quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
Where do you live in N Georgia? There are free WMA ranges all over N. Georgia... Chestnut Mountain WMA, Dawson Forest WMA, Sumac WMA, Wilson Shoals WMA, Clybel WMA, Clarks Hill WMA.

And then plenty of private ranges where you shoot all day for under $20.

Did you win the rifle in a raffle or something? It's not an inexpensive gun...

Nah, was a pick up when I went to get a shotgun. Hence the little knowledge on the rifle. I've never really shot anything more than a shotgun or an ar, so long guns are a new experince. It looked nice, would met some work requirements, so I said why not. However, I had no idea that WMA would let you do that. I never looked into them outside of fishing as no matter how much I love GON, I'm a fisherman before a hunter. I'm close to Clarksville.

Also, I'm not sure why ya'll seem to not understand someone running a few magazines through a weapon for fun. Sure, I'm not into the competitions some of ya'll are, and I'd never try to. I aint got the time nor the money to get that gud. However, 45 mentioned it might be due to it being a ruger, is that a common issue? Like I think ya'll are confused that I have some knowledge on rifles other than I got a german mauser from 43. I'm not a hunter, OR a competitive shooter for long guns. I picked it up solely because it looked nice. And felt nice. And had a nice bolt pull.

I'm relatively new to long gun shooting myself so I understand some of what you are saying/asking. What I did after I got my rifle was to do a a rough bore sight in by using the freely available software online to determine what my aimpoint should be to have a 200 yd zero, but I was bore-sighting in at 25yds (from my porch across the backyard, discreetly, so as not to upset any neighbors). Basically, for my rifle with the ammo I intended to use, I should have hit almost dead on at 25yds poi=poa this would also be zero at 200yds. (This was for 6.5CM out of a 19"barrel and a scope 1.5" above bore) You can do something similar for your set-up.

After that, it was lots and lots of dry fire practice behind the scope. I would set a penny on the top scope turret to help teach me to not jerk the trigger and I would make sure I did a full follow through opening and closing the bolt and made sure my crosshair never moved off my target. (I did this sighting across my 15yd basement) This also helps smooth out the stock trigger and the bolt. 20- 50 times a day for a couple of weeks.

Then I took it to the range with a few small bags of birdseed (my version of shooting bags) to get it fully dialed in. First I did it at 50yds since that was easiest for me to see with my cheap binoculars from the bench at the public range. Then I moved out to 100yds for small adjustments. (I did it this way because of how our public ranges are run and the time between target servicing)

You may want to invest in more appropriate shooting bags or a tripod given the nature of you rifle. My longterm goal is to be an okay shot (2moa) out to 300 using "jackass" prone, sitting or offhand so I used bags of birdseed instead of buying shooting bags. (though cat litter, rice, sand have also been used by others)

Though, I gotta admit, I only went through 30 rounds for my entire range trip and that was enough. I wasn't terribly sore but I didn't want to overheat the barrel while trying to sight in or get sloppy and waste the practice time (@1.20 per shot).

Ken

quote:

Originally posted by fatmanspencer:
I honestly cant get a god zero with it. I'm not sure if I'm jerking the rifle since I'm shooting unspported, or if I dont have the scope sighted in right, or what. Like 7 outta 10 will hit to the upper left about 3 inches up and 1 inch left. Then 1 will be like down bottom right. It's more its not consistent. So at 100 rounds I have no respectable zero for all adjustments its still in the upper left.

Ruger Precision Rifles are not made to be shot unsupported.

Set it on some shooting bags or something similar.

If your main use for this rifle is to be shot offhand, you would be better served by less expensive, and more balanced for offhand use, rifles.

AR-10, etc.....



What is your intended purpose for this rifle?

quote:

Originally posted by fatmanspencer:

However, 45 mentioned it might be due to it being a ruger, is that a common issue?

The RPR is a reasonably accurate rifle that can be used in PRS matches. It won't match the accuracy of a real custom rifle, but they offer a lot of performance for the cost. It probably won't shoot 1/4 MOA groups. But it probably will group under 1 MOA if you find the right ammo, and is modular to accept a variety of stocks and handguards.


It is a strange choice for someone to buy on a lark, for plinking, for lack of a better term. I think that is why you are getting some of the responses that you are.

quote:

Originally posted by fatmanspencer:

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
Where do you live in N Georgia? There are free WMA ranges all over N. Georgia... Chestnut Mountain WMA, Dawson Forest WMA, Sumac WMA, Wilson Shoals WMA, Clybel WMA, Clarks Hill WMA.

And then plenty of private ranges where you shoot all day for under $20.

Did you win the rifle in a raffle or something? It's not an inexpensive gun...

Nah, was a pick up when I went to get a shotgun. Hence the little knowledge on the rifle. I've never really shot anything more than a shotgun or an ar, so long guns are a new experince. It looked nice, would met some work requirements, so I said why not. However, I had no idea that WMA would let you do that. I never looked into them outside of fishing as no matter how much I love GON, I'm a fisherman before a hunter. I'm close to Clarksville.

Also, I'm not sure why ya'll seem to not understand someone running a few magazines through a weapon for fun. Sure, I'm not into the competitions some of ya'll are, and I'd never try to. I aint got the time nor the money to get that gud. However, 45 mentioned it might be due to it being a ruger, is that a common issue? Like I think ya'll are confused that I have some knowledge on rifles other than I got a german mauser from 43. I'm not a hunter, OR a competitive shooter for long guns. I picked it up solely because it looked nice. And felt nice. And had a nice bolt pull.

no offense meant, but most folks here including myself are curious why someone would shoot that many rounds and still not be zeroed,

it's a waste time and ammo

and yes, you need to go much further than 25 yrds,


remember, practice as you would shoot, as in don't practice bad habits,

out of curiosity, how far have you shot your AR?

OP -- It appears you have a number of challenges with this rifle, so let’s try to break things down into a logical plan of action.

Use some way to support the rifle. Bipods are good, but have their own technique issues. I recommend shooting off some sort of bench or table, with front & rear bags to support the rifle. Bags even work from prone on the ground, although maybe with some futzing around for size and position. As a beginning rifle shooter with a weapon which produces a relatively energetic, you need to isolate your body from the rifle support process for a while.

You need to learn the fundamentals of marksmanship. Rifle pointed to target. Body aligned to rifle. Natural point of aim. Breaking the shot at the natural respiratory pause (bottom of breathing cycle). Trigger press straight back without disturbing the sights. Follow through after the breaking the shot. The company “Rifles Only” is a great teacher of these skills. They sell a CD, but you should be able to find portions of it online. Also, look for “Snipers Hide” instruction videos on the web, as many of them were produced directly with Rifles Only personnel.

IMO the RPR in 308 is best suited for a zero (sight in) of 100 yards. You can get pretty close to a 100 yard zero if your bullet impacts at 25 yards are about 1” low. Similarly, a 100 yard zero will be about ¼” low at 50 yards. And yes, the RPR with good ammo is capable of producing tight enough groups at close range to know if your 100 yard zero is on.

You should dry fire the rifle whenever possible. Just be aware of safety issues, and be uber certain that no ammo is nearby. You want to be able to break the shot (OK, the “click”) without disturbing your reticle position in relation to the target. And I mean absolutely no change, not even the slightest jump. Figure at least 10 dry fires for every live round shot. Dry firing will not damage your RPR. Drying firing will smooth out the bolt cycling action over time, which is a good thing.

Ammo is expensive. Don’t put up with your local pricing challenges. Buy ammo online. A good overall search engine is ammoseek.com. Sgammo.com & palmettostatearmory.com & vizardsgunsandammo.com have all worked for me. Cheap 308 ammo doesn’t fly all that well, but if 25 yards is your game, then even totally crap ammo will punch holes in paper. FMJ ammo is the bottom feeder stuff, but it works. A somewhat decent FMJ option for the price is from 147 grain PMC – figure $.65 per round. The best match grade ammo for the money will be made with SMK 168 or 175 grain bullets – figure $.85 to $1.00 per round here, sometimes less with special sales. Hornady’s black line is good, with prices in the $1.10 per round ballpark.

To be blunt, you would be better served with a 22lr rifle at distances of 25 yards. However, you’ve gone down this path, and I assume you wish to learn how to shoot a precision rifle in a precise manner. Don't expect this learning process to be quick, easy, or cheap.

OP, you're missing out on a lot of fun if you're not using that rifle for longer ranges.
I got into longer range shooting earlier this year and it's quite addictive.
I do not have a RPR, I have a bolt action, heavy barreled Winchester rifle in 243. Having sighted it in for a 100 yard zero and knowing what ammunition I use, it's very fun reaching out a few hundred yards with it. With my card showing drop and reading wind, it's a challenge that I really like. I'm not a competitor like some but it's a great feeling hearing steel ring at 300 yards. Sometimes I miss but I try to diagnose why and get better the next shot.
I really hope you get to use that rifle for it's purpose soon.