I'm going to think out loud here a bit. It helps me sort out my thoughts. Please feel free to chime in, especially if you've found yourself in my shoes.
I've been shooting for a number of years, actually started 32 years ago when I enlisted in the Marine Corps. I've owned some accurate rifles. I friend who is a custom builder did me a favor and made me a nice 6.5 CM on a 700 action. It was an outstanding shooter. I had an old Steyr SSG, also a shooter. FN SPR (I forget which one, A2 I think). Family, kids, two jobs, etc., means that the really high end rifles are out of my league. Right now I'm shooting my daughter's Savage Hog Hunter in .308. That thing is stupid accurate. Loves 155 Hornady over a healthy throw of Varget. It'll shoot under an 1" all day long at 100 yards off a bipod in the factory stock. I was thinking seriously about restocking it but it's her rifle and she likes it as it is.
Then I found a Sako TRG 22 for sale locally. It's not cheap but it's under $2K. Just the rifle, magazine and hard case but it's like new. And I've wanted one for a LONG time. Long enough for them to fall out of "favor" with the shooting crowd as folks are always looking for the latest and greatest.
But then there's that pesky Ruger RPR gumming up the works. By all accounts, they are accurate. The Gen 2 seems to have all the kinks worked out. Probably easier to rebarrel at home than a Savage, which says a lot.
The practical "dad" side says, buy the RPR. For what you'll pay for the TRG, you'll have enough left over for some glass and I could get it in 6mm CM, buy some brass, develop a load, just have a tremendous time. And when I'm ready, buy another barrel. Or start out in .308 or .223...............aaarrrggghhhhh!!!
I'm a hunter (primarily from stands and shooting houses overlooking oak flats and green fields), so I'm not humping a rifle very far. I'm also a recreational shooter. Just the local 100 yard range but I'm not far from the new CMP range at Talladega which goes out to 600 yards and Hard Rock down at Auburn (they shoot to 1000). I've shot neither venue but would like to. F-TR or similar .308 classes seem like the way I would go.
There are 25 countries currently using a TRG variant, with 9 selecting the 22. To me that means that it is ready to run full speed right out of the box. I could possibly get a factory RPR that may not shoot satisfactory. I'm not a high volume shooter, maybe 500 rounds per year if I shot a few matches, perhaps more. But my guess is that with a good barrel, I would be 8-10 years from a rebarrel. But if I had to rebarrel the Ruger from the get go, I would be at the cost of the TRG.
So what say you?
P
I've been shooting for a number of years, actually started 32 years ago when I enlisted in the Marine Corps. I've owned some accurate rifles. I friend who is a custom builder did me a favor and made me a nice 6.5 CM on a 700 action. It was an outstanding shooter. I had an old Steyr SSG, also a shooter. FN SPR (I forget which one, A2 I think). Family, kids, two jobs, etc., means that the really high end rifles are out of my league. Right now I'm shooting my daughter's Savage Hog Hunter in .308. That thing is stupid accurate. Loves 155 Hornady over a healthy throw of Varget. It'll shoot under an 1" all day long at 100 yards off a bipod in the factory stock. I was thinking seriously about restocking it but it's her rifle and she likes it as it is.
Then I found a Sako TRG 22 for sale locally. It's not cheap but it's under $2K. Just the rifle, magazine and hard case but it's like new. And I've wanted one for a LONG time. Long enough for them to fall out of "favor" with the shooting crowd as folks are always looking for the latest and greatest.
But then there's that pesky Ruger RPR gumming up the works. By all accounts, they are accurate. The Gen 2 seems to have all the kinks worked out. Probably easier to rebarrel at home than a Savage, which says a lot.
The practical "dad" side says, buy the RPR. For what you'll pay for the TRG, you'll have enough left over for some glass and I could get it in 6mm CM, buy some brass, develop a load, just have a tremendous time. And when I'm ready, buy another barrel. Or start out in .308 or .223...............aaarrrggghhhhh!!!
I'm a hunter (primarily from stands and shooting houses overlooking oak flats and green fields), so I'm not humping a rifle very far. I'm also a recreational shooter. Just the local 100 yard range but I'm not far from the new CMP range at Talladega which goes out to 600 yards and Hard Rock down at Auburn (they shoot to 1000). I've shot neither venue but would like to. F-TR or similar .308 classes seem like the way I would go.
There are 25 countries currently using a TRG variant, with 9 selecting the 22. To me that means that it is ready to run full speed right out of the box. I could possibly get a factory RPR that may not shoot satisfactory. I'm not a high volume shooter, maybe 500 rounds per year if I shot a few matches, perhaps more. But my guess is that with a good barrel, I would be 8-10 years from a rebarrel. But if I had to rebarrel the Ruger from the get go, I would be at the cost of the TRG.
So what say you?
P
