Ruger American Rifle Gen II

[jlw]

So, is the only adjustment the big spacer? Are other size spacers available?

[Salamander]

I don't understand that remark. I have a couple of rifles with fluted barrels, although admittedly straight, not spiral. But if any mud gets caked on them, I just hose them down and spray some Ballistol for good measure. It's not like I need or want to lick those flutes for perfection.

P.S. I you think RRR Gen2 is bad to clean, Ruger sell a 5.7 rifle where the spiral flutes are under a handguard.

I'll take your word for it on the cleaning, since I've never owned a fluted barrel. My main point stands though, I hope on the Gen II they put some effort into producing a bolt without the obvious burrs and other imperfections on my Gen I. The fancy stock and barrel may attract some entry-level buyers, I'm far more interested in the functional stuff though.

The part that I can verify is hard to clean is inside the front of the action, where there's a half-inch of exposed threads behind the barrel. They're not easy to reach.

The 6.5G magazine is a C Products, just checked.

[texag]

If you don't mind the shorter LOP, you can get closer to a direct path? Maybe?


When the Ranch model 6970 came out back in the day, I was very interested, since it came with a "compact" stock. Looks like these Gen IIs have the ability to adjust LOP. I don't shoot my 300BLK much anymore, but wanted one for goofing with a can. Still kinda want one...


Question: I thought these took normal AR magazines. Am I mistaken?

Doesn't really look like it's any better. It's not that the gun is unusable or anything, but it wouldn't cost them any money to have a stock with a heel in line with the bore.

These are really too close to Tikka prices for me to bother with them anyways.

[Borderland]

Nearly all 300 BO ballistics are quoted in 16" barrels. A longer barrel may not increase range much given the Blackout's limited case capacity, but it can't hurt. In the budget category, the CVA Cascade SB gets you to 18" and the Savage Axis II Compact gets you to 20", plus both are cheaper than a Gen2 Ruger.

That said, the 308 or 6.5 Creed are far more versatile if you regularly need to reach beyond ~150 yards, plus you have more options for rifles, loads, etc. If I were to encounter a wayward nilgai, then there's no way I'd pass up the shot but I'd want a 308 at a minimum.


Okie John

wayward nilgai

I saw one of those in the N. Cascades a few years ago being chased by a sasquatch. I stopped by the ranger station to report it but they showed me the door.

[Borderland]

The thing about Ruger rifles are they build them chambered in the latest popular cartridges. I just looked and there are 18 cartridges listed for the standard rifle. I don't even know what some of those are. Ruger makes their own barrels so when the big box stores order many they get built. 6mm ARC looks like something from Hornady that they thought we needed. Works in both AR and bolt rifles. So...we get an American Rifle gen II for that cartridge. How convenient. What ever happened to the 6.5 Grendel? Don't hear much about that one anymore.

But that's all marketing. Finally, someone designed the all American Rifle Cartridge, the 6mm ARC.

I don't know a lot about that because I don't buy new firearms. The old ones work pretty well for me.

[fly out]

I don't even know what some of those are. ... 6mm ARC looks like something from Hornady that they thought we needed. ... What ever happened to the 6.5 Grendel? Don't hear much about that one anymore.

I don't know a lot about that because I don't buy new firearms.

You saw 6mm ARC at Model No. 46926, but not 6.5 Grendel at Model No. 46927? Maybe that's not how it shook out. Regardless, 6.5 Grendel will be a thing, as the kids say. Might be the best choice.

[okie john]

wayward nilgai

I saw one of those in the N. Cascades a few years ago being chased by a sasquatch. I stopped by the ranger station to report it but they showed me the door.

The OP is in south Texas, which is crawling with exotic game and one of the few places where you can hunt nilgai.

There is no closed season on exotics, and some of them, like aoudad and nilgai, are notoriously hard to contain. https://wildlife.org/wild-cam-fence-...p-texas-range/ You can shoot--and eat--any exotic that crosses onto your property. I got an opportunity at an aoudad like this many years ago, but couldn't maneuver within about 700 yards so I had to pass up the shot.

Unlike aoudad, which is barely fit for dog food, nilgai is some of the finest meat I've ever eaten. Speaking of which, next time you're in Austin, have the nilgai cutlet at https://www.daidue.com/

Then you'll understand why hope springs eternal when it comes to the chance of a wayward nilgai.


Okie John

[Jimichanga]

I'm reasonably happy with my Ruger Ranch Gen I 6.5G also. Went with that caliber because at the time I was frequently on a project site that had a few pigs, so having something bigger than 5.56/223 seemed like a good idea and still light and compact enough to easily carry on rugged terrain. It can also reach out to considerably longer range than 300 BO.

It's important to remember that it's a budget offering. The trigger is not too bad but obviously no match for the Timney on my 308. The chamber design makes it a little tricky to clean. The machining on the bolt was rough out of the box, it's worn in some now but still isn't all that slick at speed, most of my old 1940s-1950s mil surp bolt guns are better and some are much better. But it's fairly accurate for the price and does what I need it to do... good enough to get the job done, and to do better would cost accordingly. It may not win a long distance match, but pretty sure it will kill a pig or a deer cleanly and it's lots of fun to punch paper or steel with.

***

I recently picked up a 6.5G Ruger Ranch. The stock on American line is the weakest link, glad to see Ruger addressed it and the bolt handle. I am happy with it after making a few changes. Running the bolt sounded like a zipper with the rough tool marks. I covered it with JB bore paste and ran it a few hundred times and now it is smooth. I cut 2 coils off the trigger return spring, sanded and deburred. Now it breaks at just over 2lbs. I put it in a KRG Bravo stock which has been great, very versatile. The Bravo also takes an AICS magazine which gives you more leeway in playing with seating depth for reloads over the STANAG mags in the original stock. Still working on load development.

[Redhat]

I would have a hard time getting past the looks of that barrel.

[Borderland]

You saw 6mm ARC at Model No. 46926, but not 6.5 Grendel at Model No. 46927? Maybe that's not how it shook out. Regardless, 6.5 Grendel will be a thing, as the kids say. Might be the best choice.

I missed that. I should have known it wasn't dead. When it first hit the streets I was very tempted to buy a 6.5 Grendel bolt rifle, but being so miserly I bought a .223 instead. Lower reloading costs.