A few months ago, Range Tool contacted me about the .22 ARC, a new perspective cartridge they were considering chambering in a precision rifle build. I first encountered Range Tool when I reviewed their rimfire can. You can read that review by following this link.
The good folks at Range Tool know I a deep affection for fast .22 caliber cartridges and have an affinity for the AR platform, so they asked me if I would be interested in helping promote their new rifle when and if it comes to fruition. Needless to say, I did my best to push them into the project. Thankfully, my charm won the day, and a few weeks later, the newly minted Predator arrived along with several hundred rounds of test ammunition.
I contacted my friend at Leupold, telling him what I had to review, and asked for a good recommendation. About a week later, an Mk IV HD 8-32x56mm scope was delivered. All I could say was, “Wow, that is a helluva piece of glass.” Once mounted, it was long past range day.
Once dialed in, we could easily get one-half MOA at 100 yards with Hornady Black and Match .22 Arc.
After getting the ballistics off the Hornady box, I dialed in the dope for 400 and 500 yards and got about two-and-a-half-inch groups.
It was evident the rifle was a shooter.
The Predator was quite comfortable to shoot, thanks to the Magpul pistol grip and an adjustable stock. The upper features a Picatinny Rail along the top. The manual of arms is the same as for any other standard AR-type rifle. The trigger broke cleanly at four and a half pounds.
The area of the full-float M-Lok handguard was devoid of Picatinny Rail so that the scope could be mounted as close as possible to the bore axis.
The bolt and ten-round magazine are from the 6.5 Grendel, an already proven setup. Note the gas key is correctly staked. After 360 rounds everything was holding up well, as expected.
Proper M4 feed ramps contributed to the reliability.
Conclusions
I realize I have occasionally spoken out against all these new cartridges because it seems like something new is introduced every day. With that said, I realize that with advanced technologies, there is plenty of potential for the occasional home run with a new cartridge. Hornady developed the .22 ARC or Advanced Rifle Cartridge to match or exceed the .22-250 Remington cartridge in an AR-15 platform. With the benefit of a fast twist like one in seven, we can exploit high-performance bullets such as the 62gr ELD and 88gr ELD in a compact cartridge in a handy and popular rifle. We ran some 360 rounds through the test rifle without a malfunction and came to expect one-half MOA accuracy.
If you are into ARs but want something a little different, or you are a precision shooter/hunter, you now have a viable option with the Range Tool Predator. For me, the cool factor of a fast .22 in the AR-15 still suppresses well that was plenty accurate and reliable.
Specifications
• Caliber: .22ARC.
• Barrel Length: 20 inches.
• Barrel Contour: Stainless – Button.
• Barrel Mfg: Satern Barrels — Official Hornady Partner.
• Threading: 5/8×24.
• Twist Rate: 1:7.
• MOA: Sub MOA.
• Magazine Capacity: 10 rounds unless restricted.
• Gas Length: Rifle.
• Gas System: Direct Impingement -— Adjustable Gas Block.
• Rear Sight: Ghost ring aperture.
• Back Plate: Accepts standard buffer tube.
• Rear Rail: Picatinny rail insert.
MSRP $1800
Acknowledgments