Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger American 7.62x39

This was a "because" buy. Got it at my gun club's last gun show from a woman that was selling it to help offset funds spent on new furniture for her house. Got the rifle and a lot of ammunition for it. The woman used it the last 2 years for deer hunting and said she got 4 deer in the 2 years. Rifle is light and compact with its 16 1/2" barrel. It also came with the Leupold 2.5-8 scope on it. The short barrel really barks, trying a Kaw Valley linear comp on it which directs the muzzle blast forward. Ordered up some Barnes .310" 123gr. TSX bullets for it, should be perfect for the Tamarack swamp I hunt in Door County, WI.

Hope you don't start tarking funny GI.

Good Ruck!

Let us know how it shoots. I am intrigued!

Good choice on the Kaw Valley linear comp. I have one on my 16” 6.8 AR and it helps tame the perceived muzzle blast.

I've had great luck with 123 sst factory loads. I wouldn't hesitate to use it out to 150, maybe a touch further.

I like it

Thanks guys! D. D. You funny Joe! Haha!

That's a 5 rounder in it, have 10 rounders too and it takes the same mags as the mini 30.

Looks good. Hope that mag release isn't a nuisance like the Howa's

Doesn't seem to be a nuisance, but haven't paid attention to it either. I haven't accidentally hit it if that's what you're saying.

Love Ruger Americans but I would never own one chambered in that commie pinko round.

Are the Ruger 7.62 rifles built with .308" barrels?
Interesting rifle and a handy size.

I read somewhere a while back that the barrels on the Ruger American is in 7.62 x 39 are sized .311.
Don’t remember where I read it but I’m pretty sure it was in one of the popular gun magazines. I had one of the Ruger Ranch Rifle American carbines in that caliber that use the Mini 30 detachable magazine. It made a great little hog gun at the Ranch until I let one of my nephews talk me out of it. It was accurate with all of the ammo I tried including even the cheap Russian stuff. I would not hesitate to buy another!

Ditch the factory trigger and toss on a Timney.........
A WAY better trigger! Mine on the .223 is spot on at #2 and will go lighter if you want.
BT53

Can do the same with a less than $2.00 spring from the hardware store..
I have done that on all 8 of the Ruger Amer. and Predators that I own..

That's true.... I did exactly that, and then the McCarbo spring - and found them all unsatisfactory.
The Timney, for me, is well worth the money to get exactly the trigger response that I want....YMMV.

I went to the Ruger website and couldn't find the bore size for it.

Mines a shooter with anything i put down the tube. All the cheap Russian stuff has shot a hair over an inch. and good hornady stuff under. i have the dies but havent found the time to load any home rolls. there is no real need when the factory stuff shoots this good. and is this cheap. I dont know about the bore size i would go with around .310-.311 on the bore size. never tried .308's in it but i think i read someone had great success using them. M8x57

I've thought about one of those on a couple of shorter barreled rifles. Do they increase recoil much/at all?