RRA R3 Competition 556

I think I like the ATH a bit more. Going to compare the 2 this weekend. Yes that's a hell of a good price, only this weekend though. I doubt I'm going to jump on this. I just ordered a new scope yesterday that is just shy of the price of this rifle. I can get them even cheaper from RRA with my family discount but I usually have to wait at least 6 months to get it. Sometimes I just can't wait though!!
 
I think I like the ATH a bit more. Going to compare the 2 this weekend. Yes that's a hell of a good price, only this weekend though. I doubt I'm going to jump on this. I just ordered a new scope yesterday that is just shy of the price of this rifle. I can get them even cheaper from RRA with my family discount but I usually have to wait at least 6 months to get it. Sometimes I just can't wait though!!

Greetings.... just wanted to thanks snipershide for all the help I’ve found in these forums. I've been shooting long range since September 2013. I wanted to give it a try after years of target shooting my Kimber .45ACP. I have been reloading for years as well but the tipping point was when lead bullets had become scarce and I had begun to cast 200gr H&G molds.

Low ammo supplies and zombie masters showing up at the range became the final straw.

My first AR, and for now "favorite gun" is the Rock River Arms ATH. I own a Colt M4A1 SOCOM as well but I can't say enough of how accurate the ATH has been. Pretty much right after buying the ATH, I started setting up to reload. Funny how I thought I knew quite a bit but in turn learned so much more after moving to rifles. I started with a Nikon P-223 3-9x40 shooting regularly at a 200yd target. I became friends with a seasoned shooter at my club and he helped me out so much. He gave me the opportunity to shoot many of his beautiful rifles and showed me how to properly sturdy up my rig for accuracy. Just shooting a rifle that has been set up properly can show you so much about how sturdy it is supposed to be, how nice the trigger pull needs to be and so on. Anyway, I learned from google and asking questions how to build up a nice recipe for reloading, shooting a ladder to find the nodes, chronograph the bullet speed and select the best node in the correct speed range, brass prep, primer selection and so on. I have my bullets firing less than 15fps deviation and use lapua brass that is fire formed to my barrel. I load two different OAL and prefer to hand chamber and shoot the bullets that obviously won’t fit in my magazine.

Over time I became frustrated with my Nikon scope not having enough power to show me a good view of the target at 200 yards. Not so much the fault of the scope (the Nikon clarity was very nice) but more the selection. I didn’t have enough money at the time to buy a nicer scope so I settled on a Bushnell Banner something to x24 power and my ATH became a tack driver. I closed my groups at 200 yards down from a CD Rom size to a little bigger than a quarter to just touching each other. My best is four out of ten shots touching each other to form a near perfect triangle at 200 yards. The only changes I have done to the ATH is trigger work and a Magpul locking stock. The two stage trigger is definitely not a target trigger but can be if you happened to be up to the task of modifying it.

I’m excited and this is probably why I am so long winded but following the advice of snipershide, instead of falling for a cheap optic I began saving up and reading up and eventually I placed an order for a fine reticle Sightron SIII 10-50x60. My goal is to shoot ten shots out of ten shots touching at 200 yards.

Everyone at my club keeps telling me that I have reached the accuracy limit of my ATH but I don’t feel this is the case.

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NM,

With an inside track at RRA you are obviously "in the know". The R3 looks really similar to the new X1 model except the R3 has the NM trigger standard and different muzzle devices. It will be interesting to see what improvement in groups that elfster can get out of it once he gets his delivered (humor intended). It would be an extreme challenge to better his already tight groups out of a stock RRA rifle.

Most shooters seem to agree that a better trigger is a good thing to have. Many argue that if you initially have 2 identical barrels (ATH & R3 / X1) and one is modified to remove metal (fluting, dimpling, reduction in diameter etc.), that the modified barrel will obviously not be as rigid and therefore not as precise. Shilen does in fact void their factory warranty if any of these processes are performed on their barrels. My attempted point of logic is that minus load preparation for a specific RRA rifle, I doubt that any improvements in inherent accuracy will be accomplished by esthetic changes to the barrel appearance. The longer handguard would benefit those who seek a longer sight radius for iron sight use.

Please share with us what you find out.
 
I have a rock river ath as well. Very accurate rifle. I have put a new scope on it recently and also a daniel defense quad rail. Cant go wrong with rock river. Here is a few crappy pics from my phone.

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Congratulations on your ATH purchase.....

FWIW not sure of the Leupold price but good reviews on the bushnell elite 6500 4.5 30x50 if you can still find one..... may give you more wiggle room for longer shots and be pretty low power like the Leupold for close shots.
 
Great price on the R3, the ATH looks really good to.
It took us months to find an R3 with the car stock for my brother in law, it was worth the wait.
I'll be ordering that barrel when the one in my EO2 wears out
 
Bought a R3 about 2 month ago.
Very Very happy with it. Easily a 3/4 gun. Loves the 75g hpbt and anything 77g.
Have a weaver 1.5x6 on it right now and with 22.9 grains 4064, 75g hornady hpbt, lc brass, 7.5 primers, im getting regular groups under .5 moa at 100y. (going to switch to a higher power scope soon to see what it can really do.)
Its a little slow at 2500fps. But cant find any varget or RL15 right now so been shooting this load.
 
pics with info and targets or it didn't happen! ;)

Bought a R3 about 2 month ago.
Very Very happy with it. Easily a 3/4 gun. Loves the 75g hpbt and anything 77g.
Have a weaver 1.5x6 on it right now and with 22.9 grains 4064, 75g hornady hpbt, lc brass, 7.5 primers, im getting regular groups under .5 moa at 100y. (going to switch to a higher power scope soon to see what it can really do.)
Its a little slow at 2500fps. But cant find any varget or RL15 right now so been shooting this load.
 
Give me a few days ill get a target punch some holes in it with a pencil and write on it. (atleast thats what my wife says i do when i proudly show her my targets.)