Ruger SFAR 6.5 Creedmoor Rifle Review: Long Range Versatility

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Ruger’s Small Frame Autoloading Rifle puts AR-10 capability into an AR-15 size package. Originally introduced in 7.62/.308, it’s now available in 6.5 Creedmoor. I was able to shoot this one extensively out to 600 yards at an introductory event at FTW Ranch in Texas (FTWsaam.com) and came away impressed.

The SFAR uses a rifle-length direct-gas system, and the 6.5 Creedmoor version sports a 20-inch barrel and either a Magpul MOE SL or Magpul PRS Lite stock. It ships with a single 10- or 20-round Magpul PMag on the SR25/AR-10 pattern. My sample came with the MOE stock and 10-round mag.

The barrel is cold hammer forged and features 5R rifling. This style of rifling reduces bullet-jacket stripping, and that produces better accuracy and reduces copper fouling. The barrel is threaded 5/8x24 and is tipped with Ruger’s two-port Boomer brake.

The upper receiver is forged 7075-T6 aluminum with a hard-coat finish. It incorporates a brass deflector and forward assist, and a full-length optics rail sits on top. The aluminum handguard is 15 inches long, with M-Lok slots at three, six and nine o’clock, along with two sockets for QD sling swivels.

Bolt Carrier Group and Ergonomics

The bolt carrier is chrome-lined 8620 steel and features a nitride-processed staked gas key. The firing pin is DLC-coated titanium, and the bolt head boasts twin ejectors, which when paired with the enlarged ejection port ensure reliability.

The trigger is Ruger’s Elite 452, and it’s a winner. It’s a two stage, the second stage breaking at a clean, crisp 3.5 pounds on average on my sample.

The Magpul MOE SL stock has ambidextrous levers for quick length adjustment, and there are QD sockets on either side. The grip has a storage compartment, and inside you’ll find a wrench for adjusting the SFAR’s gas regulator.

For accuracy testing I mounted a Leupold VX-5 HD 3-15x44mm, a perfect companion for a rifle capable of long range. The pairing resulted in a total weight of just shy of nine pounds, which is pretty darned good for a rifle of this type.

Versatility

I consider the SFAR 6.5 an all-around hybrid rifle, and for accuracy testing I opted for our tactical SOP: five-shot groups instead of three. I did let the barrel cool between groups, but I fired the five shots fast enough to get some decent heat in the barrel in order to see if groups would open up.

They didn’t. The SFAR 6.5 exhibited no stringing and no major fliers. For the final group of the day I removed the muzzle brake and threaded on my Banish 30 suppressor. Groups grew just a bit, but I ran too short on ammo to determine whether this was the ammo or the suppressor/ammo combo.

The Boomer brake is secured by a jam nut that has to be rotated clockwise with a 7/8-inch wrench, and I ended up having to soak it with Kroil and let it set overnight before I could break it free the first time. I mention this because it may be something you want to do at home the first time and not on the range.

But if you’re not going to go the suppressor route, I’d leave the brake where it is. It does a great job of reducing recoil, making the rifle easy-shooting from the bench and from field positions.

Gas Settings and Maintenance

The SFAR has a four-position gas regulator that’s accessed through the front of the handguard and adjusted with the supplied 3/16 ball-end wrench. Setting 0 is no gas and 3 is full gas. I failed to take note of the position when I first fired it, and a previous tester had set it on 3, which over-gassed the rifle with the loads I was shooting.

Ruger says setting 2 will work with most ammo. The company also indicates that setting 1 is best for suppressors. In this rifle, firing Hornady 140-grain American Gunner I used for function testing—both with and without the can—I found that fine-tuning just off these numbers produced the consistent, reliable four o’clock ejection I was looking for.

Ruger recommends cleaning the rifle completely before evaluating the regulator. You should periodically verify the setting—especially when changing ammo or adding a can.

Early on I had two plastic-tip bullets fail to feed, the tips getting mangled in the process. After that I made sure I was tapping the magazines to park the cartridges against the back of the PMag—like they taught us in Army basic—and had no further problems.

A New Fan

Up until this point I’ve owned only one AR, and it’s a gun I won in a drawing. I never had the urge to actually buy one. Until now. I sent a check to Ruger for the SFAR 6.5 Creedmoor. It’s a versatile rifle I can hunt with if I choose, and if there was ever a “head for the hills” rifle, this is it. Or, most likely, I’ll simply take it to the range and ring long-range steel just for fun—much more fun than a .308 semiauto due to the lower recoil level while providing superior long-range performance. That’s what I call a win-win-win.

Ruger SFAR Specs

• Type: AR-10
• Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor (tested), 7.62/.308
• Capacity: 10- or 20-round  AR-10/SR25-type Magpul
• Barrel: 20 in., 4140 chrome-moly; 5R rifling, 1:8 twist; threaded 5/8x24; Ruger Boomer brake installed
• Overall Length: 38–41 in.
• Weight: 7.2 lb.
• Construction: Type III hard-coat anodized 7075-T6 upper, 15 in. aluminum handguard w/M-Lok slots
• Stock: Magpul MOE SL adjustable
• Trigger: Ruger Elite 452; 3.5 lb. pull (measured)
• Safety: single-side selector
• Sights: none; full-length optics rail
• MSRP: $1,329
• Manufacturer: Ruger, ruger.com

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