The American’s magazine works on the same principle. The entire magazine, complete with follower, follower spring and locking latch, weighs less than 3 ounces, and fits flush with the belly of the stock. Though the latch is also flush with the stock, I wish it were recessed more, and that the latch spring was stiffer than it is to better ensure against accidental release. Completing the stock furniture are the ubiquitous sling swivel studs, a grip cap with the Ruger eagle emblazoned thereon, and a highly effective recoil pad. The barreled action carries a matte black finish which closely matches that of the stock. As an added value, Weaver bases come with the rifle and are factory installed.
This was the second American I’ve received for T&E;
the first being chambered in 30-06 with which soon after the SHOT Show I had the opportunity to use at a long-range shooting school at the FTW Ranch in Barksdale, Texas. At the school I put more than 150 rounds through the gun at 10" diameter steel targets out to 600 yards. After 2¹⁄₂ days of shooting without cleaning the guns, we were all hitting targets with consistency out to 450 yards. I then took that same gun home where I was able to closely examine and photograph it, so by the time this 243 arrived in April, I was very familiar with the gun. For testing the 243 I mounted a 16x42 Sightron 30mm fixed-power scope using Warne QD lever rings on the factory- installed Weaver bases. Range ready, the test gun weighed 8 lbs., 2 oz. The following table shows the result of firing five three-shot groups from the bench at 100 yards with four fac- tory loads ranging from 55 to 100 grains. Range conditions were good, with overcast skies, no wind to speak of, and temperatures in the high 60s.
Largest Smallest Average Group Group 100 Yards
Federal Premium 1.25" 0.87" 1.15" 55-gr. V-Shok
Remington
80-gr. Copper Solid BT Remington
90-gr. Swift Sirocco Winchester Supreme
1.75" 0.36" 1.90" 0.95" 1.1" 0.65" 1.2" 1.35" 0.86"
100-gr. BTSP The very first three-shot group I fired through a clean
barrel with the 80-grain Copper Solids went into a casual gathering measuring 1.75". The next group, however, formed a tight little cluster spanning a mere 0.36"! Wow, I thought, this looks promising! The next group measured 1.3", followed by a 1.2" and 1.45". This is why gun writers get gray early! The trigger on this gun was just as good as on the 30- 06 I tested previously; it had no discernible creep, and broke crisply at 3¹⁄₄ lbs. Charging the magazine was a pleasure compared to some. Cartridges can be pushed straight down, forcing the feed lips to spread just enough to allow it. So many detachable magazines require you to slide the cartridges back- ward beneath the feed lips, always making the last round or two a struggle as spring pressure increases. As can be seen from the above table, the test gun really
liked the 100-grain load, as groups were very consistent. Any 8-pound rifle that can average 0.86" for 15 shots with factory
The all-polymer magazine employs the rotary spool concept developed in the 1880s by Ritter Von Mannlicher and first seen in an American rifle in the Savage lever action Model 99.
ammunition is a real keeper. And the other three loads weren’t bad, either. With the American, Ruger now has a player in a game where previously they had none. This gun offers some features that are unique in its price class, where I predict it will be a very strong competitor indeed.
The author mounted a Sightron 16x42 fixed-power scope based on a 30mm body tube. This scope is unique in that its parallax/focus is incorporated into what on a typical variable scope would be the power ring.
This cutaway shows the relationship between the embedded V-blocks, which are molded into the stock, and the receiver.
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