Ruger American Experience

6mm06

6mm06

Well-known member

Thought I would pass on some information about the Ruger American. My friend just recently purchased one in a .308 and put a Redfield 3x9 scope on it. He brought it out to my house today for sighting in and testing for groups. He purchased a cheap box of Herters 150 gr. soft points for the initial work.

To say that I am impressed is an understatement. I have never seen a cheap, out of the box factory rifle and factory ammo group so good. My shooting range is just shy of 100 yards, ranged at 94 yards.

We shot two groups after getting it sighted in. The first group was from a warm, almost hot barrel. It went 7/8". We allowed the barrel to cool considerably and shot another 3 shot group that measured just 3/8", with a nice cloverleaf pattern.

We are planning a hog hunt to Georgia at the end of this month. My buddy will most likely switch ammo since the Herter's rounds have quite a bit of lead exposed and we aren't sure about penetration on a big hog. But for accurate shooting, the Ruger really likes the Herter's ammo.

Sorry, the photos won't orientate properly, despite me adjusting them in Photobucket.







 
My wife has a Compact .243 with a Leupold VX-2 2x7 and my son has a standard American Rifle in .243 with a Leupold VX-2 3x9. We have shot 7 or 8 different loads through each rifle and I've yet to be disappointed. The only trouble I had was with the factory scope base on the wife's rifle. I use Talley Lightweight ring/base combos and needed to remove the factory bases. One of those factory screws was t-i-g-h-t!!! I soaked it with some Kroil and no go. Nothing worked... I finally resorted to a Dremel to cut a new straight screw slot across the screw head which I could use a thick bladed screw driver on to apply a bunch of torque to break the damned thing free. Other than that, no complaints.
 

I like the idea of the Predator model with green stock and threaded barrel. That is something I may end up with in the near future.
 
Originally Posted By: 6mm06
We are planning a hog hunt to Georgia at the end of this month. My buddy will most likely switch ammo since the Herter's rounds have quite a bit of lead exposed and we aren't sure about penetration on a big hog. But for accurate shooting, the Ruger really likes the Herter's ammo.




hogs really are not that hard to kill. those 150gr soft points would work just fine.
 
I've got 2 Predator models chambered in 25/06 and .260 Rem. Both are sub MOA with factory ammo straight out of the box. Handloading has turned them both into 1/2 minute rifles. They are perhaps the best value on the rifle market right now IMHO. I'll be purchasing a third Predator model in .223 soon!
 
I got a .308 last year. Trigger is great. Stock is cheap and doesn't fit me worth a [beeep]. Shot about 1-1.5" groups with american whitetail ammo. I put 3 rounds of handloads from a different gun (very low pressure loads, almost the bottom of the range) just to see what would happen and it stacked them up like that 3/8" group there. That was as far as I got before hunting season but I'm excited to put a new stock on it and work up some hand loads. I think it's going to be sweet.
 

TripleDeuce, I didn't check the safety, if it locked the bolt or not. We were shooting from my bench in the yard, so I didn't examine the rifle that closely.

Tim, the trigger is not bad. My buddy said he lightened it and is guessing it's around 3 pounds, but the paperwork says it can go down to 2.5 pounds. I like it a bit lighter but it's not bad.

Slick, we were wondering about the Herter's soft point and larger hogs. There are some pretty good size hogs at this place, and the bullet has a lot of lead exposed at the tip. I would prefer the jacket to go further up toward the tip. The bullet also has a ring of thicker jacket probably middle ways, which acts like a wadcutter. That accounted for the neat, rounded holes in the paper.

The rifle seems fairly light weight. I am still amazed at the accuracy, given it's cheap construction as well as factory ammo.

mxkop, glad to hear that news. I have been eyeing a Predator for some time. The 25-06 sounds interesting.

 

Tim, yes, it has the little blade deal that depresses before the trigger can be engaged.

Thanks to someone for editing my photos, ie getting the orientation right.
 
Thought so, thanks.

I probably could stand to shoot one, cept for that trigger. Just can't like them for some reason.

Lots of good reviews on the rifle, I'll have to handle one....
 

Yep, I'm like you Tim. The trigger is a big funky from my idea of how one is supposed to be, but hey, when one shoots like this rifle does, I can live with it.

That 7/8" group is considered pretty good by most standards, and that was from a rather warm barrel. We had shot it several times before going for groups. After the barrel cooled things really got interesting.

 
Regarding the stock... My wife's rifle had a very sharp edge on both sides the length of the barrel. Grabbing the forearm that sharp edge felt like it would slice your hand. A fine file relieved that with a little bevel. I took the flimsy feel out of her fore end by bedding a carbon arrow shaft lengthways in there. Stiffened that right up.
 

A little ingenuity at work there GC. Whatever works, works.

The barrel is supposedly free-floated, according to my buddy anyway. I didn't check it.
 
I had one and now I don't,Ill just say If ya pay 350$ for a rifle....what really are your expectations? My biggest dissapointment was the magazine and latch mechanism.
They are no different that Savage or Remington. Ya gotta replace the flexo stock and the craptastic triggers in both n Ruger American is the same w/o the aftermarket parts and that why I no longer have one.
 
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