G.A. Precision Thunder Ranch Bolt Rifle Review

G.A. Precision has been in business since 1999. They strive to create top-notch professional-quality rifles that are not only precise but also affordable. In doing so, they make it a point not to sacrifice quality. At G.A. Precision, they use only top-of-the-line, field-tested, and durable parts and accessories.

G.A. Precision Thunder Ranch Bolt Rifle – A Look Back

Founded by George Gardner as a means of building competition rifles for local high-power and long-range shooters, G.A. Precision has grown substantially over the past decade, moving through three different locations and adding 13 more employees. G.A. Precision currently builds rifles for a multitude of police agencies, including the FBI SWAT, the FBI Hostage Rescue Team Quantico, and the BATFE Special Response Team. G.A. Precision also specializes in building competition rifles for the growing number of tactical long-range competitions around the country. And, as I found, they produce an effective long-range hunting rifle, too.

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G.A. Precision offers several models, but the focus of this article is on their new Thunder Ranch School House Rifle. This weapon is built to Thunder Ranch founder Clint Smith’s specifications for use on his demanding training courses.

Templar Short Action

This rifle is built on G.A. Precision’s Templar Short Action. Similar in design to a Remington 700 action, the Templar receiver body is composed of hardened 416 stainless steel. The tang is thicker, but radiused, so it still fits a Model 700-style stock. When the bolt is put in battery, the locking lugs have 35 percent more engagement. A precision-ground recoil lug is double pinned for more rigidity. The action raceway is a wire EDM cut instead of being broached. Topping the action is a steel 20-MOA base held in place by four 8-40 tapered head grade eight T-15 screws. Packaged with the rifle is a set of Badger Ordinance scope rings.

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Not commonly known is the fact that G.A. Precision’s actions are made by Glen Harrison, owner of Defiance Machine. Glen was the founder and owner of Nesika Bay Precision before selling it to Dakota Arms.

According to G.A., the Templar action extracts cases from the chamber 35 percent farther than do other, industry-standard actions, resulting in what it calls “a very smooth bolt cycle.” The bolt handle is a one-piece part machined from a solid, heat-treated piece of 4320 chrome moly steel. The handle is swept back slightly, instead of straight, to ease operation, and wears an oversized tactical bolt knob. The case extractor is M16-type and considered stronger than other designs. The trigger is tuned to a crisp 2.5 pounds.

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.308 Winchester

Chambered in .308 Winchester, the Thunder Ranch Rifle’s barrel is a 22-inch stainless-steel Bartlein with a 1-in-11.25-inch 5R twist. Special to this rifle is a specific contour that tapers to 0.9 inches at the muzzle.

A Manners MCS T synthetic stock features field-grade G.A. Precision camouflage that is molded into the part. The trigger guard is also a Manners-built Badger Mini Chassis Magazine system, accepting its AI-style box magazines. The recoil lug is bedded to the chassis with Marinetex. One front stud is attached to the bottom of the stock, and two quick-detach flush cups are mounted on the left side of the stock. Protecting the barrel is mil-spec OD Cerakote. The finishing touch is the Thunder Ranch logo.

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Range Time

Accuracy testing was conducted at 100 yards from a sturdy bench using a Bulls Bag for a front rest and a rear pinch bag. An Oehler 35P chronograph checked bullet speed, and 10-shot strings determined velocities for each load. Five-shot groups at 100 yards were used to measure accuracy.

G.A. Precision guarantees that the Thunder Ranch Rifle will produce 0.37 MOA with match-grade ammunition, and my range sessions vindicated the company’s claims. Even during the break-in process, I was able to shoot a five-shot group of Hornady Superformance 178-grain Match loads in a space spanning 0.8 inches.

When I switched to 168-grain Federal Gold Medal Match loads using Sierra Match King bullets, the first five-shot group printed a 0.33-inch cloverleaf. Of several groups fired, the next best groups measured 0.52 inches and 0.62 inches. Velocities averaged 2,590 feet per second (fps), while the standard deviation was 15 fps and the extreme spread 38 fps.

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Variety of Loads

Next were Winchester’s 168-grain Match loads. Their average velocity was 2,683 fps, with a standard deviation of 27 fps. The smallest group measured 0.58 inches.

For a heavier match load, I opted for Remington’s 175-grain Premier Match load, which averaged 2,560 fps. Their standard deviation was 20 fps. The tightest group produced a four-shot cluster measuring 0.26 inch—the fifth shot opened the group to 0.63 inch. Federal’s 175-grain Gold Medal Match loads clocked an average velocity of 2,596 fps. A relatively low standard deviation of 12 fps produced several sub-MOA groups, with the smallest measuring 0.74 inch.

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This rifle showed a pronounced affinity for Black Hills’ 168-grain Match loads. The average measurement of all the groups fired was 0.43 inch, with the smallest spreading 0.39 inch center to center. The standard deviation was 15 fps, while the average was clocked at 2,658 fps.

G.A. Precision Thunder Ranch Bolt Rifle

At $3,625, the Thunder Ranch is not inexpensive; it is, however, a rifle you can expect to use—and gladly so—for years and years after purchase.

Specifications

Performance

Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in feet per second by chronograph, and accuracy in inches for the best of five-shot groups at 100 yards.

This article was originally published in Tactical Life Magazine. While this model is now archived by G.A. Precision, their entire line is worth a detailed look.

For more information, visit G.A. Precision.