dreadpirate
Ultimate Member
I recently shot my Ruger American Predator, 6.5 Grendel, 22" barrel, and my Ruger American Ranch, 16" barrel, in 7.62X39. The Predator uses AR style mags and the Ranch mini-30 mags.
I shot steel case ammo with both rifles. Both bolts were stiff at first, but after 20 rounds (and my muscle memory improving), they now cycle well. I will have to say, even though the thought of having AR and Mini 30 mags sounds good, I am thinking that the flush fitting rotary mags may be more practical. Esp. the AR mag, I don't think these are optimal for a bolt rifle. YMMV. I do like the last round hold open feature though.
Both rifles are at least MOA-ish. The Grendel was more like 1.5 MOA but I was using the cheapest Wolf steel ammo available. I believe with decent ammo and some break in, these will be reliable MOA shooters.
The trigger is awesome! They both are breaking at under 4.5 pounds out of the box. They can be set to 3 pounds but I just left it as is.
I love the shape and texture of the stock. A very functional and practical rifle, if not very attractive. The 18" Ranch is really, really handy. I went with a 2-7X scope on it; the lighter the better. The Grendel has a 3-9X.
The scope rail is now all Picatinny. Ruger did away with the hybrid rail. I used low mount rings since the rail adds some height. Even with a 40mm bell, you can use low mount rings.
The most noticeable "cheap" look was the finish of the bolts. I used criss crossing patterns of sanding down of 200-600 grit and they look a lot better. I also ordered titanium bolt shrouds to replace the plastic. If you want to take the handle out of the bolt for sanding, or to replace with a custom handle, you will need a special tool that can be had for like $14. But all of this is really cosmetic. I like the bolt handle it came with.
So unless you want the bragging rights that come along with a pricey rifle, I think the RAR is an excellent choice. Both the Predator and the Ranch have heavier profile barrels, and I like the handling on the Ranch.
I shot steel case ammo with both rifles. Both bolts were stiff at first, but after 20 rounds (and my muscle memory improving), they now cycle well. I will have to say, even though the thought of having AR and Mini 30 mags sounds good, I am thinking that the flush fitting rotary mags may be more practical. Esp. the AR mag, I don't think these are optimal for a bolt rifle. YMMV. I do like the last round hold open feature though.
Both rifles are at least MOA-ish. The Grendel was more like 1.5 MOA but I was using the cheapest Wolf steel ammo available. I believe with decent ammo and some break in, these will be reliable MOA shooters.
The trigger is awesome! They both are breaking at under 4.5 pounds out of the box. They can be set to 3 pounds but I just left it as is.
I love the shape and texture of the stock. A very functional and practical rifle, if not very attractive. The 18" Ranch is really, really handy. I went with a 2-7X scope on it; the lighter the better. The Grendel has a 3-9X.
The scope rail is now all Picatinny. Ruger did away with the hybrid rail. I used low mount rings since the rail adds some height. Even with a 40mm bell, you can use low mount rings.
The most noticeable "cheap" look was the finish of the bolts. I used criss crossing patterns of sanding down of 200-600 grit and they look a lot better. I also ordered titanium bolt shrouds to replace the plastic. If you want to take the handle out of the bolt for sanding, or to replace with a custom handle, you will need a special tool that can be had for like $14. But all of this is really cosmetic. I like the bolt handle it came with.
So unless you want the bragging rights that come along with a pricey rifle, I think the RAR is an excellent choice. Both the Predator and the Ranch have heavier profile barrels, and I like the handling on the Ranch.
