Ruger American
- Thread starter Rooster52
- Start date
JohnCushman
Well-known member
I bought my wife one in .308 as her 'all around' rifle when she decided she was serious about wanting to hunt. I saw one at the PX in Ft Sill and liked it. It had a nice recoil pad on it and seemed pretty sturdy for a lower priced rifle. I bought it and put a scope on it and was amazed at the accuracy with Federal factory ammo (150 grain Fusions). I put a cheek riser on it for her and she now shoots the holy living crap out of it. There is barely any felt recoil to it, so there is no flinch from her. It will be getting a Leupold on it when finances dictate, but the Bushnell on it is holding a zero and she likes the fine duplex. I liked her rifle so much that I sold my Savage 30-06 to get a Ruger American in 30-06. I bought the package with the Redfield scope and am happy with it. It is my main rifle now. It shoots 165 grain Federal Fusions amazingly. This rifle also has very little felt recoil. I am very happy with these rifles and would buy more if there was a bigger selection of calibers.
TRS_Montana
Well-known member
Yeah, these are good guns for the price. We bought one chambered in .243. It is super lightweight (which has its pros and cons) and is fun to shoot. Not my main gun, but I don't regret putting it in the arsenal. The bolt is a bit clunky and brushes the scope when I'm not careful. Overall, I think these are great guns for the money.
oldillini
Active member
Hard to beat for the price. Now have one in 223 and 7MM-08. Was not planning to make either of these my go to guns, but have been very pleased. The 223 has been great for the occassional yote hunt. Haven't taken the 7mm to the field but it has proven a respectable gun from my bench. I sold my Remington 700 in 223 after shooting the American.
pabearhunter
Well-known member
I bought the wife one in 7mm. She has killed 3 deer with it and loves it.I catch myself grabbing it for a quick walk around the woods.
Gunner46
Well-known member
I bought a RA Wolf, in 308, as a project rifle, to rebore into a 338 Federal. Used it as my back-up for this years WY hunt. Honestly, for what I paid I almost wish I could give you a negative. Light weight, nice recoil pad that does a very good job, absolutely Love the tang safety, and got it shooting 1 1/4" groups with only 9 shots (hand loads). 125BT's, 49.0gr Varget @ 2960fps.
If they made the Wolf model in a 7mm/08 I'd grab one in a heart beat and sell my M77 without forethought.
So, Yeah, Go for it !
If they made the Wolf model in a 7mm/08 I'd grab one in a heart beat and sell my M77 without forethought.
So, Yeah, Go for it !
Big Sky
Well-known member
Of the rifles in this price bracket the Ruger American is one of the best bangs for the buck you can get. If you decided to go one step up in price the Weatherby Vanguard is one of the best deals on a firearm period.
sbhooper
Well-known member
I bought a left-hand stainless .308. It is light enough that it can be tough to shoot, but once you figure out how to hold your lips, it shoots lights out. With 150 Interlocks, I have gotten 1/2 moa at 300 when I function correctly. It does not like the 165s as well and does not seem to particularly like Nosler bullets as well.
With 51 grains of CFE223 powder, I get over 2900 fps from the 22-inch barrel. It does over 2800 with the 165s, but the accuracy is not there.
The magazines that I have function as smoothly as any that I have ever seen in any rifle. I have put over 600 rounds through mine without a hitch.
If you get one and cannot get the trigger adjusted lightly enough, I have a very simple trigger job that will fix it.
With 51 grains of CFE223 powder, I get over 2900 fps from the 22-inch barrel. It does over 2800 with the 165s, but the accuracy is not there.
The magazines that I have function as smoothly as any that I have ever seen in any rifle. I have put over 600 rounds through mine without a hitch.
If you get one and cannot get the trigger adjusted lightly enough, I have a very simple trigger job that will fix it.
Last edited:
LCH
Well-known member
I've shot my BIL's in 30/06. It's a nice rifle. Shoots Core-Loct 165s pretty well. Kicks like a mule though, I have a Mossberg .30/06 that's about a pound heavier and the recoil is noticeably more on the Ruger.
RobG
Well-known member
I looked into this a while back and everyone talked highly of the RA. I got a chance to shoot one and it shot fine, however I could not get over the cheap "plasticy" feel to the whole thing... Mostly cosmetic, but things like the bolt didn't work as smoothly as the Weatherby S2 Vanguard I would up getting... The trigger wasn't as crisp, etc. But the RA shot as well as more expensive rifles.
sbhooper
Well-known member
If you are into fancy rifles, they definitely are not that. The bolt gets smoother with use, but the stock is what it is. A lot of modern rifles do not have great stocks, but that means nothing to me as long as they shoot. My Rem 700 SPS has a crap stock, too, but is a 1/2 moa shooter..
I bought one a couple months ago in blued 223 for a backup/beater/loaner rifle.
First impressions were the stock is flimsy, the magazine sucks, and it had rust on it right out of the box.
But dang, the thing does shoot. 5 shots into a dime sized group, and 10 into an inch @ 100 with the cheapest non-fmj no-name ammo I could find. The thing will shoot with aftermarket custom barreled rifles I have.
Maybe not heirloom quality for passing on to the kids, but a very good rifle for the money. I may someday spring for a better stock?
First impressions were the stock is flimsy, the magazine sucks, and it had rust on it right out of the box.
But dang, the thing does shoot. 5 shots into a dime sized group, and 10 into an inch @ 100 with the cheapest non-fmj no-name ammo I could find. The thing will shoot with aftermarket custom barreled rifles I have.
Maybe not heirloom quality for passing on to the kids, but a very good rifle for the money. I may someday spring for a better stock?
Lawnboy
Well-known member
Bought my daughter the 7mm-08 in the Ruger American. I'm not too impressed with the bolt. It's hard to open and close and I just haven't gotten the tight groups that others have seen with theirs. I'm not giving up on it but I like my wife's Savage Axis better. Both are cheapo guns but they can shoot pretty dang good considering the price.
Brittany Chukarman
Well-known member
Mine shoots really well but there are a few problems. The front of my stock flexed enough that it touched the barrel when using a bipod. I took the stock off and sanded it down to get some clearance. I still have to be careful to not put to much pressure on the bipod. I might take it off and sand off a little more. I also had problems with the magazines not feeding. The replacement they sent is working ok with 3 bullets. It's a good gun for the money, just a couple things to watch for. Mines a 7/08 and I've never shot so well in my life. I like the gun but I really like the caliber and may upgrade to a better rifle in 7/08.
GSP4EVER
Member
I have one in the 22 Mag. It is a great rifle and accurate. I was thinking about getting one of these in 308 as well. After handling the Ruger and a couple of other brands, I opted for the Mossberg Patriot. The Mossberg is a fantastic rifle and within the same price range as the American. In the near future I will be picking up a 243. If they don't have one in the Mossberg, I will most definitely get the Ruger.
I have a 30-06 that I bought when they first came out. Its been a good gun but took some time to get used to the muzzle jump. My dad bought one last year but the quality of finish isnt as good. There were burrs and machining marks. The actions wasnt real smooth. It shoots just as well as mine but he hasnt gotten used to such a squirrelly lightweight gun. Also, I had the same problem with the stock touched the barrel except my stock touched one side all the time. I havent taken the time to fix it but it wouldnt be hard to sand off. For the money its a good option but for a few hundred more you can do much better.
