Ruger American

1

1Longbow

Member
Anyone shoot one? I have a model 77 in 204 ,but am looking for a knock around gun,and looking for real world experience with it as far as accuracy,trigger etc. Thank you
 
I don't have one but I do have 3, as far as I'm concerned its the top in its class, great accuracy and nice trigger for the price you pay for it.
 
A buddy of mine has one in a .308 and brought it to my place last spring to sight in and test some ammo. The target was at 94 yards. He used
cheap Herters ammo, a wadcutter type bullet. The trigger was not bad and the rifle surprised the heck out of me with out-of-the-box accuracy.










I personally would like the Predator model with the threaded barrel. For the money I can't think of a better knock-about rifle, and one that shoots well too.


 
I wish I could report the same experience, but...I cannot. I bought the 223 stainless one for just that, a truck gun. Actually a John Deere Gator/Yamaha Grizzly/Kubota ATV gun. It shoots 3" groups all day long...about the best it will do with any ammo. I bought a Timney {$144.00 and change} because the trigger it came with would adjust all the way down to 4 1/2 pounds. The stock is like hard rubber so I next bought a Boyd's {$200.00 more} then with the new trigger and new stock glass bedded {more money} it started shooting 2" groups. Didn't matter what ammo. At this point, I was past the point of no return, so I barreled it {a lot more money}. It is acceptable now, but somehow the words "truck gun" don't seem to be in the program anymore!!!! Bottomline...at the end of the day for a few hundred more {who's counting at this point???} I could have had a Sako 85 for a truck gun.
 
I just got one in 308. School is still out on it though. Only shot it about a dozen times so far. I dodnt clean it first and the ammo was loaded for my blr. I screwed up a bunch getting it set up. It is one of the package deals with the vortex 3x9. I didnt check anything, just started shooting it. All of the screws were loose so sighting in caused some grief. ALL MY FAULT. once I stopped and tightened it up I got it to hit a quarter at 100 yards. Now I will load 50 rounds like this and mark them for the ruger and the blr and use it as a loaner.
 
My first was a 223 and I must say it was a POS. I bought it used and know why they traded it off. My second is a predator/ 6.5 CM. In the plastic stock, it would throw flyers. Didn't seem to care for the heavier bullets either. The 120 A-Max shot really well though. I lightened the trigger and put it in a Boyd's thumbhole stock, then bed the action. Now it is a terrific little rifle and shoots extremely well. I guess they are Rugers, 50/50 chance on getting a good one.
 
Have a couple of them around here. No real big complaints from here. I stiffened the forearm of the factory stock with a length of carbon arrow shaft bedded in there. The edge of the forearm is too sharp but is an easy fix to break that over and blend it smoothly. Both shoot great, function fine, trigger is ok, they're lightweight. The only other trouble I had was the rail on one had a screw that was stuck tight - solid kind of tight. I use Talley 2-piece Lightweight base/ring combo's and wanted that rail off. Soaking in Kroil had no effect, heat didn't break it loose, the freezer trick failed, tapping the screw head while applying pressure was a fail and I just couldn't get that danged thing to budge. Had to Dremel out a slot for a large straight bit screwdriver in the head of the stubborn screw. It took an amazing amount of torque to break that loose. That was a bit of a pain in the butt.
 
Got the Predator in .204. Had to send it back in, but Ruger was good
about it. A screwed up chamber got past QC. They replaced the barrel.
It's pretty finicky about what it likes, but I managed to find a load
that got groups down to 5/8". Not tickled pink about it, but then,
it's not a custom build, either. My Savage VLP's are more accurate.
However, they are not really "truck" guns.
 
Got the predator in 243 and 6.5C, both were accurate out of the box.
Got 22WMR American also, and it does very well for a rimfire, 1 to 1.5 MOA at 100 yards.
Worked on the trigger spring in all three, bedded the 6.5C in a boyd's stock.
Triggers are crisp & between 2 and 2.5 lbs
 
I've always wanted a stainless/synthetic rifle for Wisconsin's deer season. It seems every year there are a couple of days that you hate to take out a really nice rifle because it's raining all day and to really dry them out right the stock has to come off, then you have to resight it etc. So I got a .308 Ruger American in Stainless. I now leave the good gun in the gun rack all year. I just love the American that much. It will shoot 3/4" 100 yard groups all day. The trigger is pretty good and it's just a pleasure to own.
 
Compact model in .223 here ........ it's my daily ranch rifle and that says a lot because I have lot of good fire sticks to choose from.

I like it because it's my most easy one to keep with me. It's inexpensive and shoots well within "minute of coyote" by all standards!

A real keeper!

I did a number on the trigger with a switch of trigger springs ........ a trimmed one from my out of ink pen did the trick!

Three 44s
 
I have the stainless version in 22-250 as my truck gun for on the ranch. Use it on coyotes and pigs and occasionally prairie dogs. the detachable magazine is plastic but you can order a new one for pretty cheap if something happens to it. Mine has never worn out and I've pulled mine out almost every day for a year and a half now. Absolutely love the tang safety on it, and I haven't adjusted my trigger and it works just as well as my model 700's work. The barrel is free-floated from the factory and I feel like mine might be a little too much because the stock does feel kinda flimsy but other people have said that about theirs too so I guess that's just how they are. As far as accuracy goes, with a good steady rest on a calm day I can put 3 all within a 1/2 inch shooting hornady 55 gr vmax loads. These barrels have a 1-10 twist rate unlike the old 1-14 twist rate so they can handle the heavier loads if you decide to go with a 22-250.
 
I have the RA Predator in 243. It is very accurate, and shoots nice tight groups. I did lighten the trigger down to about 3.5 lbs. but that is it. It didn't take much load work up to find a good sweet spot. I hope to eventually put a suppressor on it, but am shooting it as is right now. I may spray a little webbing on the stock at some point to make it look a little better, but other than that, I am well satisfied. Oh, I almost forgot. Perhaps I was just lucky, but I couldn't believe how easily the bore cleaned up. It just has so little coppering that I found it hard to believe a factory barrel could be like that. Yes, I would buy another one in a heartbeat.
 
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Just yesterday I was reminded how easy it is in today's world to get a decent shooting rifle for cheap. I had several rifles on the range, one is a Ruger American Compact .243 with a Leupold VX2 2x7 on top. I filled the magazine with four Federal 95 gr. Fusion loads and set to it. I took my time between shots but not overly so, no real attempt was made to let the barrel cool, ect. The four shots zapped right into the X-ring, exactly where it was sighted in last year. I set the Compact in the rack and shot a group from a different rifle, looked the group over in the spotter, noted a slight sight change and made the adjustment. Then I picked up the Compact settled into the rest and fired four more shots at the target. I ended up with eight shots inside the 1" X-ring @ 100 yards. Not shabby...
 
Yep.....I was shooting ground squirrels with a friend that has a RA in 223 last spring. We traded rifles for a few shots and I gotta tell ya, as crudely made as they are that 223 was every bit as accurate as my Pac-Nor barreled CZ.
I'm not gonna run out and buy one but if you can get past all that plastic crap they do shoot. Or at least that one did.
 
I picked up the Ranch model in 5.56 NATO yesterday.
It was in the "used" section. The salesmans neighbor won it in a raffle the night before & was there that morning trading it in.
$320 - unfired, Bushnell Trophy XLT 1.75-4x32
I plan on moving the scope over to a .22lr plinker.
I was looking for something inexpensive to shoot as my other bolt actions are $1 plus per trigger pull as I've yet to get on the ball & begin reloading but I do have a ton of 5.56
stockpiled.



 
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Never had a ruger american . Our lead guide and good friend of mine got a new ruger american as part of his tip on an elk hunt we were both on.In 7mm-08 . To our surprise , it shot 1/2" @ 100yrds . On 3 separate bench sessions . That gun is a keeper .I have though had a few knock arounds , one being a stevens 22-250 ,the other an axis 223 .Both shot moa @ 100. I wish I still had them both,for the reason as the OP . Gary
 
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