Fiftydriver
Official LRH Sponsor
I have recently had a few conversations with people asking me about my K-Rifles and why i decided to start offering them as options along with my full custom Stalker, Raptor and XHS rifles.
simply put, I tell them they are designed to be a much more economical set up for those that still want legit long range performance. And then i get the standard, "How is a $1800-$2400 price tag considered economical?"
My reply is simple, for that price level, what you get in performance is amazing. Often times this is followed with, i can get a Christensen Arms for that kind of money or i can get a Bergara rifle for less then that and it will do everything i need. That may be true, however, once these same people actually shoot my K-Rifles they understand a bit more. Because of these conversations, i wanted to write up a bit of a post discribing just what goes into these rifles.
I think what some have issues with is the fact that i build these rifles around the Ruger American rifle receivers and some simply feel these are cheap, poor quality receivers. This could not be farther from the truth. There is true beauty in these little receivers. First off, they are quite strong in design, typical of any Ruger product and yes there is some plastic used in the factory rifles but all of that is replaced in my rebuilds other then the bolt shroud. I found some very high quality aluminum bolt shrouds and while they looked much nicer, they rattled alot so not for me.
The beauty of the Ruger American receiver is that it is extremely easy to blueprint, much easier then any other factory receiver on the market today. With the standard choice for an accuracy factory build being the Rem 700, to properly blueprint a Rem 700, there is at least 2-3 hours of set up time and machining to properly blueprint a Rem 700 receiver and bolt. The Ruger American by comparision, i can be done from start to finish in 30-45 minutes and honestly with much better, more consistent results. This saves the customer in labor costs.
There are a few areas of the Ruger American i am not a fan of. The cheap plastic stocks are worthless in my opinion and are replaced so of no concern. I am also not a fan of the barrel lock but design on these or any other modern rifle that use them. I know why they are used and i know many love them for their ability to change their own barrels but the old precision rifle builder in me just sees these as a short cut and i dont do short cuts in my rifles. Also, the barrel lock nut system limits the shank diameter that can be used on your barrels. The larger the shank, the more rigid and stiff the entire barreled receiver will be, this translates into finer accuracy and consistency. Not to mention, just looks much better.
Bartlein barrels are all i use if left up to me. These are not CHEAP barrels but they are world class barrels that will produce consistent world class results. I could drop a couple hundred off the price of these rifles using true economy grade barrels but then would drop down in performance with some of the rifles mentioned above and i see no point in that. At least not for a rifle i am going to engrave my shop name onto.
the Stocks i use are generally Boyds laminate stocks. Occasionally a Stockys laminate or a B&C but mostly Boyds. Again i hear all the time, why use such cheap stocks. Well, honestly, Boyds make a pretty solid laminate stock and at a price point and shipping time that no one else can match. When the stocks arrive, there is some minor inletting that is needed before bedding and then all are milled for pillar bedding and then glass bedded for proper stress free receiver support. Barrels are always fully free floated.
Plus the wood colors are usually very nice
next up is the triggers. While they are decent from the factory, most will complain about their CHEAP components and feel. It is true that from the factory they do feel a bit spongy, however, the actual steel in the critical areas of the trigger are very good quality and with some simple spring replacements and a bit of stoning on the trigger, trigger pulls are transformed into surprisingly good 2-2.5 lb safe trigger pulls. I have been very impressed by these triggers and how they respond to just a bit of work.
The main complaint i have heard with these rifles is the use of the plastic magazines and while i would admit they are not IDEAL for severe hard use, most big game rifles are not put through SEVERE hard use. The biggest issue i have seen with these mags is that the rifles are often not set up properly for them but when set up correctly, they perform their intended purpose just fine. Have never had a customer with one of my K-Rifles complain because of the magazines.
These little rifles were delt a decent blow when they stopped offering the magnum version of the Ruger American. Not sure why that has happened but i had been making quite a few mid level magnum chambered K-Rifles that performed extremely well. However, with the short action and standard action rifles we are able to build some impressive little rifles as far as long range precision goes. If people are WOWED by the 6.5 CM, these rifles will seem like SUPER MAGNUM rifles!!
In my conversations with people who seem to be telling me these rifles are far over priced for an economy grade rifle, we then talk about the EXTRAS that come with an APS rifle of any price point.
Function
every one of these rifles are built by me and me alone, just as with all my rifles, every one is fully function tested before shipping. If issues are found, adjustments are made and issue resolved before the rifle leaves the shop. This is much more then just throwing some rounds in the mag and see if they feed well or not. These tests are done with live fire testing.
Load development
as with all of my very top end Stalker, Raptor and XHS rifles, these K-Rifles also include a load development with the rifle price. This includes a load development with one bullet of my choice or customers choice if they order a K-Rifle and not buy one thats in stock. Load development finds the top working ranges of each rifle so that when i tell you your rifle will produce X velocity with Y bullet, that statement is from ACTUAL testing and ACTUAL results from your rifle, not a prediction based on what a test rifle did once or a sales pitch to get you to buy a rifle. For example, just finished a 6.5-06 and after load development with the 143 gr ELDX bullet, a max load was found to be 3140 fps which resulted in 4-5 firings per case. Admittedly this is a seriously fast result for a 26" barreled 6.5-06 with this bullet weight. Easing back to an even 3100 fps produced 5-6+ firings per case. Still extremely impressive. So when you get the rifle, you will also get the load data from the load development which was produced from your specific rifle. Ask for that from CA or Bergara and see how far you get.
Accuracy Testing
every one of my K-Rifles has to stand up and prove they are capable of 1/2 moa accuracy at a minimum of 500 yards but i often still test them at 800 yards just like my top end Stalker custom rifles. If they do not prove they have 1/2 moa accuracy potential at that range, they dont ship until they do. Again, they are not ADVERTISED as having this level of accuracy and consistency, they are PROVEN to have it. Again, ask for that from any CA or Bergara rifle. This is truly what sets them apart and makes them a true bargin.
group on the left was shot by my then 11 year old daughter, one on right by her crusty old Dad. Not saying every K-Rifle will shoot onto the 0.1"s but they shoot extremely well, easily meeting 1/2 moa with quality ammo and shooters.
the little things that set these apart even more are that they are legit, hand built, one at a time custom rifles. No mass production here. My same attention to detail I have for one of my $7000 XHS rifles is the same i have for these K-Rifles.
They come with the option to use my Painkiller muzzle brakes which for the most part totally eliminate felt recoil so if you have a young shooter so someone a bit recoil shy or someone that just wants no recoil in shooting, there are no better options.
most of the time the factory scope mount bases are also replaced with quality steel bases included in the price. Only time this is not the case is with smaller chamberings that we used the Ruger Predator rifle to start with and then the factory rail is often used.
each K-Rifle will ship with a plano hard case, all shipping and insurance cost included in price.
so with all these added up, there really is no comparision. Are they cheap rifles, certainly not but compared to most rifles in this price range, they will easily outperform them. I am often asked why someone would then need one of my Raptor or Stalker rifles if these are so good and my reply is always the same, if 800 yards will cover your hunting and the chamberings available in the K-Rifles will do the work being asked, there is no reason to step up. However, if you need or can use the extreme increase in power and range that the Stalker and Raptor offer, there is no comparison. All comes down to the need for the rifle and how it will be used.
Again i hear all the time how rifles like the Bergaras will do anything these will do and much cheaoer. And they continue to say that until they actually lay down behind one of my K-Rifles and see what they can do.
Chambering options include all the 223 rem class chamberings on that case size, all 308 class family of chamberings and also those based on the 284 win parent case. These little rifles chambered in 6.5-284 are quite impressive!! All rounds on the 06 parent case are also available from 22-06 up to 35 whelen and everything in between!!
generally try to keep a couple of these rifles in stock ready to ship. Just built a batch of three and two are still in stock, another 6.5-06 and a 280 Ack Imp. If you have any questions about my K-Rifles, shoot me an email at [email protected]
simply put, I tell them they are designed to be a much more economical set up for those that still want legit long range performance. And then i get the standard, "How is a $1800-$2400 price tag considered economical?"
My reply is simple, for that price level, what you get in performance is amazing. Often times this is followed with, i can get a Christensen Arms for that kind of money or i can get a Bergara rifle for less then that and it will do everything i need. That may be true, however, once these same people actually shoot my K-Rifles they understand a bit more. Because of these conversations, i wanted to write up a bit of a post discribing just what goes into these rifles.
I think what some have issues with is the fact that i build these rifles around the Ruger American rifle receivers and some simply feel these are cheap, poor quality receivers. This could not be farther from the truth. There is true beauty in these little receivers. First off, they are quite strong in design, typical of any Ruger product and yes there is some plastic used in the factory rifles but all of that is replaced in my rebuilds other then the bolt shroud. I found some very high quality aluminum bolt shrouds and while they looked much nicer, they rattled alot so not for me.
The beauty of the Ruger American receiver is that it is extremely easy to blueprint, much easier then any other factory receiver on the market today. With the standard choice for an accuracy factory build being the Rem 700, to properly blueprint a Rem 700, there is at least 2-3 hours of set up time and machining to properly blueprint a Rem 700 receiver and bolt. The Ruger American by comparision, i can be done from start to finish in 30-45 minutes and honestly with much better, more consistent results. This saves the customer in labor costs.
There are a few areas of the Ruger American i am not a fan of. The cheap plastic stocks are worthless in my opinion and are replaced so of no concern. I am also not a fan of the barrel lock but design on these or any other modern rifle that use them. I know why they are used and i know many love them for their ability to change their own barrels but the old precision rifle builder in me just sees these as a short cut and i dont do short cuts in my rifles. Also, the barrel lock nut system limits the shank diameter that can be used on your barrels. The larger the shank, the more rigid and stiff the entire barreled receiver will be, this translates into finer accuracy and consistency. Not to mention, just looks much better.
Bartlein barrels are all i use if left up to me. These are not CHEAP barrels but they are world class barrels that will produce consistent world class results. I could drop a couple hundred off the price of these rifles using true economy grade barrels but then would drop down in performance with some of the rifles mentioned above and i see no point in that. At least not for a rifle i am going to engrave my shop name onto.
the Stocks i use are generally Boyds laminate stocks. Occasionally a Stockys laminate or a B&C but mostly Boyds. Again i hear all the time, why use such cheap stocks. Well, honestly, Boyds make a pretty solid laminate stock and at a price point and shipping time that no one else can match. When the stocks arrive, there is some minor inletting that is needed before bedding and then all are milled for pillar bedding and then glass bedded for proper stress free receiver support. Barrels are always fully free floated.
Plus the wood colors are usually very nice
next up is the triggers. While they are decent from the factory, most will complain about their CHEAP components and feel. It is true that from the factory they do feel a bit spongy, however, the actual steel in the critical areas of the trigger are very good quality and with some simple spring replacements and a bit of stoning on the trigger, trigger pulls are transformed into surprisingly good 2-2.5 lb safe trigger pulls. I have been very impressed by these triggers and how they respond to just a bit of work.
The main complaint i have heard with these rifles is the use of the plastic magazines and while i would admit they are not IDEAL for severe hard use, most big game rifles are not put through SEVERE hard use. The biggest issue i have seen with these mags is that the rifles are often not set up properly for them but when set up correctly, they perform their intended purpose just fine. Have never had a customer with one of my K-Rifles complain because of the magazines.
These little rifles were delt a decent blow when they stopped offering the magnum version of the Ruger American. Not sure why that has happened but i had been making quite a few mid level magnum chambered K-Rifles that performed extremely well. However, with the short action and standard action rifles we are able to build some impressive little rifles as far as long range precision goes. If people are WOWED by the 6.5 CM, these rifles will seem like SUPER MAGNUM rifles!!
In my conversations with people who seem to be telling me these rifles are far over priced for an economy grade rifle, we then talk about the EXTRAS that come with an APS rifle of any price point.
Function
every one of these rifles are built by me and me alone, just as with all my rifles, every one is fully function tested before shipping. If issues are found, adjustments are made and issue resolved before the rifle leaves the shop. This is much more then just throwing some rounds in the mag and see if they feed well or not. These tests are done with live fire testing.
Load development
as with all of my very top end Stalker, Raptor and XHS rifles, these K-Rifles also include a load development with the rifle price. This includes a load development with one bullet of my choice or customers choice if they order a K-Rifle and not buy one thats in stock. Load development finds the top working ranges of each rifle so that when i tell you your rifle will produce X velocity with Y bullet, that statement is from ACTUAL testing and ACTUAL results from your rifle, not a prediction based on what a test rifle did once or a sales pitch to get you to buy a rifle. For example, just finished a 6.5-06 and after load development with the 143 gr ELDX bullet, a max load was found to be 3140 fps which resulted in 4-5 firings per case. Admittedly this is a seriously fast result for a 26" barreled 6.5-06 with this bullet weight. Easing back to an even 3100 fps produced 5-6+ firings per case. Still extremely impressive. So when you get the rifle, you will also get the load data from the load development which was produced from your specific rifle. Ask for that from CA or Bergara and see how far you get.
Accuracy Testing
every one of my K-Rifles has to stand up and prove they are capable of 1/2 moa accuracy at a minimum of 500 yards but i often still test them at 800 yards just like my top end Stalker custom rifles. If they do not prove they have 1/2 moa accuracy potential at that range, they dont ship until they do. Again, they are not ADVERTISED as having this level of accuracy and consistency, they are PROVEN to have it. Again, ask for that from any CA or Bergara rifle. This is truly what sets them apart and makes them a true bargin.
group on the left was shot by my then 11 year old daughter, one on right by her crusty old Dad. Not saying every K-Rifle will shoot onto the 0.1"s but they shoot extremely well, easily meeting 1/2 moa with quality ammo and shooters.
the little things that set these apart even more are that they are legit, hand built, one at a time custom rifles. No mass production here. My same attention to detail I have for one of my $7000 XHS rifles is the same i have for these K-Rifles.
They come with the option to use my Painkiller muzzle brakes which for the most part totally eliminate felt recoil so if you have a young shooter so someone a bit recoil shy or someone that just wants no recoil in shooting, there are no better options.
most of the time the factory scope mount bases are also replaced with quality steel bases included in the price. Only time this is not the case is with smaller chamberings that we used the Ruger Predator rifle to start with and then the factory rail is often used.
each K-Rifle will ship with a plano hard case, all shipping and insurance cost included in price.
so with all these added up, there really is no comparision. Are they cheap rifles, certainly not but compared to most rifles in this price range, they will easily outperform them. I am often asked why someone would then need one of my Raptor or Stalker rifles if these are so good and my reply is always the same, if 800 yards will cover your hunting and the chamberings available in the K-Rifles will do the work being asked, there is no reason to step up. However, if you need or can use the extreme increase in power and range that the Stalker and Raptor offer, there is no comparison. All comes down to the need for the rifle and how it will be used.
Again i hear all the time how rifles like the Bergaras will do anything these will do and much cheaoer. And they continue to say that until they actually lay down behind one of my K-Rifles and see what they can do.
Chambering options include all the 223 rem class chamberings on that case size, all 308 class family of chamberings and also those based on the 284 win parent case. These little rifles chambered in 6.5-284 are quite impressive!! All rounds on the 06 parent case are also available from 22-06 up to 35 whelen and everything in between!!
generally try to keep a couple of these rifles in stock ready to ship. Just built a batch of three and two are still in stock, another 6.5-06 and a 280 Ack Imp. If you have any questions about my K-Rifles, shoot me an email at [email protected]
