Working up deer load for Ruger Predator Gen 2 6ARC

[koger]

Well since I had no trouble getting the lighter bullets to shoot, I thought I would get a load worked up as a possible deer round for the 6 ARC since it has a brake, and would be good for a young person or a lady to use deer hunting. H335 was the powder I used. I started off with Speer 90gr Hot core. It did not like these, best group was a 1.250 vertical group for 5 shots. I had some 95 gr Bibs hollow points, did not like these at all, 1.5 vertical and 1" horizontal spread. I got to thinking and got out an old favorite for .243 that my wife has killed 31 deer with, the Sierra 85 gr HP gameking bullet. First load I tried running 3000fps and Bingo! I shot 3 5 shot groups and all were under 1/2 inch, from .450-.490, I called it good and loaded up 40 rounds for deer season.

 

[CJ6]

This was with H 335??
What was the BTO for the Sierras?

 

[DHD]

I just bought a standard last weekend due to recent reviews. I will admit this is my second Ruger American and I am not ashamed. My typical bolt action is a custom action, have a barrel chambered, Manners Stock, etc. For my gen1 RAR in 300BO and now this gen2 RA in 6ARC, they are not bad at all. Timney's will never be a Jewell or Triggertech Diamond, but a light year better than the factory trigger.

So far for 3 other 6ARC's, 29 grains CFE, 450, Berger 105 BT (or 108 BT) -.020 off, and there it is. No surprise that the 2-5 shot groups today with that load were .5".

Have you tried the Sierra 90 TGK? I've shot a few hundred but never at a deer. You can push them pretty fast and recoil is light. Well, for any load, recoil is light.

It seems you haven't already found a good one!

 

[koger]

CJ6 I will have to check. I seated it the same length as the 70 gr, which had the boat tail just below the bottom of the neck.
DHD I had 6 of the RAR gen 1s, and they all did not feed for crap, reason I got rid of them. The Gen 2's are a whole nother animal. I do a trigger job which I saw on YouTube, you take the trigger pin and trigger out, remove the trigger return spring, and cut off 4-5 coils and put the spring and trigger back in. If the trigger is too light, you simply screw the adjustment screw in. The rifle mentioned has a nice #2.5 trigger when done this way. I have a standard Gen 2 in .204 and this Predator in 6ARC. Most of my rifles are custom builds as well, on Rem 700 and Savage actions that wear Krieger or Shilen barrels, custom stocks and so on, but these little rifles are hard to beat for the money.

 

[DHD]

The actions have some of the add-ons custom actions do, like the side bolt release, and the ability to be able to user swap the barrels. Triggers are either Jard or Timney (what I am using) until someone else comes on the scene.

I have put my gen1 300BO in a MDT LSS-XL which improved shootability if not accuracy. It does very well with subsonic loads after I figured out the loading of subsonic ammo (it's all about those low sd's). Supersonic loads were easy as it shot them well from the beginning. I have never shot it less than 100 yards even with subsonic ammo. It has been a really a good little rifle if no longer inexpensive.

My gen2 Standard was never shot in the Ruger stock as I had a MDT XRS waiting along with 2-10 round MDT AICS magazines. I suspected, and was right, that Ruger would use a longer throat than I prefer. With the AICS 6ARC magazines, I have no concerns with being able to load long. I also use AD Arms pinbacks and change out the bolt knobs. Yeah, this one isn't inexpensive anymore either. The gen2 bolt is noticeably smoother than the gen1 out of the box in my case.

My gen2 6ARC did not shoot the factory 108's very well, but I was only shooting them to break in the barrel and get some once fired brass to measure the chamber. I will say my gen2 6ARC has a fat chamber to go with the long throat. Not a problem for me as the brass will be segregated anyway as I do not want bolt action ammo going into my gas guns.

I looked again at the 2-5 round targets shot yesterday with the 108 Berger BT, and one was slightly under .4" and the second was .5". Mirage was terrible because it was hot and humid, and heat waves were coming off of the suppressor. The very last shot on the .5" group opened it up, as the first 4 shots were one hole. The mirage off of the suppressor was boiling. Still my fault for rushing it.

This chassis stock was doing something weird but the groups were sure ridiculously tight for a factory Ruger barreled action, as you already know. I was feeling a vibration after each shot and I didn't know why. My shooting buddy was watching the rifle and the barrel was vibrating. He shot one round while I watched, and he was right. I have a Radical Defense LS-5TI on a XENO mount on it, and while not heavy by normal standards, you could see it vibrating. Weird, but as the little rifle shoots so well, I will live with the twang!

Your review of your rifle was one of the big reasons I bought mine. So in other words, it is your fault!

Editing to add that this "experiment" isn't cost effective. With what I have put into this, I am still left with a Ruger American action, and I know it. That out of the way, many more than just I must be doing similar things, otherwise MDT (and other chassis manufacturers), Timney, other small part manufacturers, and barrel wizards wouldn't be making their stuff. Since I am obviously nuts, I decided to send off my bolt to get the firing pin bushed. I have had all of my bolts that can use Lapua small primer/small flash hole brass bushed (unless they come with a small firing pin from the factory). Enough rambling about my foolishness....

 

[koger]

The actions have some of the add-ons custom actions do, like the side bolt release, and the ability to be able to user swap the barrels. Triggers are either Jard or Timney (what I am using) until someone else comes on the scene.

I have put my gen1 300BO in a MDT LSS-XL which improved shootability if not accuracy. It does very well with subsonic loads after I figured out the loading of subsonic ammo (it's all about those low sd's). Supersonic loads were easy as it shot them well from the beginning. I have never shot it less than 100 yards even with subsonic ammo. It has been a really a good little rifle if no longer inexpensive.

My gen2 Standard was never shot in the Ruger stock as I had a MDT XRS waiting along with 2-10 round MDT AICS magazines. I suspected, and was right, that Ruger would use a longer throat than I prefer. With the AICS 6ARC magazines, I have no concerns with being able to load long. I also use AD Arms pinbacks and change out the bolt knobs. Yeah, this one isn't inexpensive anymore either. The gen2 bolt is noticeably smoother than the gen1 out of the box in my case.

My gen2 6ARC did not shoot the factory 108's very well, but I was only shooting them to break in the barrel and get some once fired brass to measure the chamber. I will say my gen2 6ARC has a fat chamber to go with the long throat. Not a problem for me as the brass will be segregated anyway as I do not want bolt action ammo going into my gas guns.

I looked again at the 2-5 round targets shot yesterday with the 108 Berger BT, and one was slightly under .4" and the second was .5". Mirage was terrible because it was hot and humid, and heat waves were coming off of the suppressor. The very last shot on the .5" group opened it up, as the first 4 shots were one hole. The mirage off of the suppressor was boiling. Still my fault for rushing it.

This chassis stock was doing something weird but the groups were sure ridiculously tight for a factory Ruger barreled action, as you already know. I was feeling a vibration after each shot and I didn't know why. My shooting buddy was watching the rifle and the barrel was vibrating. He shot one round while I watched, and he was right. I have a Radical Defense LS-5TI on a XENO mount on it, and while not heavy by normal standards, you could see it vibrating. Weird, but as the little rifle shoots so well, I will live with the twang!

Your review of your rifle was one of the big reasons I bought mine. So in other words, it is your fault!

Glad to be an enabler, lol.