Anyone setup a Ruger American Ranch in 5.56 as a scout rifle? I just grabbed an AR mag version and looking for ideas.
Never found a good option for iron sights. Otherwise I'd have bought the american ranch yesterday
I have two Ruger American Ranches in 7.62x39. I put low power scopes on them and they are awesome! I really wish Ruger would offer a version with irons; I would probably buy another.
Here is a post of mine from a while back, but my son and I still put a lot of miles on the rifles and they still work great:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.ph...low-up.845741/
I have a Ruger American Ranch on the way, picking it up in about a week. Mine is 6.5 Grendel, because I wanted a little more punch for some of the remote sites I work on which can have bigger critters, the 5.56 version was really tempting but wasn't in stock anywhere nearby.
The caliber choice limited my options, and it came down to Ruger, CZ 527, or Howa mini. After lots of research, I found plenty of people who liked each one. The Howa dropped out because for me, the mag release in front of the mag, proprietary mags, and the plastic bottom end were deal killers... especially the mag release, that's a no-go in some of the dense brush I need to move through. Lots of folks liked the action/barrel and the accuracy, and there's a guy who makes bottom metal but not with a detachable mag. The CZ got mixed reviews, some worked out of the box, some needed to be bedded; I could have lived with that, and like the wood stock. The Ruger won out because I can use it out of the box, the 16-inch barrel is easy to handle in brush, it's lightweight, good AR-pattern metal mags are readily available and not expensive, and it comes with a rail. Initially I'll drop a spare Aimpoint on it, maybe a scope later. And there's the option of reaching out to longer ranges with the right optics if that's ever desired.
That said, my needs are pretty specific. If I already had a CZ in 7.62 and liked it, that would weight the decision toward another CZ. The Ruger in 5.56 would work too. Will report on mine when I shoot it, just waiting on the stupid California 10-day thing. I'm also a fan of Tikka, just wasn't available in what I wanted.
Last edited by Salamander; 12-11-2020 at 10:58 PM.
Does anyone else think that a 527 carb in .300BO would be the cat’s ass?
”But in the end all of these ideas just manufacture new criminals when the problem isn't a lack of criminals.” -JRB
While I appreciate the magazine flexibility/increased capacity alternatives inherent to the Ruger offerings, I'm solidly in the CZ 527 camp. The CZ's offer exceptional quality, reliability, durability and accuracy. Especially for hunting/scouting purposes, I can easily live with the 5 round magazines (althought a 10 round one from CZ would be nice...).
The OEM iron sights are quite decent; mine is one of the older ones, with a brass bead front; I believe the newer ones come with a fiber optic front. The proportionately downsized Mauser micro action is flat-out superb. While I have yet to do it, the bolt is easily disasembled. The set trigger trigger option (the only "option" is if you choose to use it; CZ 527's come with 2 triggerpull options) is easily adjusted without any action disassembly required.
The only adds to mine have been a Boonie Packer Safari Sling and a Strike Hold Gear buttstock 2 magazine pouch (designed for Mosin Nagant clipped cartridges, but work magnificently with CZ 527 magazines).
https://www.strikehardgear.com/mosin...page=2#reviews
https://www.redi-mag.com/product/safari-sling/
In the future, I might consider adding a RDS or a rugged telescopic sight, but for now I'm very satisfied. If I was concerned over the need for increased accesssible ammunition portability, I'd consider Strike Hold Gear's 6 pouch bandoleer or similar:
https://www.strikehardgear.com/mosin-nagant-bandolier/
To me, the CZ 527 comes across as a blend of the Mauser 98K and M1 Carbine, with a cartridge and platform configured for both hunting and scouting needs. While I admire the Steyr Scout Rifle, the CZ fufulls my needs at a far lower price point, and with exceptional value.
Best, Jon
Last edited by JonInWA; 12-12-2020 at 11:23 AM.
I have a .223 Howa Mini that I never shoot mostly because I have 1500 HB set up as a precision rifle. I bought it with a light weight barrel which may not be offered anymore in the .223 Mini. I had no idea what I was buying at the time. Makes for a very light rife which I believe is one of the objectives for the scout concept. The action is drilled for scope mount or rail with no front sight.
The reason I don't like it mostly has to do with the LW barrel. It heats up pretty damn fast ( 4-5 rds) and it starts stringing the POI slightly. That wouldn't be a problem for a scout rifle but I'm not a scout I shoot from a bench.
We can't even hunt deer with a .223 in this state so it's pretty useless. About all it might be good for is a LW scout rifle. Might be a slick setup with a sling and a dot.
Last edited by Borderland; 12-12-2020 at 11:48 AM.
In the P-F basket of deplorables.