Ruger Precision Rifle: A Top-Selling Bolt-Action In 2020

by
posted on May 1, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
ruger-precision-rifle.jpg

There’s always reason to view top-10 lists with caution when the results are narrowly focused on one outlet’s volume, although there’s no denying Gunbroker.com’s 2020 compilation of the top bolt-action rifles sold through its website sends a strong message. Ruger dominated the category and did so in convincing style.

Coming in at number three in the bolt action list last year was the Ruger Precision Rifle. The firearm dropped from the number one position it held in 2019, five-year reign that began with its introduction. That sounds like disappointing news for the company’s executive team, although it was a pair of Ruger’s own that knocked it from the podium’s top rung. Better yet, another of the company’s rifles is nipping at its heels in fourth place.

Ruger
introduced the first generation of the Precision Rifle in 2015. Initial chamberings included .243 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Win. Gen 2 arrived in 2016, with 6 mm Creedmoor added to the offerings. Today you can also choose .300 PRC, .300 Win. Mag., .338 Lapua Mag. and 6.5 PRC. The .243 Win. model is no longer listed as available.

There are seven different models available in Ruger’s regular lineup for 2021 and six manufactured for distributor exclusives. The latter group features some racy color patterns, including red, dark earth, brown and even a patriot flag motif. Otherwise, you have a more businesslike choice between Cerakote gray or black.

Ruger Precision rifles use the company’s folding MSR stock, which is adjustable for cheek weld and length of pull. It features a Picatinny rail at the bottom of the buttstock—which can be replaced with an AR-style version, thanks to the buffer-tube style system—and multiple QD attachment points.

M-LOK slots are on all four sides of the aluminum free-float handguard. The safety is ambidextrous. The Picatinny rail mounted on the receiver make mounting optics fast and, depending on chambering, is either a 20 or 30 MOA version. Bolts are one-piece, three-lug machined from 4140 chrome-moly steel. The bolt handles are oversized.

Barrel lengths vary from 20" to 26"—depending on model—feature 5R rifling and are all cold-hammer forged from chrome-moly steel. Add the gun’s TriggerTech with Frictionless Release Technology trigger or the Ruger Marksman model, both with the ability to vary let-off weight, and it’s easy to see why this rifle was reigning champ for five years in a row.

Models chambered in .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5 PRC will set you back $1,599. The new-for -2021 Cerakote grey in 6 mm Creedmoor is the top of the line at $2,399. Other versions have MSRPs somewhere between those figures.

For a closer look at Ruger’s Precision Rifle, take a look at American Rifleman’s video review.

Latest

Springfield Armory 1911 DS Prodigy Compact 3.5" AOS black pistol handgun right-side view
Springfield Armory 1911 DS Prodigy Compact 3.5" AOS black pistol handgun right-side view

Gun Of The Week: Springfield Armory Prodigy Compact 3.5” AOS

For this episode, we’re on the range with a double-stack, M1911-style handgun that’s more compact and lightweight than we’re used to seeing. This is the Springfield Armory Prodigy Compact 3.5” AOS chambered for 9 mm Luger.

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 1, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Budget Pistol Rigs With AIM Surplus

It's still possible to pull together a budget-friendly, name-brand pistol rig for $300 to $400, if you play your cards right.

Nextorch Celebrating 20th Anniversary—A Timely Preparedness Reminder

Nextorch North America is celebrating the company’s 20 years of providing lighting solutions for consumers, law enforcement professionals and military forces around the world.

Rifleman Review: Smith & Wesson M&P 22 Magnum

One of Smith & Wesson's recent additions to its M&P handgun line is the M&P 22 Magnum, and there's a lot more going on in this gun, technologically, than it appears at first glance.

New For 2025: Beretta BRX1 Ranch

Beretta has expanded its BRX1 straight-pull action into a "ranch rifle" configuration, providing a handy, lightweight platform that still includes some of the groundbreaking features of the original BRX1 rifle.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.