New Ruger American side lever?

[mikld]

OK fellers, I've got a "new gun itch". I've got my eye on a Ruger American in 30-06. I'd like some first hand opinions from those that own an American. Please, I'm interested in the American only not any "you should buy a ____", Or Bubbs's second cousin's friends brother in law saw one and...", just personal experience, OK?

I'm pretty set on 30-06 'cause it's a classic, and I have 500+ cases, a few lbs. of powder and a bunch of bullets (I'm reloading for my Garand!). Plus I'm on a budget...

[AJMD429]

Don't own one and am tempted to say "you should get a . . . ", but I have a friend with TWO of them, and he is very happy with them, and has brought them over to my range to shoot several times. I've shot them, and they are very 'reasonable' guns. After all, they're Rugers...

I (of course) do like their Hawkeye series better, as an old M-77 fan, and their Gunsite Scout looks cool too. And I have a couple Savage bolt guns I really like too.

However, the reason my friend has TWO of them is because dollar-for-dollar it looked like the other option was only ONE of the others. So if your budget is ONE Ruger American, then you'd only get half of any of the others....and other than an AR-15 or Encore, not many 'half' guns have much utility...

[wolfdog]

Do not have one but a couple of guys I shoot with do and for the money very accurate, MOA or a little better.

[vancelw]

I'm pretty set on 30-06 'cause it's a classic, and I have 500+ cases, a few lbs. of powder and a bunch of bullets (I'm reloading for my Garand!). Plus I'm on a budget...

And .30-'06 was available during the last panic when the shelves were stripped bare of all other calibers.
I had one briefly in .308 but didn't get a chance to shoot it before someone else wanted it worse than I did. I've heard nothing but good about them.
The -'06 is also the cheapest caliber to buy. I've seen them as low as $299 and quite often $319 BNIB at gun shows.
Buy it and use it, if you shop around and get a good price, then don't like it, you can get your money back. I sold my used .308 for more than a new one would have cost the guy. ( I value the cheapo scope I had on it at 20 bucks or less)

I think they are heads above anything in a similar price range (Axis, Rem 770, Marlin X7)

[BrentD]

Shop around for a nice 1903 sporter and get 5x the rifle at 1/2 the price.

Just an idea.

[Streetstar]

Have you handled one yet? If you have handled one and like it - go for it ---- I handled one , both a centerfire and the .22 models , 0 thinking it would make a great "Walking varminter" or something --- for my tastes, the gun was a little too ................"basic"

But its a Ruger ---- and as others have said, the initial reports of accuracy are pretty good

[Pisgah]

Shop around for a nice 1903 sporter and get 5x the rifle at 1/2 the price.

Just an idea.

Really?? Please point me to a nice Springfield Sporter for $200!

For what it is -- a solid, economical, accurate, entry-level sporter with some nice features, the American is just fine. Nothing fancy, no showpiece of artistic craftsmanship, just a solid tool that will give lots of service.

[yooper2]

OK, so I don't own one, but...
I've shot a 308 American extensively. My cousin has one and is absolutely nutty about it. When he had to leave the country for work it lived at my house for a few of months. It's accurate, really accurate. Shot an honest 1/2" 5 shot group with 311299 over 16grs of 2400, my generic go-to 308 load. Admittedly, it usually only shoots between 3/4" and 7/8" but for rifle of it's price with an old Redfield 4x scope it's pretty incredible. I ended up putting about 1200 rounds through it in the 4 months it lived at my house.
They're quite light, really nice for lugging around or shooting offhand but it gets old after a while shooting from the bench. If they made a left hand version I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

Eric

[6pt-sika]

I've messed with several at the shop for customers and to be honest I don't care for them . I'd rather have one of the cheaper Savage guns , well atleast the cheaper ones above the Axis .

[Ray Newman]

And I though this thread was going to tell us that Ruger is introducing a new #1 action, actuated by a side lever like a Remington-Hepburn....

[AJMD429]

OK, so I don't own one, but...//...I ended up putting about 1200 rounds through it in the 4 months it lived at my house.

Well, at lest it didn't sit in the back of your gun safe and get rusty...

[Streetstar]

OK, so I don't own one, but...//...I ended up putting about 1200 rounds through it in the 4 months it lived at my house.

Well, at lest it didn't sit in the back of your gun safe and get rusty...

Yes ! bravo sir -- the only guns i have that get that kind of mileage are "top levers" (AR's)

[66GTO]

I have one in .30-06. It is a decent rifle, a good value for the money. But, when I compare it to my Savages, it doesn't quite measure up. My Savages are more like $500-650 rifles (one with Accustock and varmint barrel, and the other a sporter barrel and pillar bedded synthetic stock) and the American can be had for not much more than $300. My Savages (.243) are 1 MOA with cheap factory ammo and with certain of my handloads they are 1/2 MOA. The Savage Accutrigger is much better than the Ruger American knock off of it. I had to put a lighter spring in the Ruger to get it under 6 lbs. and it still is not as good as the factory Accutrigger. I had to inlet the Ruger stock to keep it from touching one side of the barrel and relieve it around the tang also. The Ruger American shoots 168 gr. bullets with IMR4350 at 1 MOA, but it took some work to get it there and it only really likes one certain load. I haven't gotten any factory load to shoot 1 MOA in it yet. Now the American is perfectly acceptable as a hunting rifle, it will shoot minute of deer at the ranges I hunt at here in Florida. I just prefer the Savage.

If you don't want to spend much more than $300 you might want to look at a Savage Axis. They are supposedly just as accurate as rhe standard Savage and are now available with the Accutrigger or you can swap out the standard trigger or do a little home made gunsmithing on it. The Axis synthetic stock is purportedly a little flimsy though.

[yooper2]

OK, so I don't own one, but...//...I ended up putting about 1200 rounds through it in the 4 months it lived at my house.

Well, at lest it didn't sit in the back of your gun safe and get rusty...

Yes ! bravo sir -- the only guns i have that get that kind of mileage are "top levers" (AR's)

I'm lucky to live in a place where "going to the range" means walking out the back door. It also doesn't hurt to have a 308 set for the 550B!


Eric

[66GTO]

I just looked at a picture of a 100 yd. target I shot with my Savage .243 Sporter and I was wrong about it shooting 1/2 MOA. This target looks more like 1/4 MOA. So for my money I prefer a Savage over the Ruger American. I am sure a deer won't know the difference between 1 MOA (Ruger American) or 1/4 MOA though.



The dead center shot was the 3rd shot flyer after the barrel heated up.

[mikld]

Well, I guess my decision is made for me! I went to two places that sell rifles and neither one had an American in 30-06. I know the others calibers are fine (.243, .270, 308, and 7mm08), but I don't want to get into a reloading a new caliber right now. I was "waffling" back and forth about purchasing one so the fellers at the stores made up my mind for me...

[Blaine]

Well, I guess my decision is made for me! I went to two places that sell rifles and neither one had an American in 30-06. I know the others calibers are fine (.243, .270, 308, and 7mm08), but I don't want to get into a reloading a new caliber right now. I was "waffling" back and forth about purchasing one so the fellers at the stores made up my mind for me...

Wait for what you want.....