Squat Squad, welcome to Slav Guns. In the last episode of my Precision Rifle Series I took a deep dive into the Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 PRC. The good news is Ruger has another rifle chambered in Hornady’s 6.5 Precision Rifle Cartridge: the Ruger Hawkeye Long Range Target. I got to really stretch its legs at FTW Ranch in Barksdale, Texas, from 300 yards all the way out past 1,200. So is the Hawkeye Long Range Target the right rifle to get you started in 6.5 PRC? Let’s take a look.
Disclosure: The rifle was provided by Ruger for testing and evaluation. Ruger did not see the video before it was published.
Heads-up: I filmed this in fall 2019. Prices and availability have likely changed since, so the prices below are at filming.
TL;DR
- The Hawkeye Long Range Target is the traditional Hawkeye (M77) Mauser-style controlled round feed action in a laminated target stock built for long-range shooting.
- 26″ heavy-contour cold hammer-forged barrel, 4140 chromoly, 5R rifling, threaded 5/8×24, with a hybrid muzzle brake.
- Three-position safety, 20 MOA rail installed, and it takes AI-style magazines (one included).
- Crisp two-stage trigger at about 2 lb. Rifle weighs about 11 lb, same ballpark as the RPR.
- MSRP $1,279 at filming, with street prices a bit below that, roughly $300 less than the Ruger Precision Rifle at the time.
- Downsides: a standard-size bolt handle and magazines that don’t drop free like an RPR or AR-15.
Where the Hawkeye fits in Ruger’s lineup
A Ruger rep walked me through it at FTW Ranch. Ruger has had the Hawkeye platform for a long time as a trusted long-range hunting and target rifle, and they wanted another option that gets shooters into long range at a reasonable price. The Long Range Target launched in .300 Win Mag and is now also available in the short action 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5 PRC. The idea is that right out of the box you have a rifle capable of long-range shooting. In most cases all you need to add is a decent optic and a decent bipod.
If you’re not familiar with Ruger’s rifles, here’s the quick rundown:
- Top end: the Ruger Precision Rifle, a purpose-built precision rifle with modular features like a swappable barrel and an AR-15-style stock.
- Low end: the Ruger American line, which gives you a sub-MOA capable rifle for under $500 (at filming).
- In between: the legacy Ruger Hawkeye, also known as the M77. There are 13 Hawkeye variants, from standard wood-stock hunting guns to this purpose-built long range and extended long range rifle.
Much like the Howa Oryx I looked at before, the Hawkeye Long Range Target takes a traditional action and mates it to a stock designed for long-range shooting. The model I’m shooting is 47189.
Barrel and muzzle
Starting at the front: you get a heavy-contour 26-inch cold hammer-forged target barrel made of 4140 chromoly steel with 5R rifling, just like the 6.5 PRC Ruger Precision Rifle. With 5R rifling, the edges of the grooves are angled, so the bullet gets less deformed as it’s fired than with standard rifling. That should mean better accuracy downrange.
The barrel is threaded 5/8×24, so you can easily mount a suppressor or the muzzle device of your choice, and just like the RPR it comes with that terrific hybrid muzzle brake. The barrel is free floated, meaning it’s only attached to the action and nothing touches it along the way to mess with barrel harmonics. Even though the barrel may be the same as the RPR’s, you’re not going to find a free-float handguard here. It’s a traditional stock.
Controlled round feed Mauser-style action
The action is a Mauser-style controlled round feed, versus the push feed you find on the RPR and most other rifles today. There’s a whole pros-and-cons debate between the two, but my personal preference is controlled round feed. The round is controlled and guided by the bolt through the entire feeding and extraction process. Traditionally hunters prefer this type of action, and some safaris may even require it.
For a production gun, the action is very smooth, and it perhaps feels a little better than the Ruger Precision Rifle I looked at, probably thanks to the Mauser design.
One of my favorite features is the three-position safety:
- Forward: ready to fire.
- Middle: safe, but you can still open the bolt.
- All the way back: bolt locked and trigger safe.
To remove the bolt, just like on a Mauser, there’s a lever on the left side of the rifle. On top of the receiver you get a 20 MOA rail already installed, which increases your scope’s adjustment range so you can push out further before bottoming out.
Detachable AI-style magazines
The most unique thing about the Long Range Target versus the rest of the Hawkeye lineup: Hawkeyes are generally fed from an internal box magazine, but this one’s stock was customized to accept AI-style magazines, and the gun comes with one. The magazine release is well sized and sits between the magazine and the trigger guard. I had no issues manipulating it.
The stock
The barreled action attaches to the stock with two bolts on the bottom and is further secured with two cross bolts. The stock itself is a target-style laminated wood stock painted in a speckled black and brown finish. Features:
- A flush-mounted rail on the bottom of the forend
- Adjustable comb for height and position, similar to what you get on the RPR
- Length of pull adjustable from 13 to 14.5 inches using spacers between the stock and the rubber butt pad (a bit more work than on the RPR)
- Two sling swivel studs plus quick-detach points
Weight-wise it’s about the same as the Ruger Precision Rifle at around 11 pounds.
Shooting it from 300 to 1,200+ yards
Instead of watching me shoot this at 100 yards, we really stretched it out. It’s mind-blowing to me that anyone can take a stock rifle and factory match ammo and shoot at these distances with some basic skills and instruction. A great scope helps, of course. On this gun I ran the Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25×56, which I covered in Precision Rifle Series Episode 2.
Trigger: nice and crisp. It’s a two-stage trigger: the first stage is the take-up, then the second stage breaks cleanly at about 2 pounds. If you’re not used to match-type guns you may find it a little light at first, but after a full day of shooting at a multi-day course you’ll quickly get used to it and may even want it lighter.
Stock: I’m a big fan, especially the pistol grip portion. It’s not an AR-style grip like on the RPR, but it’s a bit more upright, and it makes the gun easy to shoot at long distance.
The quirks
- Standard bolt handle. Unlike the RPR’s oversized extended bolt handle, the Hawkeye Long Range Target still has a standard-size handle. With a scope in small or medium-height rings, you might get some interference when running the bolt quickly.
- Magazine fit. The only issue, if you can even call it one, is how easily the magazines come in and out. It’s not an RPR, and it’s not going to drop free like an AR-15. The Hawkeye was originally designed around an internal magazine, so the detachable box magazine is an evolution of the gun rather than part of the original design. It’s not super smooth, but I don’t think we can expect it to be.
Bottom line
I’m really excited about the 6.5 PRC, and I’m glad there’s a variety of rifles chambered in it to suit almost any shooter’s needs. The Ruger Hawkeye Long Range Target is a really nice blend of precision rifle features in a more traditional stock. It’s certainly accurate and should be sub-MOA with match-grade ammo, and even better with properly developed handloads.
The biggest difference between this gun and the Ruger Precision Rifle isn’t actually the stock versus chassis. It’s the trigger and the action: a traditional two-stage trigger and a controlled round feed Mauser action. There’s no right or wrong between a traditional and a bladed trigger, or between controlled round feed and push feed. It comes down to your needs and preferences.
Bottom line: if you want a very accurate rifle that doesn’t stick out as a tactical boomstick, the Ruger Hawkeye Long Range Target in 6.5 PRC is seriously worth a look.
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Controlled round feed or push feed on your long-range rifle? Which one do you trust?
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