Regardless thank you for the fast response brother do you know how it is when you’re trying to figure something out and everything is closed and it’s the weekend that’s my life LOL
I'm starting a fun ruger ranch build like that in 7.62x39. Got the anarchy stuff for it, timney trigger is on the way! Now I just have to wait for the magpul short action stock to show up on backorder.
Thanks for the Video.. I have had a Ruger American Predator in .308 for a couple years with Vortex glass as well now & just a couple days ago ordered the stock (in FDE), bipod, triger the same as you have. Also ordered a Precision Armament M41 muzzle break & a Glades Armory bold handle. So my build will end up very similar to yours. So similar that I found myself watching your video twice even.
Thanks for the comment! How do you like that muzzle brake? I've got a Dead Air Nomad30 suppressor on order so my brake is hopefully only needed until the can comes through.
Looking back on your comment I didn't catch that you just ordered the parts. Be careful taking the bolt apart to swap the handle, the firing pin can be tricky to get back together. One day when I get brave enough to do it again I'll make a nice clear video showing how to do it.
Zack Carlson - Writer I watched a video on it and it looks fairly easy, just do long as your patient. Took the guy all of about 45 seconds, he of course knew what he was doing though.
I have the dope disk in mine and I actually use it I love it used it to see how much to adjust the elevation knob when I took a shot at 880 yards because I wasn’t gonna be able to guess at that far how much to just holdover lol
good video Zack. Can you elaborate a little more what you like in this chassis vs the MDT that you switched from? I've seen nothing but good comments about the MDT, so I'm curious about your thoughts of the differences.
Sure! The MDT I had had only aluminum under the barrel, nothing bridging over the barrel. I think this is what caused most of my issues. With the bipod mounted and the tension set to where you can tweak the lean angle but you gotta put a little pressure on it to do it I would notice while tweaking the pistol grip to get the gun to lean a certain direction that the aluminum between the bipod and the rifles action would torque and twist. It felt a little flimsy in those situations. The Magpul just seems denser and much stiffer.
Great build! Pretty much exactly why I’m looking to do to my Ruger! Can you tell me what the overall weight of your build is? The magpul seems to be the lightest option for replacing the factory stock and I’m trying to judge the rigidity vs. weight argument before jumping in. Great video and the build order was really helpful!
That’s a nice looking rifle you have there sir. I was going to do the same setup with my Ruger Predator but after I tallied the cost the rifle, the stock, the magazines, the trigger, the bolt handle... I realized I was only a few hundred bucks shy the cost of a Ruger Precision, so I got one of those instead. My 6.5 Predator still gets use as my go to hunting rifle. Every few months I take it to the range to confirm zero and get a sub moa group just above the bull with two of the three holes touching so I can’t complain for a 100% stock rifle.
Yeah I think it's really suited to people who can't afford the whole shebang at once. It's a rifle you can get into cheap and build up as funds allow. I'm actually planning on selling this soon and upgrading myself. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
@@ZackCarlson I'm not knocking your efforts by no means. I'm just saying, these rifles do pretty good out of the box. Any upgrades you add will only improve on that.
@@unkulwilly What size game do you hunt when hunting with your 6.5 creedmoor? I am curious because I am considering purchasing a 6.5 RAP. I currently shoot a .308 but I would like a new toy and also want to carry it when hunting whitetail and possibly even black bear and/or elk. I have read a lot of conflicting reviews/opinions on the 6.5 as a "hunting caliber" so I am curious to know how your experience with the 6.5 has been. Thanks in advance.
Very nice setup. How short can the stock actually be if you take out the spacers in the butpad? I've got the predator version with the green flimsy stock for my kids, but it is probably 3 inches or more too long for my oldest to use, then with hunting clothes on, she has a hard time putting it up to her shoulder. This stock seems like it might be a good solution. Also, what does it weigh in comparison to the stock stock? Thanks.
According to Magpul's site it ranges in LOP from 13-15" and weight is 3.3 lbs www.magpul.com/products/hunter-american-stock-ruger-american-short-action
Great video. A big reason leading me to get the Ruger American Hunter .308 as my first hunting rifle. I did have a question tho if you can help me out. I'm contemplating between buying the American Hunter as-is from my dealer for around $800. And the other option is doing a build, buying a Ruger predator (~450) then buying a magpul stock (~250).. From my understanding and research the gun itself barrel/receiver is all the same. The only difference i'm seeing is the Ruger break the Hunter comes with. Do you know what i'm missing in the two compersions or options? seems like a no brainer pricewise, but not seeing much info about people building from base vs buying the Hunter (most videos are out dated pre-Hunter release from Ruger)
I think I broke down prices in a different comment. It is a much more consistent rifle after the upgrades. It's not going to be inherently more accurate because it's the same action and barrel, but the stock scope and trigger upgrades make it much easier to shoot it consistently shot to shot. Takes some of the variables out....
I have the ruger american predator in 6.5 cm and bout the magpul hunter stock like you have. The 5 round magazine is the brown follower and mine will not feed properly. I’ve researched it and it says use the brown follower which I am. Has anyone else ran into this issue. If so what magazine did you replace it with to feed properly.
Yep. The mdt was way too flexy. It was really apparent when trying to level the bubble. The bipod would stay straight but the gun would rotate at the fore end
@@mountainknife I got a mdt ess chassis on one rifle. Its sturdy has fire. I torqued everything down.. I am in the process of building another with the magpul stock
I have the vortex viper also but had to remove the eyepiece defender cap. When you put it on you lose the use of the focus dial at the very end of the scope. Or is this just me.
Just shot my American 6.5 RUGER today for the first time... i have a Vortex 4x12 x40 scope .... a friend told me to 0 at 25 is this correct for this rig? ... i 0 at 25 then moved back to 200 i kept them in the 10 ring but wasn't consistent... was shooting Hornaday 143 eld ...from somewhat solid bench rest ... grouped better from laying on the ground... my very first Experience with such a riffle i can only hope that I can improve with time ... any advice or pointers would be greatly appreciated... THANKS MIKE WYOMING
How did you get to the second bolt disassembletake the original stock off It’s right underneath the magazine release so do you have to hammer out the pin
@@ZackCarlson Appreciate you I Was lost in the sauce there’s a tool that it comes with that assist u taking the pin without breaking the stock luckily for me I’m good at not throwing stuff away until I figure what it is.
Love your videos brother! You have inspired me to build a similar rig with the magpul. I wonder if you or anyone else could please help a fellow overseas gun-brother out by shedding light on the following questions: 1. What is the distance between the barrel rim to the closest part of the magpul stock? I am asking because it'll inform my choice overlapping suppressor to come. Currently investigataing my native Swedish Stalon series. 2. Is it possible to load this rifle directly via the chamber? On my Tikka rifles I can just pull back the bolt and ordinarily put a bullet in the chamber and load. Someone on a forum said that it almost always JAMMED on the Ruger American Predator when he tried to do so. Is this true? Cheers! :)
I don't have this rifle anymore so I can't really comment on the barrel length question. On the direct load I did it a few times without issues, but usually just ran the mag. Thanks for watching!
So how would I acquire the brown follower or mag that has the brown follower? I want to get this in 6.5 but don’t want to run into issues with feeding for extra mags I get
When I talked with magpul they said they were shipping in the stock kits. It may have changed since it’s been awhile. They may now be available separately. I never did have issues with my non brown followers though.
I have the EXACT SAME SETUP, Only I have the ACSS-Apollo-6.5CR 33-18x50 FFP scope. I PROMISE PROMISE PROMISE, That if you purchase a magpul 10 round AICS 7.62 Mags they will work perfectly, brown follower be damned. I was paranoid about buying a mag without the "brown follower" for about a year. Back in 2018 I broke down and purchased 4 of them (10 rounds) and they work perfectly. I would be happy to answer anything you ask and or take pictures if needed God bless
Hey Kurtis, I've taken it out twice to 1,000 yards. The local range has 5.5" wide steel chickens and IPSC chest targets at that distance. I can hit the IPSC target fairly easily depending on the wind. I have knocked the small chicken over once, but it took a few shots and I had a spotter that trip which helped immensely. I've not shot it for groups at 1,000 yards as the local range doesn't allow for that.The biggest thing with the American is not shooting too quickly, it isn't a bull barrel and needs to cool. I hope this helps.
What makes you say that? I think it's a great entry level gun for someone who can't afford the whole nut up front. If you have the money up front you are probably better off with a RPR but if you can't then the American is ideal.
This fucking gun will shoot lights out if the shooter can . I have the same rifle in a magpul stock and it shoots 3/8” groups at 100 allday with the 143gr eldx
Black stock looks sick with the gray, I would have thought it was intentional. Great video!
Finished my 6.5CRMR build a while back, even took it out for a spin before the Boogaflu took over.
Just under 1 MOA groupings. It was a good day.
Good to hear. They are an incredible value
How did you get to the second bolt on the original stock right underneath the magazine release
@@drodriguez3935 I don't remember lol I just sorta did
Regardless thank you for the fast response brother do you know how it is when you’re trying to figure something out and everything is closed and it’s the weekend that’s my life LOL
I just started my 6.5 Creedmor build. Awesome Build by the way. I love the black sphere bolt head.
Yep, the nice big ball great!
Damn, I think Vortex needs to make those cover's hinges another inch taller.
😂
Love this build!!!
I'm starting a fun ruger ranch build like that in 7.62x39. Got the anarchy stuff for it, timney trigger is on the way! Now I just have to wait for the magpul short action stock to show up on backorder.
You can get similar bolt handles from Glades Armory for about half the cost.
Nice build i.love the stock .nice rifle .inwill be building my own soon ..
Thanks for the Video.. I have had a Ruger American Predator in .308 for a couple years with Vortex glass as well now & just a couple days ago ordered the stock (in FDE), bipod, triger the same as you have. Also ordered a Precision Armament M41 muzzle break & a Glades Armory bold handle. So my build will end up very similar to yours. So similar that I found myself watching your video twice even.
Thanks for the comment! How do you like that muzzle brake? I've got a Dead Air Nomad30 suppressor on order so my brake is hopefully only needed until the can comes through.
Zack Carlson - Writer I haven't gotten it yet. Everything is bone stock right now.
Looking back on your comment I didn't catch that you just ordered the parts. Be careful taking the bolt apart to swap the handle, the firing pin can be tricky to get back together. One day when I get brave enough to do it again I'll make a nice clear video showing how to do it.
Zack Carlson - Writer I watched a video on it and it looks fairly easy, just do long as your patient. Took the guy all of about 45 seconds, he of course knew what he was doing though.
Sweet gun! Im gunna build a similar setup but in 6.5 grendel!
Why Grendel?
Thanks for watching!
I have the dope disk in mine and I actually use it I love it used it to see how much to adjust the elevation knob when I took a shot at 880 yards because I wasn’t gonna be able to guess at that far how much to just holdover lol
Yeah if I didn't use a Kilo2400ABS range finder that does the calculation for me I'd probably do the same.
good video Zack. Can you elaborate a little more what you like in this chassis vs the MDT that you switched from? I've seen nothing but good comments about the MDT, so I'm curious about your thoughts of the differences.
Sure! The MDT I had had only aluminum under the barrel, nothing bridging over the barrel. I think this is what caused most of my issues. With the bipod mounted and the tension set to where you can tweak the lean angle but you gotta put a little pressure on it to do it I would notice while tweaking the pistol grip to get the gun to lean a certain direction that the aluminum between the bipod and the rifles action would torque and twist. It felt a little flimsy in those situations. The Magpul just seems denser and much stiffer.
Great build! Pretty much exactly why I’m looking to do to my Ruger! Can you tell me what the overall weight of your build is? The magpul seems to be the lightest option for replacing the factory stock and I’m trying to judge the rigidity vs. weight argument before jumping in.
Great video and the build order was really helpful!
That’s a nice looking rifle you have there sir. I was going to do the same setup with my Ruger Predator but after I tallied the cost the rifle, the stock, the magazines, the trigger, the bolt handle... I realized I was only a few hundred bucks shy the cost of a Ruger Precision, so I got one of those instead. My 6.5 Predator still gets use as my go to hunting rifle. Every few months I take it to the range to confirm zero and get a sub moa group just above the bull with two of the three holes touching so I can’t complain for a 100% stock rifle.
Yeah I think it's really suited to people who can't afford the whole shebang at once. It's a rifle you can get into cheap and build up as funds allow. I'm actually planning on selling this soon and upgrading myself. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
@@ZackCarlson I'm not knocking your efforts by no means. I'm just saying, these rifles do pretty good out of the box. Any upgrades you add will only improve on that.
@@unkulwilly What size game do you hunt when hunting with your 6.5 creedmoor? I am curious because I am considering purchasing a 6.5 RAP. I currently shoot a .308 but I would like a new toy and also want to carry it when hunting whitetail and possibly even black bear and/or elk. I have read a lot of conflicting reviews/opinions on the 6.5 as a "hunting caliber" so I am curious to know how your experience with the 6.5 has been. Thanks in advance.
@@jasontroutman7313 i mostly hunt American Whitetail deer. as for Bear and Elk, i wouldn't know sir. i have never had the opportunity to hunt those.
@@unkulwilly How has your performance been using the 6.5 and is there a particular bullet you prefer when deer hunting? Thanks again.
Your set up is beatiful 👍😱
Thanks for watching
@@ZackCarlson can you give me the part number , brand of the scope , the price and where you purchased it? I want to buy one that looks sick...
Nice upgrades!
Thanks
My hunter hangs up on the bolt catch. Did you experience this when it was new?
Very nice setup. How short can the stock actually be if you take out the spacers in the butpad? I've got the predator version with the green flimsy stock for my kids, but it is probably 3 inches or more too long for my oldest to use, then with hunting clothes on, she has a hard time putting it up to her shoulder. This stock seems like it might be a good solution. Also, what does it weigh in comparison to the stock stock? Thanks.
According to Magpul's site it ranges in LOP from 13-15" and weight is 3.3 lbs www.magpul.com/products/hunter-american-stock-ruger-american-short-action
Good video 👍
Thanks for watching!
Very nice build. Last thing you need is a cant level.
I put a vortex one on, must have been after this video was done. Thanks for watching.
Zack, if you go tp Indian Creek Design they have a cant level built into an aluminum shroud for the back of the bolt.
Great video. A big reason leading me to get the Ruger American Hunter .308 as my first hunting rifle. I did have a question tho if you can help me out. I'm contemplating between buying the American Hunter as-is from my dealer for around $800. And the other option is doing a build, buying a Ruger predator (~450) then buying a magpul stock (~250).. From my understanding and research the gun itself barrel/receiver is all the same. The only difference i'm seeing is the Ruger break the Hunter comes with. Do you know what i'm missing in the two compersions or options? seems like a no brainer pricewise, but not seeing much info about people building from base vs buying the Hunter (most videos are out dated pre-Hunter release from Ruger)
I guess long story short - why did you buy the Hunter instead of buying a Ruger Predator then buying a the magpul stock?
Sweeeeeeeet setup dude! 👍
Thanks
So after all that, how much better does it shoot? groups? ranges? etc.
What was the price breakdown and or total cost?
Thanks
I think I broke down prices in a different comment. It is a much more consistent rifle after the upgrades. It's not going to be inherently more accurate because it's the same action and barrel, but the stock scope and trigger upgrades make it much easier to shoot it consistently shot to shot. Takes some of the variables out....
Thank You
cant find these anywhere.
How’s it shoot? What ammo does it like?
Shoots great! The best ammo for me has shown to be the Hornady ELDM 140 grain ammo. I've been trying to stock up on it.
I have the ruger american predator in 6.5 cm and bout the magpul hunter stock like you have. The 5 round magazine is the brown follower and mine will not feed properly. I’ve researched it and it says use the brown follower which I am. Has anyone else ran into this issue. If so what magazine did you replace it with to feed properly.
You went form a mdt chassis to the Magpul? May I ask why? I’m building a gun and would like to know. Cheers
Yep. The mdt was way too flexy. It was really apparent when trying to level the bubble. The bipod would stay straight but the gun would rotate at the fore end
Zack Carlson - Writer thanks for the response
@@mountainknife I got a mdt ess chassis on one rifle. Its sturdy has fire. I torqued everything down.. I am in the process of building another with the magpul stock
how thick is that barrel can you caliper it trying to find out how heavy it is ???
Sorry this gun sold when I upgraded to my Bergara HMR Pro.
I have the vortex viper also but had to remove the eyepiece defender cap. When you put it on you lose the use of the focus dial at the very end of the scope. Or is this just me.
How much does your rifle weigh?
Can you get a 10 round mag for the 6.5 for this rifle? Is so what brand? Thanks
I just use the magpul aics mags.
What's the height on them rings?
Does your bolt have the new cuts in it or is it still a solid bolt
I don't know, I've since sold this gun so I can't check it out.
Hey what kind of scope rings did you find work best for this kind of gun with the custom stock? Low medium high?
Just shot my American 6.5 RUGER today for the first time... i have a Vortex 4x12 x40 scope .... a friend told me to 0 at 25 is this correct for this rig? ... i 0 at 25 then moved back to 200 i kept them in the 10 ring but wasn't consistent... was shooting Hornaday 143 eld ...from somewhat solid bench rest ... grouped better from laying on the ground... my very first Experience with such a riffle i can only hope that I can improve with time ... any advice or pointers would be greatly appreciated... THANKS MIKE WYOMING
Most of my rifles like this I zero for 100 yards
@@ZackCarlson THANK YOU SIR
How did you get to the second bolt disassembletake the original stock off It’s right underneath the magazine release so do you have to hammer out the pin
Yep you tap that pin out and then you can access the bolt.
@@ZackCarlson Appreciate you I Was lost in the sauce there’s a tool that it comes with that assist u taking the pin without breaking the stock luckily for me I’m good at not throwing stuff away until I figure what it is.
Hi, It is possible to know the height of the rings?
Thanks 🙏
They are the .97" rings vortexoptics.com/vortex-precision-matched-30mm-rings.html?vx_ring_height=927
Zack Carlson - Writer Hi I know you no longer have this set up but did you ever encounter feeding issues with these magazines and the 6.5 Creedmoor?
Nope. Not with the brown follower ones they send and not even with the normal ones not specifically for the American.
What are the height of the rings you used? High medium or low?
This gun is gone now, but I believe they were .93" height
Zack Carlson - Writer ok thank you.
Where did it go?
Is the trigger guard metal?
What's your height over bore?
Love your videos brother! You have inspired me to build a similar rig with the magpul. I wonder if you or anyone else could please help a fellow overseas gun-brother out by shedding light on the following questions:
1. What is the distance between the barrel rim to the closest part of the magpul stock? I am asking because it'll inform my choice overlapping suppressor to come. Currently investigataing my native Swedish Stalon series.
2. Is it possible to load this rifle directly via the chamber? On my Tikka rifles I can just pull back the bolt and ordinarily put a bullet in the chamber and load. Someone on a forum said that it almost always JAMMED on the Ruger American Predator when he tried to do so. Is this true?
Cheers! :)
I don't have this rifle anymore so I can't really comment on the barrel length question.
On the direct load I did it a few times without issues, but usually just ran the mag.
Thanks for watching!
Zack Carlson - Writer why’d you get rid of it?
It’s a cheap gun with a thin barrel profile so I upgraded to a bergara HMR pro.
1000 yards is give or take 9 mils depending on the bullet. And the diamondback tactical couldn’t dial that? That’s interesting
What length barrel is that?
I believe it was a 22" barrel. I don't have the gun anymore though.
So how would I acquire the brown follower or mag that has the brown follower? I want to get this in 6.5 but don’t want to run into issues with feeding for extra mags I get
When I talked with magpul they said they were shipping in the stock kits. It may have changed since it’s been awhile. They may now be available separately. I never did have issues with my non brown followers though.
I have the EXACT SAME SETUP, Only I have the ACSS-Apollo-6.5CR 33-18x50 FFP scope.
I PROMISE PROMISE PROMISE, That if you purchase a magpul 10 round AICS 7.62 Mags they will work perfectly, brown follower be damned.
I was paranoid about buying a mag without the "brown follower" for about a year. Back in 2018 I broke down and purchased 4 of them (10 rounds) and they work perfectly. I would be happy to answer anything you ask and or take pictures if needed
God bless
How well does it do our at 1k yards?
Hey Kurtis, I've taken it out twice to 1,000 yards. The local range has 5.5" wide steel chickens and IPSC chest targets at that distance. I can hit the IPSC target fairly easily depending on the wind. I have knocked the small chicken over once, but it took a few shots and I had a spotter that trip which helped immensely. I've not shot it for groups at 1,000 yards as the local range doesn't allow for that.The biggest thing with the American is not shooting too quickly, it isn't a bull barrel and needs to cool. I hope this helps.
Hey Zack, what height rings are those vortex precision matched rings? And the scope is 50mm objective correct?
Sorry for the delay, I had to look through my history to see what rings they were. They were the .97 ones seen here: amzn.to/2WjrvXF
What height rings are those
.93 I think
@@ZackCarlson I mean, medium, high, extra high
Vortex doesn't rate their rings like that. They are the .97" rings vortexoptics.com/vortex-precision-matched-30mm-rings.html?vx_ring_height=927
@@ZackCarlson i got 3 or 4 sets..they all said medium or high for 30mm
@@ZackCarlson id have to send ya a picture of the outside of the box... Itd say medium height or high height
What height are the scope rings?
They were the .97 ones seen here: amzn.to/2WjrvXF
how much does the gun weigh in the stock?
That’s a good question. I’ll try to weigh the whole thing soon.
Thats bad as$. I cant wait for mine to come in.
Thanks, it's been great to me so far. I bet yours will be too.
What does this setup cost
Timney Trigger bit.ly/2J4KkLL $150
Ruger American bit.ly/2J95Wqh $450
Magpul Stock bit.ly/2J6olEf $285
Vortex Viper PST bit.ly/2TFOjm2 $999
Bipod bit.ly/2J7zJjf $105
Rough total is $1,989
Can you use the factory magazine that came with the rifle when switching to the Magpul Stock> I like the look of the flush magazine fit
I believe so. I know they didn’t fit in my mdt chassis though, the magwell was too deep and wouldn’t let the mag latch.
Is the 6.5 creedmoor a short or a long action I wasn’t sure because there’s two different stocks
6.5 is a short action caliber
Zack Carlson - Writer thanks
Turrets are nice and clicky, wtf!
Wanna sell it?
Sorry already sold it.
Good informative video but this gun is a waste of time and money
What makes you say that? I think it's a great entry level gun for someone who can't afford the whole nut up front. If you have the money up front you are probably better off with a RPR but if you can't then the American is ideal.
utterly ignorant comment....
This fucking gun will shoot lights out if the shooter can . I have the same rifle in a magpul stock and it shoots 3/8” groups at 100 allday with the 143gr eldx
Not if your building your rifle and enjoy spending your time and money on it. Experience and enjoyment are never a waste.
Putting similar optic (Diamondback Tactical 6-24) on my Ruger. Not sure if I should order medium or low rings. Which are those?