Ain't she cute?

timc

Picked up the Ruger American Ranch rifle in .300 Blackout today. First impression is I reeeaalllly don't like the feel of the stock so I think I have to do some modifications. The stock is not all that flimsy but it is so light the rifle feels a little unbalanced and just not quite right to me. The scope makes it look really small but then again it is really small. I do have the feeling it is going to be a fun little rifle to play with.

Pic to avoid the fine...

Elk creek

Ah sweet! Gotta love it. It's he fore arm under the swivel stud that's a bit wiggly ;-)

timc

Elk creek wrote: »

Ah sweet! Gotta love it. It's he fore arm under the swivel stud that's a bit wiggly ;-)

Actually it is way more stiff than the stock that came on my Savage Hog Hunter but then again I'm not at the range in 100 degree heat.

Farm Boy Deuce

I like that setup. Let us know what you do to the stock.

tennmike

I like it! :up: Awaiting range report, and report on the stock in warm weather.

NN

:yousuck:

sakodude

I kind of like that setup. hope it shoots well. I have been kind of intrigued but the blackout but not enough to buy one........yet.

Sako

timc

Farm Boy Deuce wrote: »

I like that setup. Let us know what you do to the stock.

I'm ordering a Boyds stock in walnut, also changing to the Ruger American bottom metal that accepts AICS mags. That should add a couple pounds to it and make it feel right. Thing feels like one of the Chipmunk .22's.

Elk creek

My only "complaint", wich really a complaint is just a thing to get use to this rifle, you have to use the magazine to load the chamber. You, or I couldn't, can't drop a cartridge in the port and close the bolt. Not a big issue.

timc

Elk creek wrote: »

My only "complaint", wich really a complaint is just a thing to get use to this rifle, you have to use the magazine to load the chamber. You, or I couldn't, can't drop a cartridge in the port and close the bolt. Not a big issue.

Since then it is designated as a play toy, that is not an issue.
Truth be told this is my birthday present to me so it doesn't have to make sense, be worth what I am investing in it or be the least bit practical! I decided I will make it how I want and not really care what I spent on it. Wife has said "Oh that's nice" which is as close to approval as I will ever get from her on a gun.

With the new stock and bottom metal I'll also go from 5 to 10 round capacity.

Jermanator

timc wrote: »

also changing to the Ruger American bottom metal that accepts AICS mags.

That sounds interesting. Got a link to it?

Elk creek

Don't get me wrong I love the rifle and it shoots like a dream. It's just something to get use to.....

timc

Jermanator wrote: »

That sounds interesting. Got a link to it?

http://shop.pacifictoolandgauge.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=308_254_256&products_id=2071

I went with the Boyds Classic in Walnut with Black tip forend, black grip cap and 1/2" pad in a satin finish. I also added the Fleur de'Lis Panel Texture: Stippling. Yes she gonna be purty!

Jermanator

timc wrote: »

I also added the Fleur de'Lis Panel Texture: Stippling. Yes she gonna be purty!

Thanks. I had the exact same thing done to the laminate stock that will be my future .416 Rem mag. You are going to love it!

timc

sakodude wrote: »

I kind of like that setup. hope it shoots well. I have been kind of intrigued but the blackout but not enough to buy one........yet.

Sako

I was kind of Meh, when I first saw the .300 B/O but once I bought one I found I really like the cartridge! It has proven to be a really nice short range hunter with the Nosler 110 grain Varmageddon bullets. With my 16" AR in .300 B/O I dropped pigs at 160 and 180 yards (head shots). I also took 2 deer at 175 and 205 yards. The ammo was hand loads running 2350 fps out of the barrel. I find it to be very accurate and a very good round for hunting with almost zero recoil.

timc

NN wrote: »

:yousuck:

Here she is in quiet mode...

Elk creek

Oh now you really suck!

HvyMax

Is the balance better with the can? Just seems like that is how it's intended to be used.

Farm Boy Deuce

Seems to me the balance would be worse with the can. Since it is already light in the stock hanging another pound on the muzzle would just make it worse.

snake284

timc wrote: »

Since then it is designated as a play toy, that is not an issue.
Truth be told this is my birthday present to me so it doesn't have to make sense, be worth what I am investing in it or be the least bit practical! I decided I will make it how I want and not really care what I spent on it. Wife has said "Oh that's nice" which is as close to approval as I will ever get from her on a gun.

With the new stock and bottom metal I'll also go from 5 to 10 round capacity.

That's just about the way I look at a build. It doesn't have to be practical or be about money. It needs to be about pleasing you
nothing else
that's the way I Feel about some guns i have.

Some of mine most people wouldn't have.
some are heavy and have long thick barrels. At least one rifle I have is in an unpopular caliber, or at least on here. But I don't give a rat's ass. They are what I like and that's what matters to me.

timc

Farm Boy Deuce wrote: »

Seems to me the balance would be worse with the can. Since it is already light in the stock hanging another pound on the muzzle would just make it worse.

Yes it is waaaay worse with the can.

22jdub

I have the predator version in .308, I filled the butt end of the stock with plumbers putty, made it feel a little more balanced and added some weight which I didn't mind since its mostly being shot from a bench. A boyds stock and some bottom metal may very well be in the future plans though.

timc

snake284 wrote: »

That's just about the way I look at a build. It doesn't have to be practical or be about money. It needs to be about pleasing you
nothing else
that's the way I Feel about some guns i have.

Some of mine most people wouldn't have.
some are heavy and have long thick barrels. At least one rifle I have is in an unpopular caliber, or at least on here. But I don't give a rat's ass. They are what I like and that's what matters to me.

A mans gun collection is kinda like the guy that walked into the cat house with only 2". Madam said "who you gonna satisfy with that?" The guy replied "ME!"

beartracker

I like it timc

timc

beartracker wrote: »

I like it timc

Just wait until the new stock and bottom metal are in!

orchidman

timc wrote: »

Here she is in quiet mode...

That looks great Tim.
Without the can, not so much.

Have you got a subsonic load for it?

timc

orchidman wrote: »

That looks great Tim.
Without the can, not so much.

Have you got a subsonic load for it?

Not yet but I will be working on it.

timc

Well looks like the upgrade to the bottom metal and new stock is not going to work. The Ruger American "Ranch" version is completely different from the Ruger American. The good news is the stock and bottom metal I ordered will fit the MK II I have so it will get a nice upgrade.

I think I will see what I can do to weight the stock but I have a feeling this one will get sold and I'll upgrade to a Remington 700 AAC. I'll play with it a little while before I decide.

timc

knitepoet wrote: »

Sorry your planned upgrades didn't work out as planned

Thanks my friend but that is the way it goes sometimes. At least the parts will be used for another project I have just never got around to so by default it got moved to the front! Who knows this one may grow on me, gotta hit the range and see!

snake284

timc wrote: »

A mans gun collection is kinda like the guy that walked into the cat house with only 2". Madam said "who you gonna satisfy with that?" The guy replied "ME!"

Persactly, hehehehehehehe!


I was going to suggest bedding the stock that came with it. I've seen that bedding can add just enough weight to make it nice. And like I've mentioned here before, even if it has a metal bedding block you can blend the barreled action to the stock more solidly if you bed it with Acraglass with some atomized stainless steel. And since you bed it in the middle, it will offset the lighter forend but not make it butt heavy. Bedding does a lot for a rifle, some things you don't realize until you've done them.

Just make sure your bedding material is heavier than the original stock material and it will add weight. Also, I have been known to add some bird shot to the mix to make it a tad heavier. One thing I hate worse than a very heavy rifle is an ultra light rifle.

snake284

Here's one that was way light and flimsy that bedding seems to have cured.



This is a Stevens Model 200 chambered in .223 Remington. It was very light. I bedded the recoil lug area and it added just enough weight where the rifle isn't quirky. I can hold on target off hand much better now. And it began to shoot better. I've had issues with it but I think I've found a sweet load for it now. It's not pillar bedded, yet, because i don't feel a need to pillar bed synthetic stocks on light recoiling rifles, well unless the synthetic material was really soft. This stock was flimsy out on the forend but is free floated where the flimsy part of the forend doesn't touch the barrel. It is very solid in the area of the recoil lug and the bedding added just the right amount of weight. This rifle feels very solid.