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JP LRP-07 opinions / reviews wanted


mrwhite1

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The only reason I was considering maybe a 260 was possibly loading up some light bullets so I could use the gun as a varmint rifle... I'm not sure if the twist is setup to handle the lighter bullets though... I appreciate the input

I've only shot 142gr SMK's out of mine (easy 1/2 MOA accuracy) but I know John shoots 123's out of his and they do great. He and Clark Henderson won a recent team sniper match I shot. Both shot LRP-07's. John's was a 260 Rem with 123's and Clark's was a 6.5 Creedmore.

David- Clark Kennedy? From West By-God Virginia?

:)

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I hadn't really even considered that route, but I'll keep and open mind... as I said I have zero experience with 260s... Thoughts?

I have a LaRue OBR in 260. It is a lot of fun to shoot and very accurate. The mag length makes shooting the heavier bullets a pain, so I shoot the mid weight 123s.

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I'll have my new LRP-07 in a few more weeks. I'll post something when it comes in. The ones I've shot have been outstanding. I got to handle a couple at Heman Nats a few weeks ago. A couple of quick observations....

The 18" light contour 308 was very close to same weight as my 20" meduim JP15. Recoil was on par with my comp'd M1A (with heavy contour barrel), which is only slightly heavier than a 223 and with only a little more muzzle movement while hammering close targets. Balance is excellent, with the barrel weighing slighly less and the receiver weighing slightly more (when compared to my 20" JP15). The trigger was the typically good JP single stage, which is easy to use for most everyone. I didn't get to put any rounds on paper, but I did get a chance to put a few rounds onto a 12" minute man at 400yds. Hits were easy and I was told by the owner that I was shooting Speer 125gr TNT's at 2900fps. So the fast 1:10 twist barrel handles light bullets very well. The action felt very crisp with very little, felt reciprocating mass. Mine is coming with the new captured spring system, so we'll see how that works. I spoke with someone at JP to find out if there is any scope mounting considerations. I was told that the deck height on the LRP-07 picatiny is almost identical to AR15s, and to use the same scope mounts I use on my current rifle. While weight is always a consideration the LRP-07 is amongst the lightest of the AR10 type rifles and I feel that there is a point at which you can lighten up a 308 too much, forcing the operator to deal with more recoil induced sight recovery than they need to. I'm big enough to handle an extra pound or two and would honestly rather have the smoother operation and quicker sight recovery afforded by the extra ounces. Something around 9lbs (with out glass and ammo) seems about right to me. As a point of reference, I recently got to shoot a Larue PredatAR and a LMT LM308MWS. This comp'd PredatAR was lighter (especially in the nose) with excellent balance and a very solid feel (nice hand guard). It hopped around a little more than the JP. Not a lot more, just enough more to notice more sight movement on the target (more than likely a byproduct of the heavier carrier). The LMT was noticably heavier and yet still managed to have more felt recoil and muzzle hoping than the JP, while also being heavier and slower to swing. Different strokes for different folks. If you are accustomed to a well tuned competition 223, then finding that perfect balance in your 308 will be of higher importance to you. If you are coming from heavier caliber shooting, then any semi 308 will feel like a pussy cat and fast by comparison. The two rifles which seem to fall into that sweet spot (at least on paper) are the LRP-07 and Larue's new PredatOBR. Not many people have shot the new PredatOBR and the wait is 8-10 months. After handling and firing a few LRP-07s I have no doubt that I made the right purchase and am anxious to get the new gat in my hands.

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The only reason I was considering maybe a 260 was possibly loading up some light bullets so I could use the gun as a varmint rifle... I'm not sure if the twist is setup to handle the lighter bullets though... I appreciate the input

I've only shot 142gr SMK's out of mine (easy 1/2 MOA accuracy) but I know John shoots 123's out of his and they do great. He and Clark Henderson won a recent team sniper match I shot. Both shot LRP-07's. John's was a 260 Rem with 123's and Clark's was a 6.5 Creedmore.

David- Clark Kennedy? From West By-God Virginia?

:)

Good lord, my bad, yes Clark Kennedy (from WVA) No relation to Clark Henderson, whoever that is :o

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  • 1 month later...

Got my LRP-07. JP was only one week longer than quoted, so pretty good on delivery time. The rifle is flat out worth every penny I spent. I'll do a more formal review after RM3G, but a couple of quick observations:

The rifle is solid! It feels very strong in your hands. It's also very tight. There is absolutely no slop between the upper and lower. In fact the upper to lower fit is so tight that you need a hammer and a dowel to drive out the take down pins.

The hand guard is slim. The same slim unit as the 223 rifles, which means if feels almost exactly the same in your hands.

The rifle is very accurate. I quickly found a .6moa load which also ran with a 20fps extreme spread over the chrony. From a bipod and not too windy, I can hit clay pidgeons at 400yds (no joke). I realize this is about 1moa and mathematically within the capability of the rifle, but you try it... with a 4x scope.

The picatiny rail is the same height as an AR15. My scope swapped over in the same Larue mount and clamped down without any adjustment necessary.

The action is very smooth. It feels like everything is on bearings inside. In fact, were it not for the presence of a small amount of nose dip, due to the heavier (than 223) bolt carrier, you would think it was a bolt gun.

The Captured spring system works as advertised. There is no spring sound in the stock at all and it feels very solid. It's also extremely easy to remove for cleaning.

Left side charge works great! It's in just the right spot and charging the rifle while prone is a breeze. It's non reciprocating and assembly is light weight and stong. It is also easily removed and replaced. So if you were to damage it, the assembly is an easy swap.

The only negative, is that the JP comp which is legal for HM division is a 223 comp. I have the same cooley comp on my JP15 and it works great on that rifle, allowing me to throw effortless pairs out to 50yds. JPs 308 comp isn't legal in HM division and the smaller model simply doesn't have enough realestate to tame the recoil of the 308. Let me clarify. The Cooley comp has 4 top jets which provide enough downward thrust to keep the muzzle from climbing. With only two baffles however it doesn't pull enough rearward recoil out to keep the muzzle from rotating hard right. I drilled the right side jet, but it simply wasn't enough. A buddy of mine had a 308 Rolling Thunder he wasn't using, so I swapped it out. The difference in having both a third baffle and the tunablility provided by the high pressure chamber made all the difference in the world. The rifle now pretty much lays there and hammers are nearly identical to my 223, with the exception that the extra weight in the BCG (compared to a 223 BCG) results in just a little muzzle dip when going into battery. Pretty much at this point, hammers with the bigger 308 are as effortless as with my JP15.

I've run 500rds through the rifle so far. It has been 100% reliable on factory ammo, including odd shooting possitions and while monopoding on the magazine. There is no noticable shift in POI out to 400yds when monopoded. The only failures I've had were from my reloads. I had a round which didn't drop into the JP chamber gage and it didn't drop into the rifle chamber. I had one other failure, from setting the gas block just a bit too low. Those were my fault.

This rifle rocks and I can't wait to put it through it's paces at RM3G!

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I was impressed with the quality of my LRP-07 as well when I received it a couple of months ago. I need to find some good recipes for 125 TNT bullets for next season. I sold a Larue OBR to buy the JP since I already had a SCR-11 and wanted both my rifles to have the same controls. The OBR was an outstanding rifle but just felt a bit too heavy for my taste. The JP only weighs a bit more than my SCR-11. I am waiting for my Leupold MK6 with the 7.62 reticle to top the rifle off. It should be here in 4 weeks so I will give some reviews of it when I receive it.

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I just received their PSC12 upper. I was shooting groups in the .3 to .5 range with 168g FGMM ammo. I have not tried the 175's yet. I don't have that many and am saving them for a 1000 yard range in a few weeks. I am loving this rifle so far.

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  • 1 month later...

So RM3G has come and gone. After arriving at Whittington for the early staff shoot, I took a few minutes to get some practice in on some of the Whittington Center longer ranges. The 308 was spot on and easy to hit with. I had the pleasure of shooting the match with Barry Dueck on my squad. Hell of a nice guy! It was fun dicing back and forth on scores and in the end he edged me out, when I threw a couple of stages I'd dearly like to have back. The rifle ran flawlessly and I ended up posting a 4th place finish in HeMan Scope, right behind Tate, Barry and Jessie. I gotta say that this LRP-07 is my new best friend! I still love my JP15, but this new kit makes it feel a bit insignificant. I can't thank the crew at JP enough for getting this rifle to me in time for the match. If I could afford to shoot this rifle exclusively, it would find it's way to the range every time for sure.

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So RM3G has come and gone. After arriving at Whittington for the early staff shoot, I took a few minutes to get some practice in on some of the Whittington Center longer ranges. The 308 was spot on and easy to hit with. I had the pleasure of shooting the match with Barry Dueck on my squad. Hell of a nice guy! It was fun dicing back and forth on scores and in the end he edged me out, when I threw a couple of stages I'd dearly like to have back. The rifle ran flawlessly and I ended up posting a 4th place finish in HeMan Scope, right behind Tate, Barry and Jessie. I gotta say that this LRP-07 is my new best friend! I still love my JP15, but this new kit makes it feel a bit insignificant. I can't thank the crew at JP enough for getting this rifle to me in time for the match. If I could afford to shoot this rifle exclusively, it would find it's way to the range every time for sure.

start re-loading the 30. there are several converts on the Sierra Squad. (Of course we use Sierra Match King bullets.) for 3 gunning the 135 grain SMKs are great. Excellent accuracy and lighter recoil. don't be a major PAIN! (LOL)

that was a personal jab between Mike and me.

welcome aboard!!!!!!!

:cheers:

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Way ahead of ya. I shot the match with my own reloads. 43.5gr IMR8208, 155gr SMK, 2.775"oal, CCI primers and no crimp. 2675fps out of my 18" barrel and .6-.7 moa. Over the winter I'll be experimenting with 125gr TNTs and 135gr SMK. If I can get either of those two rounds to hit consistently out to 400 in the new rifle, I'd get the added benefit of lower recoil. This rifle is tits! If I get it any more dialed you'll be stepping into my "house of payne". :sight:

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Way ahead of ya. I shot the match with my own reloads. 43.5gr IMR8208, 155gr SMK, 2.775"oal, CCI primers and no crimp. 2675fps out of my 18" barrel and .6-.7 moa. Over the winter I'll be experimenting with 125gr TNTs and 135gr SMK. If I can get either of those two rounds to hit consistently out to 400 in the new rifle, I'd get the added benefit of lower recoil. This rifle is tits! If I get it any more dialed you'll be stepping into my "house of payne". :sight:

i was able to get my 135s into .322" at 100 with my 18" JP with a load of 44.5 grs. of IMR 4895, WW primers and Lake City brass. I did neck crimp as Carroll suggested that variance in groups is linked to variations in the neck tension. I am running a 22" JP now. I get almost 200 fps faster with the same load. the 135s are very accurate out to 600.

if my knees don't quit hurting i'm gonna blame you for the Payne. oops, pain.

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.322" is impressive out of any gun. 135's here I come! Now if I could just figure out how to use those bumpy things on top of my rifle. What are they called? Oh yeah... sights. With my eyes and your... er... um... "experience", we'd make one heck of a competitor!

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.322" is impressive out of any gun. 135's here I come! Now if I could just figure out how to use those bumpy things on top of my rifle. What are they called? Oh yeah... sights. With my eyes and your... er... um... "experience", we'd make one heck of a competitor!

i wish i could still shoot irons. too old eyes.

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I had one for a short time... Accuracy wasnt great and it broke the second outing.

JP fixed the problem but it took 5 months. I love JP ar15s bit the bigger rifles I will go elsewhere

Edited by rrflyer
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I've never owned an M1A and my only experience with one is taking a few shots from a buddy's standard M1A. So I am no where close to being someone who could give a review of the M1A. I do know that Pat Kelley and Bryan Ray shoots the M1A in 3-gun and they are two of the top Heavy Metal shooters.

I do however own and compete with a JP LRP-07, and I can say that it is the best 308 rifle I've ever owned and shot. I've owned a DPMS and a POF 308 and I've shot a FAL in a match, but the JP has out-performed those rifles. I was apprehensive about spending so much for the JP, but right out of the box, I was so impressed with the quality and craftsmanship. The side charging handle was a very nice feature. The JP's low-mass bolt and loss-mass buffer working in tune with the adjustable gas block amazingly reduced the felt-recoil that 308 rifles are so well known for. The JP was well worth the wait and price.

I've never owned a scope or a rifle rest, so I can't be a good judge of the JP's true accuracy. My JP is equipped with iron sights only using a lyman globe front sight with a needle tip front post (and a set of eyes modified by a very expensive Lasik procedure). But I have engaged an 8" steel plate at 400 yards and hit it consistenly and repeatedly with the JP. I've never been able to do that consistently with the other rifles. The JP is quite a performer, I just wish I can be as good while under the pressure of that damn timer.

So I can't compare the the JP to an M1A, but compared to other 308 AR platforms, it is in my opinion the best there is, all the way from appearance to performance.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I've been experimenting with comps and loads. The goal being to find a load and comp which will allow me to run the 308 as fast as a 223, at matches with mostly close in work. Right now I'm playing with the 125gr TNTs from Speer. 44gr 8208, 2.700" oal, CCI primers and LC brass, produces 2850fps ave from my 18" barrel with 1:10 twist. PF= 356. The groups were right at 1moa, with a noticable reduction in felt recoil from my standard 155gr match load. I've run the new load out to 400m with excellent results. The thin walled varment bullets seems to hold up well in the tight twist and produces good accuracy. Soon the 600yd range will be open at my club and I'll be able to stretch them out a bit and see what they will do. A few possitives.. 1. This load is right at or below min, so its easy on the action, easy on the brass and easy on the shoulder, while still producing plenty of gas for the comp. 2. I'm making this load for $37 per 100. 3. With the bullet being flat back, the BC is lower than BT bullets and the ballistic curve matches the BDC in my 223 scope very well. Well enough to not have to adjust my holds at all. I simply swap the scope over, rezero and go have fun. This is really cool, because I need to practice way more than I need more glass (although I am covetous of that new Vortex). $1500 will cover all of the 308 ammo I will consume in 2013, or I can spend it on a piece of glass which won't actually put any points on the board. I'll take the trigger time.

I've also been experimenting with comps. My LRP-07 came with the smaller Cooley comp, but that didn't get the job done for 308. I tried a stock Miculek and a Thunder. I settled on the Thunder for a while and it works pretty well, but I've never been happy with the compromises. It's long, heavy and high maintenance. Right now I'm back to experimenting with a Miculek 308 comp and I'll let you guys know how that works out with the LRP-07 in the near future. It's been modified from it's original form and I'm hoping the changes will allow it to perform as well as the Thunder while being shorter, lighter and lower maintenance. I've designed my own 308 comp, but who knows if what's on paper will ever see chips. I've also ordered up a 4 baffle brake, designed for heavy caliber hunting and tactical bolt action rifles to see if that will make me happy. I'll let you know how it goes.

Please, please don't write and tell me how your Titan is the best of the best of the best... with honors! I didn't like it in 223 and in 308... I still don't like it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The comment about the gun not being light is a bit odd???? compared to what,.... an AR15!!! Compared to any other AR based 308 my JP is way lighter than any other one I've had, I own or have owned, 6 others from different makers, as well as FAL's and M1A's and the JP is by far the most accurate, 1moa with irons out to 400 routinely, and my 260 LRP has pretty much retired my 300mag TAC rifle for long range matches.

Comparison on weight:

JP LRP 308 20" .750 barrel:<9#

M1A medium wgt barrel 22":9.25#

LaRue OBR 18" .750 barrel: 9.5#

JP LRP 260 22" heavy barrel, yeah its heavy 14#, but its lighter than my 300 win mag at 15.75#

Trapr

Does JP use a heavy barrel just on the 260? I spec'd out a 22" 308 and it says medium contour.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Does anyone have any data on group sizes at different distances with bullet size?

I am running Sierra Match Kings 135 grains over 44.5 grains of IMR 4895 with a 22" light contour barrel and a Swarovski 1-6 scope.

I get consistent 1 MOA groups or less out to 600 yards off the bench.

:cheers:

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I'm probably going to catch some flak for this but I would never spend that much money on a semi-auto precision rifle - unless I had a very specific need that made a bolt action impractical.

The fact is that dollar for dollar, a bolt action will out shoot a semi-auto almost every time. There is a price point at which the two will be so similar (regards precision) that there is no practical difference, but you have to spend a lot of money to get there.

As to the question of caliber; .308 is a great general purpose caliber, but .243 and .260 have better long range ballistics and less recoil.

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I'm probably going to catch some flak for this but I would never spend that much money on a semi-auto precision rifle - unless I had a very specific need that made a bolt action impractical.

The fact is that dollar for dollar, a bolt action will out shoot a semi-auto almost every time. There is a price point at which the two will be so similar (regards precision) that there is no practical difference, but you have to spend a lot of money to get there.

As to the question of caliber; .308 is a great general purpose caliber, but .243 and .260 have better long range ballistics and less recoil.

No arguement here. I was unable to justify an AR15 purchase until I started 3gun. Likewise I was unable to justify a semi auto 308 until I began to shoot heman.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just placed my order for a LRP-07 a couple weeks ago, right before the Conneticut shooting (God rest their souls, and may the shooter burn in H-E-double-hockey-sticks for enternity).

Looks like my timing was good, given JP's current website disclosure: http://www.jprifles.com/2.8.php

Anyway, I'm excited to begin working up loads for this rifle. I am definitely going to load 125gr Speer TNT's for short range work. However, for 500+ yard shots I'm considering the heavier SMK options. Is there any reason I should start with 168 SMK's rather than just beginning with 175 SMK's? I see a lot of lighter bullets mentioned in the previous posts... I look forward to nailing as many bonus targets at MGM Ironman as possible.

Edited by kasen
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