Jason Doyle was keen to try the Ruger American Hunter rifle with its Magpul stock. “I had a lightweight Ruger American in .308 a few years ago, and really liked it,” he says. “I was always impressed by its accuracy.”
His only problem with that Ruger rifle was the stock, which was smaller and lighter than he likes. “I’ve seen the Magpul stock on Remington rifles, so I was interested to try it on the Ruger American – and sure enough it’s been much better than I expected for a rifle costing under £1,100.”
This one is in 6.5 Creedmoor, with a 20-inch barrel with a 1 in 8 twist.
Jason is immediately smitten with the stock. “The ergonomics of shooting it are excellent, prone or from sticks. It’s not a traditional looking stock and I did struggle with the aesthetics at first. But once you get behind it and shoot, it just makes sense.”
He finds the rifle extremely accurate straight out of the box. “It’s grouping sub-2 inches at 300 yards. I just can’t fault it. A lot of what attracts you to a rifle is how it shoots, and the confidence you have in it.”
“Presonally I don’t find this the prettiest rifle in the world but I’m really enjoying using it and I have massive confidence in it.”
The Ruger American Hunter rifle combines excellent performance and reliability at an affordable price. The heavily contoured barrel, which is 20 inches long, helps to minimize recoil and reduce noise, whilst the trigger can be adjusted between 3 and 5 pounds to give the shooter perfect control over the shot.
The small stock may give the gun an unusual aesthetic, however, the ergonomics of the design are clear as the gun shoots perfectly whether from sticks or prone, weighing 9.2lbs. The alloy metal construction and the matte black finish go a considerable way to improving the aesthetic as well.
Overall, the gun draws you in with its perfect performance, reliability, and accuracy. These features are key in making it a thoroughly enjoyable bolt action rifle to use, whether novice or experienced.
RRP for the Ruger American Hunter rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor is £1,080
