Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger American rifle reviews?

I'm thinking about buying myself one of the new Ruger American rifles in 7.62x39 or 308 (maybe both).

Anybody have one? Do you like it? Pluses or minuses?

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

My personal preference is for the first gen. My experience with these has been to models that use AR mags, 350 Legend and 5.56/223 Rem. I am happy with both for the $500 price point.

Thanks

Just get the .308 and use the money you save for good optics/ammo/components. The little rusky is IMO, at its best in rifles scaled to its size. Ammo is much less available than formerly too, judging by a quick search, and our family experience trying to keep my grandson’s Howa supplied with SSTs. By all means check for yourself and see if what’s available meets your needs.

308 mercans should be standard issue for every hunter.

Great aftermarket

Good customer service

Way too dmn accurate

Better 1:10" rifling. Took tikka 2 decades to un-fk that 1:11" garbage

One of the most solid bedding systems ever put on a budget rifle: twin stainless steel v-blocks that lock into recesses in the receiver.

Box trigger is actually open at the sear, so u can blast cleaner right onto the critical areas.

As light or lighter than anything out there

Rugged extractor.

3-lug bolt

Now a 3 position safety on the gen 2, which is a big deal.

An actual short action, unlike the tikka.

Many come set up for AI mags, which is ideal.

Anyhow, a mercan is light-years better than all the other budget rifles out there.

Cracks me up, the fools that think a fkn tikka is superior. It's not. And this is why mercans outsell tikka 12 to 1.

Gave my brother my beloved 788 223 because he gave me his model 12 20 gauge to give my middle daughter for Christmas. Then he sold me an American in 223 with a 20 inch barrel super cheap. It doesn't shoot like the 788, but its still minute of gopher, handy as hell, and since both were pickup guns, I will feel better if the American ever gets stolen knowing my 788 is safe at his house.

The American Rifle? She ain’t purty, but she sure works!

The gen 1 fits me better than the gen 2. Mine was a 6.5cm and very accurate but it would not extract/eject 90% of the time so I moved it along. A friend has a gen 1 in 6cm that will not extract or eject. Ruger sent new extractors, springs and detent ball but they didn’t fix either rifle. I still have the green stock and factory AI mag set up but I doubt I’d get another one. I do like the 3 position safety on the gen 2 rifles.

I bought a used .308 that already had a timney trigger. Dang if it doesn't shoot good. So, I bought a used 6mm predator. I put a timney in it. Only shot a couple of loads but easily an moa or less rifle. Plus, as mainer says, it's light and handy. Love that about them. I "almost" feel bad about not buying a Tikka. Got these two at half price.

I handled a gen 2. I liked the stock better. But I hate the flared barrel and brake....that's just dumb!

I have had three and still have two American Ranch rifles. I have (2) Gen 1 Ranch rifles in 7.62x39 and I had a 5.56 Ranch with the AR mags. All functioned great but the 5.56 had a forearm like a wet noodle! A call to Ruger (excellent customer service) and I had a new stick on the way no charge. Helped stiffen it up a great deal. The stocks are cheap plastic but like Mainer said earlier, the bedding blocks make them very accurate. My commie round rifles are by far my most shot centerfires but the ammo situation is changing with them quickly. They are no longer super cheap to shoot (availability of eastern block ammo). But I love them!

I am seriously considering a predator in 308 myself. Really have no need for it, just think it would be a good one to have in collection.

I too favor Gen 1 over Gen 2 tho

Thanks everyone. I've got a lead on a Howa in 7.62x39 so I'll look to pick up the Ruger in 308!

I have a couple Predators first gen, very very happy with them. I’ve got another in the second gen on order.

Osky

I have the . 243 WIn. in the compact /18" barrel.. It is not a top of the line gun, but for $464 I knew I had a place for it. I hunt deer in public land marshes in S.E. Wisconsin.. It is common to trip ass over tea kettle over fallen ash trees that are covered with marsh grass. Falling through ice and into muck is common. Getting deep in water over the boots happen all the time. SOmetimes the gun goes with it. I snuggle in trees and hide to ambush whitetails, and need something simple, tough and not expensive. I need it light cause I hike in muck and through cattail marshes.. It's a mess out there but that's where the deer are. I got 3 deer in 2 yrs. with it and it works very well. Distances are 25yds. on avr. No need for 400 yd. groups , so it works very well for me. I get about 2" @ 100yds.

I really like my American Ranch Compact 350 Legend.

I tried an American in 30-06 a few years ago. Always been a big fan of M77s so I really wanted to like the American. I never liked the zipper sound of the bolt and the factory stock just felt cheap and flimsy. I replaced the factory plastic with a Boyd's laminate, but that made it heavy, and one of the few things I liked about it in factory form was the light weight. Also, after trying two stocks, two scopes, and every handloading trick I knew, I couldn't get it to consistently shoot under 1.5 MOA. I already had experience with the Marlin X-7 as a budget rifle, so the American just seemed like a big step down in quality. It eventually went down the road.

I've decided if I want to shoot a Ruger, I'll stick to my M77s. If I ever feel the need for another budget level, synthetic stocked rifle, I'll look for another Marlin on the used market.

I found a S&W 1700, which is a Howa 1500 with an upgraded stock for less than a new Ruger American. The S&W is a lot more gun for less money. I'd look for a used bargain first.

How does it shoot for you? I have Win. XPR in .350 and thinking of selling it for a gen II American Ranch in .350, threaded and shorter for use with a can

I have one of the ones with the fancy camo, and brake, in 7mm PRC. It certainly seems to shoot very well, though I have only tried one load so far.

Ruger American in 5.56
I love it.

16 inch barrel
Easy to shoot.
Accurate with lots of bullet choices/weights....Why? twist rate is 1/8.
Takes AR mags.
Light weight.
Very hard to beat in the field for hunting many kinds of game if loaded properly.
Best part its a BOLT ACTION and ITS CHEAP TO FEED..it will run any load you can cook up from .22 LR to full power .223 remington loads.

Best
Heavy

I have a 358 Winchester and a 22-250 8" twist gen 1 rifles.
My only complaint is the saftey is loud coming off and 450 Bushmaster mags were needed to make them work.

I'm happy enough with my Gen 1's that I don't see a reason to pay more for the new model.

Only mags,they got right are the 450 mags.

AR mags are stupid in that gun. They blew it by continuing those in the Gen2.

Their rotary mags have common issues also. Should have done a simple polymer stack mag in all chamberings, with the option of a longer higher cap. Ala Tikka

What is it that you don’t like about the AR mags? Mine seem to feed very well. DuraMag is coming out with a flush fit AR magazine for the American.

Those Marlin X7 are great rifles at the price point. I have owned 4, kept the SS 7 08 and a blued 223. Both are very accurate and IMHO well built. Down side is they are a little heavy. BTW the 223 has a 1:9 twist for heavier bullets. 1:9 works well at my altitude with 70 grain Hammers. I can't recall but I think I paid less than $200.00 for the last purchase on closeout, wish I'd have bought more.

I'm curious to know if they have the same or similar foot print to the Mod 70 Win as I've seen a couple with McMillan stocks. May need a lot or a little work to make fit. ( Stock is more expensive than the rifle)

Sorry for being a little off subject!

Have a Ranch in 5.56 for 10 years. HUNDREDS of deer/hogs later it is still what I grab. Stupid accurate and glued the blade trigger back all the way after cutting a couple of coils off the trigger spring - got it down to 2#

I believe they are a great value.

I've got the Predators in 223 and 308, and a Ranch in 300BO. Might add a 7.62x39 down the road.

My brother has five of them and I have two. A ranch rifle in .223/5.56 for my grandson and a Russian rancher for me. We've have had no problems with them, even though everybody claims the rotary mags malfunction.

I can't stand the AR and AICS type mags that hang down so far. The five round 7.62x39 mag is about the most I can tolerate. For my grandson's rifle, I called Ruger and got the standard rotary mag and bottom. Much more better. If Duramag actually comes out with a flush fit mag. as Deere Man mentioned, I'll buy a ranch rifle in 6.5 Grendel.

All of the ones in our family have had good to great accuracy. I tried one load for my Russian rancher and figured it was good enough. We've killed deer with it. Here's a picture of my sight in group with it.

I have the american ranch in 7.62x39. I took the magwell from my 223 predator and installed it in the ranch and bought a couple of the 10 round duramags, no feeding issues. Shoots very well with wolf steel case, and in a pinch you can use the muzzle flash to start a campfire.

I love mine, very accurate

That alone makes it "purdy" in my book.

Accurate but very cheap feeling.

I have experience with only one Ruger American. Mine is chambered in 6.5 Manbun. I' ve shot about 400 rounds through it. My report is about the same as those above. Very accurate - shoots as well as a couple of my varmint rifles. Probably the LEAST picky rifle I've ever reloaded for. Shoots everything well. I have one rotary mag and one stacked mag. No failures with either one. I'm not offended by the blade trigger and the stock fits me well. It's a cheap rifle. It's not pretty. It functions very well. I'd have no hesitation buying another.