What's so bad about Ruger?

[Lannister]

Having owned 3 Mini-14s. All were very reliable with factory magazines, but had mediocre accuracy, 6"-8" groups at 100 yards. The one Mini-14 I bought new stayed in the back of my safe for years. A couple weeks ago, I did some of the modifications from Perfectunion.com and added a Mo-Rod, 1911 buffers, a 0.045" gas bushing, torqued the gas block screws and replaced the sloppy loose factory wood stock with a tight fitting factory composite stock. That's and additional $205 in parts. I haven't shot it yet to see if it made a difference in accuracy. For the price of base Mini-14 and mods, you can get a base 20" AR-15 that is both accurate and reliable out of the box.

 

[Spaz]

Most definitely. Most of my shooting life has been spent with AR15 based rifles. Even a mil-spec AR should be about 1.5 MOA. You can do a match grade .223 Wylde barrel and be sub MOA for under $200 plus the base rifle... as little as $500 if you do all the assembly yourself.

 

[243winxb]

Ruger barrel making process.http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2016/02/barrel-making-how-ruger-crafts-hammer-forged-barrels/

Maybe they need a bigger hammer.

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2015/02/tech-trends-precision-barrel-bore-honing/

 

[Mistman]

I have quite a number of Ruger rifles, been shooting them for 40 years. I know exactly how they're going to shoot and are my go to hunting rifles though I mostly use a 700 for Elk. I've shot group after group w/a M77 in .223, .243 and 300 Win Mag with lots of different factory offerings and plenty of hand loads. I tried for a little while in the 80's to make a couple into .5 MOA shooter, I got frustrated and built a mini mauser in .223 and bought a BDL in 22-250 for my prairie dog adventures. However once my expectation were in line w/the M77's I had they quickly became my favorite hunting/packing rifles and still are. I have 4 Zytel stocked 77's that I find to be nearly perfect hunting rifles for the PacNW. I picked up a 77/17 a few years ago, put a heavy barrel and a Jard trigger on it, it'll shoot sub moa and is my favorite rat shooter. I've gone round and round w/the mini 14's, from the early 80's until fairly recently, only ever have 1 in the safe. It's definitely not a gun I would grab to shoot a coyote at 200 yds off the porch but it'll kill a melon at 100 yds pretty darn consistently and runs everything I put in it. I also have a few Ruger pistols from the SR22/MkIII to a scoped SRH that'll shoot 1.5" @ 50yds.

I love my Rugers, I let the 1911 go and don't plan to replace it though it was a great shooter, as far as 1911's go I like other ones better. I wouldn't pick a Ruger as a precision rifle just 'cause I've been there and don't see the potential. My neighbor is a gunsmith and doesn't recommended them as there are other platforms that are inherently more accurate for base guns. So as far as an RPR goes I think for a guy w/realistic expectations that doesn't have the time or $$ to put together a custom it's probably a great place to start.

 

[grovey]

The M77 is by far the least accurate CF rifle I've owned. 22H, 223, 243, and a so so 22 mag that my $150.00 marlin would best by ALOT . Also loaded for a 300WSM last fall that couldn't muster better than 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 @ 100 repeatedly.

 

[Mistman]

That's one things that's pretty consistent with a M77, ~1.5" 100 yd groups. But realistically that's good to go for hunting to 300 yards.

Another minus for me w/the M77 is the controlled feed action, great for trouble free follow up shots but not so much sitting at the bench. That again puts it solidly in the hunting rifle camp.

 

[Brians356]

That's one things that's pretty consistent with a M77, ~1.5" 100 yd groups. But realistically that's good to go for hunting to 300 yards.

Yup. My '71 M77 ST in 270 Win shoots factory ammo about 1.5 MOA at 100 yards. But tuned handloads pushing 140-gr BTs ahead of Reloder 22 yield 1 MOA at 200 yards, which is minute-of-mulie to 400 yds if so challenged. (I did put a Timney trigger in it, and bedded/floated the action, so it's not box stock.)
-

 

[rr2030]

I have a 25+ year old M77 in /06. Trigger was horrible, sent it back to Ruger, now its ok for a hunting rifle. I practice out to 500 yards with it. Unlikely I have the confidence in it/me to take a Deer past 400 yards. I bonus for me was reinstalling the scope using the Ruger rings, zero did not change. The main feature is its light, lots of hills mountains where I hunt in CA.

 

[Ben Barnett]

Right there with you man...….love my two new Rugers.

Just for fun, I bought a Ruger RPR in 338LM. I got a real good deal on the rifle ($1340) and then put a $3000 March X scope on it. I think I have found the factory ammo that the rifle likes (five rounds in a dime group at 100 yds) and am now ready to chrono these rounds. Then, it will be out to the 1000 yd range. The rifle comes with a serious mzl brake making the recoil < 30-06 plus my rig weighs 19 lbs. Point is, the RPR may be a good choice.

 

[Ben Barnett]

The guy that developed the RPR for Ruger fires one in PRS competitions. Ruger also has fielded a team of PRS shooters from the factory floor.

No one will disparage your Ruger at a local PRS match. Don’t be hesitant to enter a match and shoot. Plenty of RPR shooters have won with their rifles.

Very well said.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I sure would like to have a ruger safari with the express sights and 375 h&h or bigger chambering

 

[topclass2017]

I'd just shoot whatever you have. The point is to have fun. Anyone that looks down at the guys shooting the rpr is insecure. I don't know where your shooting but everyone in my area are great guys and are more than willing to help a guy out. There is always an ass to be found. Just don't let it bother you, let alone let it keep u from shooting and doing what you enjoy.

+1 on 69Mach's comments. To writ, I used to shoot smallbore silhouette. Occasionally a newbie would show up with a (horror of horrors) Ruger 10/22 or some other non-Anschutz. A few in the crowd would be near apoplectic - a semi auto instead of a proper bolt rifle? - rather than welcoming a newbie to the discipline. A mentor once schooled me on the importance of blocking out distractions.

I had an RPR in 6.5 and loved it for the reasons the OP stated and more. It was reliable, shot well, and after load development held 1/2" groups (10 round groups) all day at 100 yards. Then my grandson decided he loved it too. Guess where it lives now? I also shoot a couple Savages (box stock with the accutrigger) and a pair of Remington 40x's from the specialty shop (my splurge at high end...)

The point is...shoot what you have, don't look back, and have a good time!

 

[300_whisper]

If someone is hating on you for the rifle you brought to a match, then they just made it easy to identify who you shouldn’t associate with.

Shoot whatever you want. Just have fun and treat everyone with respect. Rugers are fine. Had a guy at a match spank me with his RPR.

 

[davidjoe]

Ruger quietly leads total sales while watching the legacy American manufactures deal with bankruptcy and buyouts. Slab-slided then deep blued as if that’s elegant, but I’ve never traded a single one in.

 

[Bc'z]

If someone is hating on you for the rifle you brought to a match, then they just made it easy to identify who you shouldn’t associate with.

Shoot whatever you want. Just have fun and treat everyone with respect. Rugers are fine. Had a guy at a match spank me with his RPR.

Put your waders on!!!
Iffin I shot my ruger at a match there'd be a few kickin n screaming as to how a cheap POS shoots so good.
We had a stellar target going the other day...
Then the light got stronger, the wind switched a lil harder, and the mirage ate my lunch. The last 10 outta 26 went low n left.