Ruger American Ranch 223 Who has one?

[TheOtherZilla]

Found one here.. I have been wanting a 223 bolt gun for a while now. Just wondering what you think. All the reviews are pretty good. Just want some real thoughts from the collective.

 

[Uncle Ed]

I have the Ruger American ranch rifle in .223 and I like it. The bolt was a little stiff out of the box but loosened up with use. I'm more than satisfied with its accuracy but I'm 70 with chronologically gifted eyesight.

 

[chutem]

Is that actually a 5.56 chamber? Or, do they put it out in .223 also?

 

[LonewolfMcquade]

I've got one chambered in 7.62x39. The Ruger Ranch series is a heck of a great gun in either caliber!! Small, accurate, lightweight & reliable. Of all the nice quality rifles I own, I prefer the little Ruger to take in the woods. My bolt was a little stiff when new, a small amount of grease fixed that immediately

 

[TheOtherZilla]

I have the Ruger American ranch rifle in .223 and I like it. The bolt was a little stiff out of the box but loosened up with use. I'm more than satisfied with its accuracy but I'm 70 with chronologically gifted eyesight.

73 here.. Murdochs has one in 223/5.56. Been wanting a bolt gun in 223 for a while. Might just drop the hammer tomorrow on it if it is still there.

 

[Uncle Ed]

Is that actually a 5.56 chamber? Or, do they put it out in .223 also?

My Ranch rifle is marked "5.56 NATO 1-8 twist"

The only difference between the .223 and 5.56 is the throat length and twist and nothing is written in stone.

I have a Stevens 200 .223 with a 1-9 twist 26 inch bull barrel and its throat is longer than my AR15 rifles.

 

[msinc]

Don't count on it to be too accurate...mine wasn't. The barrel appears to be very extremely poor steel. Lots of pits and inclusions, mine shot about a 3 " group all day long {if I did my part}. The trigger is junk too. Adjusts easily all the way down to about 9 pounds!!!. Stock is just this side of silicone rubber. By the time you buy a stock, install a barrel and buy a Timney you could have just bought a Sako!!!
There are a few good things about it...I really like a tang safety and it uses two cocking ramps on the bolt so it does open smooth.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

Don't count on it to be too accurate...mine wasn't. The barrel appears to be very extremely poor steel. Lots of pits and inclusions, mine shot about a 3 " group all day long {if I did my part}. The trigger is junk too. Adjusts easily all the way down to about 9 pounds!!!. Stock is just this side of silicone rubber. By the time you buy a stock, install a barrel and buy a Timney you could have just bought a Sako!!!
There are a few good things about it...I really like a tang safety and it uses two cocking ramps on the bolt so it does open smooth.

Thanx for the info. All the reviews I have seen are glowing.. A friend has a 223 in a Savage Axis and it shoots. I have shot it and watched him shoot. None are to be found. I'll keep looking. Another shop here has a 223 in a TC..

Years ago a bud had a mini 14 in 223. We called it the spray-o-matic.

 

[chutem]

Thanks Uncle Ed. Was just curious as to what they were stamped.

 

[troupe]

One of the keys to getting the American to shoot is to make sure the action is sitting square in the stock. I also clipped a coil from the trigger spring. Mine is a 6.5 Creed. It did not shoot super, took it apart and also adjusted the trigger and placed it back in and tightened it back in square and it is a 1/2 rifle with factory ammo.

 

[K22]

I never owned any Ruger rifles so I can't offer anything on that specific brand / model. I can just share my trip down the "rabbit hole."

Several years ago I was in the need of a light weight varmint / predator rifle for stalking. I settled on a Rem Model 7, 223 Rem. with a 20" SS barrel. No the cheapest option for sure.

The stock was junk and barrel was a thin No 1 contour but the rifle met one of my criteria, it was light weight. Trigger was good.

Even with tailored reloads I couldn't get it to group under 1 1/2 inches at 100 yards. Not good for my intended purpose. I wanted at least half of that and preferable .5 give or take.

I free floated the barrel in the factory stock and that helped - started grouping about 1 moa. But I wanted better so I began my decent down the "rabbit hole."

I purchased a B&C stock. To my disappointment it didn't improve much if any. I'm now down the price of the rifle + the after market stock which was about $250 in those days. I'm committed now.

So I go further down the rabbit hole and had the rifle rebarreled with a Douglas Match barrel, heavier contour, No. 2. Bingo - consistent 1/2" groups. Thankfully the trigger was the old style Rem trigger and was easily adjustable and quite good or I may have gone further down the rabbit hole for a Timmey Trigger.

I was in about $900 plus the cost of the original rifle plus the cost of all the money I spent on load development trying to get the thing to shoot. But on the plus side I've got an excellent varmint / predator hunting rifle that met all my requirement. I've taken many ghogs and few yotes with it.

There's no moral to the story because I've seen some amazing groups shot at the range with economy rifles, namely the Savage Axis. Just beware of the rabbit hole.

From your previous posts I know you're not a fan of the Tikka's but I have four of them and thet all shoot terrific out of the box with no after market changes. The T3X's have the modular stocks which allow you to do some custom fitting. I particularly like the vertical pistol grip. The Tikka T3X in 223 Rem might be an option if you're looking for a light weight stalking rifle. Mine shoots in the sub 1/2 moa range with tailored reloads. Triggers are great, the action is smooth as silk, the extractors are reliable, and the stocks are stiff enough for accurate shooting.

 

[msinc]

I never owned any Ruger rifles so I can't offer anything on that specific brand / model. I can just share my trip down the "rabbit hole."

Several years ago I was in the need of a light weight varmint / predator rifle for stalking. I settled on a Rem Model 7, 223 Rem. with a 20" SS barrel. No the cheapest option for sure.

The stock was junk and barrel was a thin No 1 contour but the rifle met one of my criteria, it was light weight. Trigger was good.

Even with tailored reloads I couldn't get it to group under 1 1/2 inches at 100 yards. Not good for my intended purpose. I wanted at least half of that and preferable .5 give or take.

I free floated the barrel in the factory stock and that helped - started grouping about 1 moa. But I wanted better so I began my decent down the "rabbit hole."

I purchased a B&C stock. To my disappointment it didn't improve much if any. I'm now down the price of the rifle + the after market stock which was about $250 in those days. I'm committed now.

So I go further down the rabbit hole and had the rifle rebarreled with a Douglas Match barrel, heavier contour, No. 2. Bingo - consistent 1/2" groups. Thankfully the trigger was the old style Rem trigger and was easily adjustable and quite good or I may have gone further down the rabbit hole for a Timmey Trigger.

I was in about $900 plus the cost of the original rifle plus the cost of all the money I spent on load development trying to get the thing to shoot. But on the plus side I've got an excellent varmint / predator hunting rifle that met all my requirement. I've taken many ghogs and few yotes with it.

There's no moral to the story because I've seen some amazing groups shot at the range with economy rifles, namely the Savage Axis. Just beware of the rabbit hole.

From your previous posts I know you're not a fan of the Tikka's but I have four of them and thet all shoot terrific out of the box with no after market changes. The T3X's have the modular stocks which allow you to do some custom fitting. I particularly like the vertical pistol grip. The Tikka T3X in 223 Rem might be an option if you're looking for a light weight stalking rifle. Mine shoots in the sub 1/2 moa range with tailored reloads. Triggers are great, the action is smooth as silk, the extractors are reliable, and the stocks are stiff enough for accurate shooting.

Yes sir, not too many factory rifles have a barrel that's worth a damn...Remington, Ruger, Savage, Winchester...they are all about the same. It's a 50/50 crap shoot with the better ones and even less with the rest whether or not you will get a barrel that might shoot. For certain, because of liability none have a decent trigger.
Looks like another case where at the end of the day, you could have had a Sako.

 

[NC308]

Yes sir I have one or should I say my boy does! Awesome little gun. Several deer has fell to it. Shoots all kids of ammo cheap to expensive. I normally hunt with 62 gr federal fusion. I’m currently working up a load with Hornady 60 gr sp.

 

[Nomosendero]

The regular RAR and Predators shoot quite well (exceptions of course) , I have tested several.
I have not tested a Ranch Rifle, I don't know why they would be different.