Ruger American in 6.5 Grendel

[dpete]

Other than the color and barrel length, they’re identical. If you want max performance, get the longer barrel Predator. If you’re gonna hunt with a “can”, the shorter Ranch makes a lot of sense.

I have a Predator, and in the factory stock, I found it to be too nose heavy for my liking and chopped it down to 18”. YMMV.

As far as recoil goes, it a soft shooter, even without a brake. Put one on and it’s like a .223 without!

For the nose heavy situation I found an easy remedy.
1. Remove the buttplate to access the hollow factory stock
2. Cut sections of garden hose to proper length to fit inside the stock. Reinforced hose with the black rubber lining works best.
3. Buy rubber stoppers at a hardware store to plug the ends of the hose sections.
4. Use rubber cement to glue 1 stopper into the hose section.
5. Fill hose section with lead shotgun shot.
6. Glue rubber stopper into open end of hose.
7. Cut and fill hose sections as necessary to balance rifle.

Granted, this method adds weight to the rifle but its as far back as you can get it and the extra weight mitigates a little bit of recoil. I have a RARR in 300 BLK that I use with a can and added 3 sections of hose into the stock to offset the 18oz of can hanging on the muzzle. With the can attached and the extra weight in the stock its a heavy little beast but it has about zero recoil. The pivot point of the rifle while carried is immediately in front of the magazine.

I agree with the 6.5 Grendel model being a soft shooter. Accurate as well. I'm liking the one I have a lot.