Ruger 6.5 Creedmoor Review

OSS; which Predator do you have? The Hawkeye or American? . I'm still shooting and enjoying my Hawkeye,not Predator Hawkeye. But I would really like to get a Hawkeye Predator. I think.my next 6.5 Creedmoor will be the VT M77 Mk2 model so I will have a dedicated LR rifle. I shortened the barrel on my Hawkeye and still can't get over how much I like it and how I didn't loose any inherent accuracy. Tho with the lower velocity I get blown around a bit more at long range. Most of my hunting shots are 200 yards or less so it was a trade off I was willing to make. With my general purpose hunting rifle.
 
I just got a Ruger American Predator 6.5 creedmoor. I let my son shoot the first three shots sighting it in at 100 yards. First two shots were overlapping. Third shot was 1/2 inch away. I move the crosshairs for correction to the middle of the target and 3 out of the next 4 shots were touching with the fourth about 3/4 of an inch away. This was with Hornady factory 140 grain Amax.
 
Re: Ruger 6.5 Creedmoor Review (American Predator)

I own a Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor. Nice rifle for the price BUT I had problems with the magazine spring not pushing the last cartridge up enough for the bolt to catch it. When the bolt rode over it on its way rearward it would depress the round which would not come back up far enough to be caught by the bolt face.

To their credit Ruger Customer Service is sending me a new magazine for free. We'll see. It it works I'll get some more mags at my local Sportsman's Warehouse AND TRY THEM IN THE STORE - with a clerk doing the honors for liability reasons.

Anyhow, I'm using the Predator for a Poor Man's long range competition rifle here in 'Vegas. I got a 20 MOA rail for it and I'll mount my Bushnell ERS 3.5 X 21 scope on it with the Horus 59 reticle.
 
I have the Hawkeye Predator. Ruger just announced the Precision Rifle in 8/5 Creedmoor and .308. Ruger has another rifle in the works chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor.
 
That's amazing accuracy from a factory stick! Great read. Sounds like the 77VT is best buy if you're looking for a 6.5 creed. Ruger is really upping their game - Frank did a review of Ruger's new comp gun and reported similar accuracy.
 
By the way I shot a Ruger V/T in 6.5 Creedmoor. The rifle had a round count in excess of 7000, yes seven thousand but it still shot dime size groups at 100 yards. Nearly all the rifle has seen is Hornday 140 Amax match ammunition.
 
Looks like I may sell my Ruger American Predator in 6.5 CM and get the Precision Rifle, also in 6.5 CM. The RPR is SUCH a good deal for the features that I can't pass it up.

After all, I got the RA Predator for long range competition and the RPR is just so much better for that purpose so why not get it? Wish I'd known Ruger was coming out with the RPR at the time I bought the Predator. :eek:(
 
OK singleshot,

My preferred retailer sez it will be a few months wait to get it from his distributor.

If I get an RPR and shoot out the throat in a few years I think I'll get a Christensen CF wrapped barrel as a replacement. Spendy maybe, but a great barrel.

They actually cool faster than fluted all steel barrels. And they have virtually no point of impact movement when "hot" due to the extreme stiffness of carbon fiber with Christensen's proprietary wrap technique.
 
I shot a RPR pro-type last May. It was comfortable. The one I shot seemed a couple pounds heavier than the published weight of the new ones. They may have dropped a few lbs since I saw it.

My experience with carbon wrapped barrels is they do what they advertise except accuracy. The best I got out of a Christensen was 1". You don't see carbon barrels in events that require accuracy. They were designed to lighten rifles and they are good at it. Maybe they have improved the accuracy since I shot them many years ago plus several people are making them now.
 
singleshot,

Thanks for the info on the Christensen barrel. From what I gather it all depends on the barrel used AND how much material is left on it at and just beyond the chamber area. They will wrap different barrel brands that have been turned down in diameter.

I guess they have discovered some accuracy answers lately on CF wrapped barrels. Personally I'd want a turned down barrel cryo treated before CF wrapping to relieve production stresses.
 
Olsingleshot,

If you got 7,000 rounds from a Ruger Hawkeye in 6.5 CM and STILL have 1/2 MOA groups I guess I'll have to wait a few years before the 6.5 CM RPR I'm getting needs a Bartlein barrel! I think I've been talked out of a CF wrapped barrel and Bartlein seems to be the current favorite of PRS shooters by a huge margin.

Still, if my personal RPR is as accurate as the tests I've seen it should be just fine for me to learn how to compete. I can always fine tune things as I hand load. I'll be trying a few different weights of Barger bullets and IMR temperature tolerant powder, given that I'll be shooting here in the Mojave Desert most of the time. A set of Neil Jones dies is on its way. I'll be reloading 6.5 CM soon for my Ruger Predator.
 
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