The Ruger American rifle was an almost instant hit among hunters looking for a high-performing and affordable hunting rifle when the company introduced it in 2012. Unsurprisingly, Ruger has released several other rifle versions designed for particular niches in the hunting and shooting communities. For instance, the Ruger American Predator was designed for varmint and predator hunters. The Ruger American Compact is built for hunters who want an exceptionally lightweight rifle chambered in a mild recoiling cartridge. The company also produces a model for those looking for a handy bolt action rifle and a good truck gun: the Ruger American Ranch rifle. The name is no accident and shares many of the same attributes as the Ruger American Rifle and the Ruger Ranch Rifle.
Ruger American Ranch Centerfire Rifle Specs
It has the same action, trigger, power bedding, tang safety, flat dark earth synthetic stock, recoil pad, and cold hammer forged barrel as the Ruger American Rifle. However, it also uses a detachable magazine.
It is designed for many of the same roles as the old Ruger Ranch Rifle and the semi-automatic Ruger Mini-14, Mini Thirty, and Ruger Tactical Rifles in production. Ruger American Ranch bolt action rifles have short, 16.38" barrel lengths or shorter. This feature helps make it very lightweight and easy to handle. The overall size of the gun models doesn't surpass 37".
It's also relatively inexpensive and pretty rugged. Some models come with a muzzle brake. They all feature a single magazine, sling swivel studs, and ergonomic grip patterns on the composite stock. Ruger's patented Power Bedding serves the gun's integral bedding block system, which positively locates the receiver and free-floats the barrel for enhanced accuracy. These attributes help make it a good choice for a truck gun for a farmer/rancher to carry around while doing other work and have on hand should the need arise.
Another similarity between the Ruger American Ranch rifle and the Mini-14/Mini Thirty is their available caliber. While the Mini-14 and Mini-30 are produced in 5.56x45mm NATO and 7.62x39mm, respectively, Ruger also currently manufactures the Ruger American Ranch rifle in 5.56x45mm and 7.62x39mm as well as .300 Blackout and .450 Bushmaster.
Additionally, the new Ranch rifle features a one-piece aluminum Picatinny rail and a threaded barrel to accommodate a suppressor. The 5.56 NATO and .300 Blackout versions come with either a 5- or a 10-round magazine. Meanwhile, the .450 Bushmaster model comes with a 3-round magazine, and the 7.62x39mm version comes with a 5-round magazine. However, the 7.62x39mm rifles will also accept 10- and 20-round Mini Thirty box magazines.
Finally, the Ruger American Ranch rifle is capable of pretty good accuracy. As this young man demonstrates, it's a very capable hunting rifle when using good hunting ammo, like the 7.62x39mm 123gr SST from the Hornady Black line in this case.
If you're looking for a tricked-out precision hunting or long-range competition rifle, consider the Ruger Precision Rifle or the Hawkeye FTW Hunter. However, if you want a no-frills gun that's easy to carry around, you're more likely to have it when needed. The Ruger American Ranch might be the ticket for you.
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