX has been extremely accurate for me and it doesn’t bounce off deer or elk, in fact they have never even required a follow up shot. If you don’t like those there’s a lot of choices with countless makers producing lead-free. If it’s boutique you desire then Hammer bullets might suffice….for the raised-pinky, ascot-wearing crowd anyway. 😁. With a rifle like that I’d want to hunt it as much as I could. 👍

That’s a beautiful build and it looks like it’s going to serve you well. I might’ve missed it but what are the weights of the rifle in lightweight and heavyweight configurations?