Thread: Ruger American rifles

Just what are peoples thoughts on these any calibres, pros and cons, level of accuracy and fit and finish, have a friend looking at maybe getting one in 223 predator model.

They generally shoot very well, seen a 223 and 308 in action and have used the 308 and both work well. Fit is about average for the cost, I like the trigger (because they basically copied the accutrigger). Stock is the usual flexy plastic.

Yep I have an all American compact in .223 stainless steel. I have no complaints love the accu-trigger, yes its a copy of this and that but for the $$$ works well.
I have mine up for sale only because I was swaying to AR when buying the Ruger but not the $$$'s.
Mine has a 16xscope and threaded with a barrel mounted bi-pod for $750

good rifles I have a 223 not as good as something more expensive but they shoot well real well in-fact just a little rough around the edges as barefoot said the stocks are not the best
cheek out post 7 here http://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.n...-impact-20219/ maybe @smidey will repost here

i love them. I have two, one in 17hmr and one All Weather in 223. I initially bought the hmr and liked it so much I bought the 223.

Here are my basic reviews, they are very accurate.
223 All Weather
http://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.n...r-223-a-18758/

17HMR
http://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.n...r-223-a-18758/

Really good out of the box, and can be tweaked to go even better.

Mines the Ranch in 300 - quite similar to the the Predator.

Things to note for the tweaks. The V blocks are awesome - if you bed using the glue and screw method its very easy and similar to bedding in a AI stock. Ruger recommend 60Ft pound of torque on the action screws or "very firmly with a allen key - in their video" If you glue you can go lighter than this as the small epoxy blobs on the face of the block will absorb and transfer the harmonics rather than the alu to barrel recess being screwed tightly against one another to get a good mating of the surfaces.

If you're worried the fore-end is a bit springy and could be on a bi-pod or held into a position that may touch the barrel its easy to fill this with compound (including the next section under the barrel nut with compound - I used Nathan Fosters Stock stabiliser for less than $30 Now its good...

Trigger - there are good instructions on the likes of rimfire central how to decrease trigger pull weight - mine started at about 6lbs and is now about 2.5 with one turn of spring cut off. they advocate 1.75 - but start small you can't put it back. If you really ruin it you can chuck a Timney in for about $290. But if you have the skills or a friendly gunsmith is a about use the existing.

When I got mine it had creep in it. The sear was .8 and really long so we knocked it back to .3 and its taken 70% of the creep out. We also found it was tool steel so no issues honing and polishing ending up wit ha increasingly gritty trigger like you do with some of the AR chemically hardened sears in their triggers.

Hope this helps - But well worth the investment a $799 dollar gun shoots now like a 2 grand one for $30 and time (of course a wee bit more if you get a gunsmith to do this).

If thats the model with the plastic magzine then be prepared to swear, a lot. They dont feed very well at all

Originally Posted by Carpe Diem

Trigger - there are good instructions on the likes of rimfire central how to decrease trigger pull weight - mine started at about 6lbs and is now about 2.5 with one turn of spring cut off. they advocate 1.75 - but start small you can't put it back. If you really ruin it you can chuck a Timney in for about $290. But if you have the skills or a friendly gunsmith is a about use the existing.

When I got mine it had creep in it. The sear was .8 and really long so we knocked it back to .3 and its taken 70% of the creep out. We also found it was tool steel so no issues honing and polishing ending up wit ha increasingly gritty trigger like you do with some of the AR chemically hardened sears in their triggers.
.

@Carpe Diem
Don't these have the factory adjustable trigger, simply wind the grub screw in or out to adjust?




Sent from my workbench

Originally Posted by smidey

@Carpe Diem
Don't these have the factory adjustable trigger, simply wind the grub screw in or out to adjust?




Sent from my workbench

Yep they do just remove the stock and adjust really simple, the leaflet on how to do it was in the box

Originally Posted by Natatale

Yep they do just remove the stock and adjust really simple, the leaflet on how to do it was in the box

Yeah I did both of mine but thought I had missed something our the 30 cals had some thing different haha

Sent from my workbench

The problems with the Ruger magzines seems to be hit and miss. Some have no problems and others ? A friend of mine bought one of the Rugers and on his 3rd magazine. The first shell would feed no problems but that was all

Originally Posted by Carpe Diem

Really good out of the box, and can be tweaked to go even better.

Mines the Ranch in 300 - quite similar to the the Predator.

Things to note for the tweaks. The V blocks are awesome - if you bed using the glue and screw method its very easy and similar to bedding in a AI stock. Ruger recommend 60Ft pound of torque on the action screws or "very firmly with a allen key - in their video" If you glue you can go lighter than this as the small epoxy blobs on the face of the block will absorb and transfer the harmonics rather than the alu to barrel recess being screwed tightly against one another to get a good mating of the surfaces.

If you're worried the fore-end is a bit springy and could be on a bi-pod or held into a position that may touch the barrel its easy to fill this with compound (including the next section under the barrel nut with compound - I used Nathan Fosters Stock stabiliser for less than $30 Now its good...

Trigger - there are good instructions on the likes of rimfire central how to decrease trigger pull weight - mine started at about 6lbs and is now about 2.5 with one turn of spring cut off. they advocate 1.75 - but start small you can't put it back. If you really ruin it you can chuck a Timney in for about $290. But if you have the skills or a friendly gunsmith is a about use the existing.

When I got mine it had creep in it. The sear was .8 and really long so we knocked it back to .3 and its taken 70% of the creep out. We also found it was tool steel so no issues honing and polishing ending up wit ha increasingly gritty trigger like you do with some of the AR chemically hardened sears in their triggers.

Hope this helps - But well worth the investment a $799 dollar gun shoots now like a 2 grand one for $30 and time (of course a wee bit more if you get a gunsmith to do this).

are you sure its 60ft lb that would probably snap the screws off

Just watched the video again at Ruger Ruger Videos

Info is almost at the end of the video and they say 75 Inch pounds or as tight as you can hand tighten with a standard Allen wrench sorry I read "Lbs as 'lb's.... bit of a difference but still really tight...

Yup @Chopr that's the only issue I've run into in the 300 AAC with some projectiles e.g 125 Noslers they seem to catch the edge of the throat (at the neck) and dig into the feed ramp. Must be a speed and angle of the projectile thing.

Two options (actually 3)

1. Feed fast and forcefully ... seems to work but noisy- but hey it has a great half cock or you can Hammer down the loading of teh first round so all you need to do is lift the bolt up and down to re-cock.

2. Chamfer the throat end of the case really well in the reloading prep stage so there's little or no bur to catch on on the ramp - has worked well with me for subsequent loads but I really did have a few WTF moments there for a while at the range loading.

3. If possible if your gunshop or person buying from will let you (hopefully you've pre-built some 4or5 drill rounds - no powder or primers) to test the actual magazine. I understand from overseas forums there have been particularly earlier shipments some faulty magazines that won't even pick up a round - Check out you-tube they're out there about 8-9 months ago. Test and swap till you get a magazine you're happy with. Ruger in the US were replacing no questions asked but as the american is magazine only feeding it can be a major piss off that it doesn't work when you need it to.

Hope that helps some of you out there...

My 8 year old uses one in .223, it has the plastic magazine and so far its ok.
Him and me have only put maybe 50 odd rounds through it but very nice... and a good price.
The compact is a bit to compact for me based on the scope I had for it, but it was for my kids...