Ruger Ranch Grendel - Initial Impressions & Measures

[Stinky Coyote]

[biodsl]

Thanks. I admit I'm not a huge Ruger fan though I've owned a couple of their .22s over the years. But no one else is offering this package; a compact bolt action that takes cheap and plentiful AR mags.

Please check back in with us after some range time.

[Rosecrans1]

That would feel better than lugging around the Predator like I did a few daze last season. 22" barrel Predator with a Nikon Prostaff 6x18, epoxy filled barrel chamber, one pound of weight in the stock, a plastic cheek piece, 5 round magazine and a strap and I feel like I carried firewood all day. I probably don't want to know what it really weighs.

[Stinky Coyote]

I have a leupold 6x36 (9.5 oz) and some weaver 1" lows (2.5 oz) on it and it sits 6 lb 15 oz. The scope height is great. I think one could save 2.5-3.0 oz by removing the factory rail and order up some Talley rings if one trying to do as light as possible, i'm not going that route with this one. Just want this one to go to work as simply as possible.

I'm already modding it. The recoil pad has a 1/4" thick contact patch floating on a suspension so to speak and i cut that off with a box cutter and rounded up the corners a bit. It opens things up to the hollow butt stock via a pattern of nice round holes about 3/8" two wide but i'm ok with that. I found the lop a touch long, recoil pad too squishy and sticky. This removed 1 oz from the weight, and now oal is 36 1/8" and the lop is 13 3/4". I'll be drilling a couple holes in the stock to take a frank proctor sling, one at front on side of nose of stock to run the string through, tie a knot that will live in the hollow under the barrel, then two through the top of the stock just in front of the recoil pad to run the paracord loop through.

I'm also going to have my machinest run a few picatinny slots into bottom side of the nose of the stock under the barrel for a streamlight tlr-8 (2.6 oz) so it can double up on defense capability (camp or home), similar to ruger pc9 fore stock, looks to be enough meat there to accomplish this.

The 6x36 was already at leupold custom for a cds-zl elevation turret, the perfect turret finally for the 1" tube scopes, which can dial up 14.8 moa in one revolution and has the button zero lock from the new vx5-6 scopes. If it does 2400 fps with the short barrel, 14.5 moa will get me to 550 yards at my elevation. Which will be ideal and totally efficient to the cartridge.

Total weights will be as follows.

6 lb 14 oz scoped rifle
2.6 oz light/laser
3.0 oz sling (estimated, stats show 2.4-4 oz)
6.5 oz for 10 rounds of ammo
7 lb 10 oz loaded and heading down the trail (smidge over 7 1/2 lbs all up)

[Stinky Coyote]

picked up a Blue Force vickers unpadded 2 point sling. Removed the sling studs on stock, and then slotted the fore stock and butt stock to accept direct webbing through the stock install. Stock now weighs 1 lb 11.5 oz after all mods. Rifle is 7 lb 1 oz unloaded, 7 lb 7.7 oz with 10 rounds ready to go. Just missing the streamlight tlr-8 (2.6 oz) which is on order. My machinest will slot the tip of the fore stock to accept it's install. This rifle is short and handy enough to run a two point sling set up, even though i primarily hunt, this will lend well for carry front to back, easy to get into action quickly. Almost done, just need to finish break in, zero, collect drop data and order the cds-zl turret to match when done.

0-550 yard do all carbine at 7.6 lbs all up and 36" long.

[biodsl]

0-550 yard do all carbine at 7.6 lbs all up and 36" long.

Thanks for bringing us along for the ride. I think you're on the right path.

Things have changed a lot since Jeff Cooper came up with his Scout Rifle concept. Most bolt actions had blind magazines so a forward scope mount allowed for quick single reloading. Peripheral vision is also less of an issue; we know have 1x scopes. Many bolt guns now have a box magazine. I'd argue that scopes are much more robust than 50 years ago and the need for back up sights is less of a consideration. You could carry a quick detach red dot of that's a concern. The weight and length is in keeping with Cooper's dimensions. Some would argue the Grendel might not be a powerful enough cartridge, we know it can kill a bull elk at 400 yards.

Yes, a fella could do a lot worst than this.

[Stinky Coyote]

Well said, i agree. I wanted to use a 45 degree offset bracket with a holosun 507c red dot also zero'd at 10 yards for the fast coyotes. The holosun also 2.6 oz and tiny, much like the AR set ups, just a quick tilt. This would be great for those coyotes that run in on your lap while calling but otherwise i've done really well with scopes even 4x at 30 yard coyotes. Having said that, i think if i could have squeezed the 45 degree bracket onto the rail somehow i might have added it, that will only be possible with a scope tube mount like the ade advanced optics 1" adapter, or to go with the chassis system which can use the tons of m-lok options to achieve goal. I just don't think i need all three options. The light/laser combo will do fine in defense situations so i have my 10 yard defense option covered, day or night. The 6x scope will do fine from 30 yards to 550 yards for my combined predator/big game use. This one may not qualify for the scout completely but it's my interpretation of a 'do all'. The only thing it doesn't do is have adjustable LOP to fit all size shooters, so it's adult only lop. The chassis build would offer that but then it will end up 9-10 lbs depending on options and then it fits smaller people but too heavy to make handy for them, tripod/bipod type stuff only. Also removed the quick easy handling for adults too. A similar build and then just order a 'compact' stock for when smaller shooters may shoot would be the right plan vs the chassis build imo. If life was more range less hunting then the chassis build likely just fine as you'll be on the bench or prone on bipods most of the time anyhow. This one will see plenty of miles carried so it needed to stay lightweight.

[Stinky Coyote]

Doing a similar break-in as proof research recommends. 3 clean, 3 clean, 5 clean and done (11 shots). Ruger test shoots them in factory so not sure how many they do? I cleaned, shot 3, cleaned, today i shot 4, and cleaning before i'll do the last 5.

I chronographed todays shots average at 2395 fps with hornady black at 17 degrees C. I was guessing this would be a 2400 fps rig, hopefully pics up a little speed as it gets to the 100 round mark.

Also cut 2 coils off the trigger spring, that is such an easy job btw. It dropped to 2 1/4 lbs exactly but i found it a little too light, so i put some tension back on it to bring up to 2 5/8' and that's as light as i'd want to go, bit of creep in this trigger but shouldn't hamper my ability to shoot good groups when setting it up.

[Stinky Coyote]

[Lemonaid]

Nice write up, good details, Thanks!

[kmon]

Good to read this report, I have been thinking about picking up a Ruger Ranch for the wife. Not sure which we will go wth yet though.

On the CZ 527 rifles all that I own and have owned became more consistent shooters with Pillar and Glass bedding. My Grendel made before CZ would get off their butts and chamber for it started life as a 7.62X39 carbine. Finished rifle with a 3-9X40 Kahles scope loaded with sling weighs 7.3oz with the custom taper 22 inch fluted Obermeyer barrel

[Stinky Coyote]

[Rosecrans1]

It sounds like a great gun SC. I know I played with my trigger to get it just a hair under 3.5 lb. My Predator also has a hint of creep but it's the weight of your rifle that makes me drool. I did weigh mine to compare to your Ranch Rifle.
It tips the scale at 8.8 lbs.
Magazine in but no shells loaded!
Nikon 6 x 18 x 40.
No sling.
Epoxy bedded the barrel channel and added a couple ounces of lead weight to off-set the epoxy. (With the 22" heavy barrel and epoxy, I had to balance it). I essentially turned it into a bench and field gun. It's very accurate but it isn't a deer rifle.

[windgates]

Thanks for the informative journey! I've been intrigued by the Ruger ranch grendel and what it offers.

[Edmo]