Similar experience here! I bought my first Ruger American Compact "for my daughter" years ago in 7mm-08. Dropped it in a Magpul Hunter American Stock and topped it with a Vortex Crossfire ii scope. I crafted up a few strings of Nosler BT 140 grain rounds in a few different powders and headed to the range with her. She proceeded to shoot strings and groups with more accuracy than I had ever seen out of my Remington 700 in .270 after years of loading and testing. We settled on a combo of those Nosler bullets over IMR 4350 that consistently grouped in .5 MOA out of the little skinny 18" barrel. When I took the time to shoot the gun, it was much the same experience you had. It just FIT. I now have three rifles nestled in Magpul Hunter stocks, one being another Ruger American Compact in .308 "for my son". Also, my first dive into shooting at distance, in a rifle I call "Dottie" (movie reference here, Armageddon circa 1998) a Remington 700 Magpul in .260. All three of these rifles perform well above their price point, and we have had tremendous success in the field and at the range with them. That hasn't stopped me from pursuing other ventures, with my 6.5 PRC Bergara B14 HMR sitting on my bench awaiting scope mounting as we speak, but they have given me an appreciation for finding out that some things just work. Not for all, perhaps, but for me.