GORUCK recently released their third version of the 10 liter Bullet ruck. This new version features a number of changes that the majority of the GORUCK community has been very vocal about. We previously released a Bullet Ruck 10L Version 1 vs 2 post so it only seemed right to release this comparing all 3 versions.
GORUCK Bullet Ruck 10L Version 3
When GORUCK released version 3 of their Bullet 10 ruck we grabbed one right away because the previous two versions were great. When it showed up we gathered all 3 Bullet 10L packs for a giant photo shoot.
GORUCK Bullet 10 Ruck Comparison
Here we’ve got all three versions of the GORUCK Bullet 10. To tell them apart during this I’ve left no patch on version 1, an ADR square logo patch on version 2, and a GORUCK Tough patch on version 3. In addition version 1 and 2 are in black and version 3 is in steel.
Fist difference is that version 1 does not have a padded bottom panel while both versions 2 and 3 do.
In addition version 1 has two drain holes, version 2 has one drain home, and version 3 has zero drain holes.
Flipping the packs over you can see that version 1 and 2 both have webbing to hook a hydration hose through while version 3 does not. All versions do have webbing on the shoulder straps so you can use an ITW GrimLoc on version 3 to secure a hydration hose. In addition versions 2 and 3 technically have five attachment areas while version 1 only has four. This is due to the difference on how the shoulder straps are connected.
Flipping the shoulder straps around you can see the full back panel on the rucks. Each back panel has three columns however version 1 has the hydration port coming out the back while versions 2 and 3 do not.
Checking out the way the shoulder straps are attached you can see that version 1 attaches the strap via webbing while versions 2 and 3 have the shoulder straps sewn directly into the pack.
Flipping the packs over you can see how the shoulder straps rest when being flipped around the pack. From this view you can pretty quickly tell that version 1 “rests” a bit cleaner than versions 2 and 3.
This side view gives a much better look at how these packs handle their shoulder straps being flipped around. The closest pack is version 1 which is followed by version 2 then version 3.
Checking the other side of the shoulder straps you can see again how they’re connected to the pack. Version one is sewn in by webbing by versions 2 and 3 are direct into the pack. The webbing on version 1 is why version 1 handles having the shoulder straps flipped around so well.
Checking out the top of the rucks you can see huge differences in how the handle is addressed. Version 1 and 2 features webbing for a handle while version 3 has a true GORUCK handle.
All three versions have pretty serious shoulder straps which means they’re fine candidates for GORUCK events… although probably better for a Light.
All three packs have the same bat wing attaching the shoulder strap webbing to the base of the packs.
From here you can see that version 1 of the Bullet 10 has a slightly rounded base while versions 2 and 3 look more like traditional GORUCK packs. Version 3 has a logo stitched into the bottom right webbing while version 2 did not originally, but did have one introduced at a later point.
Here you can see how deep the external pocket goes on the three packs. Version 1 does not go all of the way to the bottom while version 2 and 3 do.
You can kind of see in the above pictures how the hydration ports are addressed. Version run routes the hose right out the back while version two sends it out the top and version 3 uses the handle hydration Velcro just like the traditional GORUCK packs.
Finally before we dive into the packs you can see the sides of all three packs in the above picture. This gives a good look into how version 3 (and version 2 to some extent) hold their shape a lot better than the version 1 pack.
Getting into the main compartment of the packs you can see that there’s nothing in version 1 while version 2 and 3 both have a pouch area designed for the 20 lb Standard Ruck Plate. In addition, version 2 has Velcro + snapping mechanism to hang a hydration bladder while version 3 has a D ring.
Version 1 actually has two compartments and it’s in the compartment closest to the wearer’s back that has the hydration bladder hanger. In addition, you can see how the webbing from the shoulder straps is sewn into the pack. Although version 1’s shoulder straps sit cleaner when folded around version 2 and version 3 definitely look cleaner on the inside.
Here you can see the evolution of the hydration bladder exit hole. Version 3 is on the left, 2 in the middle, and 1 on the right.
Version 1 has the exit hole go right into the wearer’s back which is a little odd.
Version 2 (on the right) exits out the top using a Cordura flap and version 3 exits out the top using a cleanly cut hole and Velcro.
Here’s a final view from this side showing the differences between the three packs.
Checking out the other side you can see that all three versions have both the top pocket as well as the bottom mesh pocket. Version 3 (on the left) features a PO (purchase order) tag sewn in behind the mesh pocket. It’s interesting to note that there’s no variations between the internal tags.
This view shows the bottom of the rucks so that you can see which have grommets built in by default. Version 3 has a solid bottom but rumor is GORUCK SCARS will be offering a grommet service in the future which makes this perfect. People who don’t want them don’t have them and people who do want them can either do it themselves or have GORUCK SCARS perform the modification.
Here’s a better comparison view between the ways that you can hang hydration bladders in the Bullet 10. Personally, I like the D ring the best as it has a lot more use cases available to it than the other two. It’s also more secure and less prone to dropping a water bladder.
Conclusion
The GORUCK Bullet 10 has seen some major changes since it was released. It’s fun to pick these packs apart and see where the actual differences are. Hopefully you found this helpful and that it helps you decide what version you want to pick up. The current version is available on the GORUCK website while you can sometimes find the older versions on either eBay, Ruckmall, or Reddit.
Looking at the pictures it seems there are some size differences as well. Especially v3 seems taller and thinner. Would you say that’s the case or is it the way the pictures are taken?
Nice job Brian! All things considered, I prefer my V-1 Bullet. The only downside is is not having a strap handle on the top. The thin piece of web material on Version 1 will ultimately reach a point of marginal functioning utility and separate from the main body of the rucksack. When that happens I will ask the folks at Jax Beach to put on a solid handles across the top! Keep on charging!
I contacted scars about adding the handle to my V2 as it is really the only difference and they say they can’t do it because of the shape of the bag. That is the only thing I would change about the V2. I like everything else about it better than the V3.
That’s really interesting because there have been people who have sewn the padded handles sold here into their V2 packs. If regular people have done it I’m not sure why scars can’t :-\
Ryan,
I just sent my V2 Ranger Green Bullet in and they were able to added a matching padded handle to it through SCARS. Total cost was $20 through SCARS. Took about a week turnaround time.
Mike
That’s great!! They were able to add a Ranger Green handle to it or was it a black handle? Would love to see a picture.