The Golden Age of Precision Rifle: Have We Peaked?

We are in a Golden Age of precision shooting. Never in history—save for the development of gunpowder, the Minié ball, or the metallic cartridge—have we experienced such a remarkable enhancement in our ability to shoot small targets at great distances. We are at a crossroads where shooting 1000 yards, a former benchmark for shooters, is commonplace—even easy. Our machining tolerances and ballistics knowledge, the evolution of cartridge design, and the quality of optics available today make even the most novice of shooters an expert marksman. But this isn’t a recent phenomenon. It’s been a buildup for nearly two decades. As historians, we focus on watershed moments to point to where there was a shift. Where an event or an idea happened that resulted in a monumental change of ideology and understanding. In the shooting world, we’ve had our fair share.

THE CARTRIDGE

Hornady is a powerhouse in our arena. And when introducing new cartridges, no one can be more trusted than Hornady. Names like 17 HMR, 6.5 PRC, 300 PRC, 7mm PRC, 6 ARC, 22 ARC, 338 ARC, .204 Ruger, 375 Ruger, and more come from the ballisticians of Hornady. Name a better track record. With all their success, there have been some failings. Well, failing might be too strong of a word—some were just ahead of their time. One was the .30 T/C.

A joint venture between Hornady and Thompson/Center, the .30 TC was an excellent cartridge. It offers 30-06 Springfield performance in a short-action case with recoil like a .243 Winchester. People reading might argue .308 Winchester performs identically to a 30-06. That is true, but the .30 T/C does it more efficiently. This is when Hornady first introduced a 30-degree shoulder angle. This, coupled with Hornady’s powder recipe, made for a round with higher velocities than a .308 with modest recoil. Despite its performance, only T/C chambered firearms—mainly the ICON—in this caliber, and Hornady was the primary ammunition manufacturer. In short order, the 30 T/C sputtered. But the case’s efficient design would not be lost; it just happened to be the parent of one the most important cartridges in recent history—the 6.5 Creedmoor.

6.5 Creedmoor is perfect for Hunting, Tactical and Competitive uses. Photo courtesy of Nick Setting.

Introduced in 2007, the 6.5 Creedmoor eventually took the precision shooting world. It took time to achieve this. In 2007, most people confined precision shooting to bench rest, F-class, NRA High Power, or CMP matches. The concept of dynamic precision rifle matches was scarce, and there wasn’t a unifying governing body. Yet, enthusiasts dreamed of a cartridge that could excel in any type of “across-the-course” match. Dave Emary, Chief Ballistician of Hornady, stated, “The original intent of the cartridge was an across-the-course match cartridge. We [he and Dennis DeMille, GM of Creedmoor Sports] envisioned it as an off-the-shelf round that produced the accuracy and ballistics to compete in all match shooting disciplines right out of the box. At the same time, we realized that the same characteristics would make an exceptional hunting cartridge with the right bullets.” With the inception and evolution of the 6.5 Creedmoor, we enter the beginning of the Golden Age of Precision Rifle. But as good as the 6.5 Creedmoor is, its success was inhibited by the need for a rifle platform.

THE PLATFORM

While the 6.5 Creedmoor is impressive, its rise to prominence took nearly a decade to ascend. For as good as it was, there weren’t many “precision” rifle platforms on the market. The mainstays included Remington 700s or Savage Model 10s with heavy barrels, or perhaps you went the custom route with GA Precision or Surgeon or even took a Tikka rifle and had it customized. Either way, you were limited. Today, we are spoiled. The options at our disposal—factory and custom—didn’t exist in 2007. That changed when Ruger introduced the Ruger Precision Rifle (RPR).

Ruger Precision Rifle. Photo courtesy of Sturm, Ruger & Co.

By the early 2010s, precision rifle shooting was gaining popularity. The film American Sniper debuted in 2014, putting the art of long-range shooting at the forefront. The History Channel's Top Shot was immensely popular, as people were mesmerized by the feats of accuracy seen on TV. Maybe this type of shooting was the next evolution of shooting sport. Of course, sniper matches had existed, but they were not yet organized (at least until 2012). Three-gun and action pistol shooting were all the rage, but people wanted something else, but they wanted to afford it.

In 2015, people finally had a legitimate option that offered them unheard-of modularity in a factory rifle for precision shooting. The RPR was initially available in 308 Winchester, 243 Winchester, and 6.5 Creedmoor. But it was the latter that people gravitated to. I remember the rifle being back ordered for months. It’s hard now to think of a gun being so in demand that we had waiting lists that went out for a year. The eminence of the RPR forced manufacturers to catch up and put something together that could compete with it. As PRS grew in popularity, the production category was created for new shooters to experience the thrill of a match without having to spend thousands of dollars on custom rifles and being unfairly scored against them. The Golden Age arrived.

MDT TAC21 Chassis System. One of our original chassis systems. Photo courtesy of Nick Setting.

THE FUTURE OF PRECISION RIFLE

Now it’s 2025. Almost every company offers a form of precision rifle. A proliferation of custom rifle builders has emerged from PRS and NRL competitors’ demand for an edge in matches. We’ve also witnessed the expansion of a middle category, “semi-custom,” which offers shooters the best value for ultra-precision. In terms of cartridges, the success of the 6.5 Creedmoor has led to the creation or rise of hosts of others (see Cal Zant’s “What the Pros Use” series of articles on the Precision Rifle Blog to see the changing trend of calibers used by top shooters). More than this, the sheer volume of companies that have risen, expanded, or were founded out of the demand for accessories to enhance a rifle and shooter’s capabilities is staggering. So, with all this, what’s next, or have we peaked?

Today, we see cartridge design advancements through alternative case materials from True Velocity, Sig Sauer, and now Federal. How soon these alternative case advancements will take to catch one is anyone’s guess. One item yet mentioned is optics. And yes, the advancement and proliferation of modern optics have moved at a near-exponential rate. But what’s taking them to the next generation is the integration of tech into the physical optic (i.e., rangefinders and ballistic solvers). Burris has led the way with the Eliminator series and Veracity PH line of “smart” riflescopes—more are sure to follow.

It’s hard to see rifles getting better. Our manufacturing techniques and the amelioration of automated machining have made tolerances exacting. It’s not just possible but commonplace to build your own rifle. With a few tools and patience, anyone can assemble a superbly accurate rifle. Never have shooters had options to build or buy such precision instruments.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is to say that we are in the golden age of the precision rifle. The emergence of the 6.5 Creedmoor and the development of the Ruger Precision Rifle set us on a path to an explosion in rifles, ammunition, reloading components, optics, shooting accessories, and more. It’s amazing that just over a decade ago, we had optics with mismatched MOA turrets and MIL reticles, and ARCA was strictly a camera mounting system. What will the next watershed moment be?

Check out our 2025 SHOT SHOW coverage on our Blog, Social Media, and YouTube Channel!

2025 SHOT SHOW VIDEOS FROM MDT

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• MDT Mountain and Backcountry Bipods
• MDT SEND IT Gen 2 Level

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cory Ross has been working in the firearms industry for over 11 years. What started as a part-time job during college turned into a full-time career, giving him the chance to work with some great people and companies along the way. He also earned a Master’s degree in History from Cleveland State University. When he’s not shooting, reloading, or working on his firearms, he’s usually reading, writing, or building something with Legos.