I have a left-hand .308, with a 6xSS on it, that has about a thousand rounds through it. It shoots 1/2 moa and has killed a bunch of deer. The only things that I have done to it are to stiffen the front end with a bit of epoxy and change the trigger spring. Ruger replaced my magazines and they work OK, but the originals work fine, as long as you do not stuff them full.
I am not one to sit around and ogle a gun. If the thing works as it should, it is good to go, but I have no issue with the way the RA looks, either. Spend your money on high-dollar rifles if you want, but very few will outshoot the RA-especially considering price. As the price goes up, maybe they are less tempting.