Looking to buy a budget setup for use as a LEO. Thought I had made up my mind to go with the RPR. I then started looking at the Howa Actions in an Oryx chassis. As well as some of the Howa full rifles. Now I am not so sure my mind is made up. Must be in .308. Anyone have experience with both of these, and have any incite?
-
Having trouble using the site?
Contact support
Budget setup: Ruger Precision VS. Howa
- Thread starter Cpaul
- Start date
An "LEO"?
What the hell difference is that supposed to make?
Also, why would an "LEO" be trying to do anything "budget" with something his or someone else's life may depend on?
What the hell difference is that supposed to make?
Also, why would an "LEO" be trying to do anything "budget" with something his or someone else's life may depend on?
Well because I make LEO money and if I want to be sent to sniper/observer school I have to purchase my own set up. Gotta start somewhere and I am not rich. But thanks for your oh so helpful reply…
If you have the opportunity to do so, go talk to members of the sniper team.
Ask them as many questions as you can; things like:
1) preferred caliber
2) preferred barrel length
3) preferred optic
4) preferred trigger and trigger weight
5) stock style
Take the information the members you can talk to give you and start narrowing down options based on those parameters. There may be bits of information that lead you to decisions that might sway decisions and choices already made. Yes, I saw you want to go .308. The sniper team members might have other calibers they prefer.
Hope this helps...
Of the 2 you mentioned I'd go RPR. You have magazine versatility. They shoot well and you can fit it to you quite easily.
B14 HMR is a great budget rifle. 700 footprint for stocks/chassis they have a good trigger to start.
B14 HMR is a great budget rifle. 700 footprint for stocks/chassis they have a good trigger to start.
It's a 308 so any Walmart gun will be as capable as that cartridge..
Although I love the Howa, I’d go with the rpr. Better aftermarket support.
For $1500, you can do better than the two rifles you mention.
- I used to own a Bergara Premiere HMR Pro that I liked quite a bit. Never had an issue. The base Bergaras are okay, but the Premiere/Pro line is good for the price. Bergaras are also built on a R700 footprint, so you have the most aftermarket options of anything out there.
- Tikka makes a number of models that would fall within your price range, and you get what is likely the second most aftermarket options.
Both of the above would fall into your price range and would be great rifles that you'd hold onto for quite some time.
Looks like Europtic has a Tikka CTR in .308 for just over the $1k mark. I don't have any personal experience with Tikka but everyone here has positive comments about them.
My dad just bought one in 6.5CM. If he takes and gets it sighted in any time soon I'll let you know his thoughts on it.
LR
My dad just bought one in 6.5CM. If he takes and gets it sighted in any time soon I'll let you know his thoughts on it.
LR
You will want a bipod (Harris) and a brake and extra magazines.
The Tikka gets you in the door with enough $$ for those items. Some vendors will do VIP pricing based on your LEO credentials.
Another option is the Solus Bravo with a PVA prefit ordered from PVA. That rifle will be the most accurate you can get for the money.
The Tikka gets you in the door with enough $$ for those items. Some vendors will do VIP pricing based on your LEO credentials.
Another option is the Solus Bravo with a PVA prefit ordered from PVA. That rifle will be the most accurate you can get for the money.
That Solus with PVA prefit looks like an interesting option. I might consider one like that for a build myself as budget allows. That's going to be tight to finish on $1500 budget though.You will want a bipod (Harris) and a brake and extra magazines.
The Tikka gets you in the door with enough $$ for those items. Some vendors will do VIP pricing based on your LEO credentials.
Another option is the Solus Bravo with a PVA prefit ordered from PVA. That rifle will be the most accurate you can get for the money.
T
LR
If you're going to use it for LE use then you should get something that is generally approved by other departments and the LE community even if your department doesn't have any requirements beyond 308. Remington 700 Police or LTR is kind of the gold standard for that without spending $4K+ on a AI, Sako, or something else of that nature. I think the new Remarms just started making them again but if not you could go with something like the 700 Long Range as well.
I absolutely would not buy some budget rifle or piece together your own for duty use and I also wouldn't put an Arken on a rifle for duty use. You're just asking for problems.
I absolutely would not buy some budget rifle or piece together your own for duty use and I also wouldn't put an Arken on a rifle for duty use. You're just asking for problems.
I'm surprised this won't be a department issued firearm.
Is this something that once you get through school you'll be expected to use or will you be issued something at that time?
LR
LE buys their own rifles all the time and get certified and qualifies with them. It's far more common with carbines and smaller departments.
Apparently the Remington 700 Long Range comes set in an HS Precision stock. The HS Precision stock on one of my guns, FWIW, seems solid as a rock.
I have a ruger precision and a howa hcr . The howa that I have is a much better rifle then my ruger precision. I bought my howa in Jan 2017, as a package deal with a nikko sterling long range diamond scope for less than 1200. For the price it's a great set up, I am not advocating on using a nikko sterling for LEO but for range use its been great. I moved it around over the years on different rifles and it held up.
The howa has been more accurate for me and feels like a much higher quality rifle. The ruger precision rattles and feels cheaper and the front rail that the bipod attaches to comes loss and needs tightening. I really like rugers in general and would take a ruger predator in a magpul stock over the precision any day. Ruger actually makes a ruger in the magpul stock with a thicker contour barrel (saw them for sale at rural king for 799). The ruger in magpul stock I have is more comfortable for me then the precision and its been constantly more accurate.
Between those 2 I'd go with the Howa.
I've handled a Howa 1500 varmint barreled action in a MDT Chassis and was pretty impressed.
I'm not a Ruger fan, and I've read enough bad about their RPR to keep me away.
I've handled a Howa 1500 varmint barreled action in a MDT Chassis and was pretty impressed.
I'm not a Ruger fan, and I've read enough bad about their RPR to keep me away.
I have a Howa in 6.5 CM. I’m currently building a 6.5 PRC, 7 PRC & 300 PRC. All three are using a Howa barreled action and sitting in Oryx Chassis’s. For the money you can’t beat the action. The stock trigger is good as well. It’s no AI, but my buddy with an AI has been impressed with my Howa. I really wanted a Sako S20. I traveled to go see one and was very unimpressed with what it was. That was the moment I decided to use the Howa barreled actions and build my own. I’m topping each of them off with a Vortex Viper PST Gen II 5-25x50 MRAD.
If you are interested, check Brownell’s for the barreled action. Optics Planet has the chassis and the MDT scope mounts.
If you are interested in a Vortex Strike Eagle 5-35x56 I have a brand new one that I am not going to end up using. I also have the rings and level bubbles for it as well (both from Vortex).
Best of luck to you.
If you are interested, check Brownell’s for the barreled action. Optics Planet has the chassis and the MDT scope mounts.
If you are interested in a Vortex Strike Eagle 5-35x56 I have a brand new one that I am not going to end up using. I also have the rings and level bubbles for it as well (both from Vortex).
Best of luck to you.
I would take a serious look at a Tikka T3X.
It may be the best out-of-the-box rifle for your job right now. They are reliable, consistent and accurate enough. Easy to maintain. Plenty of other agencies running them so precedence is established.
Get the 20" Tikka. If you plan on mounting a suppressor, get the 16". DO NOT get the 16" if you will not run suppressed. DO NOT plan on putting a muzzle brake on the rifle. If you do, run a blast shield over it or purchase a Troy Claymore style brake.
It comes with a fully adjustable stock and I would guess that the Tikka series are currently the second most supported rifles with the second most aftermarket parts available behind R700 pattern guns.
Remington: Used to be the gold standard. Currently, they are still getting back on their feet after bankruptcy and moving. Still almost impossible to get OEM support items like extractors, etc.
Bergara: One of the most heavily marketed rifles out there. They are pretty much taking over the sporting market space that Remington vacated. We see the majority of Bergara rifles have at least one issue before ending a 5 day BASIC class. I would put them in maybe 3rd place.
Howa: Solid little rifles. Good track record. You still will end up spending more money on one to get it tweaked to your needs. Not a ton of aftermarket Howa specific parts/support.
Ruger RPR: We see them show up regularly in classes. They actually perform well. They have adjustable LOP and cheek rest height, both of which are critical to have. They are relatively lightweight and unforgiving when not driven consistently from shot to shot.
Everything on the RPR is sharp. They will eat a hole in your pinch bag and everything else they rub against. If you get an RPR, immediately disassemble every part and fastener you can and re-assemble with red LocTite. They are rough but they work. As much as I hate to admit it, the RPR would be in my #2 recommendation over Rem, Bergara and Howa.
.
Last edited:
