Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote

[Straight Shooter]

Straight Shooter; how long have you had your Ruger American Predator rifle? Did you find it was pretty well good to go out of the box or did you need to break it in? What rounds does yours like?

Dave, mine was good to go out of the box. I bought it 5 or 6 years ago when the 6.5 craze was on. I bought 4 boxes of Hornady 140 grain Amax(now ELDM) to get some brass. First 2 shots were touching at 100 yards with the third shot shot at 3/4 of an inch. The second three shot group, the first two were touching and the third was about 1/2 inch off. I never could get my reloads to shoot better than the factory stuff. The factory stuff was very good. I have shot groups in the .2's with it more than once. I was going to get a nice Boyd's walnut stock for it. but every time I shoot it I say to myself "why would you ever change anything on this rifle the way it shoots "? It is still as it came from the store except I lightened the trigger spring a little.

 

[DSheetz]

Straight Shooter thank You for the information, I contacted Ruger Friday to ask if I could get the kit to change the bottom for an AR magazine, they told me no but that I could get it for their AI magazines. But at 45 dollars each for either style or their magazine I said no thank you because the only advantage for me would be more consistent feeding if I had any problems with that. I like the 6.5 bullet shape and flight patterns with the higher B.C.'s. My thought was that the 95 grain bullets might do what I want, but so would the 120 grain bullets. The 120 grain bullets from Nosler do well in the 6.5x284 Norma so am hopeful they will with the smaller case of the CM. I think that with the price, and it's looks it will be a good truck rifle, it's not a piece of artwork but a good sturdy built smaller rifle with a simi heavy barrel so should make a handy work rifle, that if I load 20 rounds at a time for it should be good for several hundred rounds, with a minimum of maintenance work on it, just the standard cleaning and care. As my Grandma told me several times you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, but I don't need a silk purse for what I plan to use it for.

 

[DSheetz]

Has any of you tried one-shot as a protectant for your loading dies? After I read that windypants uses it on his rifles bare metal as a dry lube and protectant I got to wondering about that. I think that I will also try it to see how it compares to frog lube on my older rifle it would be less trouble to use.

 

[Dentite]

Dave, mine was good to go out of the box....

I picked up my only Ruger American, it's a Predator in .204 Ruger. Got a Boyd's stock and pillar bedded the action. Swapped trigger for a Timney. Then, after all that, I found the .204 Ruger that I wanted from the beginning, an X-bolt Predator with threaded muzzle. So I tend to use that one more, but the Ruger turned out nice. Not sure if it was worth putting all the money into it, but I have two boys so it'll get used. Problem is both rifles tend to sit and we tend to take my .20 Practical AR-15 out much more.

The Ruger:

 

[Panhandle Pete]

I so far have lived 8 dogs long and when the one we have now is gone I believe we will live another dog long

I prefer to think in mule years-mules live into their 30's and sometimes longer, I think the oldest dog we ever had made it to 14- since I am a 52 model it is nice to think about one or two more good mules, I guess my grandson or his kids would enjoy the second mule. Grandson is 21 and not married yet so it gives him time to plan ahead.

 

[APDDSN0864]

I was wondering around a Sportsmans Warehouse and they had a Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor for 120.00 less than suggested retail so thought I might try it to see how it did. I picked it up for 519.00. Curiosity attack took over and common sense walked out the door. I have always liked the three locking lugs on bolts as to me it just makes sense that it would put more even pressures on the bolt and line it up better than two lugs would. I like the 6.5 bullets performance in my 6.5x284 but haven't used the Creedmoor cartridge. So far, it's been not bad for what it is and it's a fun rifle easy recoiling, seems pretty accurate, and I'm not thinking I will mess up its looks easily it didn't start out as a piece of art to begin with. For me the biggest reason that I miss an easy shot is because I get complacent with them, awh, it's an easy shot so I just don't act like I should with them. I might rush the shot, push or pull the trigger side to side, and yes even flinch. With the longer harder shots, I tend to concentrate on my actions more so then it's me not my equipment when I miss. I can find myself loosing self-control and focus on the easy shots. It's like some people with an AR get excited and pray and spray because they have another round chambered before the recoil has subsided.

Dave, my Ruger American Predator in .243Win is one of my three working rifles.
Mine was one of the early ones that had the flimsy stock and it almost drove me nuts trying to get it to consistently group. I did everything I could think of to fix it, losing hair and patience that I didn't have to spare.
I broke down and ordered a Boyd's laminate stock in Classic style, bedded it and discovered that it is a consistent 3/4MOA rifle with my hand loads, irrespective of the weather or how much it beats around in the front seat of my work truck. I also put a Timney trigger in it.
Since I am fond of Germanic styles, I ordered the stock with the checkering and oak leaf pattern. It came with acorns in the oak leaves, so I named "Nuts" due to my mental state after struggling with it for so long.

Yes, it was more money than I anticipated but it has turned out to be the perfect mid-range coyote rifle.

Also, as a side note, Boyd's offers a stock for the RAR Predator that converts it to accept AR mags. The stock comes with the replacement bottom metal including the mag catch, release and all parts as well as the different trigger guard and screws.
It is NOT for the .308, 6.5 Creedmoor, nor the.243 Win. . It is designed for the .223 & .204 using AR magazines.

Ed

 

[74honker]

Has any of you tried one-shot as a protectant for your loading dies? After I read that windypants uses it on his rifles bare metal as a dry lube and protectant I got to wondering about that. I think that I will also try it to see how it compares to frog lube on my older rifle it would be less trouble to use.

I spray inside all my sizing dies with it when I spray the brass if that counts.

 

[Straight Shooter]

74honker, I think they are talking about something different than the case lube we use for reloading, but I could be mistaken.

 

[74honker]

74honker, I think they are talking about something different than the case lube we use for reloading, but I could be mistaken.

I wondered that after I posted lol. The only One Shot I know of.

 

[Straight Shooter]

There is a One-shot gun cleaner and lube. I think that is what they were talking about. However, they sound fairly similar to me.

 

[DSheetz]

No, I was talking about the dry case lube. I was wondering about using it to protect the dies for storing them when they won't be used for a while as I have several that I used WD40 on then wiped them off, so they don't rust. I was thinking that it's a dry lube then I could skip the wiping them off and they would be ready to use the next time I was ready to. A nice even coat that would lubricate and protect at the same time. But if the one-shot gun cleaner and lube would do the same thing it would be worth trying on the dies

 

[Straight Shooter]

Dave, I don't know what the difference in the two is. I will have to look up the MSDS sheets.

 

[APDDSN0864]

Birchwood Casey "Barricade" has worked for me to keep the rust off, as has Ballistol and Eesox.

Ed

 

[windypants]

No, I was talking about the dry case lube. I was wondering about using it to protect the dies for storing them when they won't be used for a while as I have several that I used WD40 on then wiped them off, so they don't rust. I was thinking that it's a dry lube then I could skip the wiping them off and they would be ready to use the next time I was ready to. A nice even coat that would lubricate and protect at the same time. But if the one-shot gun cleaner and lube would do the same thing it would be worth trying on the dies

I remember seeing a post somewhere that listed the best protectants for storing guns and one shot was near the top, but I can't find it now. Sorry. I just had a duck hunter tell how well it worked on his shotguns in the cold and wet weather to protect from rust and firing pins don't get sticky.