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Forum Index > Precision long range hunting and shooting > Ruger American for long range.

Ruger American for long range.

07 May 2017
@ 10:57 am (GMT)

Nathan Foster

From my emails today:

Question:

I have a Ruger american all weather 270, I am wandering how to bed it or if I bed it. it shoots a group less than a half inch with flyer around 1 3/4''. Should I treat the bedding block system as a floating recoil lug with the only contact point being in the front of one or both bedding blocks, should i eliminate the back block ? Or should I do something else. I want a 700 yard gun.

Answer:

Hi ..., the American is very difficult to bed as the ali lugs cannot be removed and re-aligned in the bedding mortice as they should be. Your best bet may be to glue and screw as per my accurizing book instructions. Following this, focus on technique- do not use the crossed arm method, again covered in the book series (Long range shooting). The modern rifles are simply too light for this. This will eliminate any high right fliers. The trigger weight will also be a key factor (recommend Timney). You should also make sure that the rifle is only lightly torqued (see book instructions or video instructions for Tikka set up).

For 700 yards, there are only a very few bullets which can be put to good use. many pills are too tough (for light bodied deer), regardless of high BC's. Again, see books.

To be sure, 700 yards is a big ask from a budget rifle. Minimal input with the expectation of maximum output is a problem. However this rifle may be up to the task. You may find that you can use my Tikka set up / test shoot video to your advantage, even though these rifles are somewhat different.

Order of approach:
test light torque, light trigger with optimal technique.
If this fails, test glue and screw, again light torque, light trigger and optimum technique.

I will go over the American in an upcoming video. But this is still some time away yet.

Nathan.

Replies

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07 May 2017
@ 11:16 am (GMT)

Nathan Foster

Re: Ruger American for long range.
Note that due to the V shaped lugs in the stock, there are slight differences between this and the Tikka set up. In the Ruger the action must actually sit on the blocks (no top face relief. The front of the lugs must also align metal to metal while the rear of the V lugs (or blocks) need some measure of relief.

Aligning one lug (Tikka) is hard enough, without having to try and align four faces. However, the V shape does lend itself to central alignment and is somewhat forgiving if one of the front faces is not touching the action (others will take up the slack, much like the WBY Mk V 6 and 9 lug bolt designs). So in this sense, the design does allow some room for error.
07 May 2017
@ 06:21 pm (GMT)

Jon Short

Re: Ruger American for long range.
Interesting Nathan. I was wondering what potentially could be done with the Ruger American given that from what I'm told their barrels seem to be reasonably well finished & shoot reasonably well out of the box?

I wonder if the v blocks could be modified in terms of their shape to aid bedding? Eg the front faces perhaps? Or is that a silly thought/idea?

Cheers
Jon
08 May 2017
@ 10:26 am (GMT)

Nathan Foster

Re: Ruger American for long range.
The design has both inherent strengths and weaknesses. The bedding platform is a good idea and as I said above, it works well with little need for mods.

If one wanted to really trick this design up, it may be best to start with a new stock with superior qualities. Clive's Precision Platform stock would be ideal but to make such a stock would put him in a bind. If he makes a drop fit stock, there is still a risk of some small misalignment versus the individual nature of each action and the need to align 4 faces, not just one recoil lug. If he were to supply the v blocks separately for bedding, he would miss a whole sector of the market who want drop fit. So its a catch 22. His current M700 stock is unique in that it is both a drop fit but also prepped for bedding.

All of these things aside, this is yet another rifle which features a made-for-factory-ammo-users mag box length. Absolutely no thought is given to the hand loader when it comes to the magnums. Nor any thought given to the fact that their trading Partner Hornady, are continually making their projectiles longer and longer each year. Then again, most gun manufacturers are doing the same. Nobody wants to make a true magnum action these days (The least of Ruger), they just want to cram more into medium length fly weights. This gives the buyer the illusion that he or she is getting an easier carry weight rifle when in reality, it simply saves material costs for the gun maker, increasing profits. Folk gobble this up all too eagerly and ultra light is no longer light, it is now the norm. And with this new norm, we have a generation that complain about the T3 (as an example) being too heavy, seeking further weight reduction through fluting etc (NZ market). This leads to the situation were folk cannot physically shoot these same rifles accurately without add ons (which of course increases the weight). It is a pitiful affair.

This rifle has great merit, but you need to be sure about what your goals are when purchasing. I am quite happy to own this rifle myself. These rifles are doubly useful to me because they are very affordable for ongoing testing / cartridge research- but I do have clear expectations.
08 May 2017
@ 05:55 pm (GMT)

Paul Leverman

Re: Ruger American for long range.
I've ordered a couple of Clive's stocks. Going to drop a 300H&H into one of them. I know what the recoil is like now, I'll let you know what it's like after.
09 May 2017
@ 09:41 am (GMT)

Nathan Foster

Re: Ruger American for long range.
Paul, I have been shooting the .338 Edge in it, unbraked, medium weight barrel. Recoil is just fine. Should be a nice transition for you.
21 Jun 2017
@ 07:05 am (GMT)

Nathan Foster

Re: Ruger American for long range.
Just a quick reiteration- if you are having trouble getting your American rifle to shoot, please consider watching our Tikka rifle set up video as the instructions are for the most part interchangeable provided the viewer can apply common sense towards and with regards to the smaller differences in each.

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/shop/Video+Learning/The+Tikka+Rifle-+How+to+set+it+up+break+it+in+and+shoot+straight..html
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