Ruger American Ranch 5.56...Input?

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shelton573

Active member
Hey guys,

I'm not REALLY in the market to buy another gun since I just bought a 22, but both times I was at Scheels they had the RA ranch in 223/5.56 on the shelf. I have no idea how many times I picked that little gun up when I was there and messed with it. I have become very intrigued by it. I have never really been a Ruger fan...nothing against them, I am just a savage guy (I drive a chevy to so you can make fun of me for that too
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). There is something about that compact little gun that really draws me in though. I already have a Savage 11 223 for my light calling gun, but I also had a thought run through my head too...my niece is going to be born in December and maybe in the future it might be a neat little gun to pass on to her when she gets big enough. That is if my big brother turns her into a hunter and doesn't lose out to barbies and things like that lol. Might try to turn her into my little coyote hunting buddy if she is into it and her mom lets me! Just curious if anyone has had any first hand experience with the Ranch version and if they are as good as the regular RAR (don't know why they wouldn't be). I think that little gun paired with a 2-7 or 2-10 scope would be pretty handy. Any info is much appreciated!
 
I've had a RAR 556 for a couple months now . It spends most its time in my truck in case I see a yote while driving the back roads. Its very accurate and fun to shoot. Its just as accurate as my Ruger American in 308. I think you'll enjoy it !
 
A friend has one, and it's a great little carbine. He shoots 60 VMax in it and it's well under MOA with his handloads. Honestly, if I were going the stubby route with a 223 I'd build a light weight AR. I have a light 16" AR that is a pleasure to shoot. But that wasn't your question, was it?
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The little Ruger is a great gun based on my experience with the one I have been around.
 
Your story made me laugh a bit as I was in the same boat. After handling the gun at Sportsman's Warehouse about 5 times, I finally pulled the trigger on it. I ended up picking up a Mark AR our of the classifieds here and have been very impressed with it. I took it out with the 55 gr Vmax load I run in my AR for coyotes and shot the below group. Absolutely zero effort in load development, and a little over 300 clams.....I will take it. I shot that group feeding single rounds pretty much as fast as I could.

 
I have an RARR in 300 blk, and 5.56, and love them both. No regrets. Except for heavy subs in the 300, I get sub MOA all day long. I need to work on those sub loads. Its a dream to shoot and carry.
 
Originally Posted By: HidalgoA friend has one, and it's a great little carbine. He shoots 60 VMax in it and it's well under MOA with his handloads. Honestly, if I were going the stubby route with a 223 I'd build a light weight AR. I have a light 16" AR that is a pleasure to shoot. But that wasn't your question, was it?

Hah you know I have always considered this, BUT!, I am not sure I could be that good of an uncle when it comes to giving it away when/if it happens...might win uncle of the year [beeep] if I did! If you don't mind me asking, how much did you put into a light AR to get it up to your standards? Thanks!
 
Originally Posted By: Smokin BarrelYour story made me laugh a bit as I was in the same boat. After handling the gun at Sportsman's Warehouse about 5 times, I finally pulled the trigger on it. I ended up picking up a Mark AR our of the classifieds here and have been very impressed with it. I took it out with the 55 gr Vmax load I run in my AR for coyotes and shot the below group. Absolutely zero effort in load development, and a little over 300 clams.....I will take it. I shot that group feeding single rounds pretty much as fast as I could.



I think I could prolly be pretty happy with that! Have you ran loads out of it over a chrono? Just curious what it loses being that short. Shouldn't be worse than a short AR I reckon and they hammer coyotes every day. Thanks!
 
Originally Posted By: vanhornetI have an RARR in 300 blk, and 5.56, and love them both. No regrets. Except for heavy subs in the 300, I get sub MOA all day long. I need to work on those sub loads. Its a dream to shoot and carry.

Thanks for the reply! Have you or anyone for that matter ran the heavier bullets out of it (70gr+)? Just curious how it does. Thought it might be a pretty cool close quarters type gun with 75 amaxs loaded up.
 
I ran 55, 69 and 77 through mine. All loads for other guns. I am just running the 55gr Vmaxs as they fit for what I will use the gun for. I have chrono'd data for all of the them and will post later tonight when I get home. They were all a little slow as expected, but none are hot loads.....but hey, they work.....

 
Originally Posted By: shelton573 If you don't mind me asking, how much did you put into a light AR to get it up to your standards? Thanks!

Well, I added up all of the parts, figured the time, and then decided I would be better off just buying the upper half and building the lower. I bought a DPMS upper assembly from Midway for $379 or so, and picked up a lower at the LGS. Lower parts kit from Midway was $75 or so, and I also put a RRNM trigger in it that was $79 from eBay. That's about $525. Shot under MOA right out of the box. I have 3 DPMS upper assemblies (2 HBAR 16" guns) and they all are excellent shooters.
 
I like that reasoning, Buy a rifle for a child thats not even born yet in hopes it will like hunting so you can give the child the rifle when its old enough. Come-on, your among fellow hunters. You really don't have to convince us why you want a new rifle.
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Smokin - it seems to work pretty dang good of you ask me!

Hidalgo - can't beat that for a good shooting AR! I have always considered putting one together slowly but I know what would happen...I'd get impatient and it would be finished in under a week hah.

PD - that's my story and I'm sticking to it haha. Heck I don't even have a wife I have to make these excuses for and I still come up with them
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Looks like the 55gr Vmaxs ran about 2800 fps and the 69gr SMKs ran about 2650 fps. I shot the 77gr SMKs as well but guess I never ran them through the chrono.
 
I recently had one however my results weren't as good as others on here. When I first got it the best it would shoot was pie plates @ 100. Changed scopes rings &, same results. Started grinding all of the contact from the barrel and stock & got to around 5-6 inches. Messed around with torques 4-5 inches. Got pissed and shot 250 consecutive rounds through it after patching barrel every 1-5 shots for the first 30. After approx 225 it settled in and shot around 1.25-2 depending on which bullets. It shot 55 vmax and 69 sierra match the best. However at 200 they were pie plates again.

It was a very light, compact and handy gun for the truck. I also liked the aluminum blocks in the stock from the factory. I really didn't care much for the flimsy plastic tab on the mag or the accuracy but I would probably be a guinea pig and try another if I found it one sale since most reviews are very positive
 
Originally Posted By: kdm1986I recently had one however my results weren't as good as others on here. When I first got it the best it would shoot was pie plates @ 100. Changed scopes rings &, same results. Started grinding all of the contact from the barrel and stock

I have 2 of them and I don't think there is any contact between the barrel and stock. It is free floated. I will have to check when I get home. I have not shot them yet but I bet they will shoot as good as the American Predators I have. They shoot less than 1" at 100.
 
Like I said I'd be willing to try another as I felt it was probably an isolated incident. There was a lot of contact for about the first quarter of the forearm, especially on the left hand side of the stock. I thought about contacting ruger but didn't feel like spending forever on the phone and shipping it back and forth. Plus I had already lost all confidence in it.
 
I picked one up last week, put a nikon P223 on it I had laying around. It shoots really well just under an inch at 100 with some 60grn Vmax loads I have loaded up for one of my ARs. Comes in about 8.4 with a loaded mag and sling. I bought it to keep in the Jeep for those opportunities the tend to come up every now and then.
 


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