The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Huge Thumbs Up for the Ruger American Rifle

rfd · August 2, 2014, 06:13 AM

opin·ion
noun \ə-ˈpin-yən\

: a belief, judgment, or way of thinking about something : what someone thinks about a particular thing

opinions of others are just that, and some go beyond opinion and into the world of hype and shilling. so with that caveat out of the way ...

i've been shooting firearms since the late 50's and have had my share of long guns in just about all the most popular brands out there in gunland. i'm not a firearm "expert", but i do know some good stuff about guns, and know some things to avoid. like opinions of others.

so now i have an RAR in .243 win, and i think it's a good long gun. is it "stellar" and "best" and "better than your xxxx rifle"? nah, probably not. is it "perfect" in every way and will it satisfy Everyone? h3ll no. besides, who really cares, this is the internet and opinions have all the weight of a feather.

i've had this RAR for about 3 months. on day one i field stripped it, cleaned/lubed it, modded the wimpy plastic stock for added stiffness and butt weight, loaded all the rounds shot through it (exactly 420 to date today), went through a "break in" regimen for the first 50 rounds, and can offer the following comments on THIS rifle, not your RAR, but mine.

it's not perfect. woohoo, big breaking news.

let's get the first bone of contention outta the way - the plastic rotary magazine ... well, it does work, for the most part. is it a deal breaker? depends on you and your needs. some of these mags don't work so well and need either a bit of tweaking or a replacement that ruger will gladly (so far) send ya. i've had some troubles with mine, but never bothered tweaking or replacing since i only single load this rifle (actually, all my bolts are loaded single). i did load and cycle the mag at least 20 times and i don't see any long term issues, but who knows or really should care 'cause it's a 300 buck rifle. i don't see this as a negative thing at all. it is what it is. you want some modicum of "perfection", look elsewhere and maybe open up yer wallet and dig deeper for more greenbacks.

the bolt was kinda "sticky" at first, but after cleaning it out well and lubing it sparingly, it began to work real smooooth after the first 50 rounds or so down the tube. i like this bolt a lot.

the pencil barrel heats up pretty quick, and that's about the only detriment to consistent multi-fire accuracy (besides the trigger operator and the cartridges it's fed). i use heat strips for all my rifles, and at around 105f forward of the chamber, the consistency @ 100yds held well, but above that it all started going to h3ll. i really like the action and i'm thinking that down the road a replacement barrel will be a done deal. is it a "tack driver"? hah! this isn't a bench rifle by anyone's stretch of imagination, but with careful loading and shooting it's probably a consistent 100yd moa rifle, which is what i'm getting. haven't gotten to the 200 and 300 yard ranges yet ...

the stock fore end is a noodle. really. and the barrel wasn't fully free floated. i fixed both with some elbow grease, production paper on a large dowel, and rockite. makes a Huge difference in shooting consistency, particularly if a bipod is used.

the rifle's balance got lots better with some weight added to the butt. 'nuff said.

the adjustable trigger isn't really all that adjustable. lots depends on what the rifle will be used for, and if hunting, that'd probably not be an issue. i got mine screw-adjusted down to just a hair under 3lbs. i'll be changing out the spring and i think it'll go down to 2lbs or under. no after-market trigger for the RAR that i know about.

the "V" block action bedding seems to actually work well! wow.

when, and IF, boyds comes out with the RAR lam stock, i'll get me one for sure.

so overall, for an "entry" or "truck" rifle, 2 thumbs up for the very affordable RAR - it's not perfect, nor is it a rifle for everyone, but i think it is for most folks who have specific rifle needs and want reasonable quality and performance for the least dollar$ spent. AND, plenty of other brands of bottom-feeder long guns to choose, besides ruger's offering. i like that marlin xs7vh.

those are my opinions, and as always, ymmv, and do whatever makes ya feel good, thanx for yer perusing time on this post.

August 2, 2014, 06:13 AM	#1
rfd Member Join Date: June 4, 2014 Posts: 25	Huge Thumbs Up for the Ruger American Rifle opin·ion noun \ə-ˈpin-yən\ : a belief, judgment, or way of thinking about something : what someone thinks about a particular thing opinions of others are just that, and some go beyond opinion and into the world of hype and shilling. so with that caveat out of the way ... i've been shooting firearms since the late 50's and have had my share of long guns in just about all the most popular brands out there in gunland. i'm not a firearm "expert", but i do know some good stuff about guns, and know some things to avoid. like opinions of others. so now i have an RAR in .243 win, and i think it's a good long gun. is it "stellar" and "best" and "better than your xxxx rifle"? nah, probably not. is it "perfect" in every way and will it satisfy Everyone? h3ll no. besides, who really cares, this is the internet and opinions have all the weight of a feather. i've had this RAR for about 3 months. on day one i field stripped it, cleaned/lubed it, modded the wimpy plastic stock for added stiffness and butt weight, loaded all the rounds shot through it (exactly 420 to date today), went through a "break in" regimen for the first 50 rounds, and can offer the following comments on THIS rifle, not your RAR, but mine. it's not perfect. woohoo, big breaking news. let's get the first bone of contention outta the way - the plastic rotary magazine ... well, it does work, for the most part. is it a deal breaker? depends on you and your needs. some of these mags don't work so well and need either a bit of tweaking or a replacement that ruger will gladly (so far) send ya. i've had some troubles with mine, but never bothered tweaking or replacing since i only single load this rifle (actually, all my bolts are loaded single). i did load and cycle the mag at least 20 times and i don't see any long term issues, but who knows or really should care 'cause it's a 300 buck rifle. i don't see this as a negative thing at all. it is what it is. you want some modicum of "perfection", look elsewhere and maybe open up yer wallet and dig deeper for more greenbacks. the bolt was kinda "sticky" at first, but after cleaning it out well and lubing it sparingly, it began to work real smooooth after the first 50 rounds or so down the tube. i like this bolt a lot. the pencil barrel heats up pretty quick, and that's about the only detriment to consistent multi-fire accuracy (besides the trigger operator and the cartridges it's fed). i use heat strips for all my rifles, and at around 105f forward of the chamber, the consistency @ 100yds held well, but above that it all started going to h3ll. i really like the action and i'm thinking that down the road a replacement barrel will be a done deal. is it a "tack driver"? hah! this isn't a bench rifle by anyone's stretch of imagination, but with careful loading and shooting it's probably a consistent 100yd moa rifle, which is what i'm getting. haven't gotten to the 200 and 300 yard ranges yet ... the stock fore end is a noodle. really. and the barrel wasn't fully free floated. i fixed both with some elbow grease, production paper on a large dowel, and rockite. makes a Huge difference in shooting consistency, particularly if a bipod is used. the rifle's balance got lots better with some weight added to the butt. 'nuff said. the adjustable trigger isn't really all that adjustable. lots depends on what the rifle will be used for, and if hunting, that'd probably not be an issue. i got mine screw-adjusted down to just a hair under 3lbs. i'll be changing out the spring and i think it'll go down to 2lbs or under. no after-market trigger for the RAR that i know about. the "V" block action bedding seems to actually work well! wow. when, and IF, boyds comes out with the RAR lam stock, i'll get me one for sure. so overall, for an "entry" or "truck" rifle, 2 thumbs up for the very affordable RAR - it's not perfect, nor is it a rifle for everyone, but i think it is for most folks who have specific rifle needs and want reasonable quality and performance for the least dollar$ spent. AND, plenty of other brands of bottom-feeder long guns to choose, besides ruger's offering. i like that marlin xs7vh. those are my opinions, and as always, ymmv, and do whatever makes ya feel good, thanx for yer perusing time on this post.