What is wrong with ruger rifles

As a guy that owns Tikka and Howa rifles, I have recommended the Ruger American Ranch Gen 2 as a starter rifle for kids to many due to the light weight, short length, grippy stock, cerakote barrel, tang safety and reasonable accuracy. My current ranch truck rifle is a Gen 2 Ranch in 5.56 and I am more than happy with it. I might even pick up the new Gen 2 Ranch in .243 when available.
 
92xj said:
What 6cm tikka has a 12”-13” lop, threaded 20” barrel and sub $850? I’ve researched but not sure I’ve exhausted that research yet. If there is one out there, I’d be willing to go up $200+ over the ruger, but I’m struggling to find it.
I haven’t done rifle research in 10 years though, so I feel undereducated all over again.

And if I was building this for myself, I’d start with a tikka and play but for two kids, 7 and 10, this just needs to be a low cost factory rifle that’ll take a beating when walking mistakes happen. My boy lives faceplanted in the dirt or sidewalk. Kids….
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There isn't one. I'd have also gone with the tikka if there was(I own 2 tikkas). The reality is, by the time the tikka is set up as such you've got $1k into it. They're getting closer with the new models, but most of them have too long of a barrel, so even though it's threaded, it still has to be cut and threaded again. And then it's blued. And it rusts.
 
Within my circle, there appears to be a higher likelihood of a "lemon" as the power factor increases with the RA. With that and a 6.5prc likely being too much for a kid (as it is for a lot of adults), I'd suggest looking into the smaller offerings. The 6mmARC in the RA ranch would be a kick butt kiddo gun. Low recoil, easy to carry, and more than suitable terminal ballistics for what y'all are up to. Oh, and cheaper factory ammo making more practice more reasonable.

On another note - if you can swing a suppressor purchase, your kid will likely have a far greater shooting experience. I've noticed kids really struggle with the noise and concussion.
 
Q_Sertorius said:
To me, nothing is really wrong with Rugers except the brand name. That is just straight bias based on a small sample size and bad experiences with two Mini-14s, a Ruger No. 1, and a handful of M77s. The Mini-14s shot patterns, not groups (both rifles made in the 1980s). The 2014 Ruger No. 1 had to have the trigger and safety totally rebuilt, but it shoots well. The M77s just didn't shoot as well as other factory rifles (last handled them ca. 1996).

But I recognize that the RAR is a decent rifle and I think that for a kid, getting a short one in 6mm ARC makes a ton of sense. You might compare it with the Howa Mini as well.
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Same, more or less.

Growing up, all the adult shooters I knew had absolutely terrible drama from M77s in the 1970's so nobody bought them in my crowd in the 1980's, until the 90's when the M77 boat-paddle editions begin to show up. We dismissed them as utilitarian garbage but I knew guys at work that bought them because they fit the budget. In hindsight I don't think that was a truly fair judgement, but with the accuracy of the mini-14 (I had a very accurate mini-30 by standards of the day, but it had other annoying issues and got sold) and the headache with my dad's #1.....ehhh. I wrote them off a long time ago and haven't needed to reconsider.

Would I buy a Ruger American? Yeah, if I needed to. I don't like the stocks or the magazines but will concede that they're probably decent shooters and I don't like my Tikka magazine arrangement that much either.

I'll just say that Ruger isn't my first choice for anything. Their semi-autos can be reliable but heavy and clunky, their revolvers are strong but crude. I grew up shooting Blackhawks (and still did, a lot, until I developed some right eye issues that ended those days) and they were great revolvers, but rough. Inconsistent chamber throat dimensions, crude front sight, easily breakable rear sight, mine broke the transfer bar, the trigger needed significant work to get it smooth, the bore is football shaped (if you try to get good with cast bullets you'll start to notice cylinder throat and bore dimensions, things that mean nothing with jacketed bullets). Nevermind screws that won't stay put and.....ehhhh, great gun designs, built to a price point at the expense of details. Not a category I pursue anymore.

But if I were on a budget and needed, say, a shorter barreled 6cm today, for purely utilitarian purposes, yeah, I'd try one.
 
The 6.5 PRC is about the limit of what the average grown man can really shoot well (obviously some shoot much larger very well).

For the kids a 6cm would be a sweet option.
 
I have had 2 Ruger American Predators. One in a .25-06 that was a dealer exclusive and a 6.5CM. From a bench they both shot well, I could make myself happy with the results especially for the price of the rifles. Issues I have had, they don’t feed well, if at all. First shot is good but, especially with the 6.5, you’re not getting a second. I changed the mag to AICS with the Ruger kit and then subsequently with a KRG Bravo. I took it to the Shoot 2 Hunt course as the hunting rifle and would have left it in the woods after the first 2 hours. It didn’t once feed correctly for the second round and I was unable to complete any of the drills. Same gun in Alaska failed to feed for my friend on a grizzly. Happened to me on a couple deer. Definitely not a fluke but I always wrote it off as it shot well enough to just deal with it.
 
I have had 2 Ruger American Predators. One in a .25-06 that was a dealer exclusive and a 6.5CM. From a bench they both shot well, I could make myself happy with the results especially for the price of the rifles. Issues I have had, they don’t feed well, if at all. First shot is good but, especially with the 6.5, you’re not getting a second. I changed the mag to AICS with the Ruger kit and then subsequently with a KRG Bravo. I took it to the Shoot 2 Hunt course as the hunting rifle and would have left it in the woods after the first 2 hours. It didn’t once feed correctly for the second round and I was unable to complete any of the drills. Same gun in Alaska failed to feed for my friend on a grizzly. Happened to me on a deer hunt so it was not a fluke thing. I always just wrote it off as it shooting well enough to deal with.
 
Less recoil.
Same bullet just a little less distance.

For me an RA in 223/22ARC/6ARC are very hard to distinguish the difference in recoil between the three.
 
92xj said:
Why an arc over the cm in a bolt gun?
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Recoil. The 6 ARC gives you 600 yds before you hit 1800 fps on a 16" gun (+/-). With little to no recoil (think 223). A 6 ARC is going to recoil waaaay less than a 6.5prc. But you still get a 6mm 108gr bullet to 600 lethally.

@Q_Sertorius has the recoil numbers already posted somewhere but might want to chime in with real world number?

A 7 year old does not have the mass to shoot a magnum rifle. I have watched videos of what recoil can do to a child. They don't have the neck strength & development nor the pure mass to absorb magnum recoil. Not saying it can't be done or hasn't been done. I grew up shooting a 7RM (roughly same recoil as a 6.5prc, maybe little more.

People want to add a brake to tame a big rifle. Cool. Now you have not just the increased sound level to ear, but concussive shock waves that a child does not have the mass, bone or muscle structure to absorb.

This is all just my opinion given because you asked. If you end up with 6.5prc RA for your son, cool. I wish you and your son all the best of luck. Doesn't really matter what cartridge he shoots at the end of the day. Long as he gets to spend time with dad doing it.
 
Sorry, I should have been more clear on my last question. After the first few hours of this thread, I’ve been convinced to be done with the 6.5prc thought and am now onto the 6mm creed thought. 6mm arc vs 6mm creedmore. Surely the 6cm with a can is light enough recoil. Looking at numbers, I think id rather be in a 20” 6mmCM over a 16” 6mmARC. (Remember my old man way of thinking , bigger is better; I can’t kick that thought completely out of the brain yet). If I continue my use with the hammers, I want to be well above the lowest working speed at 500 yards
 
what is working speed for hammers? Also, I get bigger is better. It's a guy thing. But 6 ARC is going to be so much more pleasant to shoot for the kids. And out of my Scar I'm getting 2540 muzzle and 1804 at 600yds. This is with factory 108ELDM. The CM is going to get you 200fps faster than ARC. But can your kids use the extra distance?
 
Ruger makes great revolvers, I love my no 1, 10/22 and the m77. Everything else , minus maybe the mini 14 is a shelf filler. Here’s my pov,
Do you want that cartridge or do the kids want that caliber?

I’m big on buying a quality gun. Even if it’s the first one. If your family is like mine, guns aren’t just guns, they are heirlooms, memories, memory builders. The stories behind the hours on the range or the days in the woods, the missed deer or the first harvested one will quickly make a cheapo gun invaluable or an expensive one worth it. Buy a good gun that you wouldn’t hesitate to uncase at the range cause, if it’s done right, they will have it forever.
 
92xj said:
Sorry, I should have been more clear on my last question. After the first few hours of this thread, I’ve been convinced to be done with the 6.5prc thought and am now onto the 6mm creed thought. 6mm arc vs 6mm creedmore. Surely the 6cm with a can is light enough recoil. Looking at numbers, I think id rather be in a 20” 6mmCM over a 16” 6mmARC. (Remember my old man way of thinking , bigger is better; I can’t kick that thought completely out of the brain yet). If I continue my use with the hammers, I want to be well above the lowest working speed at 500 yards
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There's mountains of evidence on Rokslide to overcome the "old man" way of thinking. It's not complicated. Same exact bullets, 200fps less. Unless you plan to kill animals beyond 600yds, the arc gives up nothing to the creed. Dropped my buck this year at 175 yds with the arc (AR). Made a believer out of me. Enough to buy a ruger in 22 arc for next year...

Cheaper ammo, more practice, zero recoil. That's all you could ask/hope for kids that age.
 
Growing up hunting in va I still find it odd people can use 22 cal bullets for big game. Not that you’re wrong, just never see it here.
 
Yet to see big game animal (to include walrus and moose) that can survive that^^^ but i digress.

Rugers punch above their weight class. It's no tikka (bolt and triggers are both much rougher) but, unlike tikka, they make threaded models in barrel lengths and cartridges people want.
 
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