Ruger and accurate don't belong in the same sentence

I've heard that for years, and quite frankly it's just depends on your experience and the luck of the draw. I have had several inaccurate Rugers, the worst a 260 Lightweight. The three most accurate big game rifles I own are also Rugers, being headed by a factory 338 WM which has been shooting sub 0.5 MOA for over 25 years. This is from a collection of around 40 over .22 cal rifles I currently own. I have had inaccurate rifles in almost every brand. When ebay still allowed barrel sales, model 700 Remington barrels were going for around $15-25 unfired to people wanting them to screw into the Turkih mausers which were flooding the market at the time, and there were usually 40 or 50 for sale at any given time. My most memorable was a 280 Model 70 Winchester which was accurate enough, but would shift point of impact about 18" when travelling from Ky to Wyoming. It came right back on return. I wouldn't have been surprised by this if I hadn't bought a model with a laminated stock to avoid this issue. I had the same thing happen with a regular stocked Model 700 in 250, except it moved side to side about the same distance, not up and down.

A better name would have been "Ruger far sighted"

I can't seem to find my detachable magazine...

I'll bet these will find themselves flying off the shelf in Aug-Nov for those looking for a cheap ready to hunt rifle. Though I would not own one, There will be many bright eyed youngsters proud as hell when they get theirs.

What I don't like is Ruger's use the word AMERICA to market these bottom of the barrel firearms. If you want to use AMERICA to market your product, as an American, I would prefer you place that moniker on the best that the company can produce. Can you imagine what our European or Australian counterparts will think if one skips accross the pond?

Considering much of the junk the Euros pawned in the American market, I wouldn't be so concerned about this rifle. Most of you are are too young to remember GEHA shotguns, cheap spanish doubles, Armenius pistols and the like. Not everything from across the pond was stellar quality or engineering. Bottom line is if these Rugers shoot, they'll sell enough to justify the effort.

As for ugly, you should see some of my walnut and blue steel work. Quality ingredients do not always make for a 5-star meal. But at east they 're American made!

I don't know what you guys expect from a gun mfg? Do you really expect a company like Ruger to standby and watch, while Rem intros a POS like the 770, and Savage just keeps making them cheaper, and there are others. And they are selling as fast as they can make them.

At least there seem to be some real innovation in this new Ruger, the three lug bolt, rotary mag, etc.

For a truck rifle I would own one real fast. So far I haven't been able to bring myself to buy a Remington 700 or 770 (both POS IMO) or a Savage, or any of the others, but I would buy one of these new Rugers - in 308, and I'll bet it will shoot too.

Many said the ugly word and bad mouthed the Gunsite too, and it's selling real good. You naysayers are just out of touch.

KB

I like that Ruger is Anerican so we should expect something decent in form and function.
As a good value low cost rifle I get that but why not a M77?
How about an inexpensive single shot?

It's about providing something that will sell, and can be produced at a cost that allows a decent profit and yet a competative retail price. It's a balancing act, and obviously the goal is to compete with similar rifles, even the Tika.

Think of the capital investment in bringing such a rifle into production. There has to be a market, and the competition has proven that there is. Frankly I see it as a better mouse trap. It has features the competition doesn't offer.

IMO, Ruger has the production costs on the 77 about as efficient as they can get it, and still they can't retail it in the price range as a Savage or the Rem 770, or Marlin, for examples. I think the 77 MKII is a better rifle.

We shall see. There are things to like about the rifle besides the price. I like the three lug bolt, and the rotary magazine, and the flush fit or the DBM. I would rather see a three-position safety, and can only hope the safety locks the bolt down, but I doubt it.

Think back to when the Glock first came out, and the fuss it caused with the "plastic". Glocks are here to stay.

I'm sure you remember comments re other rifles that go something like: I'm sure glad they put the money in the metal work, that's the core, the stock is just a handle, and I can upgrade that, but if the metal work is poor, not much can be done to improve it. Many guys just look at eye candy, or appeal. If it doesn't look like they presuppose in the mind's eye, then they look no further.

My questions center around function, accuracy, and is the metal work done right.

KB

It truly represents America today:

1) It's cheap
2) It's plastic
3) It could/should be made in China

well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad...

I might buy one for a truck gun, but I think several posters have hit it spot on in that it will be in a lot of younger shooters hands this fall and if gets them to become "one of us" then it's doing exactly what we need even if it's not what we want... A lot of us seem to forget what it was like wanting that first gun, but knowing we couldn't yet afford what we wanted. I didn't want my first Mossberg pump gun, but it's what I needed and served me well until I could afford something a little nicer.

quote:

Originally posted by MFD:
A firearms company as Ruger can build and sell firearms as the Red Label Shotgun, Ruger RSM, single action revolvers as a standard for all others, etc., etc, and bring this rifle to the public is not a good thing. No doubt they will sell to the Walmart crowd and shows they have no bounds in their profit motives. I know they are in business to make money and one of the few firarm mfg's that do, but somewhere pride of workmanship should enter the picture. Can't imagine what Bill Ruger is thinking.

I don't see anything wrong with Ruger bringing out an American made rifle that a guy making $15 an hour might actually be able to afford. And I doubt Bill Ruger would object. A lot of folks said the same things about the first firearm he designed and manufactured--the .22 auto pistol. People called it cheap junk and thought the pistol's style and the Ruger name were a "Luger" ripoff. But Bill Ruger proved them wrong in the end.

Hey, people...you got NO GRIP...it's YOU that allowed this type of garbage to be introduced in the first place...along with Ebay, cut rate/discount stores, THE INTERNET, voting for politicians that catered to YOUR WANTS, sucking up every discount you could find and thinking you just cut a fat hog and NAFTA.

WE got no one to blame but ourselves...Madison avenue Ad types got you by the balls and won't let go...

You think going to the discount supermarket and getting your toothpaste, shopping for all the price cuts and buying cheap gas doesn't trickle down to your guns OR YOUR COFFEE...gimme a break and wake up and SMELL THE COFFEE...soon enough a cup of coffee will cost MORE than a pack of butts.

If people DIDN'T buy garbage OR "discounted items", they WOULDN'T survive the market...that's economics 101.

Don't blame anything but greed and avarice, ignorance and letting advertizing lead you "buy" your nose.

Ruger bashing or ANY bashing sure gets old...this is a new year...get a new MP3 playlist and toss that old 78 record.

Luck

DITTO !!!!

I wonder, really, what was said, back then, no internet forums, only opinions, and hard times, when Winchester was offering the magnificent Mod 70, the rifleman's rifle, and Remington was selling the 721, at half the cost, no checkering, no hinged floor plate, no three position safety, etc. then the 700, in direct competition, the most sales of a rifle in history, cloned extensively today, then the Mod 70 was discontinued, in favor of a push feed, sponsered by the market --- well the rest is history. Things change, man, embrace it.

KB

If the most disparaging remark is that this rifle is "UGLY" than it stands a chance to be a success, ergo Philis Diller.
If it were chambered in .257 Roberts with a reasonably long throat I'd get one tomorrow !!! I really would. roger

Rest assured that if it ever comes out in either the 338 Win or 375 Ruger that it will become an overnight success up here where performance counts for more than beauty.

Well gents it's like this

My eldest turned 12 last year and wanted a centerfire rifle, most of my guns are too big for him so I brought him a cheap ass Stevens 200 in 7-08, trimmed it and put a thinner kick pad on for LOP, put a scope on it and he's been shooting it ever since, he's dropped it, scratched it, it's been in mud and water and basically been treated like you would expect a 12 yo would treat his first rifle.

The stock needed to be shortened and barrel channel opened up so it would free float, the trigger is horrible heavy and couldnt be adjusted properly and the action was long and we had trouble fitting a compact scope on it. Finally I dont like the idea of him having to cycle through the rounds on the blind magazine when unloading, it always worries me he might leave one in there.

So while it shoots OK, I've never been overly excited about it.

Would I have brought this RUGER for him instead at about the same price if it was available, you bet I would and it is already free floated and has an adjustable trigger, and a more easily loaded and unloaded magazine box,

Now my 2nd son is reaching the legal junior age of 12 and you can bet your bottem dollar, for his first rifle he will be getting one of these Rugers.

I really dont care how it looks, it's just perfect for what I want it for.

regards
S&F

I like it..
If they are accurate and ever chamber them in a fast twist .223, 22-250, or their RCM line I'll buy one...
Buy one in 30-06, twist off the barrel yourself as it has a barrel nut and screw on a .35 Whelen or 9.3X62 barrel getting you a light weight hammer..

Good trigger, three lugs, free floated and less than 1" groups with most ammo for less than $440 MSRP. Ruger did exactly what they set out to do and I applaud the effort!

What about the Marlin XL7??? Slightly less money, nice stock, MUCH better bolt release than a Savage, barrel nut for easy barrel swapping AND also chambered for the 270 Win.

NO CLIP for those who loose things...I've NEVER LOST A CLIP out of a rifle...in the sh** or in my bunk...lost a few in other ways...

BUT I HAVE HAD HINGED FLOOR PLATES POP OPEN and caused a bit of dancing, and it always seems to happen at the wrong time...NEVER at the range or just popping cans...but that's what duct and electrical tape is for...AND blind mags.

There are many, very nice entry level rifles for young and old, that will last until you can afford that special one.

Guns are like women...they are mostly ALL beautiful to someone...some just more so than others.

Luck

After Chuck Hawks ripped the Tikka a new one wonder what he'll say about the new Ruger American.

How many of you bitch and moan about the appearance, ugly, plastic, etc, in referring to the AR? Oh, that's different?

KB

Go with a Howa 1500/Vanguard for a good looking, budget rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by ShortandFat:
Well gents it's like this

My eldest turned 12 last year and wanted a centerfire rifle, most of my guns are too big for him so I brought him a cheap ass Stevens 200 in 7-08, trimmed it and put a thinner kick pad on for LOP, put a scope on it and he's been shooting it ever since, he's dropped it, scratched it, it's been in mud and water and basically been treated like you would expect a 12 yo would treat his first rifle.

The stock needed to be shortened and barrel channel opened up so it would free float, the trigger is horrible heavy and couldnt be adjusted properly and the action was long and we had trouble fitting a compact scope on it. Finally I dont like the idea of him having to cycle through the rounds on the blind magazine when unloading, it always worries me he might leave one in there.

So while it shoots OK, I've never been overly excited about it.

Would I have brought this RUGER for him instead at about the same price if it was available, you bet I would and it is already free floated and has an adjustable trigger, and a more easily loaded and unloaded magazine box,

Now my 2nd son is reaching the legal junior age of 12 and you can bet your bottem dollar, for his first rifle he will be getting one of these Rugers.

I really dont care how it looks, it's just perfect for what I want it for.

regards
S&F

I came into a Stevens 200 that was to be the basis of a project that never came into being. Instead I have used this as backup PD rifle and have always been astounded by the accuracy this $250 rifle achieves.

I would be hard pressed to spend my money on that Ruger.

Don't buy until you take a look at the Ruger Hawkeye African, I'm sold on those babies..btw I did get a bad one, but they sent me another within 10 days and it will touch 3 tight every time with every load I have shot in it so far. It was definately worth the trouble...Its a 9.3x62

I was holding the Ruger Haweye here yesterday in a gunshop, Copenhagen. The caliber was .416Ruger. The rifle was actually nice and pointed well fom an american rifle to be and the pistolgrip was a little bigger than I have generelly seen on american rifles too which fitted my hand so much better.
If I were to buy such a rifle I wouldn`t take it in .416Ruger but a 9,3x62 would be perfect with a short QD Swarowski scope. Thumbs up for this rifle .
Reposting here again..It was a Ruger Alaska with Hogue molded stock the rifle was..but still it was nice.

Looks more like a Sauer 200/202 knockoff.

quote:

Originally posted by Heym 450/400:
Ruger and accurate don't belong in the same sentence

Ignorance is bliss.

Same set-up as Savage- barrel nut, accu-trigger clone, basic (good) chamberings, bedding blocks, and a workbench replaceable bolt handle.

I'd own one without a damned detachable magazine.

I own two M77's that are quite accurate ...and I have a Mini 14, too.

quote:

Originally posted by Von Gruff:
No comment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...CU0&feature=youtu.be

http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-American.htm

Von Gruff.

Goes to prove no one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American Public...

quote:

Originally posted by Brad:

quote:

Originally posted by Von Gruff:
No comment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...CU0&feature=youtu.be

http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-American.htm

Von Gruff.

Goes to prove no one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American Public...

Hell is braiding that man's beard.

quote:

I think many are missing the point of the rifle....

VG certainly nailed it. While so many posters have been burning up bandwidth trying to be "clever" and "funny", the reality of the situation is that Ruger is late to the "price point" game. To play there (where their competitors have profited) Ruger would need something a bit different than the competition's more "traditional" bolt guns, and their rotary magazine and low-lift bolt will be big differentiators and major selling points. The "AR" was not designed to appeal to "gun purists" and "holier-than-thou" posters trying to out-do each other with posts dripping with disdain. No, it was designed to sell rifles in a poor economy, and like a few of the more enlightened posters have stated above - I hope they sell container-loads of them. I won't be buying one - but so what?



.

quote:

Originally posted by Brad:
Goes to prove no one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American Public...

Very true however, From their original 22 auto, to the single six and No 1, Ruger has made it's name by offering American hunters what they want - even if they first need to explain it to them.
It may be a Walmart gun , but at least it is one of the few things left in Walmart that is made in America.

quote:

Very true however, From their original 22 auto, to the single six and No 1, Ruger has made it's name by offering American hunters what they want - even if they first need to explain it to them.
It may be a Walmart gun , but at least it is one of the few things left in Walmart that is made in America.

Well put!

quote:

Originally posted by bobhanson1:
It truly represents America today:

1) It's cheap
2) It's plastic
3) It could/should be made in China

well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad...

I might buy one for a truck gun, but I think several posters have hit it spot on in that it will be in a lot of younger shooters hands this fall and if gets them to become "one of us" then it's doing exactly what we need even if it's not what we want... A lot of us seem to forget what it was like wanting that first gun, but knowing we couldn't yet afford what we wanted. I didn't want my first Mossberg pump gun, but it's what I needed and served me well until I could afford something a little nicer.

I think the best of your 2/3 is that it ISN'T made in China (or Turkey or Brazil, etc). One thing you can't say about Ruger since old man Ruger passed away is that it hasn't sat on it's laurels. I don't like everything it has done, but innovation and experimentation has been it's middle name. While I just bought a Kimber 8400 in 300 WM, if this Ruger offering had been available in that caliber, I might have bought it. The standard Hawkeye, even with the plastic stock was way too heavy.

This thing is ugly, but not as much as a Savage, Mossberg, or Rem 770!

Actually,the basic design of that rifles is about the same as a n $8,000+ Jarret Tri-lock . Only the Ruger probably has a better magazine design.

As to how the rifle looks, the basic outline of that rifle is nearly identical to 90% of the "Fine" classic styled custom rifles you will see. Actually for an all black rifle it looks pretty good. At least it does not have the hideous "belly" to the mag that the Sako A7 rifles do or the weird geometry of the back of the bolt on the Savage "EDGE". The stock detailing is no less weird than a Browning-X bolt.

About the only lower priced bolt gun that is a more sedate is the Marlin m7 rifle and I like just about everything else on this Ruger better than the Marlin- inluding the fact the Cerberus has nothing to do with making it...

If the rifle had a Eurpean name on it with no other changes, many here would jerk off at the sight of the thing.

As it stands ,it is a well thought out American working mans rifle- so its junk. Rifle snobs sure are funny folks.

One thing I will say is this, I hope none of the guys slamming that rifle ever shoot against one of them for cash. This is the FIRST Ruger centerfire rifle I have ever seen that had it's bedding set truly set up for top accuracy right out of the box. If the barrel and chamber are decent, it will shoot WAY above it's pay grade.

I hope that Ruger makes a lot of money with these rifles to make the company stronger. I always liked them. Good engineering, pretty design (maybe not so much on this one) and good price/quality relations. They give you what you pay for.

Handled the gun today
Not refined or pretty but felt light trim and lively.
A gun to keep in the truck and not cry over if something happened to it.
Seems a decent value. I guess guns are just one of those things that are part means and an end. Guns tend to be a statement about your style ect. Me personally I'd rather save up a few hundred more dollars for a better one but it seems ok.

So why all the abuse?
If you look at it logically what is prolly the best selling rifle in the US currently?

Most likely the answer is the AR in whatever flavor or make.

So your a young non traditional gun designer and quite likely spent some time in the service.
So you design a bolt action rifle that has a lot of the elements that made for a successful AR.
Likely the people buying them will be ex or current service folks. Prolly a lot of 1st time buyers and fellas that want a no frills approach.
Not really so surprising then, huh.

To me it looks like a newer take on the venerable truck gun concept.
Not to fancy to worry bout scuffin it a bit, but still very durable.
Plenty accurate to hit with even out to 300yds or beyond if you got the skill.
Priced low enuf a fella won't mind it kickin around some behind the seat or in a gun rack.
Many first time buyers will snap em up too.

I think Ruger has a winner.
I would rather buy one of these than most of the other comparable priced BA rifles available.

Like Phil said tho I think they will need a magnum version to.
Most likely they are waiting to see how it flies and then they will get the chamber offerings up there with the competition.

Not my cup of tea but disparaging a competant entry level hunting rifle as less than beautiful equals junk is a bit overboard, IMHO. For those who want and can afford it nice blueing and wood stock rifles are still available after all! I suspect a LOT of new hunters neither need that or care what we old hands might think about their deadly new Ruger American deer rifles. Nor should they.

The bedding, trigger and stock was the best parts.
I like the scout gunsight with 10 round detachable mag.
The 357 and 44 rifles were sweet.