In my article Practical Testing of the Cooper Scout Rifle Concept I heavily tested the Ruger American 308 and was impressed with what it deliver from a price vs cost perspective. It is probably the lightest .308 in production and considering the $350 street price on these Ruger American's, it may be one of the least expensive and lightest options for the hunter looking for a rifle they may not shoot much.
FIT, FINISH, FEEL, & FEATURES
To keep the weight down and deliver the both eyes open shooting capabilities noted by Cooper, I opted for something unusual on a 308 bolt action, a Nikon 1-4x P-223 AR optic. On 1X it delivers the defensive CQB distance engagement Cooper noted and on 4X allows some precision at distance.
FUNCTION & ACCURACY
During my Testing the Cooper Scout Rifle Concept I put the Ruger American 308 through its paces. I set up four tests varying the shooting positions and respective distances; standing - 50 yards, kneeling - 75 yards, sitting -100 yards, supported prone 200 yards & 400 yards. Standing, kneeling, and sitting positions were stabilized via national match style sling and the 200 & 400-yard supported prone position was shot with the rifle supported over my pack. The idea was simple to hit a large 4” can of corn at each distance out to the 200-yard line and then be able to ring the 400-yard 12” gong and do it at a pretty brisk pace. Hit a can of corn with a 308 round and you know it… “corn it's what’s for dinner in a 20-yard radius.”
The Ruger American in .308 is not a tack driver, but it will deliver 100-yard group accuracy around the 1”-1.5” mark which is fine for any general hunting duty. I would be shocked stunned and amazed if a $450 gun delivered sub-MOA groups, so I was actually pleased with the good useable accuracy of the Ruger American .308 and I think the 1-4x Nikon optic was a great choice for the shots this rifle is likely to take.
My bet is that Ruger will sell thousands of these to the type of hunters who shoot 3-5 shots total a year with the rifle they sighted in back in the 80’s. Most of the guys I know like this have not finished a box of ammo in the last decade but still manage to bring home a deer every year. If you don’t shoot a lot and want a light, dependable, and durable gun in a caliber that can take any game in North America, then the Ruger American is a great gun to consider, however I would highly recommend adding a slip on recoil pad to make things more enjoyable to shoot.
SPECS
Material Alloy Steel
Finish Matte Black
Stock Black Composite
Sights None Bases Supplied
Length of Pull 12.50"
Grooves 6
Mod. # 6907
Caliber .308 Win
Cap. 4
Barrel Length 18"
Overall Length 36.75"
Weight 6lbs
Twist 1:10" RH
MSRP $449.00
Ruger - http://www.ruger.com
Nikon - http://www.nikonsportoptics.com
2 comments:
Thank you for your review, the shortened trigger pull concerned me and you addressed it; I appreciate your attention to details that affect real hunters. steamboat springs colorado
nice review, i have an m77 Mark ii in .260 rem with a 16.5 inch Barrel that is a tack driver.Thinking of a Hawkeye compact in .308 for some versatility with bullet options up to 178 with hornaday ammo for Kodiak.
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