Video courtesy of the Firearm Rack YouTube channel
USA – -(Ammoland.com)- My First Experience with the Ritter & Stark SLX. I had the chance while working for another publication to visit the Ritter & Stark factory in Austria and had the pleasure of being the first US citizen to shoot the Ritter & Stark SLX. The SLX is the little brother to the SX-1 rifle that was reviewed on Ammoland a while back.
My initial experience with SLX serial number 2 was overwhelmingly positive. The rifle was superbly accurate and produced a 10 round group under an inch. While that might not seem too impressive, keep in mind that the rear bag that I was using was less than optimal and I may not have been at the top of my game with the jet lag. I did see the designer Max produce a .3 MOA group with the same rifle and ammunition I was shooting so I feel that I was the weak link in the equation.
I was even presented with a very interesting polymer receiver version of the rifle. Since all the pressure is contained in the monolithic barrel it is possible to build the receiver out of a weaker material like polymer.
I was hooked and struck a deal on the spot for one of the first rifles to be imported to the US. Sadly this rifle being review is a testing and evaluation model and I will have to wait for the second batch of rifles to arrive.
Ritter & Stark SLX Rifle Range Time:
I took the rifle out to Triple C range in Cresson, TX where I could really stretch its legs. I outfitted the rifle with a Vortex Viper HS-T, which in retrospect probably was the wrong optic for the rifle if I was planning on shooting beyond 700 yards. The Viper HS-T just didn’t have the clarity that I really needed to spot the impacts at 800 to 1,000 yards. The only other thing that I added to the rifle to get the most out of my shooting experience is my trusty Atlas bipod with Hawk Hill Custom replacement feet.
I started shooting at 500 Yards after zeroing the rifle and landed two hits on a 2 MOA plate without much issue. The next target is the one that really showed the capabilities of the rifle. At 600 yards I dropped three consecutive shots on a 2 MOA plate, the group was less than 4″ wide!
At 700 yards the rifle still performed well but the optic’s clarity was becoming an issue. Without knowing what side of the plate I had impacted I was unsure what my correction should be for my follow up shots. I favored the right edge and landed the second shot on the very edge of the plate and thought that I had impacted the left edge, my correction resulted in my third round going off the left edge.
This is where things really fell apart. Between variable winds that changed direction and a scope that wasn’t clear enough to spot the impacts on the berm, my attempts at 800 were largely unsuccessful. I only managed to score one impact.
Ritter & Stark SLX Rifle Conclusions:
After getting the SLX out on the range, I am even more impressed than I was when I shot the prototypes. The fact that Ritter & Stark was able to produce a factory half MOA rifle is nothing short of impressive. Even more impressive is the caliber change system that they have developed. After personally seeing a rifle have its barrel removed and placed in another receiver then successfully hitting a target at 2,600 yards later that day is enough for me to take serious notice of the rifle’s ability to retain zero.
Ritter & Stark SLX Rifle: How Much Does It Cost?
MSRP on the rifle is a reasonable $3635. Now before you crucify me, keep in mind that the next rifle that comes close to the capabilities of the SLX is the Desert Tech SRS-A1 which carries an MSRP of $4,995. You can learn more information about Ritter & Stark’s rifles on their website.
About Patrick R.
Patrick is a firearms enthusiast that values the quest for not only the best possible gear setup but also pragmatic ways to improve his shooting skills across a wide range of disciplines. He values truthful, honest information above all else and had committed to cutting through marketing fluff to deliver the truth. You can find the rest of his work on FirearmRack.com as well as on the YouTube channel Firearm Rack or Instagram at @thepatrickroberts.