Thought I’d start this thread because @Oldbloke had some questions…
There are two versions of Ruger American Rifle in 22LR - compact (18" barrel) and the wrong one.
I own the compact version and this is pretty much the only 22LR bolt action that I really like. I like RPR too, but as an all rounder, in my opinion this is surprisingly one of the best rifles out there.
I have had issues with some ammo (Bushman) grouping at about 5cm or a little more at 50m. I have tried CCI and Federal (el cheapo bulk) and both are more than capable at cutting clover leaf. All in all, not very fussy on ammo. Last time I was shooting it, I was sighted at 25m and with a bit of holdover hitting tins of crushed tomatoes at about 100m with consistency.
Trigger, I haven’t adjusted it (lazy), I will however, I like very lite triggers. However, in it’s factory form, the trigger is excellent. Nothing else to add.
Stock - synthetic. Rugged. Has a very good solid feel to it.
Bolt: smooth, tight tolerances - doesn’t rattle (think Tikka), etc. I mean nothing really to add here.
Overall, I love this rifle, which is why this is the only bolt action 22LR I own. It’s lite, compact, rugged/durable and accurate.
Magazine system - Ruger rotary magazine, arguable the most reliable rimfire magazine ever made.
Brand new can be found for $645 - $685. Well worth it. Overall 8.5/10 for me.
Where did the 1.5 go? So there are 2 annoying bits that I have found.
0.5 points gets deducted for contact surfaces where blueing seems to be wearing off. Not an issue at all, but that’s minus 0.5.
1 point gets deducted for:
The rifle may or may not come with mounts. Regardless, it has an integrated dovetail rail. This is what I use, not mounts.
I found that the angel of that rail doesn’t work with Leupold rings. The top of the rail is slightly beveled, so the rings didn’t quite fit, even though it should have been standard. I replaced the rings with some cheap $30 pair and they sit great. However, since I had rings already this gets a point deduction. When buying rings for this rifle, I think the best thing to do would be to take it to your store. Alternatively, it’s guessing work.
@Oldbloke - any more questions?