Ruger American Rimfire

[Ruger0701]

May be wasting my time, but I have been playing with a Ruger American rimfire trying to improve accuracy in the cheapest ways possible. Out of curiosity just want to know what has worked for anyone else. I know these guns aren’t really made for long range and stuff but it’s just a cheap fun thing for me. Already shimmed the bolt and trigger and floated the barrel good. Y’all done anything else you’ve seen results from without throwing it away and starting with a better platform or spending a fortune?

 

[dutch14]

Test various varieties of ammunition. Remember, hunting rifles are made for minute of squirrel. I can usually average around an inch at 50 yds with mine.
Lowering the trigger pull wt. will help a small amount. The trigger is adjustable on mine.

 

[CJ6]

Our group bought 4 RPRs. We tried most brands ( Eley, SK, Lapua, CCI, Rem., Fed. Old Wolf ME. TAC 22 )and an inch inch and a half was about the best they would do at 50 yds.. We sold or traded them off. 2 guys bought CZs and are very happy with them. I traded mine as a partial payment on a scope.
I was hoping for better.

 

[Ruger0701]

Right now I’ve got it down to about 3/4” at 50 off a bog pod with CCI SV. I guess I shouldn’t ask for much better with that gun. Just wanted to see if anyone found any decent solutions to its issues.

 

[squint-n-squeeze]

I had one a while back, and one of the cool features was the trigger. You can thread one of the holes in the cast aluminum to accept an M5 screw, then use the screw to adjust sear engagement. Add a jam nut to keep it from changing. I really liked this trigger setup a lot.

I wound up selling it because the accuracy was not great. Best I could get was about 3" 5-shot groups at 100 yards. My CZ 455 was about half that. Both rifles did their best with SK standard, from what I tested.

 

[DLT]

Try different ammo. I mean

 

[Ruger0701]

I had one a while back, and one of the cool features was the trigger. You can thread one of the holes in the cast aluminum to accept an M5 screw, then use the screw to adjust sear engagement. Add a jam nut to keep it from changing. I really liked this trigger setup a lot.

I wound up selling it because the accuracy was not great. Best I could get was about 3" 5-shot groups at 100 yards. My CZ 455 was about half that. Both rifles did their best with SK standard, from what I tested.

You have any more information on how to do that modification? I just happen to work with metric stainless hardware every day. I’d like try that!

 

[squint-n-squeeze]

You have any more information on how to do that modification? I just happen to work with metric stainless hardware every day. I’d like try that!

If I still had it, I'd take a picture for you. Take a look at the trigger - you'll find a little hole in the side that let's you view sear engagement. It will then make sense which way you need to push the sear to reduce engagement. I don't remember if it's from the front or the back. There's already a hole there, you just need to run an M5 tap thru. It's as if the trigger was designed to accept this additional adjustment... could be my imagination.

Of course be careful with the adjustment. This is not a benchrest trigger. The purpose of the screw is to take away some of the creep.

 

[MUP]

I know the factory Bergara trigger housing has that option, didn't know the Ruger housing did as well, cool.

 

[Ruger0701]

If you remember, was that with the blade out or in? Only hole on mine I see that it may work on is blocked by the safety pin for the blade

 

[Ruger0701]

Unless it’s somewhere I can’t see without taking the trigger housing off the action

 

[JohnHenry]

My brother and I both bought a $200 Ruger American RF when Cabelas was "giving" them away before the acquisition by Bass Pro. Have been able to get 1 moa accuracy at 60 yds shooting Eley Benchrest Outlaw(42 gr bullet). Changed the trigger return spring to yield 20 to 24 ounce trigger pull and made sure forend was free floating. Was surprised how good the bore looked when bore scoped.

 

[Knotwild]

I have one. I bought it the same day my rimfire suppressor came in because it had a threaded barrel, and I didn't. I also have an unthreaded CZ composite stock that shoots rings around it. I would have been better off to have the CZ barrel threaded. I put a Meopta 2x10 on it, cut the legs off of a pair of jeans and tied one end off, and kept it leaned in the corner of the tractor cab inside the pants leg. It killed a ton of armadillos with authority. I think it's a utility gun with accuracy limitations.

 

[squint-n-squeeze]

If you remember, was that with the blade out or in? Only hole on mine I see that it may work on is blocked by the safety pin for the blade

I took the blade out. Whether that was interfering with anything, I don't recall.

 

[Alguapo]

On the Rim Fires I have found that the action screws holding the stock down play a huge role in the accuracy game. Try doing a ladder test shooting 5 shot groups while torquing the action screws down until you find the sweet spot. Try in increment of 5 pounds until you get something to work with then try small increments above and below that. Other things are rimfires don't like to be cleaned until accuracy starts to fail. And lastly always bed the stock. Good luck .

 

[CharlieNC]

On the Rim Fires I have found that the action screws holding the stock down play a huge role in the accuracy game. Try doing a ladder test shooting 5 shot groups while torquing the action screws down until you find the sweet spot. Try in increment of 5 pounds until you get something to work with then try small increments above and below that. Other things are rimfires don't like to be cleaned until accuracy starts to fail. And lastly always bed the stock. Good luck .

Important and cheap to do. If bedding is beyond your risk to try, enlarging the action screw holes and screwing in a threaded rod to fabricated pillars is easy.

 

[outasite`08]

I have an RPR and find that CCI standard velocity are accurate enough for me. I get 1/2 " groups at 50 yds. most range days. And 1" =/- at 100yds. I`m shooting off a bench with a bipod and rear bag. It shoots about 21/2" at 200 yds. I haven`t shot that far much with it. I like the gun and I won it in a raffle which makes it even better. Good luck with yours. I did the foil trick and lowered the trigger pull some, but didn`t see much improvement.

 

[martini]

I have been shooting a Ruger American Rimfire Target Model 8630 for several years. I stopped shooting it due to inconsistent accuracy, my hatred for the stock and shooting better targets with my CZ457, T1X, and BSA M13 Martini. I recently added a front bag rider of my own design to the Ruger and sighted it this morning. Groups were about 1" with SK Standard Plus and Norma Match in more wind than I like to shoot in. I plan to revisit ammo testing when I get a calm day with less than 100F temperature (not for a week or two here in North Texas). My best ever targets are below but I had many more targets that were downright embarrassing.

 

[tommeboy]

Mine was horrible for accuracy. So I swapped in a barrel from shaw that fits a rpr. Now itis shooting right at 1/2" at 50 yds. Sometimes better. With CCI SV. I also put it in a boyds prairie hunter stock. Next it is going to be bedded. Just have not found the time to do it.

And YES, you can change the barrel on these if you are skilled enough.

 

[boltman13]

I feel my RARF is competitive with other RF rifles in it's price class. Mine is bone stock with a Sinclair FTR front bipod and a rear bag. Mine seems to really like the new Norma Match I have over a brick of. I do have a Weaver 6X20 target scope on it. In almost perfect conditions once I shot a 239-10X card on the IBS BR-50 target. Usually it will shoot in the low 230's, however. It can't compete with my CZ 457 Varmint, or Tica's or Bugara's, let alone match or custom rifles and match grade amo. I like to use it occasionally just for S&G's and save my Match Grade amo for another day.