This took me longer than I thought so hopefully someone finds it helpful Lol. A lot of times I research a rifle and think "why aren't there more reviews on it?" Then I think how many good reviews have I done on a gun? So here is an in depth look that hopefully someone will find helpful on the Ruger American ranch in 223 with the 5 round rotary mag.....not the new ones that take AR mags (dang it).
I got this rifle in September of 2016 for a lightweight predator calling rifle, it turned into an everything rifle that goes with me every time I go to the range or the desert. I got the rifle for about 480 out the door, put a Leupold VX1 3-9x40 on it with Leupold rifleman scope rings. Everything was torqued correctly using a Wheeler fat wrench. I bore sighted the rifle and then got it zero'd at 50 yards with my generic AR loads......25.5 of W748 under a Berrys bullet 55grn FMJ seated to the cannelure. Mass produced on the turret press and thrown in the can. It shot these surprisingly well at 50 and I started to get real interested in this rifle.
Handling/fit and finish- The rifle is compact at 36 inches tail to snout, it sports a 16.12" medium contour barrel with a very versatile 1:8 right hand twist. It is completely free floated the whole length. The stock is your standard plastic stock.....kinda cheap feeling but oh well. Biggest complaint was the low comb but I fixed that with a kydex riser and honestly......it isnt that low, you can work with it as long as you get low rings like I did. Trigger is Rugers copy of the accutrigger called the marksman and it is awesome, I adjusted mine to 3lbs from the 4 that it came at. It is very crisp with not much slop or over travel and breaks clean.
The two stage safety is right on the tang where god wanted it to be on a rifle and is solid. The rifle is 6lbs out of the box and a little over 7 with the scope, rings and 5 rounds of 223. I don't get real hung up on needing a microlite rifle but it is nice to have a light one in the hanger. Guys carried M1's and extra 30-06 ammo across Europe, I can carry my 9lb 22-250 in a southern California winter. The action is fine for a rifle in this price range, some of the higher end rifle guys will not like the sound it makes or how it feels but I have had exactly zero malfunctions in two years.
Zero is a nice round number I like with any of my hunting rifles or one that is in camp at night in the middle of desert. As you can imagine the rifle excels at being slung and carried, un slung ready on the stand, re slung and hiked with. It is awesome for being pulled in and out of a truck going from stand to stand. It would be perfect for someone taking a chance shot at a varmint from a window or open truck door. I could go on for a while but the point is the rifle is awesome to carry and move around with.
Shooting- The rifle flat out shoots. I have tried 50, 55, 62 and 69grn bullets in it with H335, H332, W748 and Varget. The worst combo I have seen was probably 2" at 100 yards. It shoots 55grn Vmax with H335 and Varget better than I can. It will also shoot 69grn Sierra Matchking with Varget the same. I can shoot 1/2-3/4 inch pretty regularly with it but it will do better. Every now and then my skills come together to print a 1/3 inch group, the rifle is a laser beam. I load reduced 223 with 40grn Vmax for my son right at 2700fps to mimic a 22 Hornet and although I have not put this load on paper yet, it will shoot minute of coke can or water bottle out to 100 yards.
There is something about the length and weight of the rifle that just makes it fun to shoot. My son (who is 7) and I shoot the crap out of it when we go to the desert. He shot it when he was 6 just fine, with me single loading them beside him. When we are done blowing up water bottles we literally just start picking out rocks and start making them smaller. I have taken a coyote with the rifle with a 55grn Vmax (2,800fps) at about 107 yards if I remember correctly when my buddy lasered the shot for me. Didn't take a step. Again, I have never had a failure to fire, feed or extract and I have only shot my reloads in it from day 1.
Things buyers should know- It barks, it is a 16" 223 with a thread protector on it. It has some muzzle report, not a big deal when you are shooting but standing next to it you get the point. Barrel length/loss of fps, you are going to lose about 200-250fps from what "the book" says a load is going out of 24" barrel. A LOT of people forge this. Most of my 55grn bullets with Varget are doing 2900fps out of it, plenty for shooting paper, short range coyote and blowing up water bottles. The stock- it has that plastic feel with a low comb, not that big of a deal but just be aware it won't feel like a your dads Remington 700 with a stick of walnut on it (but you can make it feel like that with a Boyds stock on it). The new model- get this one that takes AR mags, it really makes the rifle jump into another category. The new model with a 10 or 20 round mag with a simple micro dot on it would be an awesome truck, camp, house whatever you need rifle. I certainly would not feel like an underdog with this rifle with a 10 round detachable mag and an Aimpoint/EOTech site on it......just practice with it.
It didn't really turn into my predator calling rifle like I thought it would. I take it a lot when I am looking for new areas/scouting during late morning or afternoon times when I can get away for a few hours. In all honesty when I go back in the areas at dawn to try and seal the deal I take my 22-250, i have a bond with that rifle.....most of you get what I mean. It did turn into the best utility rifle and firearm purchase that I have made though.
https://imgur.com/PrCYTvqhttps://imgur.com/j9eQ9ighttps://imgur.com/nK44Hzahttps://imgur.com/fpAEg9f
