I picked up a used RAR Compact in .223 a few months ago because I liked the idea of a light, compact .223 bolt rifle. I don't really read any gun mags, so I didn't know a great deal about the RAR, but it was a Ruger and priced right, so I gambled on it.
I had a Leupold VX-2 2-7x32 scope and a pair of low Weaver rings on hand to mount on the provided bases. I don't think I could have come up with a better combination - the scope is low enough to provide a decent cheek weld and looks/balances about perfectly to me. There is roughly 1/8" between the objective lens and barrel and the bolt clears the eyepiece comfortably. I also think power range of the scope is great for the small 223 bolt rifle.
My wife and I set the eye relief on the scope to be comfortable for her with the 12.5" LOP factory stock and adjusted the trigger to the minimum, approximately 3 lbs. before we took it to the range.
Reading about the RAR online left me a little concerned about feeding from the magazines, but the magazine the rifle came with and the 2 spares I bought function just fine.
There are a lot of online reports of good accuracy, and that certainly proved to be true of the little Ruger. Hornady Black 55gr. HP ammunition shoots so well that I put a 150 Rd box in the "for emergencies only" spot in my safe. All the ammunition I tried shot well, but the Black was just ridiculous.
My wife and a petite lady from work both love shooting the little .223, and my wife staked claim on it after her first range trip.
EDIT - The 223 compacts are discontinued. They are available in .243 and 6.5 Creedmore; either would make a great budget youth/ladies hunting rifle.
It's not a "nice" rifle, but I wanted to share how pleased my wife and I are with her RAR compact.
Andy
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks