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0uTkAsT
8 December 2014, 17:58
I've had mine for a few weeks and figured I'd share some thoughts on it. Mine is a model 6970 "Compact" with the 12.5" LOP. My main reason for purchasing was because I was on the hunt for a very short, light and handy bolt gun to replace a .30-30 levergun. For some reason I've found I just shoot bolts faster and more accurately than my levers, so I made up my mind to make the switch.

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The RARR balances well and aims naturally, especially with a low-mounted, lightweight scope and ring combination. Despite having a super light (hollow synthetic) stock and a fairly beefy "mediumish" barrel profile, it feels nimble and not front-heavy without a suppressor mounted. With even a lightweight can, ballast can be added to the hollow buttstock. The barrel has a 1:7 twist, threaded 5/8x24, cold hammer forged, and there is plenty of material there to work with for any style of barrel fluting (which is in the cards for mine eventually). It broadens just aft of the threading for an excellent shoulder for mounting a suppressor. The 1:7 twist rate will make this gun versatile and a ton of fun to reload for, I plan to handload everything from 110-gr to 208-gr with H110, Trailboss and Lil Gun, and I also have several different factory loads to experiment with. Not pictured is Gemtech 187-gr, and soon Silencerco 220-gr.

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The stock needed cleaned up a bit cosmetically due to some manufacturing marks and flashing but overall feels nice in the hands and the bedding system is phenomenal for a cheap gun, it just requires a pretty even 60-80 in-lbs on the action screws and the V-shaped bedding blocks do the rest. Before I bought it, I had it in my head that I was going to do a non-aggressive golfball pattern stippling job to the grip surfaces and re-paint it, but upon owning it for a while I don't think it's necessary at all. I do have a personal pet peeve about very soft, grippy rubber recoil pads, and this rifle certainly has that. Most people seem to like cushy, non-slip, almost tacky feeling butt pads, but I'd personally rather have a hard plastic one or at least a harder rubber compound that that does not feel "sticky" and grab my shirt or jacket when shouldering the rifle. The stock color is attractive and darker than it appears in photos, it matches Magpul FDE pretty closely and is definitely more of a "coyote" than a "sand" or beige as photos online make it appear. The metal finish is nearly identical to that of my Gunsite Scout, which is a good thing. The magazine is a cinch to remove and effortless to re-insert unlike several Savage, Mossberg and other DBM guns I've had, but I am old school and do not like that you can't top load the rifle from an open bolt like a traditional bolt rifle... the 5-round rotary magazine must be "front-loaded" with the rounds inserted at an angle near the front of the mag and slid in rearwards. This is pretty commonplace with all makes of newer DBM bolt guns, but again, it's a pet peeve of mine.

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The bolt throw was notchy feeling right out of the box, but after cycling the action 100 times or so it smoothed out. The 70-degree throw leaves plenty of clearance for mounting 1" scopes as low as possible (assuming your knuckles and/or adjustment ring isn't huge) and the full-diameter body aids in the speed and feel. It's definitely no Sako action, but it's better than some other Remington and Winchester actions I've handled recently. The safety is perfectly located on the tang and easy to use, but the click is a little loud. It may loosen up a little and disengage more quietly with use as well. The trigger is good for an inexpensive factory gun and is easily adjustable, but even adjusted all the way down it is too heavy for my liking. I have 2-3.5lb triggers in all of my guns, so I am a pretty good judge of pull weight, and despite being advertised to adjust down to 3lbs, it definitely does not. Mine feels a hair over 4lbs adjusted down as far as possible. It feels better than Savage Accutriggers in terms of crispness, but it needs to go lighter.

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The recoil is very tame, I'd say it's lighter than a .243. Shooting 147gr. FMJ ammo at around 2,000 FPS, the kick was maybe somewhere between a 7.62x39mm and a heavy .30-30 (heavy gun, not heavy load). It feeds so smoothly you can barely feel it strip the round from the magazine, it has very positive ejection, and my wife was happy putting 20 consecutive rounds through it in about a 20 minute period, from both seated and off-hand positions. At 5'0" and 115lbs she is very recoil sensitive and weight and size both play a huge factor in her ability to handle a rifle. Her shoulder was a tiny bit sore later that night, but she was fine while shooting and fine again the next day - For what it's worth, I don't think she's ever shot a .30 caliber rifle more than three times in a row, ever, and she does not like how my Gunsite Scout recoils, if that gives a little more perspective.

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With a shitty 4x32mm Simmons 8-Point (re: $25 backup scope) mounted on the factory base with low Leupold rings, we were shooting 1-1/4" - 1-1/2" groups using Armscor ball ammo. We have not had a chance to get it out with one of the Leupolds yet, nor try different ammo. It was also windy when we were doing our accuracy testing so I know the rifle has plenty more to give. Even at 1.5", I was shooting better groups more easily with it on my first trip to the range than the Marlin 336Y with Skinner Sights that I've had for years.

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For optics, as I mentioned earlier I breifly had a Simmons 4x32mm on it that was quickly replaced by the Leupold FX-II Ultralight shown in some of the pictures above. This setup was really slick and the scope and Talley lightweight ringmounts combined weighed a total of just 8.57oz, making the balance and feel of the rifle almost like it didn't have any optics at all. It also looked right at home on this compact rifle, so I really wanted to be in love with it... However, the Heavy Duplex reticle handicaps it. The wide posts were ok for ranging, but they were way too far apart to be of any use for bullet drop. That, and the crosshairs were super thick, thick enough to fully obscure a car's license plate at 167 yards (observations made prior to installation on the rifle, of course). I think it would be a fine scope on a true brush gun in heavily wooded areas where shots are likely to fall between 40-100 yards, but it lacked the versatility I was looking for. Hence this:

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The ounce counter in me cried when I made the 3.4oz increase switching from the FX-II Ultralight to a Leupold 2-7x33mm Ultimateslam, but in this case the weight savings were just not worth the sacrifice in overall utility. At 9.96oz it's still pretty trim, the magnification range is more ideal for some target work, it's marginally brighter than the FX-II, and the SABR reticle's BDC matches up pretty well with several of the sample .300 Blackout loads I've inputted into Strelok. Here's a screenshot of the SABR matched up to Barnes 110gr. TAC-TX loads at 2,350fps:

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Short, light, handy, reliable, inexpensive... I love it. With a the Leupold scope, Talley rings, SOT Cheetah sling, Uncle Mike's QD swivels and 5 rounds of 150gr. FMJ in the magazine, it weighs in at 6lbs 12.2oz. All that for under $700 out the door including optics. Thank you, Santa.

six8
8 December 2014, 18:05
Nice piece!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

cagekicker204
8 December 2014, 18:09
Looks like a nice setup, I am envious after carrying a 94 all week chasing deer. You guys are making it hard for me not to make a jump to the blackout. Got some future hunters around the house and that looks alot better than my old Winchester to learn on, same manual of arms as their crickets. Thanks for the review.

din
8 December 2014, 18:26
Great review! Maybe I missed it; what can are you gonna put on it?

0uTkAsT
8 December 2014, 22:35
Looks like a nice setup, I am envious after carrying a 94 all week chasing deer. You guys are making it hard for me not to make a jump to the blackout. Got some future hunters around the house and that looks alot better than my old Winchester to learn on, same manual of arms as their crickets. Thanks for the review.
Glad you found it helpful. I do think this would make a great rifle for young hunters.


Nice piece!
Thanks for reading!


Great review! Maybe I missed it; what can are you gonna put on it?
I didn't mention it in the first post, but good question. In keeping with the lightweight hunting theme I pulled the trigger on a Silencerco Harvester. It's still in NFA jail, though.

mustangfreek
10 December 2014, 00:28
Ill admit, im tired and was interested in these rifles and didnt read your whole first post..lol..Whats your take on the stock? id like to look into one of these for my son..he burns up the ammo in the AR's way too quick...haha

0uTkAsT
14 December 2014, 17:24
Ill admit, im tired and was interested in these rifles and didnt read your whole first post..lol..Whats your take on the stock? id like to look into one of these for my son..he burns up the ammo in the AR's way too quick...haha

Here you go:

The stock needed cleaned up a bit cosmetically due to some manufacturing marks and flashing but overall feels nice in the hands and the bedding system is phenomenal for a cheap gun, it just requires a pretty even 60-80 in-lbs on the action screws and the V-shaped bedding blocks do the rest. Before I bought it, I had it in my head that I was going to do a non-aggressive golfball pattern stippling job to the grip surfaces and re-paint it, but upon owning it for a while I don't think it's necessary at all. I do have a personal pet peeve about very soft, grippy rubber recoil pads, and this rifle certainly has that. Most people seem to like cushy, non-slip, almost tacky feeling butt pads, but I'd personally rather have a hard plastic one or at least a harder rubber compound that that does not feel "sticky" and grab my shirt or jacket when shouldering the rifle. The stock color is attractive and darker than it appears in photos, it matches Magpul FDE pretty closely and is definitely more of a "coyote" than a "sand" or beige as photos online make it appear.

[BD]

0uTkAsT
19 December 2014, 20:33
A little more progress today. I've got my homemade sling pretty much the way I want it and moved on to fixing some of the stuff I didn't like about the rifle itself from the very beginning... Replacing the sticky rubber buttplate with a hard plastic one was first on the list (this also drops 1.5oz and 1/2" from the LOP). I finally got around to cleaning up the sharp and ugly manufacturing marks from the edges of the stock, and I swapped the 3-piece steel QD sling swivels and factory swivel studs and for a set of fixed swivels, dropping another ounce total and making it significantly quieter. Finally, I smoothed out the bolt channel inside the receiver some more with a soft cloth wheel at medium to low speed on the Dremel loaded with lapping compound. The process was messy but it really did a great job of polishing it up and highlighting the areas of imperfect machining that was causing the slightly rough and notchy bolt throw I commented on previously. It's pretty slick now.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/s720x720/10881627_10152377660015904_5760883309705148293_n.j pg?oh=70dd0b06cc590f1b2850affa156ef254&oe=5509674B&__gda__=1426108862_257835d44abd108d570949d79b88211 0

I may also replace that ridiculous looking piece of styrofoam in the stock with something better looking and more substantial - I know it's inconsequential to the weight and performance but now that I know it's in there and what it looks like it's going to bother me. http://www.ar15.com/images/smilies/icon_smile_blackeye.gif

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Swap almost finished... the closest buttplate I had on hand that would work is off of a Savage Mk-II FV-SR factory synthetic stock. The bolt holes lined up perfectly and it's a little oversized, which is good... gives me something to work with. I just need to sand it down to fit flushly, do something about the Savage logo, and track down some shorter black screws with the same thread pitch as the originals.

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CK 187
20 December 2014, 06:51
Very nice writeup. Thanks for posting it

0uTkAsT
20 December 2014, 16:24
Glad you enjoyed it.

Well, I got the buttplate done. Although its somewhat ugly, it's very functional. My main goal was to get rid of the tacky rubber that grabs clothing when shouldering, so it does that and also has the added bonus of dropping another 1-1/2oz of weight and 1/2" of length from the stock. I made sure the texture I added doesn't snag fabrics but is enough to keep it steady on the shoulder so it won't slip. It's not as clean looking as I had hoped it would be, but my tools were limited to a Dremel with sanding drums and a soldering iron, so I did the best I could with what I had. And worst case, I can always toss this one I made and start again, or put the factory recoil pad back on.

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schambers
23 December 2014, 19:47
thanks for taking the time to post this. Threads like these are always enjoyable to read

WHSmithIV
23 December 2014, 22:55
It's good to see companies like Ruger mass producing in calibers like .300 blackout. Ultimately, that drives the cost of ammunition down.

0uTkAsT
24 December 2014, 18:21
Merry Christmas everyone!


thanks for taking the time to post this. Threads like these are always enjoyable to read
You're welcome! I like reading through "build threads" myself so I'm happy to share my own when I have the chance.


It's good to see companies like Ruger mass producing in calibers like .300 blackout. Ultimately, that drives the cost of ammunition down.
Absolutely, not only does it bring prices down but it also brings a larger variety to the market. Now instead of having just a few options for factory ammo, we have Remington, Silencerco, Lehigh, DRT, Barnes, Nosler, Hornady, Fiocchi, Armscor, Cor-Bon, PNW, and probably half a dozen more manufacturers producing various factory loads. It's great! Some, like Barnes, Lehigh and DRT are using pretty innovative bullet designs successfully as well.

Back to the Ruger, I think I am finally satisfied with my setup...
Talley "Extra Low" ultralight ring mounts
Leupold UltimateSlam 2-7x33mm SA.B.R
Homemade 1" web sling that quick-adjusts from the rear and leaves a fixed "safari Ching" style loop at the front
Fixed sling swivels
DIY hard plastic buttplate
Weight is ~6.7lbs as shown.

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I may get a Glades Armory bolt handle for my Birthday in March but otherwise I'm happy with it so I'm going to use it as-is.

http://gladesarmory.com/99-new_default/tikka-t3-right-h-17-stainless-tactical-knob.jpg

0uTkAsT
28 December 2014, 20:35
One of my few gripes about the Ranch as noted in my original post was the trigger... in that even with the set screw fully removed, it still felt notably heavier than other 3-3.5lb triggers I own. I don't have a trigger gauge to test the actual pull weights, but according to my fingertip scale I'd say it would not go any lower than 4lbs, so I searched around and found several tutorials on other forums for a "free trigger mod". I tried this trick on mine and it is much better now... It retained the crispness of the break and lack of take-up or overtravel the factory trigger exhibited, but reduced the pull weight well below 3lbs... basically all gain and no loss from doing it. The pull weight feels perfect now, the trigger blade safety still functions 100%, and I can not get it to drop-fire. As always, your mileage may vary; try it at your own risk. This modification took roughly 20 minutes but half of that was me going one step further and polishing the trigger assembly itself with a low speed cloth wheel loaded with polishing compound to remove some marks I saw.


This will lighten the trigger pull to approximately 2 lbs at the minimum setting [and retain some adjustability].

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-P26VjjK9IPg/U5h4t-uWbkI/AAAAAAAABFI/9-rXvNQD-3A/s384/trigger.jpg

Step one, remove the pin (A) [lift the trigger assembly out after you've removed that pin]
Step two, remove the trigger adjustment screw (B)
Step three, remove the spring (C) that follows the blue line.
Step four, cut off ~1.75 coils
Step five, sand the cut end of the spring flat
Step six, remove any burrs
Step seven, reassemble [in reverse] with the cut side of the spring toward the adjustment screw

schambers
3 January 2015, 09:14
Outkast,

I might be wrong but I thought you mentioned earlier that you worked on/sanded down the stock a bit, to remove the line that was createed form the plastic molding process. Do you mind posting some detailed pics of how it turned out, and maybe a brief description of the process? I would like to clean up a shotgun stock that I recently acquired

0uTkAsT
4 January 2015, 12:27
Update 1/4/15... Really enjoying this gun. My round count is 220 now, five types of ammunition included, temps from 95F to -5F, not a single issue, groups started tightening up with ~30-40 rounds down the tube. Now that it's broken in and I have a brass pile going its time to start working up some handloads, and when it warms up a little I'll post more accuracy and chronograph results. The modified trigger and stock are working out great, the stock would be even more ideal if my scope didn't have such long eye relief... it's over 4" at some magnifications, so sometimes I find myself an inch or so inside the ideal range shooting offhand. I am unable to move the scope forward more without milling the mount to clear the ocular lens's lock ring. No other changes to report besides picking up a spare magazine from Ruger using their 20% discount offer for filling out the owner notification card.

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Outkast,

I might be wrong but I thought you mentioned earlier that you worked on/sanded down the stock a bit, to remove the line that was createed form the plastic molding process. Do you mind posting some detailed pics of how it turned out, and maybe a brief description of the process? I would like to clean up a shotgun stock that I recently acquired

Yes I sure did, although I don't have any before/after photos. I simply take 600-800 grit dry sandpaper to carefully knock down raised spots and sharp edges, then clean it up with finer (1,000-1,200 grit) to hide any sanding marks. Sand lightly and take your time... keep in mind there's not much you can do with stocks that have a lot of texture molded in, because your sanded areas will be smoother than the rest of the stock and look weird up close.