Looking for your thoughts on a 7.62x39.

Twist, bore diameter, quality etc.

I have not spent much time with them but the ones I have seen seem kinda cheap...bolt makes a zipper sound and stock seems flimsy.

Am I wrong? Would it be a good all around truck gun type?

I have an RAR Predator in .223. Paid $400 for it, it’s fairly light, shoots lights out, and takes AR magazines.
Would make a great truck gun.

I'm not a fan of the Ruger American. They are cheaply made, flimsy, and low quality. I think your assessment is correct. Not sure what makes a gun a "truck gun", though. I'd avoid leaving guns in trucks as that is where most stolen guns come from.

DITTO here... that zipper will work out after a while. Mine is smooth as silk and quiet now. This is my go to rifle (with a silencer) as much as I hate to admit it... All my nice/expensive guns sit in the safe and get jealous. I'll bring the others out when I need to reach beyond 250 yards due to the light caliber...

I've owned several. Stiil have my 22WMR. For what they are they shoot well.

ya!

GWB

I have 2 one in 308 and one in 22 magnum. Both shoot realy good. The magnum is one of the best shooting 22 magnum I seen in rfles of that price range. I think these are good rfles for the price.

I have a Ruger American in .270 Win the wife won about 9 years ago now. It’s accurate with the right loads. Not my first choice if I was buying a new rifle, but for the price I think they are good guns.

I have one of these also but have done an update or two, I bought an AICS mag well from Ruger so you have no limitations on ammo length like the AR magazines. I also installed a Timney trigger that made a world of difference.......very impressed with how well it shoots so I bought a second in 204Ruger

A good accurate truck gun but feel cheap. I guess they are about a perfect truck gun actually if they were about $200 less than they run new.

Yeah when they were $379 they were good. $529? Nah.

The problem is I remember when a 700 bdl was $579...

I know that's irrelevant now but...damn.

I just got an American Predator in 6.5 creedmoor. Out of the box it would leave a fired case laying just past the chamber. Ruger sent me a new extractor, ball and spring which fixed the issue.


I topped mine with an SWFA 12, did a trigger job and installed an VG6 Precision 6.5 brake. I’ve tried not to like it. I put 3 into 2.5” and 6 into 6.25” at 600yds the other day.


It’s getting easier to like it

Took me a quite a few years to accept them for what they are. I always have a 30-06 or 308 winchester as a loaner rifle for guests.

In 2011-12 was when I first remember seeing one of these cheap budget wonders.

I was appalled.

My opinion back then, was to look for a cheap sporterized Mauser instead. Twice, I went that route and both had problems:

Off center scope base screws.

Another one would gouge the heck out of brass and the bolt handle wouldn't open unless you used high scope rings.

Helped some youngsters plan their first Alaskan hunt. The 30-06 ruger american sealed the deal. It was filthy after the long haul, but worked well in Alaskan conditions. I began to take them a little more seriously and gave the American a closer look:




Nowadays, the loaner gun is a Ruger American 308 winchester I picked up for $100 with 2-7 redfield revolution scope. The dmn thing out-shoots any rifle I've ever owned and has been flawless, with no malfunctions.

Came with weaver bases, Good trigger, lightweight, strong extraction, superb barrel, slim profile, fast 1:10 rifling twist, excellent twin v-block bedding system, excellent recoil pad.

Easy pass...from any/all angles. Hint............

If I was on a budget, I can't think of a better small bolt action deer rifle for the price.

Didn't care for my first one, which was a 223...mag issues etc..

have a Predator in 6.5 Grendel... this one has the problems ironed out....

its a good serviceable rifle and is accurate, and takes the rough treatment in stride.

I like this one... if one came along in a 7.62 x 39, and I thought I had to have one, I'd jump on it.

have thought about getting a Predator in 223 also.

Shefire can almost punctuate for herself...the "lucky" kchunt. Hint. Congratulations?!?

ALMOST.

Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!...............

Stumpy,

you currently out of jail? Congrats for your inbetween times out on the street...

Hutch sent me an email, and let me know you were out...he's a wonderful lab...

Missed ya.. but then I wasn't throwing anything at ya anyway....

Hint.

you're always laughing.. because you're always drunk....

Pardon wares that exist...you "lucky" kchunt. Hint. Congratulations?!?



Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!.............

I have one also, shoots 62 grain Bear Claws very well. They kill hell out of pigs.

The Ruger Americans are good to go.

I’ve got a couple LH. 7-08 and 6.5cm

The creed is the predator model.

Now, if they’d make a LH .300BO. 😁😁

I own one, the "go wild" model in .243, full size (not the compact model). I swapped out the trigger spring, replaced the muzzle brake with a thread protector, and mounted a Leupold 6x42 on it. Shooting factory Hornady 100 grain interlocks, it shoots a "skinny" inch, every time.

It has become my primary coyote calling rifle. I take killing coyotes seriously, and wouldn't take a gun that I didn't have 100% confidence in.

Andy3

We invested $250 (total cost) into a new Ruger American 30-06 about 8 or 10 years ago! Through together some loads from previous loads for another rifle……shoots pretty darn good for a $250 rifle! memtb

Ya they really suck, especially when paired with a leupold! 👊🏻



358 win there

I hear nothing but good things about their accuracy, and almost no functioning issues. That said, they are not my cup of tea. Can't warm unto any of the new generation of "BIC" rifles.

Buy a Howa Mini, then skip your Starbucks long enough to pay for one of Wayne York’s floorplates or a DIP metal triggerguard.

I don't know how Ruger cut the throats in the American rifles, but I bought my Wife one of the Davidson's run of stainless 77s back in 1992 and it has a tappered throat so that a person could shoot cheap Chinese and Russian ammo. It is not the most accurate Ruger that I've owned, but it is more accurate than any AK or SKS that I've shot. Now that cheap Chinese and Russian ammo is no longer available, the 7.62x39 is no longer very attractive to me. I bought an RAR-P in 308 because it is as short as the Ruger American Ranch rifles and I can load it to 7.62x39 performance levels if I am ever moved to do so. In a RAR, I'd rather have a 223/5.56 than a 7.62x39 for a truck gun and if I wanted a little more pop, a 6.5 Grendel might be better yet if it had a flush magazine.

My RAR is an older rotary version in .223.
It usually wears a SWFA 3x9 MQ.
I replaced the trigger with a Timney.
The darn thing shoots everything I’ve ever loaded into nice tiny groups. I modified a magazine to take longed loads and have pretty much settled on the 68gr bthp as my go-to.
I was able to get a compact stock for it, for the grandkids when they are ready.

I then bought a Tikka T3X SL in .223 with the 8” twist.
It’ll group the 60gr V-Max very well - but key holes the 68gr bthp and 75gr A-Max even at 25 yards!! 😲
Obviously I have more work to do on it, but I’m pretty damn disappointed in it so far and will keep a tight grip on that old RAR….

Why have you not contacted Beretta yet about your ill Tikka? Seems pretty lame to me. My 8 twist 22-250 does just fine with 77's. Something is wrong with the barrel on yours. Send the fugger back and quit messing around with it. Also, why waste your time with 60gr v-max when the 53's have a better bc? Come on guys.. Now, on the RAR. They are cheap. The QC is not great. They tend to be accurate, but are lacking in build quality. Some I've seen have really rough chambers and crowns. As an example: One of my buddies has had to send 2 back for issues. They don't feed great either. Not my cup of tea at all. They are a cheap truck gun at best..

mjbgalt;
Good afternoon, I trust the day's going according to plan and all who matter to you are well.

There's a chap from Montana who used to post here who has one in 7.62x39 and he's had very good luck with his.

I personally know of 3 chambered in .223, 2 in .243 and a 6.5Creed, all of which seem to shoot and function reasonably well. None of them seem to have barrels which easily foul or would be considered "quirky" really.

The older ones with the rotary mags sometimes needed the mags tweaked a bit and my early .223 also benefited from hogging the fore end out more so it wouldn't touch the barrel.

Hopefully that was useful to you sir. Good luck whichever way you decide.

Dwayne

Dwayne,

Ruger Americans should come with a ratchet rope and a big skinning knife. Just ask Greg, our fellow freighter canoeist:

I've also heard good things, though not my cup of tea either. I'm about to find out first hand - my 10 yr old grandson will start hunting this year and I just picked up a Compact 243 in a scaled down stock and 18" barrel for his first hunting rifle.

The function issues are very real. The earlier rotary mags have got to be the most frail, cheapest POS mags ever affixed to a bolt action.

Very typical of Ruger.

They get the job done. Tend to be very accurate. My Grandson's has served him well for many years. Too many of them ship with issues. Ruger won't balk at making it right.

OP,

I have one in 7.62x39mm. Its accurate (has shot PPU into under an inch, as well as handloads) and has thus far been reliable through about 400 rounds of Norinco non corrosive steel case and 100 brass case.

Not a very big sample size I know, but for the price, I am happy with it. I've had the Howa mini as well and really wouldn't recommend one over the other.

I do not like the rotary mag models

Igloo,

I just picked up the 7.62x39 Ranch Saturday. I've scoped it with a B&L Elite 2-7x32. I'm waiting for a case of Norma Tactical ammo to come in this week.

I was going to download the .308 Win. with 125gr. bullets to about 2400 fps. for my grandson to use. This Ranch rifle has those ballistics in factory ammo. I think both of us are going to like shooting it.

I had a Ranch in 300 Blackout (STANAG model) for a few years. It was a nice little rifle for the price. It handled very slick, feed and extraction were decent, the trigger wasn't bad, and it was reasonably accurate. Not a tack driver, but it was a 1.25-1.5MOA rifle with all the bullets I worked up loads for, which was fine for me at the distances I was using it at.

I just wish it would have had iron sights. I thought about having a front ramp put on and using a NEGC rear, but a friend ended up making me an offer I couldn't refuse on it, so it's his toy now.

If they’d make the Ranch Model in 7.62x39 with iron sights, maybe like the ones they put on the Mini-14 and Mini-30, I’d buy another.
I’ve already got one in that caliber with a scope on it. It uses the Mini-30 magazines and is accurate even with the cheap Russian ammo. Great little hog rifle.
I’ve owned 4 other Ruger American Rifles. All have been sub 1” guns, and most would shoot 1/2” 5 shot groups with handloads.

If they offered them in 6.5G at the time, I would have bought that instead. I ended up with a Howa mini in 6.5G for a bit... loved the cartridge, but didn't like the rifle ergonomics at all, so I sold it off. Wound up with a Savage 99 in 250 Savage that fills that niche for me now, so I doubt I'll ever have another RAR.

I bought a .243 RAR compact. It is very light and snaps pretty quick cause its so light. It shoots ok but only has a Redfield 2x7 on it. I bought it for close range deer hunting in the cattail marshes in SE Wisconsin. Might use it for coyotes though too.It could be a backup gun for bear next month also. That is a very versatile gun form coyote to bear. it sure is light and compact , easy to carry and that is what I bought it for. Accuracy is at best 2" @ 100 yds with a Redfield scope mostly on 3 power but plenty good enough.

Shop around. Can easily get into a Ruger American for $400 with a military discount. A smidgen over if yah can't work a discount. I

It's the top selling bolt action in the United States, and they're still very affordable.

If you don't want a black stock in 243 or 308...price climbs fast.

Got mine when they were $350. For that price they are a lot of gun for the money. If they were that price again (and I don't see a reason that they shouldn't be) I'd get another.

Yes. At $350 it's a whole different question

I agree. I love these rifles. I've been looking for a LH 30-06 for several years as they've been discontinued for a while. I finally found one recently.

A LH 300 BO would be amazing!

They're actually made by Mattel.

That’s damn funny

I have had a few the RA Pred. models and they all shot good. The price has climbed to around the $500 mark on these and if you plan on upgrading the stock (which I feel it needs) you are now in the Tikka CTR price range. If I found a really good deal on a 223 in the RA Pred. l might think about it, but as was stated on an earlier post, at $500 mark, it is an easy pass.

Back when weatherby came out with the S2 vanguard, the local SW cleared the leftover S1 vanguards for $350. I jumped all over a 3006, broke it in with a spare leupold vxll scope, grouping at sub moa.

To this day, I feel that rifle is as good a value as any rifle I've purchased.

With all due respect, by comparison, I dont think I could be excited about a ruger American.......and I own a lot of ruger firearms.....one being a 77 hawkeye.

And it's not just the ruger American.....savage, mossberg, marlin bolt guns have nothing I'm interested in. Win xp, browning A3, probably good guns, but I'm not moved.

I've owned 3 of the Predators in 223, 308, and 6.5CM. The 223 uses AR magazines and the 308 used AI style magazines. No issues with either. The 6.5CM shot as well as any $1000+ rifle, but I did have issues with the magazines.

I paid $350 each for mine and I can remember seeing standard rifles for as little as $250. At that price they were a bargain. I sold the 308 and 6.5 for more than I paid but kept the 223 for now.

At today's prices I'd pass. For just a little more I like Tikka.

I suppose if bouncing around on an ATV or in a truck , or have need for a stick to bang things with(lol)it might be worth owning one. Let me put it another way. If someone gave me one , I’d in turn give it away. They are pieces of crap. Get something better if you can afford to or save a little more. Any I’ve seen look too cheaply made. I have no desire to own a budget gun. But only you can decide what’s best for you.

No doubt they can get the job done. But still, I’d rather use a spear than add a rifle with little more quality than a Mattel toy to my collection.

Be looking format to you becoming the next Sasha Siemel Alexander "Sasha" Siemel.

Post pics !

They need a higher comb.

OG54,
Eat more and fatten up your face!

I have repeatedly reminded myself that I don't care for them. I own a couple still. I about barfed the first time I handled one back when they first came out.... Only tried to like them because of accuracy reports. I don't like the styling, feel, function or finish. I don't like the trigger, magazine and I abhor the stock. American rifle? Bullchit.

@BigDave39355 if you ever think of selling the 7mm-08, please let me know.

Boyds has a nice classic walnut stock replacement and an anodized aluminum bottom metal kit as well, for using all-steel AI mags.

Another company makes aluminum or titanium bolt shrouds.

I love when you post pics Stumpy. I am especially impressed how neat and organized your rifles and reloading area always are.

you are quite the organized housekeeper... Kudoes.

Suzy HomeMaker?

I love when you post pics Stumpy. I am especially impressed how neat and organized your rifles and reloading area always are.

you are quite the organized housekeeper... Kudoes.

you'll make some Gay Guy a great house husband some day....

Suzy HomeMaker?

Since you are crossed eyed there Stumpy, I thought I'd post it twice, then you can read it twice...
once with each eyeball....especially if its 9 AM and you're already Sloshed....

I just picked up another one, an older stainless 308 compact that walmart had from like 2015. I have a 7mm-08 GoWild as well, which I got because it has the faster 8.5" twist.

To me they’re a niche rifle for somebody just getting into hunting rifles or maybe a backup in your preferred caliber.

Bought one in 30-06 several years ago when Wal-Mart was closing them out for $200. Liked the weight, hated the gritty action and flimsy stock. Replaced the stock with a laminate giving it a much more solid feel, but then it became a heavy SOB. Also, with 2 stocks, 2 scopes, and multiple bullet/powder combos, I never found a load that was consistently better than 1.5 MOA. I started out on M77s and I decided I'll just stick with them. As for budget rifles, I've got 3 Marlin X rifles in the safe to cover all scenarios. If the need ever arises for another budget rifle, I'd probably go with a Howa.

Sorry for the poor picture. American Ranch in 300 BLK with 16.5" barrel in a Boyd's Spike Camp stock. Not mine anymore (new owner replaced the stock). I really liked it in both configurations. Accurate lil cuss.

My wife hunted with a Thompson Center Encore in 7mm-08 for several years. What could be better. Single shot, break open, hammer gun? The answer? Almost anything. NOTHING but troubles with that gun. Converted it into a pro-hunter. Even WORSE. My son and I were in a LGS and he saw a Ruger American in 7MM-08. I grabbed it immediately. I was happy as a clam to find it. NOT SO with my wife. She HATED the trigger. I bought her a Timney trigger and installed it. She went from a single shot, to a bolt gun repeater. The gun is lightweight, compact, and fits her perfectly. She has had it now for over 5 years and killed over a dozen whitetails with it. NEVER ANY ISSUES WHATSOEVER.

I've also had good luck with RARs, but I have a friend who bought a 243 for a ranch rifle and says that he has sent the rifle back to Ruger twice for warranty work. Any manufacturing process is likely to have a small percentage of imbedded errors, often at a rate of less than 1%.

I have 4.

Ranch in 5.56
Predator in 308 with 18" bbl
and two of the Predator in 358(not rebores-the Grice special of a few years back.)

All work just fine with no issues and very accurate.

I am not a huge Timney fan but Timney nailed it perfectly with the trigger they made for the RAR, I hated the factory glock style trigger......a spring kit helped, taking off the blade helped but was still a POS trigger. The Timney trigger transformed my RAR's to great rifles. best money you could ever spend

I have a Ranch in 6.5 Grendel & .223 that are ridiculously accurate for their price - which others have shared. I like the unique configurations that Ruger offers. I’m not sure how much punch & accuracy a sportsman can pack into a full size rifle with a 16” +/- bbl. in 6.5 Grendel

I like them. I’ll be ordering more.

It made my wife happy. She got her confidence back. Happy wife, happy life. She has killed oved a dozen deer with it.

I have the same rifle in 7.62x39. I wanted a 7.26x39 bolt action to get some trigger time and use up the excessive amount of chinese 7.62x39 that I have had laying around for the last 20 plus years. There are basically 3 bolt actions on the market in 7.62x39. They are Ruger, CZ, and Howa. I wanted the Howa but the Ruger was the only one available. My nephew has the CZ. The CZ is much better than the Ruger but it retails for $200 more. The action on the Ruger isn't the smoothest especially with Russian ammo. Luckily, the chinese I have is allot better. It is smoother in the action and seems to be more accurate. I have been wanting to try some brass PPU but I am cheap and the PPU is twice the price if not more than the Russian and I have allot of Chinese. I would trade the Ruger for the Howa in a heartbeat.

Thats a pretty stock. The new owner replaced it? If so, is it for sale?

Agree.

Not that pretty, plastic parts, but they do shoot.

For what they cost, strictly on a utilitarian basis, they're hard to beat.

DF

I've got the 22" standard model in 308.

Groups are 1-1.5 MOA with cheap factory ammo and a 4x Leupold in Weaver rings. It's light and it balances well. I have very little confidence in the rotary magazine.

It would be a good starter or loaner but once you learn anything about rifles, you'll want something else.


Okie John

Bubba,

I bought the Ranch 7.62x39 for cheap ammo practice and a compact lite recoiling deer rifle. If you want to try brass cased ammo, the best deal I've found was Norma 124gr. FMJ Tactical. I was able to get a 500 ct. case of it for $9.25 box. You can easily find it for less the $11.00 box.

My Ranch rifle shoots the factory fmj into about 1.5 inch groups and loading the once fired brass with 123gr. Hornady SP and RL 7 I've been able to get 1 inch groups.

As, you said, it's not the smoothest or well finished rifle out there. For what it is, I'm happy with it.

I have one in 22 magnum and it is the most accurate 22 magnum I have ever owned. I had some feeding issues at first, but disassembly the magazine and putting a few more turns on the spring to tighten fixed the problem.

They do at least slick up with use!

The russian is the worst. I would bash it against a tree if I were deer hunting and it cycled that poorly on a followup shot. Like I said, the chinese isn't as bad. I need to break down and get some Norma and maybe some PPU. They don't allow fmj where I hunt but I would still like to try the Norma. One thing I did do to improve it was I installed the ruger american trigger spring kit from mcarbo. It has made a difference and is well worth the $12.95 it costs. Pretty easy to install. It works on all ruger americans.

https://www.mcarbo.com/ruger-american-rifle-trigger-spring-kit.aspx

https://imgur.com/gallery/zoHdjpD

Bubba,

Thanks for the link, got a spring on the way.

Fotis,

Impressive group and velocity. I'm using RL 7 because it's the best powder for the 7.62x39 that I've got. I needed to get some working usable hunting load put together. Should I come across or put an order together, I will definitely pick up some 1680 to try.

I had 2. Loved them.
Had a .300blk ranch. Sold it b/c I bought
.308 compact. Loved it. It was stolen. (Unhappy face)
I will seriously consider getting another when I get $$$.
P.S. I am a Mauser man. It took me a long time to come around to buying something like this. But loved them!

I want a "truck gun" too. And a truck!

I had 2. Loved them.
Had a .300blk ranch. Sold it b/c I bought
.308 compact. Loved it. It was stolen. (Unhappy face)
I will seriously consider getting another when I get $$$.
P.S. I am a Mauser man. It took me a long time to come around to buying something like this. But loved them!

I want a "truck gun" too. And a truck!

Had and have a few very very accurate but definitely not worth the $600 are asking for them today

Another picture of the little 300 BLK in its Boyd's stock



My bud and I had set up a good stand location, but nothing came out the next day. Sadly I had to go back to work and real life afterward. He was on his way in to it and a very large doe was coming down the trail towards him, which he anchored with a headshot.

Can't argue with results, although I really want to see what the 110gr TTSX does on a body shot when placed well!



In any case I am still impressed with both the 7.62x39 version (mine) and the 300 BLK I sold him there. In my mind either is a great buy. Really thinking about trying the 110 or 120gr TTSX bullets in handloads for the 7.62x39. Would likely be a single feeding affair but could still have a mag of different ammo beneath em for back up.

i ordered two of the Mcarbo springs. One for me and another for my friend that recently picked up a Rancher in 350L I installed mine today. I don't have a trigger gauge, but it's a much nicer trigger pull now.

I thought about taking out the trigger blade, but didn't. Might still go back and do it in the future.

Many of the Ruger Americans seem to shoot very well. I don't love the stock but it works. I think they are solid guns even though esthetically they are somewhat lacking

Jeffo's new sock puppet

I have a left-hand .308, with a 6xSS on it, that has about a thousand rounds through it. It shoots 1/2 moa and has killed a bunch of deer. The only things that I have done to it are to stiffen the front end with a bit of epoxy and change the trigger spring. Ruger replaced my magazines and they work OK, but the originals work fine, as long as you do not stuff them full.

I am not one to sit around and ogle a gun. If the thing works as it should, it is good to go, but I have no issue with the way the RA looks, either. Spend your money on high-dollar rifles if you want, but very few will outshoot the RA-especially considering price. As the price goes up, maybe they are less tempting.

1. Acuurate as can be, mine is on 308, zero complaints there.
2. Action sounds like a combine with a rock digested in it when you run it
3. Clip is a POS, fell on floor broke in three pieces, 2 new clips were half the price of the gun when I bought it
4. Now north side of $500, way to many real used rifles at that price point now that are real.