Ruger American Gen2 Ranch Rifle - Range visit with photos and video

[HuntTXhogs]

Goal is to go with a lightweight factory grendel rifle - it was between this one and a Howa Stalker (with carbon fiber stock). Honestly if the Howa I had my eye on was threaded the title of this post would’ve been different.

Just got done hunting with Double Naught Spy and no misfeeds from the 10 round magazine !

Hit 2 of 3 of my targets tonight - I believe the miss was on me and not the rifle at play (I aimed too low).

Anyhow , nice gun for the money , I’m contemplating an aftermarket trigger and larger bolt knob in the future

HTXH

[VASCAR2]

Thanks for posting Ben! I wonder if the 20 round Duramag or 17 round E-Lander mags swell as bad as the ASC. I’ve haven’t noticed any issue with swelling at full capacity with either mag but I only use them in AR-15’s.

[tdbru]

Ben,
my Gen2 Predator, discussed earlier, the provided mag would drop free. the E-landers wouldn't but didn't take much to get them out. all of them, full or empty seated easily. it might be the wrinkle finish is pinching the mag on the inside of the mag well. If so I suspect lightly filing off the wrinkle finish a bit might make those mags drop free and easier to insert and seat.

if I cycle the bolt briskly, no stoppages. if I cycle slowly, stoppage every time. what is happening is that the back end of the round coming out of the mag clears the feed lips before the bullet is into the chamber. the stiff mag spring pops the back of the cartridge up quickly and so the nose of the bullet rotates down below the chamber opening. jam. when vigorously cycling the action, the nose of the bullet gets into the chamber before the case head gets pushed up fast enough to rotate the nose of the bullet below the chamber opening.

I put a M*CARBO spring in the ruger trigger and got the pull weight down to 2 1/4 lbs. decent but no target trigger. if you don't like the articulated trigger blade safety of the factory trigger, both Timney and Jard offer a std. trigger blade replacement trigger.

I am working to make my Gen2 Predator a Range rifle. I'll take the howa hunting. about 2.5 lb difference at the moment, Howa being lighter.

the Ruger rifle is longer from the front of the magazine to the chamber opening than an AR15 it seems to me. thicker bolt lugs perhaps. anyway, that is causing feeding issues if the bolt runs slowly for me. annoying enough that I wouldn't take it hunting myself. Too much chance, for me, of a jam when cycling the bolt. The howa feeds 100%, fast, slow, doesn't matter. but as you noted, muzzle on my Howa too is not threaded. Fine with me, reduces weight if there is nothing hanging on the muzzle methinks.

Glad to hear you had no issues, however, in the field.
best too you,
-tdbru

[HuntTXhogs]

Excellent info Gents , I appreciate the thoughts on other mags and the tips used for this Gen2 platform.

i may look into the Mcarbo spring before swapping out the whole trigger.

i took the rifle hunting this past week, got into some coyotes and pigs and used the 10 round Duramag without issue, I kept topping off the mag after each set and ran the bolt hard and fast.

slowly but surely I’ll try the larger magazines and report back my thoughts after a few months.

Take care !

ben

[tdbru]

Ben,
you mentioned you were looking for light weight. all setup ready to hunt, but unloaded (so various magazine capacities don't mess up the weight thing) with no magazine, what does your rig weigh? I am assuming rifle, can, scope, mount, and sling. Or, if you hunt without the can, then weight sans can.
thanks,
tdbru

[HuntTXhogs]

Tdbru:

I have the concept in my mind to go lightweight with the following considerations;

caliber must be reasonable recoil energy - with a lightweight rig and high recoil nothing is accomplished and rifles can be unpleasant to shoot. Hence I chose Grendel but I would’ve considered 6ARC, 6 Max , 6 GT , or 6 Creedmore at the highest - maybe 243.

ballistics with 16” barrel - thinking if factory loads are using powder to burn in 24” barrels are there factory options using optimal bullet weights and powders for shorter barrels , still need speed to erupt bullets on target well.

i can hunt suppressed with my ARs so suppression not needed

threaded barrel required for linear comp to save shooters next to me in firing line

10 round magazine at a minimum for pig hunting , can always go less but at a minimum I’d want 10 on board for those continual stalks on seperate groups of hogs.

I think i canvassed the availability of sub $ 1k rifles that meet the above criteria - other than Howa and Ruger I didn’t see anything below 6.5 lb (bare rifle) out there.

[HuntTXhogs]

thanks for the tips TDBRU

[VASCAR2]

Good video Ben, thanks for posting!

[HuntTXhogs]

Finally encountered a shooting situation where all 10 rounds were needed.

Using swift and firm cycling (as recommended) by TDBRU there were no issues with feeding and extraction !

[tracker12]

Those Gen II Tigers are very accurate. My buddy just picked up a 400 Legend and it is a one hole gun.

[HuntTXhogs]

Those Gen II Tigers are very accurate. My buddy just picked up a 400 Legend and it is a one hole gun.

Yeah I didn’t need to hear that . . . I’m seriously contemplating a 400 Legend

is your friends one hole gun shooting the only Winchester load on the market or his own handloads ?

[tracker12]

Factory ammo which also mazed me.