Hunting & Fishing Ruger American or Savage 10 fcp?

[stello1001]

Hello everyone,

I am relatively new here and so far enjoying it. I recently bought a Ruger American Predator in 6.5CM. I have always hunted whitetail and done it with a .270. I bought the 6.5CM to see what all the rave is about. For the price difference, I was wondering if it would be worth it to buy a Savage 10 FCP SR instead. It would also be chambered in 6.5CM. The only reason why I ask is because I hear that the Ruger Predator tends to shoot a few flyers here and there. The stock that comes with it is also very flimsy and flexible. I have not shot it yet, so I have zero experiences with it as of now. For whitetail deer hunting, would it be a nice upgrade or not? I also like the fact that the Savage 10 has a wide aftermarket stock selection should I want to group tighter in the future. I do plan on starting to shoot long ranges sometime in the near future (just for fun as a hobby though). With that being said, can someone comment on how the savage would be a better option or not? Anyone have any experiences with it?
Thanks.

 

[Bakwa]

Shoot your American first. See how it groups for you. Also look up examples of people floating there barrels on their Ruger Americans. That would make for more consistent groups. Magpul just came out with their Hunter stock for the Ruger American as well. That would be an option for a better stock that freefloats the barrel. MSRP is $300, so street price will be around $250 for it.
My buddy just shot a 3/8" 3 shot group out of his 6.5 American on Saturday. The rifle has potential.

 

[stello1001]

I do want to make it clear that mine is the American Predator, I know that is not specifically in the title. Anyhow, I have shaved off a lot from the stock around the barrel. It is 100% free floating. But wow, I had no idea MagPul made a stock for these. Definitely will look into it. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Rerun7]

What kind of distances are you shooting? I've owned a few savages and they were all accurate out of the box. I usually toss the OEM stock and get an aftermarket first thing. As per the above, I'll bet you can make the Ruger accurate and consistent if it isn't already which you won't know until you shoot it.

I'd really be thinking about size, weight, reliability and realistic accuracy needs for your purposes. Everyone wants a 1/2 moa shooter but if you are just shooting whitetail inside of 300 yards for instance then anything close to moa is going to be fine and humping a 12lb rifle vs an 8lb rifle for 5 miles makes a difference.

 

[stello1001]

Size and weight are not really a big issue. I drive to the ranch and leave the truck parked in an area. My walk to the deer blind is then a few yards away. Never more than 100 yards. There are times when I get out in the field and just walk around searching for game, but usually no more than an hour. The longest I'll probably have to take a shot at is about 250-350 yards. When hunting pigs, we usually do head shots. Never had any problems or misplaced shots in the past. With my Ruger, I'm going to definitely want to shoot a pig should the opportunity present itself. My biggest concern was having a flyer every now and then. But you are right, I should start shooting it and just see what kind of groups I get out of it. Plus, I think I might purchase that MagPul in the future.
Thanks for your input.

 

[coldboremiracle]

I used to have an FCP, and I loved it. Shot as good as my customs. I dont have much to say about the Rugers, its been a long time since I bought one, but the last one I bought 15+ years ago shoots lights out still.

 

[spaniel]

Any Savage 10 (not the Axis) is an upgrade over the Ruger. Don't get me wrong, the Rugers are wonderful rifles for what you pay. I've shot a few and the accuracy and triggers are great for the money. But the magazines are cheaply made and break if you use the rifle any amount. Savage 10s use a much better detachable magazine. The Savage 10 is also infinitely upgradable. You can buy the cheapest one and just replace everything as you learn what you want.

Between Savage and Rem/age setups, I don't feel I'll ever need to fork over cash for a custom rifle.

 

[Bakwa]

Any Savage 10 (not the Axis) is an upgrade over the Ruger. Don't get me wrong, the Rugers are wonderful rifles for what you pay. I've shot a few and the accuracy and triggers are great for the money. But the magazines are cheaply made and break if you use the rifle any amount. Savage 10s use a much better detachable magazine. The Savage 10 is also infinitely upgradable. You can buy the cheapest one and just replace everything as you learn what you want.

Between Savage and Rem/age setups, I don't feel I'll ever need to fork over cash for a custom rifle.

Speaking of mags. If the OP did get the Magpul hunter stock for their Ruger, it allows AICS mags. Forgot that part.
But so far as action/barrel, I do agree that a Mod 10 would be better. The Savage stocks are about as bad as the Ruger American stocks though. Either way the OP goes, I would recommend a stock upgrade.

 

[Strikerkc]

I was just asking about the American the other day. My questions had to do with aftermarket stocks (apparently the American only has 2, one of which isn't even in the market yet)

I'm on my phone at the moment, si easier to link the thread than individual links the stocks/consolidate comments.

https://www.snipershide.com/shootin...redator-what-action-do-i-select-for-a-chassis