Build or upgrade?

Mooseknuckles

Mooseknuckles

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    • Jan 11, 2014
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    #1
    Sorry if this has been covered before.
    I have been going back and forth for a while, trying to decide to keep my Ruger precision and up grade it or sell it and start a new build.
    The upgrade I have looked at the the typical RPR upgrades. New barrel, area 419 brake Magpul prs stock, timney trigger, mdt grip and seekins hand guard.
    On the other hand I have considered selling it and building a rifle. What I have come up with:
    Bighorn origin action
    Criterion prefit in 6mm creedmoor
    Trigger tech specialist
    Area 419 brake
    Krg bravo or oryx chassis
    Just curious on your guys thoughts.
     
    #4
    I was in your exact situation last year, I sold the rpr to fund a custom build and haven't looked back. The Ruger is a good first step but once you want to upgrade I wouldn't dump a bunch of money in mods that won't really benefit you that much
     
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    #6
    b6graham said:
    Modding rpr will do little for resale and limits a lot still even though it can be an accurate platform

    More options with your build. Way more. More room to grow
    Click to expand...
    This is what I was kinda worried about with dumping a bunch of money into the rifle.
    I have considered building a custom over time and just shooting the shit out of the rpr. Kinda on a limited budget.
    That was one reason I was looking at the origin action. Seem like you get a lot of bang for your buck.
     
    #7
    FWIW, I’ve been seeing 1/2 moa out of my gen one RPR .308 with factory barrel for the past three years (hand loads). Hard to beat that bang for the buck..
     
    #8
    Origin all the way man, and don’t look back. By the time you dump all that money into your RPR, you could have built a custom. Prefit barrels available, ability to shoot any SA caliber from 223 to short mag, and they’re smooth as glass. Don’t give it a 2nd thought. You won’t regret going that route.
     
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    #9
    HogsLife said:
    Origin all the way man, and don’t look back. By the time you dump all that money into your RPR, you could have built a custom. Prefit barrels available, ability to shoot any SA caliber from 223 to short mag, and they’re smooth as glass. Don’t give it a 2nd thought. You won’t regret going that route.
    Click to expand...
    This is one thing I really liked about the origin action. The fact I can change calibers relativity easy.
     
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    #11
    Mooseknuckles said:
    This is one thing I really liked about the origin action. The fact I can change calibers relativity easy.
    Click to expand...

    Absolutely man. Just built my 12 year old daughter one. It’s her first rifle and She’s a lefty so I didn’t want to have to build her multiple rifles. I wanted to build her something she could use for range / comp and hunting as well.

    Ended up going with a Manners MCS-CS Carbon fill, a SS 224 Valkyrie 22” Krieger M24 1:7, for training / comps, and a 6.5CM 16.5” Proof CF Sendero for hunting.

    She had all the bolt heads to run 223- Short mag. Something she can do it all with and won’t out grow. I like it so much, I’m gonna build me one now too.

    EDIT: You can get everything you need for the build from Altus. Colby’s a great dude and extremely helpful.
     
    #12
    Option 3.

    Sell Ruger. Always a good thing.

    Don’t get caught up into minutia. There is not much discernible difference in the various Rem footprint actions.

    Scan the FS list on this site and find a rifle of your chosen caliber that fits your budget.

    Look closely at Surgeon action builds. For some reason they are getting beat up in this fickle market. Great action. So are many others.

    Look at complete rifles. Watch out for rifles that have been turned into a pile of refuse for someone to get rid of every part he does not like. Xmark pro trigger, 2500 round count barrel etc.

    Find a good rifle someone is letting go at a good price.

    Don’t try to find someone to trade your rifle to. Sell it and do a clean purchase on the new one.

    Disregard all that the fanboys tell you. Regardless of who they are fanning for. Unfortunately, a lot of folks try to influence others to in some way justify there purchase decisions. Never understood that but it is common.

    Then just shoot.

    Above are just my suggestions. Good luck.
     
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    #13
    Mooseknuckles said:
    Sorry if this has been covered before.
    I have been going back and forth for a while, trying to decide to keep my Ruger precision and up grade it or sell it and start a new build.
    The upgrade I have looked at the the typical RPR upgrades. New barrel, area 419 brake Magpul prs stock, timney trigger, mdt grip and seekins hand guard.
    On the other hand I have considered selling it and building a rifle. What I have come up with:
    Bighorn origin action
    Criterion prefit in 6mm creedmoor
    Trigger tech specialist
    Area 419 brake
    Krg bravo or oryx chassis
    Just curious on your guys thoughts.
    Click to expand...

    Build. By a mile.

    Your build is almost exactly what I would do. You could build that for under 2 grand and compete in production class if you wanted to.
     
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    #16
    I figured I could get the gun completely built for right a or just under 2k.

    rth1800:
    This isn’t another good option and I have been scan the classifieds like a mad man looking for a good deal. I am not completely stuck on the origin action, just liked the price point of them and ease of getting quality barrels.
     
    #17
    Mooseknuckles said:
    I figured I could get the gun completely built for right a or just under 2k.

    rth1800:
    This isn’t another good option and I have been scan the classifieds like a mad man looking for a good deal. I am not completely stuck on the origin action, just liked the price point of them and ease of getting quality barrels.
    Click to expand...
    CRF ain't bad either...
     
    #18
    Bighorn Origin : $825 (I got mine from the Hide PX used for $800)
    Bartlien Pre-Fit : $750
    Trigger Tec Special : $200
    Chose your Brake : $150 +\-

    Grand Total - $1925 +/- (those are all prices off of Altus’ site.

    Yeah your gonna need a stock or Chasis too. Search the Hide PX. Ton of great deals that pop up. So you’ll have a full custom build in the $2500 range, exactly the way you want it. Take that into consideration before you settle and buy someone else’s used build. Plus you’ll have the ability to shoot any short action caliber you want with nothing more than a barrel / bolt head swap. Bolt heads run $125-$150 range from Bighorn. Call me a fan boy all you want, but best bang for your buck is a Origin all the way. It Takes about 10 minutes to do the swap and that’s if your slow.

    I also have an impact. $450 for a replacement bolt if I want to go .223, .224, or short mag. If I had to to it again, I would have gone Origin or TL3 instead of the Impact due to that reason alone.....
     
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    #19
    HogsLife-
    This is what I have decided to do. Think I will ditch the Ruger and do a custom build.
    I know the Bartlein are top notch. I have one on my 300 win mag and love it. Out of curiosity is there any reason to not run a criterion barrel? I know they are button rifled instead of cut but I only shoot one match a month.
    I guess my build list will be:
    Bighorn origin- 825
    Criterion barrel 450
    Trigger tech specialists 200
    Area 419 brake 165
    Krg bravo chassis or oryx 360-400
    So looking at between 1950-2100 for a build.
     
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    #20
    I don’t have any experience with the Criterion Barrels. I’m sure it’ll be a shooter and it’s within your budget so that’s what it’s all about. . If you don’t like it, burn it out, save your cash and go Bartlien or the like later down the road.

    FWIW @rth1800 is exactly right when it comes to accuracy with the clone 700 actions. They’re all gonna shoot pretty damn close to each other. What it boils down to is options and personal preference (ie pre-fits available, finishes, DLC Coated, weight, integral rail / recoil lugs vs bolt on rail / pinned lugs, replacement bolts or bolt heads, 90 deg vs 60 deg bolt throws etc).

    It all boils down to your budget, your preferences, and what you’re looking to get out of it, but with a good barrel, they’re all gonna shoot lights out.
    EDIT : Yes, that also includes Rem 700 actions that have been worked over by a good smith.....
     
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    #22
    I definitely like the option of the bighorn. If my budget allowed I would go with a tl3 action.
    Another question and I’m sure it’s been answered but is there and advantage of going with the trigger tech specialist over the primary? I have a flat shoe primary in one of my rifles and like it a lot.
     
    #23
    BadAccountant said:
    Build. By a mile.

    Your build is almost exactly what I would do. You could build that for under 2 grand and compete in production class if you wanted to.
    Click to expand...
    lte82 said:
    What’s your goal? What’s your budget for shooting annually, including travel, ammo, barrels, match fees, etc?
    Click to expand...
    My goal is just to have fun and get out to shoot and learn. Travel is somewhat limited. Have one kid with another on the way.
    The local to me match is over 2 hours away. But it’s only once a month.
    Match fees are pretty cheap for that shoot. Maybe one day I would make it to the other side of the state to do JC steel shoot one. Time off isn’t an issue.
    Budget for the gun is 2k, as far as ammo I load my own so I have everything I need already.
    As far as barrels go I realize they are a consumable. I will budget one day to have another sitting in the safe to swap out we I need to.
     
    #24
    Right now patriot valley has a 6.5 barrel sale for 399. I would put that in the ruger with an arca rail which will stiffen it up slightly and provide a wider flat bottom for riding a bag. That’s all you really need and it’s not that much of a money suck. Once you get a great barrel that will last you two years of infrequent matches like you describe gives you plenty of time to figure out what you really want.
     
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    #28
    Mooseknuckles said:
    My goal is just to have fun and get out to shoot and learn. Travel is somewhat limited. Have one kid with another on the way.
    The local to me match is over 2 hours away. But it’s only once a month.
    Match fees are pretty cheap for that shoot. Maybe one day I would make it to the other side of the state to do JC steel shoot one. Time off isn’t an issue.
    Budget for the gun is 2k, as far as ammo I load my own so I have everything I need already.
    As far as barrels go I realize they are a consumable. I will budget one day to have another sitting in the safe to swap out we I need to.
    Click to expand...

    That is a convenient benefit to prefits. I like shouldering my own barrels, but there is something to be said for the convenience of a quick change barrel if shooting a barrel-burner like a 6 CM.

    Buy two prefits, keep one on the gun, and shoot it until you notice throat wear. Then swap it for the other and send the first off to the smith to be taken in and rechambered/threaded. That way your gun isn't sitting at the smith's shop for two months until he fulfills his backlog of work.
     
    #29
    Origin or TL3 is very difficult to beat. Barrel options are vast, Keystone prefits for the price are probably best for the money. If your a veteran or law enforcement proof research is on the experticity site and sells Bighorn barrels for a stupidly low price. If you buy an Origin get the TL3 conversion recoil lug that Hunt's Long range sells that will open up alot of options.

    That said I love the RPR its a lot of bang for the buck its just a damn shame they dont help the backwards lefties out there.
     
    #30
    Mooseknuckles said:
    HogsLife-
    This is what I have decided to do. Think I will ditch the Ruger and do a custom build.
    I know the Bartlein are top notch. I have one on my 300 win mag and love it. Out of curiosity is there any reason to not run a criterion barrel? I know they are button rifled instead of cut but I only shoot one match a month.
    I guess my build list will be:
    Bighorn origin- 825
    Criterion barrel 450
    Trigger tech specialists 200
    Area 419 brake 165
    Krg bravo chassis or oryx 360-400
    So looking at between 1950-2100 for a build.
    Click to expand...

    I have a criterion barrel on my Savage .243 AI. That was one of my first true "precision rifles", and it taught me a lot about what goes into building a good precision gun.

    Criterions are solid barrels, and given the consistency of modern barrels, I doubt you would notice a difference between a criterion and any other premium barrel maker.
     
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    #31
    Do the build origin build, and you won't regret it. I know keystone accuracy will do an origin with a kreiger for 1385 or a button cut for 1185. Now throw it into a krg bravo, a TT special and bam a badass rig
    20181229_154501.jpg
     
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    #32
    I'd leave the rpr alone and burn the barrel.

    By that time you'll have grabbed most part for your build and gained experience.

    That origin/krg bravo build is the best logical approach to a first custom that can grow with ya.... And that will keep you married and get the kids to college.
     
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    #33
    King_beardsly said:
    Do the build origin build, and you won't regret it. I know keystone accuracy will do an origin with a kreiger for 1385 or a button cut for 1185. Now throw it into a krg bravo, a TT special and bam a badass rig View attachment 7115946
    Click to expand...
    That’s a damn good price in the barreled action. I looked on there website and I don’t see where they have prices at. Do you just have to call them?
     
    #35
    Their site isn't exactly the most straight forward one, I wish I knew about their actions before I ordered mine from an other shop. It would of saved me a few bucks and I could of had a kreiger barrel.
     
    #39
    I sold my RPR and bought an origin but kinda wishing now I would have done a little extra research. The origin is a sweet action but for a little more money I think the impact is better. Only disadvantage is finding prefit barrels. Run a bravo stock until you save up for manners or chassis. I from Missouri so manners is #1. I run T4a and my son runs a PRS-1
     
    #46
    King_beardsly said:
    Do the build origin build, and you won't regret it. I know keystone accuracy will do an origin with a kreiger for 1385 or a button cut for 1185. Now throw it into a krg bravo, a TT special and bam a badass rig View attachment 7115946
    Click to expand...
    A bighorn origin actions is around $850 so 1185 minus is $335 for a barrel and install. I’m not doubting or questioning but I’d liked to see see some one with results. I my self have looked at keystone but there isn’t very many reviews. Here’s a bug holes review 5 shots 100 yards it’s shot 4.5” at 1000 in 6br . With my shitty shooting and reloading
    B658039D-AB7B-4BCB-9CCE-DB1AEDBA22BD.jpeg
     
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