Ruger American Ranch Review

[Shaman]

Anyone here own and/or otherwise have hands on experience with the Ruger Ranch Rifle in 6.5 Grendel (the Ranch carbine length version, not interested in the Predator). I own a version in 300blk (AR mag) that has quickly become a favorite. It's light weight, ergo's in tight spaces, mechanics, and accuracy are all positive. I'de like another in 6.5 Grendel. I hand load for various calibers and will add the Grendel to my tool set soon.

Thanks!

[Glockpride]

I have one and really like it. I wanted to go long distance with it. So, I put a big Bushnell 4-24x on it.

[Shaman]

I have one and really like it. I wanted to go long distance with it. So, I put a big Bushnell 4-24x on it.

Have you range tested accuracy?

[Stinky Coyote]

Mine was supposed to arrive Friday according to tracking but never showed. Should be tomorrow I suspect. Will be awhile before I can review it fully but initial impressions should be doable shortly. I have Howa and Cz already so I can compare most things except accuracy until I get shooting.

[Glockpride]

Have you range tested accuracy?

No, just been learning the scope and getting it dialed in. Seems to shoot about 1.5-2 moa with 100gr Wolf and probably 1.25-1.5 moa with Hornady ELDM at 100 yards on a windy day. Initially, had the Wolf clover leaving at 50 yards.
So, I figure it’s plenty capable. The stock foreend is a little flimsy, so I bedded it with some 3M epoxy to strengthen it, but don’t remember the number.

[Edmo]

Since I really like both of my AR builds in 6.5 Grendel, I bought the Ruger Ranch in Grendel when my local dealer received one about 3 months ago. Although I’m left-handed, when I saw the tag on the rifle was marked “6.5 Grendel”, I instantly reached for my wallet and said, “Yes please.”

I put a Leupold 2-7x33 scope on it since most of my shots on Arkansas whitetails will be less than 300 yards, but likely less than 100 yards in the woods. 2 power is perfect for close range shots and 7 power easily gets me out to 300 yards. The scope has the illuminated center dot for confident shots in the dark woods during the last minutes of legal shooting.

I’m a member of a private shooting range with steel starting at 300 yards and stretching all the way to 800 yards. With this little rifle I can routinely ring steel out to 500 yards. At 100 yards I can easily get 1.5” groups, often tighter. That is with the 1 MOA thick reticle line in this scope.

I have three minor gripes with this rifle. One is the barrel thickness. I wish it were a little thinner profile. As it comes stock it balances well. However, I’ve installed a SilencerCo flash hider on the barrel to allow quick mounting of my SilencerCo Omega can. With the can on the front, it gets a little nose heavy. Not bad, but noticeable. I guess that’s the price of threading things on the front. My plan it to stalk in/out of the woods without the can and mounting it once I get on the stand. This also keeps it short and handy for maneuvering in the woods... an advantage of the short 16” barrel.

The second thing I wish it had was a safety position which locked the bolt. Personal preference... lastly, I think the butt-pad rubber is a little “grabby”. The little 6.5 doesn’t really need much of a recoil pad and the stock one tends to grab clothing as you bring it to the shoulder. Again, personal preference.

Would I buy it again? In a minute! Light weight, short, handy, nice trigger, accurate, quick pointing, magazine fed (same mags as my Grendel ARs), low recoil, and in a caliber perfect for whitetails. For me, this is the perfect caliber for the Ranch Rifle concept.

Edmo

[Shaman]

Thank You!

[Stinky Coyote]

mine arrived, initial impressions and measures put into a new thread, short story, really like it, haven't shot it yet