The purpose of this article is to present the various sniper rifles designed and manufactured by PGM Précision, and to clarify their characteristics and specific features for sport shooting. This includes their use in disciplines as varied as long-range shooting (LRS) on gongs for recreational or competitive purposes, F-Class, Precision Rifle Shooting (PRS), Benchrest, etc.
This article is intended as a concise guide for those interested in understanding PGM Précision’s offerings for sport shooters and how the precision rifle range is designed for this use. It summarizes the recommendations and advice that PGM Précision offers based on its experience and history. It is not intended to represent the sum of available knowledge on these disciplines nor to be prescriptive with respect to the audience: each shooter is free to make their choice based on their personal criteria, the aim of this article is that the shooter’s choice would be aided by the information below.
PGM Précision rifles are benchmark weapons in the field of sport shooting due to their ergonomics and adaptability to the shooter’s body shape. This is a feature common to all rifles in the range. Most have a length-adjustable stock with a cheek rest and recoil pads that can be adjusted in height using an integrated tool (except for the Hécate II and PGM 338 for the latter option). Their AR15-standard grip can be changed according to the shooter’s wishes to best fit their hand.
All rifles feature match-grade free-floating barrels, which are manufactured by the German firm Lothar-Walter, world-renowned for its production of exceptionally high-quality barrels that are used in numerous high-precision weapons.
In addition, all rifles are equipped with a match-grade trigger designed and manufactured by PGM Précision, with a double-dimple design and adjustable trigger weight and travel.
They all feature a folding stock for easy transport (with the exception of the Ludis and the Hécate II) and accept “in-house” bipods and sound reducers, which are particularly effective and allow for use on multiple civilian shooting ranges, as well as the brand’s many other accessories that allow shooters to adapt them to their practices.
Finally, all PGM Précision rifles and accessories are designed and manufactured in France, in Haute-Savoie near Annecy. As a consequence, they feature exemplary manufacturing quality, as evidenced by the fact that they are exported to some sixty countries worldwide. Their use by many of the world’s best elite units on the battlefield and in special operations is a hallmark of exceptional quality and service, as well as satisfaction in a sporting setting.
With these remarkable common points, the PGM Précision range of precision rifles is structured as follows:
The precision rifle that PGM Précision designed specifically for sport shooting, and not for tactical use like the other rifles in the range, is the Ludis, which has been available since 2013. This single-shot rifle with a fixed stock benefits from the rapid barrel interchangeability concept (30 seconds) inherited from the brand’s Ultima Ratio model. It has numerous advantages such as reduced weight (starting at 5.6 kg / 11.6 lbs), simple and efficient operation, and exemplary build quality like all the brand’s weapons, while being the most affordable rifle in the range.
The Ludis can adapt to a very wide range of uses thanks to the large selection of different barrels (from 47 cm / 18.5” to 71 cm / 28” in length) that accept the fifteen most commonly used calibres in the sport shooting field. This magazine-less multi-calibre platform also allows the use of PRC and magnum calibres by changing the barrel and the bolt.
It’s also a rifle that evolves with the shooter’s needs thanks to a wide selection of accessories (scopes, mounts, grips, rails, bipods, monopods, etc.).
Depending on the shooter’s chosen calibre, the Ludis is an excellent solution for sport shooting disciplines up to 1,500m (1,640 yards) that don’t require a sustained rate of fire, such as long-range shooting (LRS) on gongs for recreational or competitive setting, F-Class, Benchrest, etc.
Heir to PGM Précision’s founding weapon, which the genius gunsmith Gilles Payen developed for RAID snipers, the 2nd generation Ultima Ratio, which has been available since 2022, is a tactical weapon with exceptional qualities for sport shooting. Incorporating more than 30 years of developments – thanks to collaborations initially with the RAID and then with numerous French and international special forces – this precision rifle with optimal ergonomics is typically designed to hit its targets from the first shot up to a distance of 1,000m (1,100 yards), and even beyond depending on the calibre and barrel length.
The Ultima Ratio incorporates the same advantages as the Ludis: rapid barrel interchangeability (30 seconds, 6 barrel types available from 41 cm / 16” to 71 cm / 28” in 10 different calibres), a limited weight (from 6.3 kg / 13.2 lbs) and an adjustable trigger from 0.7 to 1.5 kg (1.5 to 2.2 lbs). In addition, it allows a sustained rate of fire thanks to its 10-round steel magazine. It accepts numerous accessories thanks to an ARCA rail integrated into the handguard. One point to note is the need to use the weapon in single-shot mode, with a tray in the magazine, for calibres linked to cartridges that are significantly shorter or longer compared to the reference .308W ammunition (for example, 6mm Norma BR and .284W ammunition). Depending on the calibre chosen by the shooter, Ultima Ratio is a legendary precision rifle for sport shooting disciplines such as long-range shooting (LRS) on gongs in a recreational or competitive setting, F-Class, Precision Rifle Shooting (PRS), etc.
For sport shooters seeking a precision rifle to repeatedly hit targets from 1,000m to 1,500m (1,100 to 1,640 yards), PGM Précision developed the PGM 338 in 2003, then the brand’s first rifle in this calibre.
This comfortable, robust, and versatile rifle is manufactured without compromising quality and offers the same advantages as the brand’s other rifles of the time. It offers a choice of two 69cm / 27” barrels (Commando and Intervention) for long-range shooting with .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition, whose performance and accuracy are well-established. The PGM 338 is the gateway to magnum calibres in the PGM Précision range, offering all the qualities and performance for which the brand is renowned.
This increase in the range of calibre power and target distances that can be reached leads to the presentation of the two most powerful rifles in the PGM Précision range, namely the Mini-Hécate II and its older sister, the Hécate II.
The Mini-Hécate II is a state-of-the-art, high-precision, long-range rifle. It was initially designed for military and special forces snipers who deal with targets between the .308W and .50BMG calibres. Drawing on over five years of development work, the experience of its service in conflicts that have taken place since its manufacture in 2018, and its high level of modularity, particularly in terms of bipod positions, this rifle is an exceptional tactical tool.
Used in sport shooting, the Mini-Hécate II is one of the most common weapons among finalists in major LRS competitions. Thus, this rifle equipped the winners of the King of 1 mile of Caylus in 2024, as well as the winners of the Prince of 1500m of Caylus in 2025. It won a magnificent 3rd place at Extreme Shot Italia V in October 2025 – an exceptional performance for this production weapon against full custom rifles.
Like other PGM Précision rifles, the Mini-Hécate II can accommodate several barrel types, from 60 to 86 cm (24” to 34”), and several calibres, from .300NM and PRC to .375 Swiss P, including the famous .338 Lapua Magnum, the most commonly chosen calibre.
The exceptional performance of this rifle makes it the weapon of choice for sport shooters and LRS and ELR competitors for targets from 1,000 to over 2,000 metres (1,100 to 2,200 yards) who want power and range without the bulk of a standard tactical rifle.
This is indeed a domain reserved for the Hécate II. This rifle was designed from the outset for long-range anti-material military use during the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. Its very high accuracy, exceptional reliability, ergonomics, and lower recoil than its competitors have made it arguably the best weapon in the world in .50BMG calibre.
This rifle finds many fans among “heavy-class” sport shooters or those taking part in competitions over 2,000m (2,200 yards). Indeed, the Hecate II accepts ammunition that perform as well at these distances as the .416 Barrett, in addition to the historic .50BMG, which gives it a significant advantage in events such as the King of 2 Miles.
In conclusion, the table below lists the rifles and the main uses in sport shooting according to the calibre chosen:
Long Range Shooting (LRS) on gongs, F-Class, Benchrest, etc. up to 1,200 m / 1.300 yards or even 1,500 m / 1,600 yards in magnum calibre
Long Range Shooting (LRS) on gongs, F-Class, Precision Rifle Shooting (PRS), etc. up to 1,000 m / 1,100 yards or even more with a 71 cm / 28” Custom barrel
Long Range Shooting (LRS) on gongs up to 1,500 m / 1,600 yards
Long Range Shooting (LRS) and ELR on gongs beyond 2,000 m / 2,200 yards with a custom barrel
Long Range Shooting (LRS) and ELR on gongs beyond 3,000 m / 3,300 yards in calibre .416 Barrett
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