Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Accuracy of Ruger ranch vs predator

I need a .223 for plugging gophers and was looking for any comparisons of accuracy between the two rifles. 90% of the shooting will be gopher loads, usually with blue dot, so extra velocity of a 22" vs a 16" barrel is not a concern. I hear great things about the predator accuracy but have not heard much about the ranch. Any ideas on whether the 5.56 chamber on the ranch is a compromise for overall accuracy?

My Ranch Rifle shoots WW factory 55s at really close to an inch. Older model was closer to 3". No predator experience.

Gophers, get a 17 HMR. Friends swear by them.

Best,

Jack

If I understand the OP, he is talking about the two Ruger American bolt guns, the Predator and the Ranch.

If that be the case, I think you'll find that the Ranch is likely to shoot as well as the Predator.

I believe Ed toomanyletters has one that he has been shooting varmints with and he is very pleased with the way his ranch bolt is shooting.

Except for the barrel length and color of the stock, aren't they identical?

That is what I thought, same action different options.

Yes, the question was in reference to the American series bolt guns. They note in the specs the ranch is a 5.56 vs the predator being a .223. I did not know how much looser a 5.56 chamber is and if it would wreck havoc with accuracy. I am hearing fabulous accuracy out of the predators but most of the ranch reviews I have seen have been on the .330 BO.

In my AR's I have run the .223 wylde as a compromise and been very satisfied with the accuracy but have never seen a bolt gun with a 5.56 chamber.

So is it fair to say everyone with a Ranch is feeling pretty satisfied with accuracy?

I have owned a Ruger Ranch for about 6 months now and couldn't be more pleased. I haven't tried anything heavy in it and have just been shooting a 55gr Vmax load I run in an AR for coyotes. From the beginning it shot 0.75-1.0 MOA. For what I am using the gun for, I never attempted any further load development.

Thank you for the feedback. I went with the rancher and really love the feel of it. Of course I cannot resist tinkering so I already started my friend fix to make it stiffer and increase the free float. I don't buy factory ammo so the 5.56 chambering will be inconsequential, everything will be fireformed and neck sized anyways.

Longer throat on the 5.56 chamber in the Ranch. I can't remember exactly, but seems I was able to load 75 Amax at 2.45" or 2.5"?? If you have one of the mag extensions, it's money!!

I haven't shot mine enough to know how good it shoots.

Found it. It's 2.525" to lands on my 5.56 Ranch chamber. Here's the thread.

Ruger Ranch length to lands thread - Click Here

I understand this has nothing to do with accuracy and probably doesn't matter for a non-long range gopher gun....but thought it was interesting if shooting heavy bullets.

I know this is a bit off topic, as I have been thinking of either of these. I like the flexibility of the Ranch for the 223/5.56 chamber.

My question, how is the blast from the 16" barrel? Would it be something that would scare kids from shooting?

Thanks for your help.

The Ranch's throat would SHAME Linda Lovelace and CM spouts suck ass as a constant. The S/S Compact 223 is THE way to fly.

Poke the S/S version in a MDT LSS chassis,'Horn ring the bitch,arrange POA/POI sanctity ala MQ FixedFhuqker and feed it AM steel 5-rounders as a utility default,with a coupla MDT poly 10's in the ruck,as reserve.

75 A-Max go without sayin'...just sayin'.

Hint.

Lose the fhuqking stupid trigger flipper bitch and re-spring to get well under 2lbs pull easily.



The OEM Milk Jug handle sucks heavy ass,whether Ranch,Compact or S/S Regular.




Plywood soothes alotta schittiness,but is well shy of a Chassis's Splendor.



Due the Rimfire's use of the unequalled Ruger rotary 77/22 mags,losing the flapper re-springing and going plywood with a inclined DIP rail,connects ALL dots there.



In the Ranch the SAS mag extension will not grant a 75A-Max smooch,though Hornie 75HPBT's will.



Anywhooo...avoid the Ranch at ALL costs,as it's fraught with multiple inherent concessions and cannot begin to touch the S/S version's mechanical advantages. It is a Magnificent Myth Misnomer to "think" that the 223 chamber,won't happily digest ALL things 5.56.

Hint.

You've been led to water......................

You've been led to water......................

Then for Christ's Sake Stumpy....

Take a Friggin Bath for once....

Even on line you stink some days...


Just messin with ya, ya little Cretin...

To the OP....Varmintsinc

Blue Dot Gopher Loads, will be accurate anyway.. regardless of which route ya go....

for short range work with the 75s, I actually got some pretty small 5 shot groups utilizing Unique...

68 grainers also take up less of the powder room, if you don't have one of the Modified Magazines....had two, and loaned one to a campfire member in Montana, and it sadly never made it back home to Oregon...

my ranch BO with pit 5 touching. haven't tweaked a load for the 5.56 ranch yet.