Went shooting with a friend this week and shot his new Ruger American. I've gotta say I was really impressed. It was the predator model in 6.5 creed with the AICS magazine setup, and it had a camo stock that I hadn't seen anywhere else and I can't find online - I think a Scheel's exclusive.

I remember a thread where someone said the American had a "noodle for a stock" - I would've agreed from handling them in the past. Well, I guess they've stiffened it up considerably since I last held one, because the stock on this one was pretty rigid - about as stiff as the stock on my Tikka T3X. I also wonder if my friend really got lucky, because his new rifle had a very smooth bolt and none of that zipper noise that you hear about due to rough machining on Ruger Americans.

Overall, with the stiff stock and the smooth, quiet bolt, I thought the fit and finish of the Ruger was on par with my T3X rifles. Accuracy wise, it shot every bit as good as my Tikka. Trigger was fine.

I have been looking to get a new 6.5 creedmoor rifle, and the Ruger has definitely moved near to the top of my list of purchases.

"Overall, with the stiff stock and the smooth, quiet bolt, I thought the fit and finish of the Ruger was on par with my T3X rifles. Accuracy wise, it shot every bit as good as my Tikka. Trigger was fine."

I didn't think anything was allowed to be as smooth and accurate as a Tikka here?! 😂😇

My hunting partner recently picked up a Ruger American Ranch Rifle in 300 BLK. It is a nice handy package with a suppressor on it and is plenty accurate, however I found the action to be quite clunky (technical term...) and didn't care for the stock at all. Seems functional but somehow felt cheap and don't like the way it looks (subjective I know).
I thought our Tikka T3Xs (we have several between us) felt better finished and seemed in a different class. If it was a choice between the Ruger or the Tikka I would choose the Tikka hands down.

Maybe this one was an outlier - that's sort of what I'm wondering. I've definitely handled some rough Ruger clunky actions in the store fairly recently. I have heard even the rough ones get better over time.

I do wonder if the perception of Tikkas being a class above the Rugers is because of some pretty superficial things, however. Seems like Ruger could spend a little more on appearance and fit, and generally making the American look and feel a little nicer. It would cost more, but I'll bet the difference between the Ruger and the Tikka wouldn't seem quite so stark at that point.

Maybe he polished the bolt and receiver mating surface

I personally like the look and feel of the Ruger American rifle, but the magazine doesnt impress me at all

After all my internet research and my very limited hands-on experience, I would only buy the American if I was planning on using AICS mags.

It’s a $400 gun.




I picked up a lefty 7-08 when first offered. Shoots great.

I picked up a LH Predator in 6.5cm when they first dropped. Shoots greater.

I hoped they’d do a run of ranch in LH in a thumper round for hogs

I have a .5.56 Predator with a 16" bbl... not a QUALITY gun by any means, but it will shoot lights out.. .I'd buy another... Never heard of one that was not accurate.

When it comes to these cheap guns, would they last 1,000 rounds without a problem? If so, it will likely never wear out the original owners. I have a .270 WIn. in Rem 700 ADL, I likely don't have 300 rounds through it and it is 22 yrs old. I shoot other guns though.

Point taken. Although in my neck of the woods it's more like $1100...
Other than subjective things like feel and looks they seem like a solid choice and haven't heard of one not shoot.

PS haven't seen any lefties over here but that has piqued my interest. I recently decided to only have LH bolt guns in my safe - currently have 223 and 7mmo8 T3x's.

I’ve only 1 RAR, 358, fuucker is a hammer...very impressed, and it doesn’t even have a carbon fiber barrel!!! Haha

I've got a Predator in 223. One of the earlier models with the flush magazine. It's a great shooter, even with the kind of janky stock.

$1,100.00 for a Ruger American?!.....All I can say is WOW!!......That is pretty sad, I hope it dont ever come to that here.....Hb

Stocks are often the source of complaints on budget guns. A stock is a handle. As long as that handle doesn't impede accuracy, and in the case of many of the budget guns it doesn't, then whining about a stock is much ado about nothing. It's a damn shame Ruger can't make a functional flush fit magazine.

This ^^^

Comparing the Ruger an the Tikka is apples and oranges IMO.

I have 3 RAR of different flavors and cartridges and each one shoot MOA easily. My 243 Predator will put 10 into an inch @ 100 yards about as fast as I can cycle the bolt and pull the trigger and it doesn't care how hot the barrel gets.

I've not had problems with the new version of the flush fit mag in mine. The rotary magazine was a POS.

Order the 450 Bushmaster magazine if you have the rotary magazine type. It works great in mine.

I traded for an RAR in 300BO a few weeks ago - didn’t love it at first but price was right.

Mounted a Bering thermal sight on it, hung a hand warmer on the backstop and back off 50 yards prone on the bipod. Two shots touching.

No big deal, adjusted the sight and put one into the handwarmer.
Backed off to 100 off the bipod at the bench. Even with rather coarse reticle the next 5 went right at an inch.

Now I like it a whole lot. Hogs are gonna hate it tho.....

I put a Timney in my .223 and it really made a difference.
An 8 twist, it simple shoots lights out.
It’s not going to win a beauty contest, but it fits me well and varmints hate it....

I snipped a half coil off the trigger spring on my 6.5cm. Lightened up the triggger. Made a difference.

I disagree. The stock is the interface between the shooter and the barreled action. Factory stocks are usually a one size fits most compromise, but if for some reason it doesn't fit a shooter, that shooter will need to modify or replace the stock to fit him or accommodate himself to the stock. I bought Boyds Heritage style laminated stocks for some of my RAR-Ps that significantly improved how they balanced and fit me, but the cost to upgrade the stocks made me question the value of doing so.

Dad purchased one of the early models on 30-06 when the Americans first came out and later gave it to me. I tried 7-8 different types of factory ammo in it - none shot better than 1-1/2" at 100 and most were worse. I ended up trading it away after Dad passed. Since then I've seen several that shoot very, very well and the stock has been improved. SIL bought a used Predator in 6.5CM and it shoots clovers with factory ammo.

Quality is defined by a a set of requirements and how an item stacks up against those requirements. For a sub-400 dollar rifle the current Americans are excellent rifles IMHO.

I purchased an early RAR in .308. With my usual luck with new purchases, I ended up with a non-MOA shooter. It did not respond to any of Internet fixes that showed up with Google and DuckDuckGo. Eventually I full length, neutral bedded the fore end with 'Good Stuff' expanding foam. That seemed to stabilize groups to MOA for 3 quick shots. Expanding foam was used for bedding the barrel to save weight. The cured foam was painted to minimize moisture absorption and perhaps changing bedding pressure. After a couple of years in variable northeast weather, the foam bedding seems to be a stable and useful fix.