After I turned 12, my first looking rifle was my grandfather’s Winchester 94 in .32 Particular. I used that rifle for a few years till my dad obtained me a Ruger Mannequin 77 in .30-06.
I nonetheless have that rifle immediately, 40 years later. The previous 77 continues to be an ideal rifle and can deal with absolutely anything I may ask it to do, particularly in Pennsylvania. Besides one factor: settle for a suppressor. After I obtained a Griffin Sportsman Ultralight .36 suppressor I wished a platform for it that I may use to hunt with in PA. I didn’t need to rebarrel or get my previous rifle threaded. I prefer it how it’s.
I began taking a look at my choices and with 40 years of Ruger bolt actions beneath my belt it didn’t take me lengthy to choose one other Ruger, this time an American Era II Ranch rifle.
The Ruger American Era II Ranch Rifle
I’ve had a Ruger American Rimfire for numerous years now and use it as a suppressor platform for my Surefire .22 suppressor. After I regarded on the centerfire American rifles, I rapidly dialed in to the 16-inch barrel Ranch Rifle. Since I wished to make use of the brand new rifle with a suppressor, the shorter barrel would preserve the general rifle size down when the suppressor was connected.
Western Pennsylvania is basically coated in woods and rolling hills, so I wouldn’t usually have a possibility for lengthy pictures, so I didn’t actually need a rifle or caliber reaching previous 500 yards. Realistically, any pictures I’d make can be 200 yards and beneath, with the most certainly ones being beneath 100 yards. A 16-inch barrel can be tremendous.
The Ruger American Era II Ranch Rifle comes with a textured splatter completed artificial inventory geared up with a comfortable rubber recoil pad. The inventory has a detachable spacer that lets you regulate the size of pull from 12 inches to 13.75 inches. It comes with a low comb put in to be used with magnified optics however that may be eliminated to be used with decrease sights. Sling swivel studs are included, and there’s an non-compulsory weight equipment for the inventory out there for those who get one of many heavier recoiling calibers.
The 16-inch barrel is chilly hammer solid. It’s medium contour and has spiral fluting for weight discount. It’s fitted with a detachable radial port muzzle brake. The barrel mounts to a “Energy Bedding” integral bedding block that free-floats it for enhanced accuracy. The barrel, in addition to the receiver and bolt, have a Cerakote end.
The Gen II Ranch has a three-position tang-mounted security and a Ruger Marksman Adjustable set off. The bolt deal with is outsized for straightforward manipulation and has a 70-degree throw to clear most scopes. You possibly can even change the bolt head if you would like one thing totally different.
The Gen II Ranch rifle comes with out iron sights however has a factory-installed one-piece Picatinny rail. It ships with one journal. The MSRP is $729.00.
However What caliber to Get?
Whereas the Gen II Ranch rifle regarded like it could match my wants effectively, I nonetheless needed to resolve on caliber. Ruger chambers the Gen II Ranch is a fairly big range of calibers from 5.56mm to .450 Bushmaster. Contemplating my intentions for suppressor use, and the seemingly use state of affairs, I settled on the .350 Legend. I already had a .350 Legend AR rifle, and that’s why I purchased the .36 caliber Griffin suppressor to start with.
Pennsylvania isn’t a kind of states that requires a straight-wall cartridge for looking, however I’d used the .350 at SHOT Business Day on the Vary previously and appreciated it. I ended up constructing the AR chambered for it, however you possibly can’t deer hunt with a semiautomatic rifle in Pennsylvania. I do even have a Kali Key straight-pull conversion for my rifle, and that’s an choice, however I’m used to a conventional bolt motion.
The .350 Legend jogs my memory of a giant .30 Carbine spherical, one other rifle spherical I get pleasure from. It makes use of a .357 inch diameter bullet with weights ranging between 145 and 255 grains. Efficient vary is mostly stated to be 200 to 250 yards, which was tremendous for my functions. Each supersonic and subsonic hundreds can be found. It’s been round for five years now and is broadly loaded, and ammo costs are fairly aggressive. Higher than .30-06 usually actually. The .350 regarded like a superb match for my meant makes use of, notably with the provision of subsonic rounds for suppressor use.
Palms On
The Gen II Ranch rifle was each acquainted to me from my earlier Ruger experiences, and a bit totally different on the identical time. It had a strong really feel and shouldered properly. The 16 inch barrel made it a bit faster to the shoulder and quicker pointing than my 22 inch barrel .30-06. Weight was 6.2 kilos with out optic, which is absolutely useful.
The splatter end inventory has a constructive texture for a strong grip which ought to work effectively in moist or chilly situations. It’s not overly aggressive although, and cozy to make use of. It’s obtained an ideal recoil pad too. The .350 is not any thumper however the recoil pad continues to be a pleasant contact. My .30-06 has a tough plastic buttplate. The opposite good factor in regards to the comfortable rubber recoil pad additionally snugged into the shoulder properly and didn’t slide round. The rifle stayed put if you obtained behind it, even beneath recoil.
One other good contact is the flexibility to regulate the inventory size. That is nice for customizing the match of the rifle to the shooter. It’s additionally good to have the ability to swap out relying for those who’re taking pictures in hotter climate, or going out within the winter and shall be sporting heavy clothes.
My previous 77, and most different bolt weapons I’ve used over time, had a hard and fast size of pull. You handled it, discovered one other inventory, or had a gunsmith minimize them down in the event that they have been too lengthy. I don’t assume I ever had one which was too brief.
I just like the return of the tang security to the American collection. My previous 77 was a two-position tang security, and that’s principally what I grew up taking pictures with. I wasn’t a fan of the bolt-mounted security on the M77 MK IIs. I’m certain it labored tremendous, nevertheless it wasn’t what I used to be accustomed to.
The brand new tang security on the American has three positions. Totally to the rear is Secure, the place the bolt is locked in place and the security is engaged. The center place retains the security engaged however enables you to work the bolt for loading and unloading. Totally ahead is Hearth mode, the place you possibly can work the bolt and shoot usually. I feel the tang security is fairly intuitive and doesn’t require you to interrupt your firing grip to make use of it.
The Marksman Adjustable Set off was one other massive improve from my previous rifle. I used to be aware of it from my American Rimfire, and it’s an ideal manufacturing unit function. It enables you to set your set off between 3 and 5 pound pulls, to your tastes. Not having at hand stone your set off, take it to a gunsmith, or purchase an aftermarket set off saves you cash, and allows you to preserve the manufacturing unit integrity of your rifle.
The Gen II Ranch rifle feeds from an ordinary AR journal. It has a push button journal launch mounted ahead of the set off guard, on the appropriate facet of the inventory. If you have a look at it, you possibly can see that it really makes use of an AR magazine launch button. The .350 Legend comes with a 5 spherical journal, though it can settle for any .350 Legend AR magazine.
Optics
The Ranch Rifle Gen II comes with a Picatinny rail put in, however no optics or iron sights. With the barrel size and caliber selection I made, I made a decision on a Low Powered Variable Optic (LPVO) for my testing. It could be good for brush looking, and work out to the efficient ranges of the caliber.
I had a Winchester Supreme 1-4x24mm optic readily available for testing and determined to make use of that. I understand I risked making a rift within the time area continuum by mounting a Winchester optic on a Ruger rifle, however I made a decision to threat it. I grabbed a set of Weaver rings and rapidly mounted the scope. I bore sighted it at residence.
The LPVO was a superb match for the .350 Ranch Rifle. It didn’t add any pointless bulk or weight to the rifle. The rifle was fast to the shoulder and quick to get heading in the right direction, particularly on the decrease energy settings.
The glass on the Winchester Supreme Optic was clear and reticle crisp. It makes use of a nitrogen stuffed tube and Second Focal Place (SFP) reticle, so the reticle stays the identical dimension if you change magnification settings. The knurled dial was straightforward to make use of to change between powers too. MSRP on the 1-4×24 that I used to be utilizing is $264.99, which is sort of cheap.
Vary Time
I made a number of journeys to the vary with the American Ranch Rifle by late Fall and Winter. I actually loved the dealing with traits of the rifle. It had a clean bolt, and the massive bolt deal with made it straightforward to govern both from the shoulder or when taking pictures from a relaxation at a bench. The protection is positioned so that you could interact or disengage it simply with out breaking your firing grip.
I left the set off on the manufacturing unit set weight, which was proper round 5 kilos. I may have set it lighter, nevertheless it was higher than my previous rifle and felt fairly good to me. There’s a little bit of take up, after which a crisp launch.
I sighted in with Browning 124gr weight supersonic hundreds. Due to my bore sighting I used to be on paper instantly, and dialed in rapidly. I shot quite a lot of bullet weights and hundreds primarily from Browning, Hornady and Winchester. The Winchester Tremendous Suppressed hundreds have been the heaviest at 255gr weight.
I used to be extraordinarily impressed with how the Ranch Rifle shot in .350 Legend. First off, it’s an especially nice spherical to shoot. Recoil is gentle. Possibly on the strains of a .30-30 with the supersonic hundreds. Actually method lower than my .30-06. With the heavy subsonics it was down proper nice to shoot. The muzzle brake and massive comfortable recoil pad actually helped. The muzzle brake didn’t appear to provide a horrible blast with the .350 Legend both. My dad used to have a .300 Weatherby Magnum with a muzzle brake. Being subsequent to him when he shot was like getting hit with a concussion grenade each time he pulled the set off. No worries of something like that with the Ranch in .350.
Accuracy clever, I couldn’t ask for higher out of the Ranch rifle. My 25 yard sight in targets have been all ragged one gap teams. Level of affect diversified a bit relying on bullet load. Shifting out to 100 yards, my teams opened up a bit, however not a lot. With the scope cranked as much as 4 energy most of my teams have been beneath 1.5 inches. And sometimes nearer to 1 or 1.25 inches. I think I may have improved on {that a} bit with the next magnification optic, however that’s a my eyes challenge, not a gun challenge.
Loading and unloading the rifle is simple with the AR mags. The rifle comes with a 5 spherical journal and I had a number of 10 spherical mags readily available from my .350 AR. I usually loaded 5 at a time for bench taking pictures regardless. 20 spherical mags are additionally out there if you would like them. The very fact you possibly can interact the security and nonetheless work the bolt to eject a loaded spherical from the chamber is good too. You couldn’t do this on my previous rifle.
Quiet Time
I made my subsequent journey to the vary after I obtained my Griffin suppressor. When it got here time to mount the Griffin I needed to take away the muzzle brake. I introduced a wrench with me since I deliberate on doing this on the vary. Though I appreciated how the muzzle brake labored, I’d plan on simply leaving a thread protector on so I may mount the suppressor as wanted with out having to make use of a wrench to commute with the muzzle brake. I did a number of pictures with out the brake for comparability and didn’t discover an enormous distinction in blast. Once more a testomony to the gentle nature of the .350 spherical. Level of affect appeared minimally affected as effectively.
One factor to notice on the American Ranch is that whereas it’s .35 caliber it makes use of 1/2x28mm threading, somewhat than 5/8x24mm, which is extra frequent on .30 one thing caliber bores. I had each sized adapters for my Griffin although, in order that wasn’t a problem.
With the Griffin put in, my barrel size elevated from 16 inches to 22 inches. In regards to the size of my Mannequin 77. The Griffin solely weighs 10.4 ounces ounces as effectively, so it didn’t add a lot total weight or make the Ranch rifle too muzzle heavy.
The addition of the suppressor negated the minimal blast the .350 Legend had, and even with supersonic hundreds simply dropped issues to a listening to protected stage. I assumed the Ranch Rifle was nice to shoot earlier than, nevertheless it was actually a “wow” second taking pictures suppressed. It was extra important after I switched to the 255gr subsonic hundreds. Suppressors by no means actually get “film quiet” however man, the .350 Legend with heavy subsonics and the Griffin suppressor have been shut. This was by far the quietest and most nice centerfire rifle spherical and suppressor combo I’ve ever shot.
What’s the American Ranch Rifle Good For?
I don’t wish to gush over something like a fanboy, however this specific combo labored extraordinarily effectively for me. The Ranch Rifle is effectively constructed, correct and useful to shoot. The Winchester Supreme LPVO proved to be a superb match for the bundle. The .350 Legend spherical was nice to shoot, and labored notably effectively suppressed.
In the event you dwell in one of many states that requires a straight-wall cartridge for looking, this setup can be supreme. It could work nice for mule deer and no less than smaller black bears like we’ve in Pennsylvania. Guys hunt these with .30-30’s and even .357 magnums, so the .350 needs to be tremendous. I feel this setup would actually shine on hog looking, although, and that’s one thing I’d wish to attempt with it sooner or later.
In the event you’re in want of a strong, effectively appointed compact bolt gun you should take an in depth have a look at the Era II Ranch Rifle. If the .350 isn’t the appropriate for for you that’s okay, as a result of Ruger presents a half a dozen different selections so you will have lots to select from. The Ranch Rifle has an MSRP of $729.00, however road costs appear to sit down slightly below $600.
When you think about the efficiency that you simply get out of the rifle, that actually isn’t unhealthy. You could possibly spend much less, however you might be lacking out on options just like the adjustable inventory, muzzle brake, and adjustable set off. That’s not even considering the cerakote end, customized end on the inventory, and the good ergonomics and accuracy potential. I had some choices after I regarded for a brand new bolt motion rifle, however I’m glad I made a decision on the Ruger American Era II Ranch Rifle in .350 Legend.
The place To Purchase
