The first shots out of the Ruger American™ Predator are just astounding in my last article as they were sub Minute of Angle. The engineering innovation that went into creating the Ruger American Brand is exemplary for its price point and accuracy and it is 100% American made! I am a believer and loved the chambering in 6.5 Creedmoor which was designed for extreme accuracy for target but right at home in the fields and woods of North America for deer, elk, caribou and black bear and most African Plains game…
I purchased a Ruger American in .243 Winchester a few years back and I love how it handles at just 6.6 pounds. Now to test a 6.5 Creedmoor in the Predator model.
Spec’s are listed below but more on the website. These Ruger’s are cold hammer forged and my sub MOA groups last week and today seen below attest to the ultra- precise rifling that provides exceptional accuracy. The Ruger Marksman Adjustable™ Trigger can adjust from 3 to 5 pounds and aids in the off-the-shelf accuracy like a custom rifle.
http://www.ruger.com/products/americanRiflePredator/specSheets/6973.html
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I collected JBM data for two bullets that I own in the Ruger American; Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor with Sierra 120 grain Spitzer with 120 grain Pro-Hunter Spitzer with 43 grains of H4350 Powder at a fast speed of 2760 fps.My test bed scope is my trusted Leupold VX-6 3-18x44mm set at 10x for 100 yards.
http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmtraj-5.1.cgi
A 4 shot group measured 5/8 inch at 100 yards and delivers MPBR max at 265 yards and 1194 ft-lbs. The Ruger American was right there today with outstanding sub-MOA group of 5/8 inch off a Bench Rest at 100 yards.
What a highly accurate rifle for the price of around 400 to 500 dollars Just a few years back it cost thousands of dollars to own a shooter with 1/2 inch groups.
Later I shot the Ruger American- Predator with a slightly slower factory loaded 143 grain Hornady ELD-X Precision Hunter at 2648 fps far below to collect bullet performance data.
The Ruger American- Predator shot the 6.5 Creedmoor Factory Loaded Hornady ELD-X Precision Hunter a bit slower but at 100 yards delivered over 350 more ft-lbs than the 120 grain head due to heavier bullet weight/speed and its Extremely Low Drag. This bullet shoots 1 inch groups at 100 yards with no noticeable recoil difference. Energy at Max Point Blank Range MPBR of 265 yards is 1663 ft-lb with the Hornady ELD-X vs 1194 fps for the Sierra. A difference of 470 ft-lbs in favor of the 143 g VLD-X in the Ruger American – Predator 6.5 Creedmoor Rifle. I love this Ruger American- Predator rifle and bullet Combo.
Moreover, with with the 6.5 Creedmoor in the Ruger American Predator’s 22 inch barrel with 143 grain Hornady Precision Hunter ELD-X load it maintains over 1000 ft-lbs at 600 yards to kill a deer. The Sierra at 1000 ft pounds can only reach to 350 yards. Lesson Learned? I get it! I shot the Ruger American with a t-shirt at the bench rest. The recoil pad is fantastic and absorbs recoil handily. The precision trigger on the Ruger is a blessing. I gotta get me one of these!
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