Ruger American Trigger/Upgrades/Mods.

[grfox92]

I put my .308 RA into a Boyd's Prairie Hunter. It has ample free float and with the factory pillars installed and with provided epoxy to bed, it's a shooter. However, it is very finicky on ammo. I achieved best groups with Federal 180 TBT, Federal 175 TA, and Hornady Precision 178. These all group .75-1.5 at 100. Federal blue box and fusions open up to 2-4" at 100. Winchester white box do not group at all.

I've never thought the trigger was terrible, but I'm not a huge fan of the accutrigger. The creep on the blade and overtravel after the shot aren't great. I like my Tikka's factory trigger much better.

That's good to hear and gives me hope for mine. Mine didn't shoot blue box too bad and shoots a 5 shot group of 168eldm typically with 3 sub MOA and 2 wherever they decide they want to land within 2 inches

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[jjohnsonElknewbie]

@grfox92 Here are a couple factory rounds I tried before my last trip. Both shot very well.

Here is how my rifle shot the differnt rounds at 100 yards. The bottom 2 diamonds were shot with the Hornady off sand bags.

The top right is a 6 shot group (one flyer I pulled high) with the TBT off bags.

The other scattered rounds in the center are from some Browning 168 TMK that I tried due to the popularity of the TMK on Rokslide. They shot awful.

 

[KenLee]

This works, but I'm not sure how well on an absolutely quiet,
20' morning when that paranoid buck shows up at 30 yards.
And my fingers are frozen.

Well you're sposta kill him with the first shot, so...

 

[MAP1]

Timney trigger is an excellent upgrade along with Bell and Carlson stock. With that being said after upgrades my sons 30-06 is very picky only likes Barnes 175 LRX. The gun is nice now but I wouldn’t ever buy another one too many good options for an extra $200 or $300.

 

[grfox92]

@grfox92 Here are a couple factory rounds I tried before my last trip. Both shot very well.

Here is how my rifle shot the differnt rounds at 100 yards. The bottom 2 diamonds were shot with the Hornady off sand bags.

The top right is a 6 shot group (one flyer I pulled high) with the TBT off bags.

The other scattered rounds in the center are from some Browning 168 TMK that I tried due to the popularity of the TMK on Rokslide. They shot awful.

I can't see the pics for some reason.

Here's some of my recent groups. Every dot is an increment of .5gr of IMR4895 ELDM 168. As I noted earlier there's always 1 flyer.

Edit, on a side note, I'm expecting better groups, am I asking too much from this gun?

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[FLATHEAD]

Well you're sposta kill him with the first shot, so...

The ones I hunt dont hang around for a split second if they
hear the slightest metallic "click". And I have to take the safety
off for the first shot, so..........

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I can't see the pics for some reason.

Here's some of my recent groups. Every dot is an increment of .5gr of IMR4895 ELDM 168. As I noted earlier there's always 1 flyer.

Edit, on a side note, I'm expecting better groups, am I asking too much from this gun?

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Your best groups are as about the same as mine.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

The 175, 178, and 180 all shoot about the same as the top right target in my rifle. Have you tried any heavier bullets?

 

[grfox92]

The 175, 178, and 180 all shoot about the same as the top right target in my rifle. Have you tried any heavier bullets?

Unknown milsurplus shot really good, no idea what they were unfortunately.

All I have is 168eldm right now. I want to try some Bergers.

I shot 180sst out of it and it did not like them very much. 43.5gr and 168eldm seem to shoot best.

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[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Unknown milsurplus shot really good, no idea what they were unfortunately.

All I have is 168eldm right now. I want to try some Bergers.

I shot 180sst out of it and it did not like them very much. 43.5gr and 168eldm seem to shoot best.

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One of Form's favorite .308 loads is 45gr of Varget, 168gr ELD-M or TMK, loaded to 2.810coal. This is in a Tikka, but may be worth a try in your RA

 

[Harvey_NW]

Here's some of my recent groups. Every dot is an increment of .5gr of IMR4895 ELDM 168. As I noted earlier there's always 1 flyer.

Edit, on a side note, I'm expecting better groups, am I asking too much from this gun?

If your fundamentals are sound, I would go through the mechanics. There is slop in the action notches on the aluminum bedding blocks, so make sure they're seated by snugging the screws up lightly once in place, and drop the rifle on the butt a couple times on a hard surface, torque to 60in/lb. If you didn't initially, you should degrease and blue loctite rail/bases and torque accordingly also.

That might just be the dispersion of that load combo. If the fliers aren't the result of a mechanical issue that you can identify and fix, you're just seeing the negative effects of random distribution and small sample size. Shoot 10 at the same POA and see what kind of group shapes out. 3 can only tell you how bad a combo might be, 10 starts to paint a picture. If the picture is close to acceptable, sometimes reducing the charge weight can improve dispersion and tighten a load up. If it's not acceptable, it likely never will be and you need to swap a component like powder or bullet.

 

[grfox92]

If your fundamentals are sound, I would go through the mechanics. There is slop in the action notches on the aluminum bedding blocks, so make sure they're seated by snugging the screws up lightly once in place, and drop the rifle on the butt a couple times on a hard surface, torque to 60in/lb. If you didn't initially, you should degrease and blue loctite rail/bases and torque accordingly also.

That might just be the dispersion of that load combo. If the fliers aren't the result of a mechanical issue that you can identify and fix, you're just seeing the negative effects of random distribution and small sample size. Shoot 10 at the same POA and see what kind of group shapes out. 3 can only tell you how bad a combo might be, 10 starts to paint a picture. If the picture is close to acceptable, sometimes reducing the charge weight can improve dispersion and tighten a load up. If it's not acceptable, it likely never will be and you need to swap a component like powder or bullet.

Sounds great thanks. I tore it down last night.

Action screws were tight, but I'm going to do the buttstock drop you mentioned.

There was a ton of oil under the Pic rail. I never took it off when I got it I just torqued everything. There was also oil in the v bedding blocks. Everything is decreased now and waiting to be put back together.

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[Harvey_NW]

Sounds great thanks. I tore it down last night.

Action screws were tight, but I'm going to do the buttstock drop you mentioned.

There was a ton of oil under the Pic rail. I never took it off when I got it I just torqued everything. There was also oil in the v bedding blocks. Everything is decreased now and waiting to be put back together.

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It's almost like they dunk the parts before they slap those things together. Hopefully that irons it out for you.

 

[KenLee]

The ones I hunt dont hang around for a split second if they
hear the slightest metallic "click". And I have to take the safety
off for the first shot, so..........

Oops. From the original post, I thought we were talking noise from cycling the bolt, not taking off the safety. I'm used to decent tang safeties that a little downward pressure prevents any sound.

 

[11boo]

Mine is a pretty good shooter, 6.5. Trigger will get replaced. Before anyone mounts a scope, pull that pic rail and locktite the screws. Two of my mounting screws were loose from the factory.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Oops. From the original post, I thought we were talking noise from cycling the bolt, not taking off the safety. I'm used to decent tang safeties that a little downward pressure prevents any sound.

I been working that safety pretty hard when I get a chance.
Does seem to be getting better with use, and the downward pressure seems to help as well.

 

[Formidilosus]

I can't see the pics for some reason.

Here's some of my recent groups. Every dot is an increment of .5gr of IMR4895 ELDM 168. As I noted earlier there's always 1 flyer.

Edit, on a side note, I'm expecting better groups, am I asking too much from this gun?

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You must shoot more than 3 shot groups. Nothing in your groups above show a “flyer”. Shoot 10+ round groups.

 

[Ewnrules]

Wow, great thread! Love the Ruger, especially the one that takes Pmags!

 

[RepeatPete]

I made that knob on my drill press from aluminum stock, standard barrel cut to 17" then fluted.
Also took material out of the receiver, fluted bolt.
I was bored when I built this chasing ounces.

Can you post some pictures of where Kampfield took material out of the receiver?

 

[IdahoElk]

Can you post some pictures of where Kampfield took material out of the receiver?

Here you go