No quality, value priced, adjustable Ruger American Ranch Rifle stocks?

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Aim1

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Currently in Minnesota we have shotgun only zones and rifle zones. I hope by the time my young son is old enough there will no longer be shotgun only zones since they are pushing for it with the DNR.

I think a suppressed .300 Blackout would be a great round for a new and young shooter, almost no recoil, quiet, and accurate to 150-200 yards which should be max range for a kid.

Problem is the stock would be too long. If I could find a quality adjustable stock for under $200 it might be worth it but the stocks for these guns range from like $300+. You might as well buy an entire new gun for that price.

Problem is the new gun would have the same problem and they don't sell a youth model.


What to do?
 
Have you looked at 300 BO performance. You may be able to hit something at 150-200 yards, but it is basically done inside 100 yards as a deer killer. You need at least 1800 fps bullet impact speed for bullet expansion. Most heavier bullets don't do that at the muzzle. And the lighter varmint bullets run out of gas inside of 100 yards. Honestly the 223 is a better hunting cartridge. With heavier 60-75 gr bullets it is a 200 yard capable rifle.

I'd look at one of the Ruger American Compact rifles in either 243 or 6.5 CM. Recoil isn't significantly more than 300 BO. They come with a youth stock and Ruger will sell you a full size stock for it later if you want. Last time I priced one it was $85 IIRC. I can get the rifles for $350 OTD.

https://ruger.com/products/americanRifleCompact/specSheets/6908.html

Or just buy one with an adjustable stock. Not sure of street prices on this. Even in 6.5 CM recoil is going to be non-existent from a 9 lb rifle. It'll be 10+ once scoped. Recoil won't be bad, but he may not want to carry it around.

https://ruger.com/products/americanRifleHunter/specSheets/26994.html
 
jmr40 said:
Have you looked at 300 BO performance. You may be able to hit something at 150-200 yards, but it is basically done inside 100 yards as a deer killer. You need at least 1800 fps bullet impact speed for bullet expansion. Most heavier bullets don't do that at the muzzle. And the lighter varmint bullets run out of gas inside of 100 yards. Honestly the 223 is a better hunting cartridge. With heavier 60-75 gr bullets it is a 200 yard capable rifle.

I'd look at one of the Ruger American Compact rifles in either 243 or 6.5 CM. Recoil isn't significantly more than 300 BO. They come with a youth stock and Ruger will sell you a full size stock for it later if you want. Last time I priced one it was $85 IIRC. I can get the rifles for $350 OTD.

https://ruger.com/products/americanRifleCompact/specSheets/6908.html

Or just buy one with an adjustable stock. Not sure of street prices on this. Even in 6.5 CM recoil is going to be non-existent from a 9 lb rifle. It'll be 10+ once scoped. Recoil won't be bad, but he may not want to carry it around.

https://ruger.com/products/americanRifleHunter/specSheets/26994.html
Click to expand...


.243 would have a lot more recoil than the .300 BO I think.


Would that stock adjust short enough for a young kid?
 
Id go the boyds route as well. Check the sales page for a cheap option, they usually have a few american stocks, and go from there.
 
May be worth waiting until a change in laws is actually made. Lots of areas that have been shotgun or black powder only for years transition to straightwalled rifle calibers when they begin to allow centerfire rifles. Are necked cartridges legal in the rifle zones in MN?
 
Howland937 said:
May be worth waiting until a change in laws is actually made. Lots of areas that have been shotgun or black powder only for years transition to straightwalled rifle calibers when they begin to allow centerfire rifles. Are necked cartridges legal in the rifle zones in MN?
Click to expand...


MN has not allowed straightwalled cartridges yet.....I was thinking about the .350 Legend until I found out that there was a push to get rid of shotgun only zones and just allow rifles.

Yes, if by necked cartridges like .308, .30-06 that is what is legal.
 
Aim1 said:
MN has not allowed straightwalled cartridges yet.....I was thinking about the .350 Legend until I found out that there was a push to get rid of shotgun only zones and just allow rifles.

Yes, if by necked cartridges like .308, .30-06 that is what is legal.
Click to expand...
Oh, ok. That's what I was wondering. Would be nice if they allowed it across the entire state. We're only allowed straightwalled cartridges in addition to shotgun and black powder rifles in Ohio for deer. Apparently the reasoning is that 45-70 and 450 Bushmaster along with the other popular rounds won't travel as far as 30-06 or 308, endangering fewer people. Around where I live 30-06 and 270 would be perfectly fine. Poachers been proving it for years.
Just hate to see you get a rig all set up for your kid and end up not being able to use it.
 
Howland937 said:
Oh, ok. That's what I was wondering. Would be nice if they allowed it across the entire state. We're only allowed straightwalled cartridges in addition to shotgun and black powder rifles in Ohio for deer. Apparently the reasoning is that 45-70 and 450 Bushmaster along with the other popular rounds won't travel as far as 30-06 or 308, endangering fewer people. Around where I live 30-06 and 270 would be perfectly fine. Poachers been proving it for years.
Just hate to see you get a rig all set up for your kid and end up not being able to use it.
Click to expand...


Appreciate the lookout.


I thought that the shotgun only zones in Minnesota were for hunter safety.....but apparently they were put in place because back in the day the DNR thought hunters would be too efficient with rifles and over-hunt the deer. Go figure, you learn something new everyday.
 
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Aim1 said:
Currently in Minnesota we have shotgun only zones and rifle zones. I hope by the time my young son is old enough there will no longer be shotgun only zones since they are pushing for it with the DNR.

I think a suppressed .300 Blackout would be a great round for a new and young shooter, almost no recoil, quiet, and accurate to 150-200 yards which should be max range for a kid.

Problem is the stock would be too long. If I could find a quality adjustable stock for under $200 it might be worth it but the stocks for these guns range from like $300+. You might as well buy an entire new gun for that price.

Problem is the new gun would have the same problem and they don't sell a youth model.


What to do?
Click to expand...
Boyd's at-1 adjustable $200, for cheaper, there's the rapid fire stocks for chopping as previously referenced. Put a thumbhole adjustable on my short-limbed 10 year old's .22-250
 
I went with a compact stock from Ruger for $100 to replace the RAP’s full size. That also entailed a magazine change at the time which may not be the case now that Ruger has standardized their magazine inserts.

With a brake taming the already light recoil, the 6.5 Creedmoor feels more like a .5.56 carbine AR; just a quick little impulse. My 12 year old daughter handles it fine and the bigger stock can be added back later as I expect she’ll end up between 5’9” and 5’11”.
 
horsey300 said:
Boyd's at-1 adjustable $200, for cheaper, there's the rapid fire stocks for chopping as previously referenced. Put a thumbhole adjustable on my short-limbed 10 year old's .22-250
Click to expand...

This is the route I'd go, but I doubt it'll stay close to $200 all said and done. For the American Ranch, it runs $220 before shipping though. Due to the design of the American Ranch stock, they come with front and rear lugs that they recommend bedding so if you can't/won't do that yourself you'll need to add that cost as well. By the time you count in shipping and the bedding (assuming you have someone else do it), you'll likely be pushing $300. I do like the look and utility of them though and think it's probably worth the total cost.

74111.png
 
When my oldest was 10 he shot his first deer with a Kimber 270 WSM. Unsuppressed and full length stock kneeling, off a monopod at 100 yds.
My youngest shot his first deer with a Weatherby Mark V 257 mag. 26" barrel off sticks. Also 100 yds. When they are older I will get them onto the big rifles.
I wouldn't worry about a short stock unless the kid is like 5-8 yr. old. But do use Leupold or similar glass with 4" eye relief.
 
Skylerbone said:
I went with a compact stock from Ruger for $100 to replace the RAP’s full size. That also entailed a magazine change at the time which may not be the case now that Ruger has standardized their magazine inserts.

With a brake taming the already light recoil, the 6.5 Creedmoor feels more like a .5.56 carbine AR; just a quick little impulse. My 12 year old daughter handles it fine and the bigger stock can be added back later as I expect she’ll end up between 5’9” and 5’11”.
Click to expand...
BigBL87 said:
Don't know how you feel about Savage rifles and/or the Axis line, but they have an Axis II that is basically the same idea as the RAR Ranch.

https://www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperstore.com/products2.cfm/ID/247196

You wouldn't have to do the extra work on the Boyd's stock and they run $220 as well.
Click to expand...


Does it come in youth size?
 
The Ruger compact stock shortens LOP about an inch and a half by shortening the stock. My very slight 11 year old at ~5’ tall can shoulder the rifle and reach the trigger.

All kids will likely need some comb modification to shoot a scoped rifle. I went with this: https://www.accu-riser.com/accu-riser-ambidextrious-comb-raiser-cr-6000/

Can be Velcro’d in place or taped (double-sided included).
07773E67-70D6-41C4-9FF3-171F2350336A.jpeg
 
Aim1 said:
Does it come in youth size?
Click to expand...

Not that I can see. One thing to consider, though, no matter which rifle you go with if you buy an adjustable stock now, it can grow with him instead of possibly being relegated to the safe when he outgrows it. That's been something I've been thinking about lately (my son is 2 but is already obsessed with nerf guns, haha) when thinking about what I'll get my son someday. I'll probably start him out on a Savage Rascal, but once he can move up from 22lr (or even to a full sized 22 rifle) longevity kind of becomes a thought.
 
Skylerbone said:
All kids will likely need some comb modification to shoot a scoped rifle. I went with this: https://www.accu-riser.com/accu-riser-ambidextrious-comb-raiser-cr-6000/
Click to expand...

Definitely, and even most adults can benefit from it IMO. Adding them to my rifles (I used one of the MidwayUSA "Pro Series" ones on my Weatherby because I didnt need much) makes them alot easier to shoot, particularly at higher magnification. Makes it easier to find and stay in the eyebox at least for me.

20191011_185146.jpg
 
Howland937 said:
Oh, ok. That's what I was wondering. Would be nice if they allowed it across the entire state. We're only allowed straightwalled cartridges in addition to shotgun and black powder rifles in Ohio for deer. Apparently the reasoning is that 45-70 and 450 Bushmaster along with the other popular rounds won't travel as far as 30-06 or 308, endangering fewer people. Around where I live 30-06 and 270 would be perfectly fine. Poachers been proving it for years.
Just hate to see you get a rig all set up for your kid and end up not being able to use it.
Click to expand...
Fyi -- that's not the reason at all. The laws in midwestern states were shotgun only for decades. Hunters lobbied to allow handgun hunting and most states agreed but needed something in the regs to prevent guys from using rifle rounds in contenders or x40s. So most legislatures added definitions of legal handgun ammo as straightwalled under a certain case length. Fast forward 20 years and people have been arguing why not let hunters use the handgun rounds in a carbine. Same short range concept, but more accurate. That is driving a huge number of people to dump their 12 and 20 gauges for a levergun, but it's also the camel's nose under the tent where now everyone tries to cheat the original intent. For a little while there was a market for 45-70 cases cut back 1/4" or so to make limits. Created so much confusion some states had to rewrite the definitions again. Hence the introduction of the 350 legend. At some point the entire thing will likely get dropped in favor of standard bottlenecks, and you can bet on 3 things happening: slug demand goes belly up, no one will ever buy a rifled shotgun barrel again, and the straight wall guns will fall back to obscurity.
 
illinoisburt said:
Fyi -- that's not the reason at all. The laws in midwestern states were shotgun only for decades. Hunters lobbied to allow handgun hunting and most states agreed but needed something in the regs to prevent guys from using rifle rounds in contenders or x40s. So most legislatures added definitions of legal handgun ammo as straightwalled under a certain case length. Fast forward 20 years and people have been arguing why not let hunters use the handgun rounds in a carbine. Same short range concept, but more accurate. That is driving a huge number of people to dump their 12 and 20 gauges for a levergun, but it's also the camel's nose under the tent where now everyone tries to cheat the original intent. For a little while there was a market for 45-70 cases cut back 1/4" or so to make limits. Created so much confusion some states had to rewrite the definitions again. Hence the introduction of the 350 legend. At some point the entire thing will likely get dropped in favor of standard bottlenecks, and you can bet on 3 things happening: slug demand goes belly up, no one will ever buy a rifled shotgun barrel again, and the straight wall guns will fall back to obscurity.
Click to expand...

For most of the Midwest I think you're right. However, I don't see Illinois moving on it any time soon. There are ways to get creative, like using a braced AR pistol in 300 BLK with a single shot sled in place of a mag, but I don't see them moving on actual change simply because of Illinois politics. The headline will be something like, "Downstate conservatives want to allow SNIPER RIFLES for hunting deer!"
 
BigBL87 said:
For most of the Midwest I think you're right. However, I don't see Illinois moving on it any time soon. There are ways to get creative, like using a braced AR pistol in 300 BLK with a single shot sled in place of a mag, but I don't see them moving on actual change simply because of Illinois politics. The headline will be something like, "Downstate conservatives want to allow SNIPER RIFLES for hunting deer!"
Click to expand...
Getting some thread creep here. Anyway, I have seen old news stories from the 1950s where the state politicians in Illinois were worried about surplus weapons of war and didn't want to encourage people in the big cities to acquire rifles for hunting or otherwise. Sportsmen and farmers used shotguns. At the time far and away the vast majority of hunting was small game and birds. Deer were rare, so much so sightings made the news, and there was legitimate concern hunters would wipe them out again. The conservation departments were actively trapping and moving small herds of deer to try to repopulate areas where they had been basically extinct for 50 years. It's hard to fathom now given how well the programs worked, to the point the animals are almost pests in some areas.
 
I always find it humorous when Ohio and Illinois count themselves as part of the “Midwest.” It’s cute.

Most of us real Midwestern states don’t have such silly restrictions.
 
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