Ruger American 223/556 owners?

[Jmccracken1214]

Wanting to see what the people here with the Ranch 16" or Predator 22" are getting for accuracy/velocity?

Ive currently got a Tikka 223 Varmint 24" that I had threaded and put in a KRG bravo and while its an absolute tack driver out to 700, its so damn long and heavy, Im looking to go lighter.

Im running 23.4 gr of 8208 under 77 smk @ 2824. Seems slow for the barrel length, but the rifle shoots .25" at 100 easy and has no problem hammering yote sized targets out to 700 consistantly.


Wanting to see what people are getting for speed and accuracy out of the cheaper ruger, to determine if it'd be worth to change over to save weight.

 

[RHutch]

I had one, bought for my kid. I don’t recall velocity but accuracy was nothing to note but not bad either. Right around an inch for 5 shots.
It’s a cheap feeling rifle. I sold it , bought a tikka t3x sporter, chopped and threaded at 17”. It’s a .25” rifle with my load of Benchmark and 60VMax and a joy to carry.

 

[Jmccracken1214]

I had one, bought for my kid. I don’t recall velocity but accuracy was nothing to note but not bad either. Right around an inch for 5 shots.
It’s a cheap feeling rifle. I sold it , bought a tikka t3x sporter, chopped and threaded at 17”. It’s a .25” rifle with my load of Benchmark and 60VMax and a joy to carry.

I wish I got the ctr now, but at the time wanted the longer barrel since tikkas tend to shoot slow

 

[DukeGSP]

I've got one and dropped it in a chassis with a little trigger work and it shoots pretty damn good for what it is.

 

[MK20]

Mine shoots sub MOA with wolf m193 so I am happy, lol.

 

[paulrem308]

Got the itch for a 223 bolt gun. Thinking something like this, dont wont to spend a ton of $$. Strictly a fun gun/beater/yote. They come factory threaded? Will be shot supressed. Would like to get the howa barelled action, but those are still unabtanium.

 

[Potsy]

I’ve shot a couple of American Ranch .223’s. Both were well under MOA for 3 shots (how many times you gonna shoot that coyote?) with various factory and hand loaded ammo.
That said, I really want a 20” CTR. I’ve only ever shot one Tikka .223. It was an older wood stocked model and would stack holes.

 

[spife7980]

They come factory threaded?

the ranch and predator models, yes. The base model does not.

 

[Robert4]

I have a rotary mag 223/556 Ranch Rifle 16". I often use it to have something to shoot while the "good" rifles cool. I use lots of left over components just to use them up. Accuracy is surprisingly good with the worst being maybe 1 1/2 MOA and some combinations in the .3-.7 range.

 

[Rick the Bagger]

I have a Predator I've used on three prairie dog hunts. Probably 1K rounds by now. Factory Fiocchi Vmax ammo, 3400 fps out this pipe. Don't know group numbers but I have confirmed PD kills over 600 yds out. More than one. LOTS in the 500 yd range. I'm tickled to death with this $460 rifle, with a $400 Cabela's scope. Replacing scope this year. Bought this to see if I'd like PD hunting... LOVE IT!

 

[C_Does]

I've had my 16" ranch in 556 for years and have put many thousands of rounds through it. Everything from tula steel cased to Hornady match. It stabilizes everything from 55-77gr and will shoot quality ammo very well regardless of weight. I made a few minor mods to mine to make it fit me better, but I won't ever get rid of it. I have a p4xi 1-4 and a optika6 3-18 that I swap out on it. It's my practical handy carbine and my very budget minded 'precision' rifle. Why not an AR? Because I live in NY.

You can watch it in action at this year's Woodland Brutality.

 

[CypressCreek]

Love my Predator. My ol lady has been doing a fine job filling the freezer with it this year. She loves it, and shoots it extremely well. I will eventually upgrade the stock, but it’s easily one of the handiest rifles I own. Caught a vortex diamond back tactical 4-16 ffp on sale a few years back, and it’s been one hell of a budget setup.

 

[Jmccracken1214]

View attachment 8016300
Love my Predator. My ol lady has been doing a fine job filling the freezer with it this year. She loves it, and shoots it extremely well. I will eventually upgrade the stock, but it’s easily one of the handiest rifles I own. Caught a vortex diamond back tactical 4-16 ffp on sale a few years back, and it’s been one hell of a budget setup.

I ended up getting this rifle in 6.5 Grendel and love it.

 

[CypressCreek]

I ended up getting this rifle in 6.5 Grendel and love it.

I’ve thought about picking one of those up. They’re just hard to beat for the price. My nephews have one in 22-250 and 243 after their dad shot mine.

 

[celltech]

I have a stainless compact 18" model. Getting 2625 fps with 75 Hornady BTHP and 22.6gr of H4895 in Starline brass. Anyone else have a short throat in their gun? I can only seat them to 2.23" or they end up jammed into the lands. But it's amazingly accurate and pulls down 1/2" groups. Put in a M-Carbo trigger spring to lighten it up.

 

[mark5pt56]

It's probably the bullet ogive on those?

 

[celltech]

It's probably the bullet ogive on those?

That may be part of it, but putting a borescope down it shows me the shortest throat I have ever seen in a rifle. Compared to my other .223 barrels this one needs a given bullet set up to 0.150" deeper to keep the same clearance.

 

[Jmccracken1214]

That may be part of it, but putting a borescope down it shows me the shortest throat I have ever seen in a rifle. Compared to my other .223 barrels this one needs a given bullet set up to 0.150" deeper to keep the same clearance.

I thought the 75’s had a length issue and wouldn’t work well at AR mag length, so that paired with a short throat is probably the issues.

I had one years ago, and my tikka 223 that shot 77smk crazy good

 

[celltech]

It's not really an issue, just an oddity...the 75s shoot great in mine. The 1:8 barrel twist really begs for some heaver bullets. I wanted to use some 75 ELD-M but they are just too long to work out. Still a very fun and lightweight rifle to carry around.

 

[Campguy308]

I am using 68 Hornady BTHP in my ranch model using reloder 15. It's slow but shoots well. I want to try some 75s or 77s with TAC if i can find some. I have come to really enjoy the short handiness of it. I currently have a primary arms 1-6 lpvo on it.

 

[Jmccracken1214]

Bringing this back up.
I’ll be at a local store tomorrow that has the 16” ranch and the 22” predator in stock.
What say you on the one to get?

I like the 22” for velocity but the barrel looks skinny and will have some length with a can on it.

 

[mark5pt56]

Go with the Ranch

 

[CarbonMTN]

this was just shooting factory Federal Gold 77 SMK. so what ever the volocity says on the box @ 100 yards the Predator rilfe.

 

[DuneShoot]

The Ranch shoots!

 

[Jmccracken1214]

The Ranch shoots!

I went to sportsmans warehouse today and they have them for $549, but I forced myself to wait.
Im torn between grabbing this cheap ruger, i know they shoot, ive had numerous over the years, but the other side of me says just wait and get a tikka. But thats double the cost, and def. will need to be dropped in a chassis... $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[DuneShoot]

I was blown away with the way the Ruger Ranch shoots with OEM stock and trigger. Both at 100 yards and at distance.

All I added was a rail to mount a bipod.

 

[Mississippiboy]

I was set on a Ruger ranch but I ran across this tikka T3x lite on gunbroker for less than $600. I chopped the barrel to 16" and threaded. Its definitely a step up from the Ruger in quality and it shoots my 77gr AR-15 match load lights out.

 

[Jmccracken1214]

View attachment 8202067

I was set on a Ruger ranch but I ran across this tikka T3x lite on gunbroker for less than $600. I chopped the barrel to 16" and threaded. Its definitely a step up from the Ruger in quality and it shoots my 77gr AR-15 match load lights out.

Can you measure the barrel diameter for me behind the muzzle threads ?

 

[Mississippiboy]

Can you measure the barrel diameter for me behind the muzzle threads ?

It’s .650” I made me an adapter for 5/8 so I could direct thread my can

 

[BLJ]

Ranch with a modified stock and a coil cut off the trigger spring shooting ADI 69’s.
3 shots at 575 below it.
I’m okay with it for “cheap junk”.

 

[JJ3]

I’ve been impressed with the ranch 300blk I recently acquired. I have 3000$ rifles that don’t shoot as easy. Looking for a 556 next.

Pics from sight in with a Redfield 3-9. Known Barnes 110 and Speer 125 loads no development. Prol won’t spend any time working up loads if it proves consistent.