Barrel life Ruger American Predator

[fariagaurd]

Looking for a budget rifle in .308 to learn and plink with while reaching out to 300 - 500 yards. How many rounds of normal pressure loads can I expect the barrel to last? I have read 3000 - 16,000 rounds with normal pressure .308 loads. Riiiiiiiiiight.........thats why I'm asking for real world experience. I have read the average person will not wear out a bolt action barrel. This will not be a hunting rifle but a heavily used practice, learning target rifle. Can the Ruger American Predator barrel be replaced?

I am planning on using the new Magpul American Hunter stock with the steel pillars and aluminium bedding block along with a decent Leupold or Sig optic. With the rifle costing $440 & the stock cost costing $285 that's a total of $725. Should I spend the extra $175 and get a Bergarra B14 HMR that for sure has a replaceable barrel and all around better platform? Thanks!

 

[LoonWulf]

Personally I would opt for the HMR right out the gate. I really like both actions/rifles.

The barrel on the American is easily replaced. It uses a barrel nut, like a Savage (tho they are not interchangeable).
There are a few places selling both barrels and user installable nuts.
Here is one.
http://patriotvalleyarms.com/tikka-prefit-barrel/

You could also just have a barrel made to match your current one and reuse the stock nut. You would need to make, or have made, a wrench to get the nut off and on.

If your replacing the nut with an after market one like the set from PVA, then you can use a pipe wrench on the stock nut.
The other tools you would need are an action wrench or action rod https://www.anarchyoutdoors.com/action-rod-for-ruger-precision-ruger-american-rifles/
Or an action/barrel vice, which is what I usually use.
After that a set of headspace guages and you can change your own barrels.
Process would be the same as with a Savage.

This is my current American in a Boyd's stock. It's proving comfortable, accurate, and reliable. The whole rig is right at 1K

 

[LoonWulf]

As to barrel life, again usage makes a difference. I'm probably going to burn the barrel on that 7mm faster than most since I tend to run the gun hot. My last 7 got to 1700ish rounds before I decide it was spent (2moa), but I shot it a lot slower than I do now.

A .308 should get at least 3k, perhaps significantly more depending on what your asking accuracy wise.

 

[Goosey]

You get different estimates because how long the barrel lasts depends on how you use it and how much accuracy you require. If you're just casually plinking the barrel will last a lot longer than if you're shooting competitions. I wouldn't worry about it since .308 is not particularly hard on barrels, you'll have to replace the barrel on either of these rifles at some point, you can replace the barrel on either of these rifles, and you'll have to spend more on ammunition than the price of a new barrel to wear it out in the first place.

 

[troy fairweather]

like loonwulf said go bergarra they are nice guns and feel reel good to me they look better to.

 

[RecoilRob]

The best info on barrel life can be had from the US Military. Can't say I've read or remember any M-14 data...but M1's would shoot better after 3-4000 rounds than when new. Then the accuracy would level off until about 10,000 then decline. Now...their standards are probably different than someone who is a dedicated target shooter but US 30 cal cartridges are not hard on barrels partly due to design. Don't cook the thing with constant rapid-fire and it'll last a LONG time and outshoot your abilities until you get really, really good.

 

[jmr40]

The numbers I see most often are 4000-6000 rounds before match grade accuracy suffers. Double that number to still be plenty accurate for hunting purposes. Let's just say that if you can afford to wear out a 308 barrel, you can afford to replace the barrel. And in the case of the Ruger it would be cheaper to just buy another rifle.

In my opinion the Bergara "LOOKS" nicer than the Ruger. But mine doesn't shoot a bit better.

If you're thinking about sinking $700-$800 in a Ruger Predator and aftermarket stock I'd save another $100 and buy this. I paid $650 used, steet price on a new one in blue is about $900, about $1000 in SS.

http://www.tikka.fi/en-us/rifles/tikka-t3x/t3x-compact-tactical-rifle

The Predators are great, cheap rifles. I have 2, one in 308 and another in 6.5 CM. Replacing parts just adds to their cost and doesn't improve performance in the least.

 

[Nature Boy]

This will not be a hunting rifle but a heavily used practice, learning target rifle.

A few years ago I bought an FN SPR to do exactly what you’re doing. They chrome line their barrels and claim consistent accuracy out to 10,000 rounds. I put 6k through it before I began noticing a drop off.

I have a Bartlein barrel chambered in .308 on a custom rifle that I’ve put a hair over 2k rounds through it. My accuracy expectations for it are higher. When it can no longer hold 0.3-0.4 MOA 5 shot groups I’ll call it done. 3k is an often stated life expectancy of a precision .308. Do I have another 1k left? I’ll let you know

 

[CoalTrain49]

The numbers I see most often are 4000-6000 rounds before match grade accuracy suffers. Double that number to still be plenty accurate for hunting purposes. Let's just say that if you can afford to wear out a 308 barrel, you can afford to replace the barrel. And in the case of the Ruger it would be cheaper to just buy another rifle.

In my opinion the Bergara "LOOKS" nicer than the Ruger. But mine doesn't shoot a bit better.

If you're thinking about sinking $700-$800 in a Ruger Predator and aftermarket stock I'd save another $100 and buy this. I paid $650 used, steet price on a new one in blue is about $900, about $1000 in SS.

http://www.tikka.fi/en-us/rifles/tikka-t3x/t3x-compact-tactical-rifle

The Predators are great, cheap rifles. I have 2, one in 308 and another in 6.5 CM. Replacing parts just adds to their cost and doesn't improve performance in the least.

I've looked at these CTR's. Very nice package. A lot of people like to mess around with cheap rifle's tho (I'm guilty) and modify them. I just put a B&C stock on Howa HB. The factory stocks on those cheap rifles are just barely adequate for the rifle to function. They advertise 1 moa but I'm not sure how anyone could achieve that with one of those stocks. Once the stock is replaced you then have a 1 moa (or better) shooter.

Brownells is having a sale on their Howa barreled actions so if someone wants to build a decent rifle cheap that would be the way to go.
You could pick up a barreled action and slap a B&C stock on it for under $700. Who cares what the name on the barrel is or who built the stock if it shoots?

 

[CraigC]

I'd buy the American and the Boyd's stock. When the barrel wears out, which is highly unlikely, just buy a new rifle and drop it in your stock.

 

[Jackal]

10k rounds is going to cost between $5k-$7k. Just spend the couple hundred dollars to replace a barrel when the time comes.

 

[fariagaurd]

Looking for a budget rifle in .308 to learn and plink with while reaching out to 300 - 500 yards. How many rounds of normal pressure loads can I expect the barrel to last? I have read 3000 - 16,000 rounds with normal pressure .308 loads. Riiiiiiiiiight.........thats why I'm asking for real world experience. I have read the average person will not wear out a bolt action barrel. This will not be a hunting rifle but a heavily used practice, learning target rifle. Can the Ruger American Predator barrel be replaced?

I am planning on using the new Magpul American Hunter stock with the steel pillars and aluminium bedding block along with a decent Leupold or Sig optic. With the rifle costing $440 & the stock cost costing $285 that's a total of $725. Should I spend the extra $175 and get a Bergarra B14 HMR that for sure has a replaceable barrel and all around better platform? Thanks!

 

[fariagaurd]

Thanks for your help!

 

[fariagaurd]

Personally I would opt for the HMR right out the gate. I really like both actions/rifles.

The barrel on the American is easily replaced. It uses a barrel nut, like a Savage (tho they are not interchangeable).
There are a few places selling both barrels and user installable nuts.
Here is one.
http://patriotvalleyarms.com/tikka-prefit-barrel/

You could also just have a barrel made to match your current one and reuse the stock nut. You would need to make, or have made, a wrench to get the nut off and on.

If your replacing the nut with an after market one like the set from PVA, then you can use a pipe wrench on the stock nut.
The other tools you would need are an action wrench or action rod https://www.anarchyoutdoors.com/action-rod-for-ruger-precision-ruger-american-rifles/
Or an action/barrel vice, which is what I usually use.
After that a set of headspace guages and you can change your own barrels.
Process would be the same as with a Savage.

This is my current American in a Boyd's stock. It's proving comfortable, accurate, and reliable. The whole rig is right at 1K
View attachment 800507

 

[fariagaurd]

Thanks for your help!