Took the Ruger Predator Gen II .308 Out for Its First Shots — Ammo Test Video

[The Hobby Gunsmith]

Hey guys,

Finally got my Ruger American Predator Gen II in .308 out to the range for its first shots and wanted to share the video with anyone who’s interested.

I tested it at 100 yards with three types of ammo — Winchester, Remington, and Federal 150gr — just to get a feel for how it groups straight out of the box before I start swapping parts. Planning to upgrade the chassis, stock, and trigger soon, so this is kind of my baseline for tracking how much accuracy we can squeeze out of it as the build goes on.

Would love to hear what ammo your Predator or other .308 bolt gun likes — or any upgrade recommendations. Appreciate any feedback!

– Alberto / The Hobby Gunsmith

 

[Straightshooter1]

For factory ammo that I might buy at the local gun store, I like Federal's for my .308, particularly their Premium cartridges, like those with the Berger bullets (the 168's).

https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting-gear-gun-supplies/ammunition-ammo-for-hunting-shooting-sports/rifle-ammo-hunting-shooting-sports/federal-premium-308-winchester-168gr-berger-hybrid-rifle-ammo-20-rounds/p/1537758

There was another test of a bunch of ammo that you might find interesting, though the test is with high end guns of a different caliber than yours where you shouldn't expect to get the same kind of results from an off the shelf retail gun:

6.5 Creedmoor Ammo Test Part 5: Live-Fire Group Sizes & Precision

Welcome to Part 5 of the results from my massive 6.5 Creedmoor ammo field test! This article wil...

precisionrifleblog.com

 

[The Hobby Gunsmith]

For factory ammo that I might buy at the local gun store, I like Federal's for my .308, particularly their Premium cartridges, like those with the Berger bullets (the 168's).

https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting-gear-gun-supplies/ammunition-ammo-for-hunting-shooting-sports/rifle-ammo-hunting-shooting-sports/federal-premium-308-winchester-168gr-berger-hybrid-rifle-ammo-20-rounds/p/1537758

There was another test of a bunch of ammo that you might find interesting, though the test is with high end guns of a different caliber than yours where you shouldn't expect to get the same kind of results from an off the shelf retail gun:

6.5 Creedmoor Ammo Test Part 5: Live-Fire Group Sizes & Precision

Welcome to Part 5 of the results from my massive 6.5 Creedmoor ammo field test! This article wil...

precisionrifleblog.com

Awesome info I gotta check that out. I honestly went with the cheaper ammo, just to se what it could do. I think the most I paid for a box of 20 was like $24 but yeah federal did perform well with the rifle.

 

[jelenko]

what it could do.

What does 'it' mean? I.e., the ammo or the rifle?

 

[The Hobby Gunsmith]

What does 'it' mean? I.e., the ammo or the rifle?

Sorry—I meant the rifle. I’m starting with more affordable ammo to see how tight of a group I can get, then later I’ll move on to higher-quality rounds to see how much further I can push its performance.

 

[Kurz]

Sorry—I meant the rifle. I’m starting with more affordable ammo to see how tight of a group I can get, then later I’ll move on to higher-quality rounds to see how much further I can push its performance.

Inexpensive rifle, inexpensive ammunition, 150 grain hunting bullets.

You don't reload?

Most, if not all factory lower priced rifles, have inexpensively made barrels which require a break-in process to assist with getting the best performance from those barrels. While you're excited to start seeing what performance you can get from the rifle you bought, it might take some shooting just to get that barrel to settle down and show you what it's got.

Factory barrels often require as many as 100 shots to get the barrel to smooth out and settle into a consistent performance range. Custom and more expensive barrels can be as few as 20-30 shots or up to that higher range of 100 or more.

Using inexpensive ammunition for this break-in is fine, the type of bullet is meaningless during break-in. Cleaning is important. You're looking for consistency in performance, not just one great, small group but many in a row.

I reload everything especially for match .308 Win. rifles. But I do a little initial testing with factory ammo to establish a base line. As a previous Palma shooter, Sierra Match ammunition was extremely consistent from the manufacturer and often used by Matches because of that consistency. The new owners are not as concerned with that reputation but merely profits. I still use some as baseline when I can compare the tests with previous data.

Decide what use you intent for your rifle then test the ammo market after a break-in. If it's a hunting rifle, test hunting bullets. It's not a target rifle so you can skip that ammunition.

Enjoy the process!