NEW Ruger American Ranch in 7.62x39

Nice rifle but I have mixed feelings about it. I know the round is maximized for a 16" barrel but why not make it 18" length and get the most performance out of a more accurate bolt action rifle? It would still be considered a ranch rifle. Also you have to have a scope....why no standard sights and just tapped for a scope?
 
Agreed. If it had irons they'd sell a lot more. I guess it's cheaper than a mini thirty but I'd rather have that.


Edit. I totally missed the fact it's a bolt....... Decision made------- buy a CZ if you want sights I guess.
 
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My SKS isn't pretty, but it shoots well and is remarkably accurate. More importantly, I can feed it any 7.62x39 ammo there is and it digests it with gusto.

I'm not sure what this would offer to surpass all of the positives of my SKS.
 
I expect the street price will end up around half that of the CZ, so there's a plus. Might steal some of CZ's market share. And the CZ carbine's sights are not really adjustable (have to buy a taller/shorter front blade to adjust elevation), and the full size doesn't have sights at all. So it's debatable how much of an advantage they have in that category. The CZ is lighter & trimmer though- the Ruger has to sacrifice there in order to take double stack mags.
 
if it had a 311 bore like the CZ 527

I would buy it in a second. I already have the Cz in that caliber. Now they need to come out with the 6.5 Grendel in one........



steve
 
If I could figure out what to do with the two SKSs that I have now and if I didn't have a 30-30 maybe I could find a reason to want a rifle in 7,62 x 39. Neither of the SKSs will shoot better than a 2.5" groups at 100 yards and one is so bad that I have plans to make a manual straight pull bolt 357 Maximum out of it. My 30-30 will do anything a 7,62 x 39 will do and do it with heavier bullets and longer range. The 30-30 is capable of 3/4" groups at 100 yards but it is just a single shot. I am not at all impressed with the SKS or the round it uses. I got a good deal on the two rifles and thought I could use them as plinking rifles. I got two rifles and a case of ammo for just over $100 back in 1980? and the ammo was less expensive than 22 ammo per round. When I found out how they shot and the price of ammo went up it was a waste of money.
 
the possum said:
I expect the street price will end up around half that of the CZ, so there's a plus. Might steal some of CZ's market share. And the CZ carbine's sights are not really adjustable (have to buy a taller/shorter front blade to adjust elevation), and the full size doesn't have sights at all. So it's debatable how much of an advantage they have in that category. The CZ is lighter & trimmer though- the Ruger has to sacrifice there in order to take double stack mags.
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Street price will be nowhere near half the CZ. Street for this will be about $425 to start and after a year will go down to $375.

The CZ has iron sights (that I've heard mixed things about) and a nice wood stock. The only benefit the 7.62x39 American Ranch has is it'll be lighter, have the threaded barrel, and take Mini-30 mags.

It actually makes for a nice 7.62 scout rifle, but I'd really like to have those iron sights. I'd just make them in a way so that the rear sight can be removed, stored on the gun, and make room for the scope. I don't want no stupid rear sight being halfway down the barrel and so close to the front sight you could use it as a bottle opener.
 
stolivar said:
I would buy it in a second. I already have the Cz in that caliber. Now they need to come out with the 6.5 Grendel in one........



steve
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Grendel is a dead cartridge walking.

Make one more practical in like .460 S&W.

ShootistPRS said:
I am not at all impressed with the SKS or the round it uses.
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7.62x39 is a great cartridge, it's as capable as .30-30, but the problem is most rifles that shoot it are military rifles that were built to kill, not win target matches.

Bolt guns like the Ruger here, the CZ, and Mini Howa are going to outshoot the SKS and AK all day and night. The 7.62 will down a big buck, but if you're shooting at something bigger than that, you shouldn't be using 7.62 or .30-30.

The nice thing about a bolt rifle in 7.62x39, that's accurate, is it's a Prepper's wet dream. If this thing had good iron sights on top of that same scope rail, I'd probably sell my cheap WASR-10 and buy this instead.
 
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I see other Ruger American rifles on Gun Broker for around $300, so that's what I was comparing to (after the newness wears off). And the specs on Ruger's site say it weighs 5.9 pounds, plus whatever scope it needs. The CZ carbine is 5.5 pounds. I really like the CZ's old world craftsmanship and set trigger too, so both have their pros and cons.
 
I have asked for years if someone would make a ten round magazine for the CZ 527M, and in the end had a gunsmith genius buddy of mine build one that works perfectly. However, when I ask on a CZ specific board people generally say they don't want the bigger mag but the smaller flush fit 3 round version for the classic bolt action rifle profile.
I agree, Ruger should have left some decent irons on it - the CZ irons are fixed, which is why, before any adjustable sights were made for it, that same gunsmith genius buddy of mine fixed up a custom Marbles adjustable that I set in the rifle. I love it, light, accurate, dependable and with a decent round that can smack down as far as these bad old eyes can see. :)
Eh, who knows, I might try one if they get really affordable AND it shows the market really is there for a 7.62x39mm bolt action rifle.
 
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That's cool. I wonder what the bore diameter is.

It should make for a fantastic range blaster, or for a short range or youth's hunting rifle.

The CZ and Howa can do sub-MOA with fancy ammo. Some of them can keep it under 1.5" MOA with Brown Bear or GT.

The Ruger should be about in the same ballpark.
 
the CZ irons are fixed, which is why, before any adjustable sights were made for it,
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From the way you phrased this, does that mean that somebody does make adjustable sights for it now? I might be interested, even though my fixed sights seem to shoot dead on for now...
 
I agree that a nice set of iron sights would of made this perfect, I'm still interested in one but will wait to see how well they shoot first.
 
advantages

This new bolt rifle will have lots of advantages over the SKS:
-shorter
-lighter
-a decent rifleman's trigger
-a factory rib for scoping, low and solid
-threaded muzzle for can or any brake/flashhider you desire, or not
-manual operation, which theoretically anyhow, will be more reliable
-detachable magazines in 3 capacities ( just 5 would suit me fine)
-based on a platform that has established a reputation,very quickly,for absolutely stellar accuracy
-has a factory support net that has long been praised as outstanding
-made in USA

Never have been a fan of the SKS.
 
I'd have to say a good SKS is pretty stone cold reliable, but everything else you list is dead on. The iron sights is one sticking point for me and a few others.
I'm interested, since this is one cartridge I not only load for, but cast for as well.
 
Anyone want to guess how much it would cost parts and labor for a gunsmith to put decent iron sites on this rifle?
 
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