Ruger Go Wild

Spurchaser

Spurchaser

Well-known member
Ok, I’m not a gun guy or really big on crazy calibers. I’m fairly simple and just buy what suits my needs. I’ve always been a .308 man. Deer, hogs, even coyotes.
Well this stupid site got me thinking maybe I don’t need a caliber that large for coyote hunting. So, after reading everything here, I settled on a .243. I’m a Ruger fan (blame Hank Jr) and found the Go Wild rifles. I got the rifle, swapped a thermal and suppressor off the Predator (.308) and took it out to sight it in.
Holy bullets!! This gun is SWEET and QUIET! I’ve never noticed recoil with my .308’s, but after shooting this gun, it was definitely there.
My first shot had me thinking a squib until I noticed the impact on the target. Now I enjoy shooting, but this gun takes that enjoyment to a new level. I don’t know if I kept shooting just to see the impacts or it was the lack of recoil or because it’s much quieter, but a box went fairly quick. Only took a couple shots to get the thermal on, then it was a mission to make the 2x2” piece of aluminum foil I had for a target disappear, lol.
I’m hoping to christen it real soon to see if it performs like I hope it will!! If not, I’ll continue to shoot it just because it’s so freaking fun!!!
 
My go to coyote & hog rifle was a Dtech 243 WSSM until I could no longer use it on the ranches I hunt. Looking for a replacement (wanting semi-auto) finally settled on a .308 BAR. The 110 Varmageddon is really close, trajectory wise to the 87 gr. in the 243. Terminal performance is very similar, as well. Predict you'll be very happy w/your new rifle, Mark.
 
hm1996 said:
My go to coyote & hog rifle was a Dtech 243 WSSM until I could no longer use it on the ranches I hunt. Looking for a replacement (wanting semi-auto) finally settled on a .308 BAR. The 110 Varmageddon is really close, trajectory wise to the 87 gr. in the 243. Terminal performance is very similar, as well. Predict you'll be very happy w/your new rifle, Mark.
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Why could you not longer use it?
 
Some AH shot up a sounder of hogs, leaving multiple cripples running around and a pile of 5.56 brass for the landowner and foreman to mop up. Owner was hot, as would be expected, and banned all "military style firearms" on his property. Sure hated to give up the AR, but respect the owner's rules.
 
Spurchaser said:
Ok, I’m not a gun guy or really big on crazy calibers. I’m fairly simple and just buy what suits my needs. I’ve always been a .308 man. Deer, hogs, even coyotes.
Well this stupid site got me thinking maybe I don’t need a caliber that large for coyote hunting. So, after reading everything here, I settled on a .243. I’m a Ruger fan (blame Hank Jr) and found the Go Wild rifles. I got the rifle, swapped a thermal and suppressor off the Predator (.308) and took it out to sight it in.
Holy bullets!! This gun is SWEET and QUIET! I’ve never noticed recoil with my .308’s, but after shooting this gun, it was definitely there.
My first shot had me thinking a squib until I noticed the impact on the target. Now I enjoy shooting, but this gun takes that enjoyment to a new level. I don’t know if I kept shooting just to see the impacts or it was the lack of recoil or because it’s much quieter, but a box went fairly quick. Only took a couple shots to get the thermal on, then it was a mission to make the 2x2” piece of aluminum foil I had for a target disappear, lol.
I’m hoping to christen it real soon to see if it performs like I hope it will!! If not, I’ll continue to shoot it just because it’s so freaking fun!!!
Click to expand...
Well Spur, I'm in your camp on the Ruger Go Wild in 243. Got mine about 2 yrs ago, had it a while and took it to the range to sight in with some Hornady 100 gr SP. Got it dialed in and went home. Short time later I had acquired some 58 gr Hornady Vmax and back to range, took 1 shot which was 1/2 inch high and dead on windage. Still later I bought some 87 gr Hornady and at the range first shot was dead on. Never had a rifle that was that consistent with that spread in ammo. It is my go to choice now!
 
CJ and I took the gun out today. On hogs I’ll have the SFAR and he’ll use the Go Wild so I thought it best if he play with it during daylight and know what to expect. To say he liked it was an understatement, lol. I’d taken some of those small size Pepsi cans and filled them with pond water and set them at 50, 75, and 100yds. Now granted he was using a tripod, but he nailed them all. I still swear the impact is louder than the actual shot. Pretty sure the next hogs he gets in his crosshairs are gonna be feet up!!
 
@Spurchaser
I would highly recommend the 243 for coyotes. (y) I've owned 2 Savage bolt-action rifles and a custom built AR-10 in 243 and they were all coyote killing machines. :cool: I do own a Ruger American Go Wild in 450 Bushmaster that has greater accuracy, than I've seen in any large bore rifle. 💯 It has been a deer killing machine and I have never lost a deer to its' power.
 
It's hard to go wrong with the 243. I just got my 3rd medium frame AR in 243, the discontinued DPMS g2. This one came with a 16" barrel which I swapped out to a 20 just because 16 is a total waste of powder in this round, and 20 is bad enough lol. But I've never had a 243 that wouldn't shoot. I'm setting this third one up for my 16 yo daughter as a do-all deer and whatever else gets in front of her rifle. I like the look of those Go Wild rifles also.
 
I had a ruger go wild compact in 243. The 16" barrel version, to be handy with a suppressor. It was a really good gun. Only ever tried one kind of ammo in it, the sierra 90gr game changer. Right out the gate it was consistently shooting 3/4" or better 5 shot groups at 100 yards, so i just stuck with that ammo. The one thing that i hated about it was the 2 position safety. Hiking around with it on a sling over my shoulder, sometimes after a couple miles the bolt would work its way open even with the safety on and leave a perfectly good and expensive cartridge on the forest floor. So i built a savage 243 and sent the ruger down the road. But i think i heard the new gen rugers have a 3 pos safety, which if true, that would be a huge improvement in my eyes. Anyway 243 with a good bullet knocks coyotes on their asses. And cougars. Ive had great results with both the sierra gamechanger and federal fusion ammo, in both accuracy and terminal performance
 
Slagiatt said:
I had a ruger go wild compact in 243. The 16" barrel version, to be handy with a suppressor. It was a really good gun. Only ever tried one kind of ammo in it, the sierra 90gr game changer. Right out the gate it was consistently shooting 3/4" or better 5 shot groups at 100 yards, so i just stuck with that ammo. The one thing that i hated about it was the 2 position safety. Hiking around with it on a sling over my shoulder, sometimes after a couple miles the bolt would work its way open even with the safety on and leave a perfectly good and expensive cartridge on the forest floor. So i built a savage 243 and sent the ruger down the road. But i think i heard the new gen rugers have a 3 pos safety, which if true, that would be a huge improvement in my eyes. Anyway 243 with a good bullet knocks coyotes on their asses. And cougars. Ive had great results with both the sierra gamechanger and federal fusion ammo, in both accuracy and terminal performance
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The Ruger Gen 2 does have a 3 position safety. I have the predator in 243. I'm working up a load and have had a few .5 inch groups at 100 yards.
 
Dan O said:
The Ruger Gen 2 does have a 3 position safety. I have the predator in 243. I'm working up a load and have had a few .5 inch groups at 100 yards.
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I'm curious about the cost of sending my Ruger American back to Ruger to have a 3 position safety installed. :unsure: Perhaps it's just a change out, to where the safety could be purchased and installed by the owner. I think I'll contact Ruger with an email and see what they have to say, because I'd really like to have that 3 position safety. (y):cool:
 
I have a Tikka T3X Super Lite in 243 Win and while a lot of guys poo poo the caliber with the advent of newer calibers such as the 6mm CM, I love the caliber for anything from deer size game on down. When I bought it I knew I wanted to shoot Barnes bullets and I settled on the Barnes 80 gr TTSX. You can buy this in Barnes Vor-tx factory ammunition but I have reloaded for 45 years so I wanted to load my own. After a lot of load testing I settled on a load that is 50 fps faster than what Barnes publishes on their factory ammo for this same bullet. It is a great bullet and you can reload your own or by Barnes factory ammo but nevertheless, it performs extremely well.
 
I was a big Savage fan, but when I had to replace the AR, I was really interested in the Rugers. We had a new Dick's in town so spent an hour or so looking at them over the counter, waiting for a sales clerk (that was before they declared war on AR's) . A clerk never showed, so I walked out and haven't been back to Dick's since, especially after their stance on "assault rifles". Found a Savage scout in .308 LNIB which turned out to be one of the only Savage rifles I have seen that was finicky about ammo. I finally found a load it liked w.125 gr. NBT's and loved the 18" barrel; was as handy as the AR.
 
Well, I contacted Ruger via email and got a liability answer that they wouldn't touch it. :rolleyes: I suppose since everyone is "law suit happy", they have to cover their butts. :cautious:

Like @hm1996, I've always been a Savage fan and should've stayed that way. Although, I don't have any complaints about this rifle's accuracy, nor the cartridge's killing power. :)
 
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