Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger RSI International

I'll appreciate any comments on the Ruger RSI International in 30-06.<BR>Does anyone have any experiance with it.<BR>I'll hunt mainly in South East so I'm looking at 250 yards and closer shots. I like that small package with 30-06.<BR>My main concern is the 18" barrel - is it long enough for the powder charge to burn?<BR>I do not reload.

Shuster- I have a Sako .338WM with an 18" barrel and full stock. You will lose a little velocity with the short barrel but it should not matter at short ranges. The weight of the Ruger RSI is the same as the standard rifle with the longer barrel.(similar recoil) The big difference will be in the noise and ringing of the ears. The stock may affect the accuracy potential of the rifle and what can be done to improve it. (free floating, glass bedding, adding pressure to the forend, ect.)<BR>I do like the looks of the full stock though. Good shooting. Bob

Shuster,<BR>Man!! that is a nice little rifle and don't worry about vel. loss which at best will be 100 FPS and I can toss a rock that fast..I assure you you will not be able to tell the difference in killing power or drop under real hunting conditions and the manlicher stock makes the short barrel point much better with that little extra weight in the front...You ,in a since, have a 24" barreled .308 and thats no slight praise...Don't give it a second thought your in fine steed....<P>------------------<BR>Ray Atkinson<BR>atkinsonhunting.com<BR>208-326-4120

I, too, have long admired that sweet little rifle. My reasearch indicated that you'd do just as well with a .308, as an '06 in that barrel lenth. They do run a little lighter than the standard M77. About 6 lbs. 8-10 ozs. vs. 7 lbs. to 7 lbs. 2 ozs. Bill Ruger apparently put a special front sight on them, odviously for iron sight users. I suspect they are a favorite of his too. Sorry, I have no shooting results. If you get one, let us know. I dream of a .243 in one. E

Buy it and enjoy it. Like above posts the vel. loss will be slight. I don't have the Int'l model but do own several Rugers and a Springfield 03A3 that has about the same stock as the Int'l, The barrel is 19 1/2 inches. The rifle was built back in the 60's and is a real piece of work. The stock looks to be like the Ruger Intl ended up. Including the forend cap. It's in 30-06 and like Ray said you will have the same or slightly better velosity as a 24 in. barreled 308.......Mike

Tnx all,<BR>At least I didn't get "Are you out of your mind" type replys. I'm more confident I'm not going to waste my money...Oh yes, and tnx for helping me spend some <BR>As for 308 vs 30/06, the way I see it: for the same bullet weght and barrel length 308 flys a little slower and drops a little faster. So my thought is, with a barrel so short, with the 30/06 I'll 'squize' a little bit of beter balistic perfnce in general. Correct me if I'm missing something.<BR>As for the kind of game: anything, there is an open seson for, and I can get within the rifle's range.<P>

I have a No 1 RSI in 30.06 and a M77 RSI in 308 Win (you might say I like full stocked rifles). Both give more than adequate hunting accuracy and are a pure delight to handle, carry, and look at! Although I haven't chronographed them, you can depend on the fact that the 30.06 will be somewhat faster than the 308 given equal bbl lengths and pressures. However, neither you nor the deer will be able to tell the difference. Get it and enjoy it!

I have a #1 RSI in 7x57, and I love the thing. Buy it and don't look back. By the way, last I looked, the #1 RSI was made in 30-06, but not 308. The M77 RSI is made in 308. In either caliber, you will find it a terrific deer rifle.

Shuster,<BR>Wichever caliber you get 308 or 30-06 the difference will be on paper only and not in the field with 150,165 and 180 gr bullets..No deer or elk will be able to tell the difference and the drop will be within 2"'s...velocity difference will be about 100 FPS and thats nothing..I can toss a rock that fast.<P>there will be a discernable difference in the use of 200 and 220 gr. bullets, where the 06 will out class the 308 by a good deal..The 220 Nosler out of the 06, even in that short barrel will kill any animal on this earth, where a solid is not required..The heavy bullets take up too much powder space in the 308 and velocity suffers greatly...That is the only difference, though significant.<P>------------------<BR>Ray Atkinson<BR>atkinsonhunting.com<BR>208-326-4120