Ruger American Owners

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jun 23, 2020
Messages
241
A little backstory, I am a pretty young guy having grown up in the firearm world and have only been able to buy my own for the past few years. With my desire to hunt that meant i was at the mercy of my parents and grandparent to give or purchase a rifle for me to use and typically they didnt want to spend a whole lot. This lead to my first centerfire being a savage axis in .223 and later when i wanted to hunt deer my grandmother upgraded me to a Ruger American in .308. Despite my jumble of different rifles that have come and gone i still have not found rifles that shoot better than those had for me in the past. In my opinion, the ruger american has pretty much killed the standards for utility of rifles that are $400+ and really set the bar high.

This lead to me walking into academy and seeing the american go wild edition that comes threaded, ceracoated and takes aics magazines in my local academy for a price i was more than happy to pay. This particular edition is in 6.5 Creedmoor, of which i will most likely seek reloading advice soon enough.

I completely understand one cannot replace quality fitting and a gorgeous wood stock but if you need something to shoot they are one heck of a deal in my opinion.

My question to you all is for those who own or have owned ruger americans, what do you all think of them? Are you one for the classier things or is this enough to fill your need?
 

Attachments

  • pred.jpg
    pred.jpg
    137.4 KB · Views: 101
Along with there are always things that would prevent you from wanting one like you don't like the safety design, trigger etc. Or you use a magnum caliber or another sort that it doesn't come in.
 
There is nothing wrong with axis and Rem 783, but I prefer the RAR. I have two, both the ranch rifle version in .223 and 7.62x39. Both shoot MOA with reloads and I have never monkeyed with the adjustable triggers. The 223 shoots 69 gr SMKs into .6 moa and the 7.62x39 shoots my 180 cast FPS into 2 inches. More than enough for carrying in the woods and harvesting pigs and whitetails.

I regard both as butt ugly, but they just work.
 
I have an American Rimfire, which is obviously different, but it’s by far the most accurate .22 LR bolt action I’ve ever owned. It’s not beautiful by any means, but as a utilitarian tool, it’s perfect. I love the trigger and the the safety. I wish there were a better selection of rifles with tang mounted safety.
 
"Only accurate rifles are interesting." Townsend Whelen

If you are getting good accuracy and the rifle fits you well then you should be happy! From what I have seen and heard from shooters - Ruger American Rifles are a great value at twice the price. The nice thing is that you can improve some of the features if you want to. Glass bedding, trigger upgrades, or even a new stock. If the rifle holds zero I would leave it alone and enjoy it!

Aesthetics like nice wood stocks and engraving doesn't make them better rifles just more expensive...

Congratulations on your new 6.5 Ruger enjoy it, looks like a great shooter.
 
I own two Ruger American Rimfires, but no RA centerfire rifles. With that said, I'm very impressed with how well my RARs perform. In particular, I've been shooting a RAR Target model quite a bit lately, and it's pretty clearly more accurate than I am. What I see online (so it must be true, right?) is that the RA centerfires routinely get high praise. When I'm next in the market for a centerfire rifle, I'll most certainly look at Ruger Americans.
 
I've owned and shot several since they came out. The only one that disappointed was the 22. It wasn't particularly accurate and wouldn't eject empty brass unless you worked the action vigorously.

I like the Predator versions the best and I'm not impressed with the standard 4 round magazines. I currently have 3 Predators. A 223 that takes AR magazines, a 308 that uses the AICS style magazines, and a 6.5 CM. The 6.5 came with the standard 4 round mags and I had issues with them. I was going to convert it to use AICS mags, but based on internet advice tried one of the magazines designed for 450 BM. Those are 3 round single stack magazines so I give up 1 round and they extend slightly below the stock. BUT they feed and function much better.

I can afford, and do own more expensive rifles. But the American Predators are as accurate as anything I own. At one time they were my go-to recommendation for someone looking for a rifle with a limited budget. But prices have crept up. I still think they are a good choice, but I no longer think they are the value they used to be. At one time the standard rifles could be had under $300. I've seen them go for as little as $250. I paid $350 each for my Predators.

I see them priced closer to $500 now. I can get a blue Tikka for $600. Both are good rifles and when choosing between a $350 Ruger and a $600 Tikka I chose the Ruger. But between a $500 Ruger and a $600 Tikka I lean toward the Tikka unless that extra $100 is just too much over budget.
 
A friend of mine had one in 6mm CM that was very accurate but they didn’t cut the lead correctly for even factory ammunition. It jammed the bullets into the rifling, enough it seated them deeper and pulled them if you opened the bolt back.

It was accurate enough, I told him I would just load ammunition specifically for it vs sending it back. He sent it back, they changed the bolt but that wasn’t the problem or a cure, it went back again with a better explanation of the problem, accompanied with examples of the problem. That time they offered to upgrade him to a https://ruger.com/products/precisionRifle/models.html for $500 and he did that.
 
I've owned and shot several since they came out. The only one that disappointed was the 22. It wasn't particularly accurate and wouldn't eject empty brass unless you worked the action vigorously.

I like the Predator versions the best and I'm not impressed with the standard 4 round magazines. I currently have 3 Predators. A 223 that takes AR magazines, a 308 that uses the AICS style magazines, and a 6.5 CM. The 6.5 came with the standard 4 round mags and I had issues with them. I was going to convert it to use AICS mags, but based on internet advice tried one of the magazines designed for 450 BM. Those are 3 round single stack magazines so I give up 1 round and they extend slightly below the stock. BUT they feed and function much better.

I can afford, and do own more expensive rifles. But the American Predators are as accurate as anything I own. At one time they were my go-to recommendation for someone looking for a rifle with a limited budget. But prices have crept up. I still think they are a good choice, but I no longer think they are the value they used to be. At one time the standard rifles could be had under $300. I've seen them go for as little as $250. I paid $350 each for my Predators.

I see them priced closer to $500 now. I can get a blue Tikka for $600. Both are good rifles and when choosing between a $350 Ruger and a $600 Tikka I chose the Ruger. But between a $500 Ruger and a $600 Tikka I lean toward the Tikka unless that extra $100 is just too much over budget.
I wont pretend like i wouldn't take a tx3 over an american. My buddy scored one in .308 with a stainless action and barrel when gander was having sales for under 6 and it is real nice. That is interesting that you have had problems with the rotary mag i have not heard much of that before. If i found a tikka with the same features as the RA i just picked up within 200 dollars i would jump on it.
 
I don't own one but as a utility rifle everything I've read and heard about them would lead me to believe they're a solid choice, and most are probably plenty accurate for hunting purposes. As with most things, once you hit a certain price point with a hunting rifle you're going to start paying a lot more for quickly diminishing returns. My nicest rifle by any objective standard is a Mark V in 300 Wby and I don't really use it all that often mostly because it's a pretty big and heavy rifle compared to others I own and I don't need the extra power most of the time. I'm about to head out elk hunting and I'm bringing a lower end Model 700 in 30-06 because it has plenty of power, it's accurate and it's a lot lighter and handier.
 
Are you one for the classier things or is this enough to fill your need
Both..... sorta......
Ive owned a ranch, two magnums, two go wilds, and have worked on half a dozen more.
Nothing i own will consistently out shoot all but one of the Americans i had. I like the design well enough i built a swap barrel rifle on it.
I also find the Americans a best bang for your buck in terms of labor to improvement (which is saying something about the finish work appplied) in feel of any gun ive worked on yet. 20 mins and I can slick up an American to rival a tikka in smoothness, and beat most any savage. It wont be as precision feeling as the tikka, but again for what a tikka costs now ill live with tat difference and save 2-600 dollars for a similar configuration.

Do they compare favorably in form to the other more expensive rifles ive got? Not really and i absolutely hate the stock shape. All of mine have immediately been restocked, adding cost and yet more work.
I also dont feel a huge need to KEEP them when someone shows an interest in them, again not for any failing in function, but just because i have "nicer" equipment that does as well or better at the same things and i tend to use more. I also dont feel any trepidation with buying one as i have with other guns, im confident ill get what i expect from them so letting one go isnt scary like it is with some rifles.

All in all I really like them, but also find other guns more interesting usually.
 
Last edited:
I don’t really care if a rifle is pretty or ugly. I don’t own a RAR and the circumstances would have to be very extreme for me to own one. As I’ve stated many times I can’t stand tiny ejection/loading ports. In addition I don’t like DBM’s at all, though I don’t dislike them as much as I do tiny ports.

And it’s for the above reasons that I don’t own a 783 or Axis II. If I were to buy a rifle in that class it would be a Mossberg Patriot. If I were to get a DBM rifle I do like Sako’s method. Their DBM’s are good.
 
I can’t stand tiny ejection/loading ports. In addition I don’t like DBM’s at all,

I'll have to admit it took a while for both features to grow on me. But once I started to understand that both of those features are a big part of the reason you can get a rifle that accurate for so little money I decided I can live with them. Both are features found on most modern rifle designs. Browning, Savage, Ruger, Tikka, Styer, and several others are all moving in that direction for the same reasons. The old school open top bolt actions were designed that way for fast reloading via stripper clips when used as military rifles 100+ years ago.

All of the features of the American rifles that contribute to the accuracy vs cost were borrowed from other manufacturers. But Ruger put them all together in the same rifle. The enclosed bolt, with the small ejection/loading port makes for a stiffer, more accurate action that is actually is cheaper to manufacture since it requires less machining.

Of course that ejection port requires a DBM. Which also contributes to cost reduction and improved accuracy. It is possible to put together an accurate rifle with an internal magazine, but it adds to the cost and complexity of the design. And if not designed and assembled correctly can be detrimental to accuracy. Using a DBM is just one less thing to worry about.

Savage gets credit for their Accustock, which Ruger copied with the American. By using metal "V" blocks inside the stock there is no need to worry about having a stiff stock for accuracy. This reduces costs and improves the rifles accuracy.

Ruger also borrowed the Accutrigger idea from Savage. Gun makers have always been reluctant to sell rifles with very light triggers, or triggers that the consumer can adjust to be light for liability reasons. If dropped, or even handled roughly it is possible for inertia to pull the trigger resulting in a unintentional shot. The blade inside the trigger allows much lighter triggers with no possibility of the trigger pulling from inertia.

Ruger also uses a very fat bolt which is quite stiff which also improves accuracy.

No they are not aesthetically pleasing. But when Remington came out with the 721,722, 725, and 700 series of rifles they were considered an abomination at the time for all the manufacturing shortcuts they used compared to previous rifles too.
 
Both..... sorta......

I also find the Americans a best bang for your buck in terms of labor to improvement (which is saying something about the finish work appplied) in feel of any gun ive worked on yet. 20 mins and I can slick up an American to rival a tikka in smoothness, and beat most any savage. It wont be as precision feeling as the tikka, but again for what a tikka costs now ill live with tat difference and save 2-600 dollars for a similar configuration.

All in all I really like them, but also find other guns more interesting usually.
Could you elaborate on your process to do this I am very intrigued?
 
That is interesting that you have had problems with the rotary mag i have not heard much of that before.

Ruger ditched the rotary mag a couple of years ago. Lots of issues with that magazine. For the last couple of years they have been using a 4 round staggered feed magazine. That mag is compatible with older guns. I think that for the most part those are an improvement, but mine wouldn't feed long high BC bullets into my 6.5 Creedmoor. It fed hunting bullets just fine, but I didn't buy it to shoot hunting bullets and didn't want a single shot.

I'd read multiple posts online from guys trying the 450 BM magazines with good luck in all of the short action Americans. I found my 6.5 to work better with that mag.
 
I'm definitely in love with the Ruger American series of rifles. I've always been old school, blue and walnut stocked hunting rifles. After years and years, they finally start looking pretty rough getting dropped, knocked over, leaned against trees, rested on metal deer stand railings, dinged up from being hauled up by rope into treestands, etc. I finally got to the point where I stopped taking my walnut stocked rifles to the woods and started taking synthetic stocked rifles. I worry about what they look like and I use them like the tool they are. After I found the Ruger American, it offered incredible accuracy, decent fit and finish, and an incredible price and I was hooked. I currently have three Ruger American rifles and I certainly don't think I'll stop at three. My main hunting rifle is the Standard series in 243. That gun shoots like a laser.
 
Just a Ruger American .22 WMR here, no centerfire Americans in my safe.

The finish on my model is amazing, but the stock was a bit cheesy. I dropped it into a Boyd’s walnut laminate and added a 2x7 scope. It shoots very well and looks much better :thumbup:.



1AD0F919-74F3-4D7A-966A-52AD98435B9D.jpeg

4F0F8002-E957-46F2-A32E-708C43A23883.jpeg

I think they’re a great value :thumbup:.

Stay safe.
 
I had one of the American Predator in 6.5 CM that was one of the most accurate rifles that I have owned. It wasn't fussy about bullet weight or powder. It shot everything well. I have also had a couple of the rimfires and was not impressed. My CZ's out perform them hands down, but they cost twice as much.
 
I bought a Ruger American compact all weather in 7-08 probably around the time they came out. At that time the regular models were around $375-$399 and I paid $499 for the all weather. I really like compact rifles but being a tall guy it was a lil short. A member here upgraded to a Boyd's and sent me his regular length predator stock so now I have the compact barrel in the standard LOP stock.

I really like mine although I could never get good MOA groups with it and since everybody seemed to get MOA or better out of theirs I figured it was my own error. Switched to 120gr and it was a tack driver. I consider it a good hunting/mountain rifle that can get knocked and dragged around and I'm not too worried about a scratch here and there.

I like em, they aren't going to afford you bragging rights or garner any "ooh's and aahh's" but they will put lead where you aim it and keep money in your pocket. For a family on a budget trying to outfit themselves with some good capable shooters they are great.

IMG_20210517_185601.jpg
 
I'll have to admit it took a while for both features to grow on me. But once I started to understand that both of those features are a big part of the reason you can get a rifle that accurate for so little money I decided I can live with them. Both are features found on most modern rifle designs. Browning, Savage, Ruger, Tikka, Styer, and several others are all moving in that direction for the same reasons. The old school open top bolt actions were designed that way for fast reloading via stripper clips when used as military rifles 100+ years ago.

All of the features of the American rifles that contribute to the accuracy vs cost were borrowed from other manufacturers. But Ruger put them all together in the same rifle. The enclosed bolt, with the small ejection/loading port makes for a stiffer, more accurate action that is actually is cheaper to manufacture since it requires less machining.

Of course that ejection port requires a DBM. Which also contributes to cost reduction and improved accuracy. It is possible to put together an accurate rifle with an internal magazine, but it adds to the cost and complexity of the design. And if not designed and assembled correctly can be detrimental to accuracy. Using a DBM is just one less thing to worry about.

Savage gets credit for their Accustock, which Ruger copied with the American. By using metal "V" blocks inside the stock there is no need to worry about having a stiff stock for accuracy. This reduces costs and improves the rifles accuracy.

Ruger also borrowed the Accutrigger idea from Savage. Gun makers have always been reluctant to sell rifles with very light triggers, or triggers that the consumer can adjust to be light for liability reasons. If dropped, or even handled roughly it is possible for inertia to pull the trigger resulting in a unintentional shot. The blade inside the trigger allows much lighter triggers with no possibility of the trigger pulling from inertia.

Ruger also uses a very fat bolt which is quite stiff which also improves accuracy.

No they are not aesthetically pleasing. But when Remington came out with the 721,722, 725, and 700 series of rifles they were considered an abomination at the time for all the manufacturing shortcuts they used compared to previous rifles too.
There is no question the smaller ports and DBM’s contribute towards better accuracy. With the ports it’s a no-brainer since more metal equals stiffer receivers.

We all know too there are many seriously accurate rifles with open tops and hinged floor plates or blind magazines, and the point is well taken that it is more expensive to make accurate rifles with open receivers. I expect my rifles to shoot MOA or better. I don’t have to have .25” groups though I sure don’t mind. And since the longest shot I’m willing to take at an animal is between 300-350 yards, MOA is good enough. I do have a CZ 550, a 700 ADL and two Vanguards that will shoot under an inch. I also don’t care for triggers with the blade.

I have nothing against people who like the RAR, that would be sophomoric, they just aren’t for me. But I might spring for a Tikka one day…..naw I won’t.
 
DBM’s certainly don’t contribute to accuracy. DBM’s = bigger holes, bigger holes = less stiffness.

But it’s not that difficult to make a rifle shoot well in modern processes. The American design had the luxury of being developed in a modern era of manufacturing, aligned with a modern consumer expectation that a rifle - even an inexpensive rifle - damned well better shoot small (thank Savage for establishing that paradigm in the generation before). I often comment to folks wanting to get into long range shooting, as they consider high priced models or custom rifles - if all you want is to hit a 1moa target at 1,000, a Ruger American is all you need. If you want it to feel great and run great, then sure, spend more, but there’s certainly nothing inhibitory about an American rifle.

The Go Wild camo and that bronze cerakote sure go together well too. That aesthetic made my son swoon about a year and a half ago, so we were glad to find a proper price on his Go Wild Charger. I wish it were a dipped wooden stock for the extra stiffness and weight, but it does well as it is.

1514328C-DE6E-4FB6-98D6-9F299DE94F91.jpeg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top