Production Class PRS 22 Rifle

[BuckeyePrecision]

What would you all consider the best rifle/optic combination for a production class PRS rimfire series rifle. The combined total MSRP between the two needs to be less than $1500. A little back story, I have several friends who want to come and shoot with me but are not ready to invest the money into their own rifle yet. I usually let them shoot my rifle but it is quite heavy and some of them have found that intimidating and since the rifle is setup for me its not always comfortable for them. I would like to get something with some adjustment in the cheek riser and LOP so I can set it up to be comfortable for just about anyone. Since I am pretty vested in the rimfire stuff I do not mind buying another rifle and it would be nice having the peace of mind that I have a back up ready to go if my rifle were to go down mid match. So lets hear it, if you were setting up a production class rifle, what would it be?

The two I am considering at the moment are:
CZ 457 At-One with a Strike Eagle 5-25. Combined MSRP is $1488
Ruger RPR with a Strike Eagle 5-25. Combined MSRP is $1328

 

[Rimdenter]

I cant comment about guns but the scope I can it's a excellent scope and the 34mm tube makes it have better clarity.

 

[littlepod]

I'd buy a CZ 457 over a Ruger RPRR. Strike Eagle is a good scope.

 

[ScottPriestley]

CZ457 ProVarmint - I really dont like the At-ONE stock. But honestly if I was putting one together for this purpose I'd probably pick up a Ruger 10/22 Custom Shop. https://www.ruger.com/micros/customShop/31120.html

 

[Adam B]

I cant comment about guns but the scope I can it's a excellent scope and the 34mm tube makes it have better clarity.

Tube diameter has no effect on the clarity

 

[Rimdenter]

No but it pulls in far more light AIDING in brightness for my old eyes !

 

[littlepod]

Tube diameter has no effect on the clarity

Yes, in bright light situations. Shooting at dusk, my 30mm tube 50mm objective Razor AMG couldn't see crap vs my 34mm 56mm Tract.

But in general light situations, yeh tube / objective aren't really any specific math towards clarity, so many other factors come in.

 

[huntnh]

Don’t forget tikka

 

[BuckeyePrecision]

I do love the Tikka's. I have been shooting a T1x with a custom barrel on it in Open for a couple of years now and have been very happy with it and would not hesitate to buy another, but part of me just wants something different this go around. I would like to have something adjustable while still in production as well. This rifle will get used as a loaner for everyone from youth shooters at our club to my friend who is 6'4". I debating just setting up another open rifle, but there are times I would like to go back and shoot production myself, just for something a bit different.

Another rifle I found to consider would be the CZ455 Precision Trainer. The last MSRP for these were $940 and I was looking at an Arken 6-24. I havent read many of the reviews for these scopes yet, but the ones I have read have been positive.

 

[beretta_man11]

cz457>rprr
As far as optics, I'm not a huge fan of the strike eagle only because of the turret feel. I do like the zero stop and pull to turn but the clicks are almost non existent. The glass is good as is the reticle. Currently, I'm using both the SE as well as the arken sh4 to which I like the sh4 better.

my base class rifle is the t1x with the tikka made beavertail forearm and added vertical grip. It has a 30moa area419 base, eratac UL 20moa mount, arken sh4, omega can, and shooting eley match or benchrest outlaw ammo. Its a fantastic rig.

 

[Adam B]

Yes, in bright light situations. Shooting at dusk, my 30mm tube 50mm objective Razor AMG couldn't see crap vs my 34mm 56mm Tract.

But in general light situations, yeh tube / objective aren't really any specific math towards clarity, so many other factors come in.

This is 100% wrong, it has been proven time and time again the glass and the coatings are what produce (or restrict) the light transmission.

Top 5 Optic Myths Explained

1) A LARGER MAINTUBE LETS IN MORE LIGHT AND MAKES FOR A BRIGHTER SCOPE &

www.leupold.com

Does Scope Tube Size Matter?

In this article, We explain the difference among 1", 30mm, 34mm and 35mm scope tube sizes. Understand what they're and pick the right one for you!

www.badassoptic.com

The Truth About Riflescope Brightness (And How to Pick the Best Hunting Scope for Low Light)

Few things in hunting optics are more hyped and misunderstood than riflescope brightness. Every shooter wants a bright, bright view. And every scope maker promises one.

www.outdoorlife.com

 

[littlepod]

This is 100% wrong, it has been proven time and time again the glass and the coatings are what produce (or restrict) the light transmission.

Top 5 Optic Myths Explained

1) A LARGER MAINTUBE LETS IN MORE LIGHT AND MAKES FOR A BRIGHTER SCOPE &

www.leupold.com

Does Scope Tube Size Matter?

In this article, We explain the difference among 1", 30mm, 34mm and 35mm scope tube sizes. Understand what they're and pick the right one for you!

www.badassoptic.com

The Truth About Riflescope Brightness (And How to Pick the Best Hunting Scope for Low Light)

Few things in hunting optics are more hyped and misunderstood than riflescope brightness. Every shooter wants a bright, bright view. And every scope maker promises one.

www.outdoorlife.com

Yes I agree that larger doesn't mean better. I'm just saying that companies who build good glass with all things being equal it seems as they go larger, they also get better. Not sure why they only put in better coatings as they grow the tube size, but somewhere or another it picks up more light. The 30mm/50mm objective Razor HD AMG, costs more than the 34mm/56mm objective Razor HD Gen II 4.5-27, and the 4.5-27 picks up more light. So The ZCO 527 picks up more light than the ZCO 420 as well, and it also has a larger objective.

 

[308pirate]

Yes I agree that larger doesn't mean better. I'm just saying that companies who build good glass with all things being equal it seems as they go larger, they also get better. Not sure why they only put in better coatings as they grow the tube size, but somewhere or another it picks up more light. The 30mm/50mm objective Razor HD AMG, costs more than the 34mm/56mm objective Razor HD Gen II 4.5-27, and the 4.5-27 picks up more light. So The ZCO 527 picks up more light than the ZCO 420 as well, and it also has a larger objective.

All of this is BS layman's opinion. Dumb shit like this continues to pollute gun forums with gross conceptual errors disguised as fact and people who know as much as you repeat it as if it were truth.

Go read some of Ilya Koshkin's articles, please.

 

[308pirate]

Back to the topic at hand

Bergara B-14R + SWFA 16X = $1450

 

[littlepod]

All of this is BS layman's opinion. Dumb shit like this continues to pollute gun forums with gross conceptual errors disguised as fact and people who know as much as you repeat it as if it were truth.

Go read some of Ilya Koshkin's articles, please.

I have. Anyhow, sorry for going off topic.

 

[Schütze]

Concerning about the term "light transmission" in rifle scopes I'd suggest listen to rifles only podcast, I think it's the 4 or 5th one.
There is a guy from leupold on there who explains... I listened to it yesterday and learned that I know nothing about this issue like
so many others debating optics on this forum. Even Jacob was impressed by this guy, as an understatement....

 

[308pirate]

Even Jacob was impressed by this guy, as an understatement....

You bring up a good point.

Just because someone is an expert user of shooting optics, that end user expertise doesn't automatically make him an optics technical expert. But many fall for the "appeal to authority" logical fallacy and assume that he is.

 

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

To save money and add simplicity, don't forget a fixed power scope. It's an option. For all the ability to measure photography optics, I don't understand why rifle scopes are some black-hole/art. Camera lenses can be tested on all kinds of technical parameters and objectively compared, but for some reason that doesn't seem to happen in a consistent manner with scopes. Drives me nuts.

 

[Schütze]

Back to the topic at hand

Bergara B-14R + SWFA 16X = $1450

This is actually an excellent suggestion. I just finished my first "PRS style" match a couple of weeks ago with my RimX and got beaten by my college from work (half my age) with my B14 I gave him to try.... Now he wants to buy the rifle, imagine that lol .

 

[308pirate]

This is actually an excellent suggestion. I just finished my first "PRS style" match a couple of weeks ago with my RimX and got beaten by my college from work (half my age) with my B14 I gave him to try.... Now he wants to buy the rifle, imagine that lol .

That's my rig. I'm set to try a PRS22 on April 10th, after March's match got rained out.

 

[littlepod]

I run 90% of my stages in NRL22/PRS22 at around 12-16x, could probably do fine leaving it at 16x. The offhand stages I can't do at 16x though but those are rare. Offhand stages I'm usually running at 8-10x.

For newer shooters, I tend to tell them to run at 12x due to the amount of hunting they're doing for the targets, and if they're at too high of a magnification, they spend too much time trying to find the target, but that can be fixed through just training.

 

[Krob95]

I run 90% of my stages in NRL22/PRS22 at around 12-16x, could probably do fine leaving it at 16x. The offhand stages I can't do at 16x though but those are rare. Offhand stages I'm usually running at 8-10x.

For newer shooters, I tend to tell them to run at 12x due to the amount of hunting they're doing for the targets, and if they're at too high of a magnification, they spend too much time trying to find the target, but that can be fixed through just training.

This right here. The field match I shot this past weekend was a prime example of too much mag is a bad thing. First stage I thought I’d try and hunt for the targets at 20x. Couldn’t find them, dialed back out to 10x found them, zoomed in, lost them again. Figured 12-16x was a sweet spot and that’s where I left my mag the entire match.

In these matches, having 25x isn’t a necessary thing. A fixed 16x or a 12x would do you fine. I’m thinking about running a Schmidt and Bender 5-20 ultra short for this reason.

 

[littlepod]

This right here. The field match I shot this past weekend was a prime example of too much mag is a bad thing. First stage I thought I’d try and hunt for the targets at 20x. Couldn’t find them, dialed back out to 10x found them, zoomed in, lost them again. Figured 12-16x was a sweet spot and that’s where I left my mag the entire match.

In these matches, having 25x isn’t a necessary thing. A fixed 16x or a 12x would do you fine. I’m thinking about running a Schmidt and Bender 5-20 ultra short for this reason.

Get the ZCO 4-20

 

[KnowNothing256]

It seems to me that running right up against the MSRP limit could get you in trouble in later seasons; it's not unreasonable that one of the two mfg's in OP's first suggested build would increase their product's MSRP by more than $12 at some point, but maybe prices are more stable than I think.

 

[Dthomas3523]

Yes, in bright light situations. Shooting at dusk, my 30mm tube 50mm objective Razor AMG couldn't see crap vs my 34mm 56mm Tract.

But in general light situations, yeh tube / objective aren't really any specific math towards clarity, so many other factors come in.

The tube size didn’t matter.

 

[Schütze]

Get the ZCO 4-20

I was actually playing with that idea to get one for my RimX because I've the 5-25 on my Origin 6.5.

 

[308pirate]

I run 90% of my stages in NRL22/PRS22 at around 12-16x, could probably do fine leaving it at 16x. The offhand stages I can't do at 16x though but those are rare. Offhand stages I'm usually running at 8-10x.

For newer shooters, I tend to tell them to run at 12x due to the amount of hunting they're doing for the targets, and if they're at too high of a magnification, they spend too much time trying to find the target, but that can be fixed through just training.

I agree with you. A fixed isn't the best solution, but it was already sitting in my junk pile from past projects.

 

[308pirate]

It seems to me that running right up against the MSRP limit could get you in trouble in later seasons; it's not unreasonable that one of the two mfg's in OP's first suggested build would increase their product's MSRP by more than $12 at some point, but maybe prices are more stable than I think.

And that's one of the reasons why using price to differentiate equipment divisions is spectacularly stupid.

NRL and PRS need to sit down and think through what physical features make a difference in performance and then separate divisions that way.

 

[BuckeyePrecision]

I have never used a fixed power scope in competition, but I can see how it would work well. Most matches leave my scope on about 12x pretty much all of the time. The only time I change it is if I am having an issue finding a target, then I will drop it down to 3x or 4x, locate the target, and zoom right back in. Although I usually find it about as fast just looking over the scope then driving the rifle to the target.

Playing so close to the price limit could easily be punished in later seasons if the MSRP goes up, but at the same time, I am willing to take that risk. A 457 with either an Arken or a SWFA would give me a lot more room and may be a better option.

 

[KnowNothing256]

I have never used a fixed power scope in competition, but I can see how it would work well. Most matches leave my scope on about 12x pretty much all of the time. The only time I change it is if I am having an issue finding a target, then I will drop it down to 3x or 4x, locate the target, and zoom right back in. Although I usually find it about as fast just looking over the scope then driving the rifle to the target.

Playing so close to the price limit could easily be punished in later seasons if the MSRP goes up, but at the same time, I am willing to take that risk. A 457 with either an Arken or a SWFA would give me a lot more room and may be a better option.

I've got a 455 and mostly love it; the 457 fixes my biggest gripe (I can rip the bolt out if I run it just a little too hard), along with a few others. I wanted to upgrade to one, but the Vudoo i suuuuper appealing...

 

[BuckeyePrecision]

And that's one of the reasons why using price to differentiate equipment divisions is spectacularly stupid.

NRL and PRS need to sit down and think through what physical features make a difference in performance and then separate divisions that way.

I couldnt agree more. I dont have a real opinion on where to draw the line, but MSRP alone is probably not the best way to do it.

 

[308pirate]

Playing so close to the price limit could easily be punished in later seasons if the MSRP goes up,

That's just retarded

 

[nockhunter]

My vote is for a Tikka with Strike Eagle.

Mike

 

[beetroot]

My vote is for a Tikka with Strike Eagle.

Mike

Agreed, that's what I'm shooting at the moment (just got the Strike eagle) and think it's great.

Only issue with the Tikka is if you don't like the factory stock then you'll need to upgrade it which may put you over the price limit, CZ has advantage of a few different stock options.

As far as a fixed power scope, no way I'd run one, may just be the matches that I shoot.
I certainly wouldn't go for anything fixed over 12x, probably 10x maximum but again could be the matches I shoot.

 

[nockhunter]

The factory stock is it's only downfall, it's one of the stiffest factory plastic stocks out there. I changed the pistol grip, added a cheek riser, and filled the forend with lead and epoxy. Now a little more weight and even more "stiffer".
I love that rifle.

Mike

 

[beetroot]

The factory stock is it's only downfall, it's one of the stiffest factory plastic stocks out there. I changed the pistol grip, added a cheek riser, and filled the forend with lead and epoxy. Now a little more weight and even more "stiffer".
I love that rifle.

Mike

I put on a normal T3 butt pad, CTR/varmint cheek riser and the vertical grip, made a huge difference.
I'm sure a McMillian or Manners would be nicer but the factory stock suits me really well (with those mods).

 

[sam4886]

I would think that a strike eagle ($799 msrp) and a 457 at-one ($689) would be perfect for what you're wanting. Accurate, adjustable to fit everyone, right below the production class limit.

That's $1488 msrp, you could probably have the rings, base, and pillars on it for less than $1500 street price.