Originally Posted By: HidalgoOriginally Posted By: Winny Fan
Overall the Predators are a decent hunting rifle for the money - I paid $359 plus tax for mine - but they are nothing to write home about in terms of overall quality. They are a bottom of the line/entry level rifle in all ways.
There are a BUNCH of Predator owners who will argue that point. And like most rifles, you need to reload to attain the best performance. Exactly what different loads were shot in the rifles you mentioned.
Which point is that? If you're taking about the accuracy, I wasn't. I merely stated how it shot the Hornady factory ammo which is what I usually start a new 223 Rem bolt rifle with. If a rifle shows promise with it I generally go to hand loads and trim groups from there.
When I was talking quality I was talking general overall quality which includes a cheap plastic stock and trigger guard and a plastic magazine with a plastic onboard release.
All of those things are not hard hunting type accolades for a rifle, but acceptable on a cheaper entry grade level rifle (cheap cost wise only of course, as I know you've been walking around with a woody for several months now looking for a 6.5 in a Predator at a rock bottom price)
BTW - I've hand loaded for over 35 years, in case that's my next lesson.
I'm simply not going to waste my time on this rifle as its going to be nothing more than a 4 wheeler hunting rifle and it will work for that. In addition, it might shoot nothing more than the factory Hornady ammo which also works for a 4 wheeler while hunting hogs. If I'm going to worry about bench groups, I will shoot a rifle more suited to that endeavor and I'll use hand loaded/tailored ammo for that particular rifle. Squeezing comparable accuracy out of a $360 rifle isn't one of my pet endeavors just to increase my post count. Or to not kill any more hogs with it than this one will kill with its present rifle/ammo combination.
Since we're talking costs, the scope on it is worth far more than the rifle if you're talking over the counter prices. I looked for a Predator priced at $650 but I couldn't find one to make all the pieces equal in cost at least.
I sincerely hope you'll find one on sale for $199 so you'll be an uber happy camper in all ways.