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January 14th, 2024

Sunday GunDay: Hot Rod Ruger — Customized Purple RPR

Ruger Precision Rifle 6.5 Creedmoor Purple Hot Rod
Check out that bolt assembly. It features a fluted stainless bolt body, laser-engraved Titanium shroud, and Titanium dragon-scale bolt knob with polished stainless handle.

You haven’t seen a Ruger Precision Rifle (RPR) like this before. Forum member TerryH has customized his Second-Gen 6.5 Creedmoor RPR with a wicked purple finish, snazzy stainless/titanium bolt, and slick HDPE (polymer) bag-riders front and rear. The mods on this Hot Rod Ruger don’t stop there. Terry added a Seekins hand rail, Timney trigger, ergonomic grip, and more…

For his Hot Rod Ruger, Terry has the right skill set, learned on the job: “I work in a body shop and have pretty much custom-painted all my stuff for many years. For this 6.5 CM RPR, colors of choice are House of Kolor PBC-65 Passion Purple and black covered with Cerakote MC-161 matte clear.” Terry even painted his Bald Eagle rest purple to match his Hot Rod RPR.

Ruger Precision Rifle 6.5 Creedmoor Purple Hot Rod

Terry reports: “I’m shooting an RPR in 6.5 CM. It has a Patriot Valley Arms 26″ barrel. Josh at PVA is making a thread protector for me so I can remove the Mad Scientist brake. The butt stock has a V-Tab adjustable butt plate and Wiebad check rest pad. Glass is a currently a Vortex Gen I PST 6-24x50mm but I have a Golden Eagle on layaway”. To learn more about this rifle or ask TerryH questions about the build, visit this AccurateShooter FORUM THREAD.

Ruger Precision Rifle 6.5 Creedmoor Purple Hot Rod

Ruger Precision Rifle Modifications:
Chassis and Handguards Painted Passion Purple
Patriot Valley Arms 26″ Barrel with Brake
Timney Trigger with Ambi Safety
Custom HDPE (Polymer) Bag-Riders front and Rear
V-Tab adjustable butt plate and Wiebad cheek-pad
Seekins Rail

Good Accuracy with Factory Ammunition
Terry reports: “The RPR is shooting .3 MOA @ 100 with factory Fed American Eagle 140s.” Terry plans to start handloading for the rifle with the goal of shooting F-Class matches next year: “I’ve successfully shot steel out to 1140 yards on the range but [I don’t know] if that will actually translate well in a match. I’m committed to practicing as much as I can and starting to shoot some matches in 2018.”

Front and Rear Bag-Riders with Protektor Rear Bag and Upgraded Bald Eagle Rest
Terry has engineered a slick set-up for F-Open competition and load testing. Up front is a Bald Eagle rest upgraded with windage knob mod, stainless F-Class feet, and longer adjusters. Terry also “changed the hardware to all stainless and added a couple of levels”. In the rear, Terry runs a Protektor Doctor rear bag with 1″ ear spacing.

Ruger Precision Rifle 6.5 Creedmoor Purple Hot Rod

Impressive additions are the custom HDPE bag-riders Terry crafted himself: “I realized that the butt stock wasn’t going to cut it on the rear bag and even though I got the 2 1/4″ front bag and the Seekins rail is 2″ wide and flat that it wasn’t as stable or smooth as I’d like.” So Terry made his own front and rear bag-riders from HDPE, a material similar to Delrin. Currently the front unit is 2.25″ wide, but Terry will be changing that to a 3″-wide front sled: “I decided that I’d get a 3″-wide front bag and mill a new front bag-rider. I’m going to recess the center to fit around the hand guard and I’ll mill a recess on the bottom of that one.”

Ruger Precision Rifle 6.5 Creedmoor Purple Hot Rod

Shown below is the Hot Rod Ruger before Terry added the HPDE Bag-Riders front and rear. Terry says the rifle now handles much better with the bag riders, and he plans to upsize the front sled to 3″ width.

Ruger Precision Rifle 6.5 Creedmoor Purple Hot Rod

Bling’s the Thing. Below is the Hot Rod Ruger’s bolt assembly. It features a custom flat-fluted bolt shaft, laser-engraved Titanium shroud and Titanium dragon-scale knob with polished stainless handle. Terry confesses: “I simply can’t resist anything shiny!”

Ruger Precision Rifle 6.5 Creedmoor Purple Hot Rod

Permalink Gear Review, Gunsmithing, New Product No Comments »
January 14th, 2024

Shooting Industry 2024 New Product Showcase

shooting industry new products 2024 january smith wesson walther ruger mossberg rifle pistol optics

New Product Showcase Part Two
shooting industry new products 2024 january smith wesson walther ruger mossberg rifle pistol opticsShooting Industry’s January 2024 issue has the second installment of the 2024 New Product Showcase — featuring new (or recently introduced) products from dozens of companies including Beretta, Colt, Mossberg, Ruger, Savage, SIG Sauer, Sightron, Smith & Wesson, Volquartsen, Walther and more. You can see all these new products in a mobile-friendly format that works with cell phones.

Or, CLICK HERE to see the full January 2024 issue in printable PDF format. The New Product Showcase is found on pages 52-64. NOTE: This PDF may take time to load.

There are dozens of other new (or recently introduced) products in Shooting Industry’s Part 1 2024 Product feature, found in last month’s December 2023 issue. CLICK HERE to see Part 1 Products.

Here are our Top Six Picks among the many new products featured this month in Shooting Industry magazine.

Mossberg Optics-Ready Turkey Model 500 and 836 Shotguns

Mossberg green camo optics-ready shotgun turkey 20 GA 410 gauge

This year, Mossberg will offer optics-equipped 500 and 835 shotguns in multiple models and gauges. These pump-action shotguns have extended turkey chokes and bi-color front fiber optic sights. Some models come with Holosun HS407K red dot sights installed. And the receivers will accept low-profile direct mounting of other Shield RMSc-pattern optics. The 500 models are offered in .410 bore or 20 gauge with a 20″ barrel and 6-shot capacity. For better fit with a variety of shooters the 20-GA 500 Super Bantam’s stock includes 1″ spacers to extend the length of pull.

Smith & Wesson Metal-Frame Performance Center M&P9 M2.0

shooting industry new products 2024 january smith wesson optics ready M&P9 metal m2.0

The new Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P9 Metal M2.0 features a handsome OD Green Cerakote finish on the metal frame and slide. The ventilated slide boasts a C.O.R.E plate system for mounting optics and raised suppressor-height iron sights. This Spec Series pistol includes a built-in Faxon compensator for reduced recoil. This Spec Series Smith & Wesson M&P9 Metal M2.0 ships with two 23-round magazines, two 17-round magazines, a bonus knife and custom M&P Spec Series challenge coin.

Springfield Armory Hellion Bullpup Carbine

shooting industry new products 2024 january springfield armory hellion 5.56 carbine bullpup

Springfield Armory has updated its 5.56×45 (.223 Rem) Hellion bullpup rifle. Three colors are now offered: Gray, Olive Drab Green, and Flat Dark Earth Tan. This rifle has a 16″ barrel in a compact 28.25″ overall length. The design features ambidextrous controls, rear-placed magazine, and a reversible ejection system. This could be a good choice for a home defense gun.

Pulsar Thermion 2 LRF XL50 Thermal Imaging Riflescope

shooting industry new products 2024 january Pulsar Thermion 2 LRF XL50 Thermal Imaging Riflescope

Pulsar’s new Thermion 2 LRF XL50 optic boasts impressive new technology for hunters. This scope has thermal imaging capability so you can see game animals easier at night and during low light. Pulsar states the “The high-definition [temp] sensor maintains exceptional image detail across the entire magnification range, with the option to magnify the optic in 2x increments or in a smooth, continuous motion, depending on the situation.” This scope also include a built-in Laser Rangefinder with a range of 875 yards (in good conditions). This scope will also connect to Pulsar’s Stream Vision Ballistics App. With the App you can load ballistic profiles directly into the Thermion scope’s built-in memory.

Volquartsen Summit Rifle, Straight-Pull .17 HMR and .22 WMR

shooting industry new products 2024 january volquartsen .17 hmr 17HMR .22 WMR 22WMR straight pull summit rifle toggle

Ever shot a straight-pull (aka toggle-link) action rifle? We like these action types, which were developed for Biathlon competitors who needed to shoot fast, but were not allowed to use semi-auto actions. The biathlon-style toggle action features a lever on the side of the action. Pull the lever back with your index figure to open the bolt, then push forward with your finger to close the bolt. With some practice, you can cycle the action in a couple of seconds — nearly as fast as a semi-auto. The Summit has been a popular .22 LR rifle for quite some time. Now, in response to requests from varminters, Volquartsen will be selling the Summit in .17 HMR and .22 WMR, two potent rimfire cartridges.

SIG Sauer P-322 Comp .22 LR Pistol

Sig sauer p322 p-322 .22 lr 22lr pistol handgun competition

SIG Sauer has a new .22 LR rimfire handgun — the P322-COMP pistol. Designed for speed, accuracy, and flat shooting (low muzzle flip), this new rimfire pistol from SIG Sauer is ready for competition right out of the box. It comes with a red dot optic, barrel-mounted compensator, slide-mounted racker, good trigger, and high-capacity (20- and 25-rd) magazines. READ P322 Manual.

Discover more in 2024 at ShootingIndustry.com. Dealers and retailers can sign up for Dealer Advantage weekly emails to get the latest industry news and new product info. And you can see regular news items on the Shooting Industry Facebook page.

Permalink Handguns, New Product, News, Optics No Comments »
January 14th, 2024

Work on Your Breathing to SEE Better and SHOOT Better

Vision Eye Target Scope Relaxation Oxygen Target

Do you find that the crosshairs in your scope get blurry after a while, or that you experience eye strain during a match? This is normal, particularly as you get older. Focusing intensely on your target (through the scope or over iron sights) for an extended period of time can cause eye strain. Thankfully, there are things you can do to reduce eye fatigue. For one — breathe deeper to take in more oxygen. Secondly, give your eyes a break between shots, looking away from the scope or sights.

In our Forum there is an interesting thread about vision and eye fatigue. One Forum member observed: “I have noticed recently that if I linger on the target for too long the crosshairs begin to blur and the whole image gradually darkens as if a cloud passed over the sun. I do wear contacts and wonder if that’s the problem. Anyone else experienced this? — Tommy”

Forum members advised Tommy to relax and breath deep. Increase oxygen intake and also move the eyes off the target for a bit. Closing the eyes briefly between shots can also relieve eye strain. Tommy found this improved the situation.

Vision Eye Target Scope Relaxation Oxygen Target

Phil H. explained: “Tom — Our eyes are tremendous oxygen hogs. What you are witnessing is caused by lack of oxygen. When this happens, get off the sights, stare at the grass (most people’s eyes find the color green relaxing), breath, then get back on the rifle. Working on your cardio can help immensely. Worked for me when I shot Palma. Those aperture sights were a bear! The better my cardio got the better and longer I could see. Same thing with scopes. Try it!”

Keith G. noted: “Make sure you are still breathing… [your condition] sounds similar to the symptoms of holding one’s breath.”

Watercam concurred: “+1 on breathing. Take a long slow deep breath, exhale and break shot. Also make sure you take a moment to look at the horizon without looking through rifle or spotting scope once in a while to fight fatigue. Same thing happens when using iron sights.”

Arizona shooter Scott Harris offered this advice: “To some extent, [blurring vision] happens to anyone staring at something for a long time. I try to keep vision crisp by getting the shot off in a timely fashion or close the eyes briefly to refresh them. Also keep moisturized and protect against wind with wrap-around glasses”.

Breathing Better and Relaxing the Eyes Really Worked…
Tommy, the shooter with the eye problem, said his vision improved after he worked on his breathing and gave his eyes a rest between shots: “Thanks guys. These techniques shrunk my group just a bit and every little bit helps.”

Read more tips on reducing eye fatigue in our Forum Thread: That Vision Thing.

To avoid eye fatigue, take your eyes away from the scope between shots, and look at something nearby (or even close your eyes briefly). Also work on your breathing and don’t hold your breath too long — that robs your system of oxygen.

eye vision Vince Bottomley

Permalink Competition, Shooting Skills, Tech Tip No Comments »