The Ruger American rifle has become a staple in the firearms world, known for its affordability, accuracy, and reliability. Building on this solid foundation, Ruger offers the American series chambered in the increasingly popular 350 Legend cartridge. This article delves into a comprehensive review of the Ruger American 350 Legend, exploring its features, performance, and whether it lives up to the hype and its potential as a hunting rifle and beyond.
A Closer Look at the Rifle’s Design
The Ruger American platform embodies a simple, yet effective design. It’s a bolt-action rifle built with an emphasis on practicality and performance. The stock is typically constructed from a durable synthetic material, providing resistance against the elements and ensuring longevity. Many models feature a modular stock system, allowing for adjustment of the length of pull and potentially offering different comb heights to better fit the shooter. The textured grip surfaces on the stock and forend enhance handling, providing a secure hold even in adverse conditions.
The bolt-action system is a crucial element of the Ruger American’s design. It’s known for its smooth operation and ease of use. The bolt typically features three locking lugs, contributing to a secure and reliable lockup. The bolt handle is generously sized, allowing for easy manipulation even with gloved hands. The bolt also incorporates a plunger-style ejector and a blade-style extractor, ensuring positive and consistent ejection of spent casings.
At the heart of the shooting experience is the trigger. The Ruger American frequently utilizes the Ruger Marksman Adjustable Trigger. This trigger is a significant upgrade over basic factory triggers, offering a crisp break and a clean pull. The trigger pull weight is typically adjustable, allowing shooters to fine-tune the trigger to their preferences. This adjustability is a significant advantage, allowing users to optimize the rifle for their shooting style and preferred shooting situations.
The barrel, a critical component, is often cold hammer-forged. This process creates a barrel with excellent accuracy potential and increased durability. Barrels in the Ruger American 350 Legend are often threaded, ready to accept muzzle devices such as suppressors or muzzle brakes. This threading enhances the rifle’s versatility, allowing users to customize it for various purposes, from noise reduction to recoil mitigation. The barrel’s finish is generally a matte black, offering a non-reflective surface that’s advantageous in hunting scenarios.
The magazine is another important aspect. The Ruger American typically utilizes a detachable box magazine, often constructed from a robust polymer. The magazine’s capacity varies depending on the model, but generally offers a good balance between capacity and ergonomics. The design allows for quick and easy reloading, a crucial benefit in both hunting and competitive shooting situations.
Putting It Through Its Paces: Performance Testing
The true test of any rifle is its performance on the range. Evaluating the Ruger American 350 Legend involves assessing its accuracy, recoil, and overall handling. Testing typically involves shooting at various distances to gauge accuracy potential.
A common method involves firing groups at 100 yards. The size of the groups, measured in inches, provides a direct measure of the rifle’s precision. Testing with various ammunition types is crucial, as different bullet weights and brands can impact accuracy. A well-performing Ruger American 350 Legend should consistently produce groups that are within acceptable hunting standards, often under one and a half inches or less, depending on the shooter’s skill and the ammunition used.
The 350 Legend cartridge itself offers a relatively mild recoil, which contributes to a pleasant shooting experience. The Ruger American, with its well-designed stock and effective recoil pad, further minimizes felt recoil. This makes the rifle comfortable to shoot for extended periods, a key factor in hunter satisfaction.
The ergonomics of the Ruger American contribute to its positive handling characteristics. The stock design often allows for a comfortable cheek weld and a natural point of aim. The textured grip surfaces offer a secure hold, enhancing control. The relatively light weight of the rifle, combined with its balanced design, makes it easy to carry and maneuver, particularly in the field.
The trigger plays a significant role in the rifle’s overall performance. A crisp, clean trigger pull allows for precise shot placement. The Ruger Marksman Adjustable Trigger, if equipped, can be adjusted to provide the shooter with a comfortable and predictable trigger pull, thereby enhancing accuracy.
The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict
Understanding the pros and cons is essential for a comprehensive evaluation of the Ruger American 350 Legend.
The strengths of the Ruger American 350 Legend are numerous. Accuracy is often a standout feature, with many users reporting excellent results on the range. The value for the price is compelling. The Ruger American offers a high level of performance at a reasonable cost, making it an attractive option for both experienced shooters and those new to hunting. Reliability is a cornerstone of the Ruger American platform. The rifle is known for its consistent operation and durability. Ease of use is another key advantage. The bolt-action system is simple and intuitive, and the overall design is user-friendly. If the model you choose is relatively lightweight and easy to handle, it contributes to the appeal. The trigger, particularly the Ruger Marksman Adjustable Trigger, is often a major positive. The trigger pull is typically clean, crisp, and adjustable, which facilitates accurate shooting. The availability of aftermarket parts and accessories is a significant benefit. Shooters can easily customize their rifles with scopes, slings, and other accessories to enhance their functionality and personal preferences.
However, there are also potential downsides to consider. While not universal, some users might find the feel of the synthetic stock less desirable than that of a wood or composite stock. The magazine design, while generally functional, may experience occasional issues depending on the specific ammunition type and conditions. Finally, the inherent limitations of the 350 Legend cartridge itself must be acknowledged. While a versatile cartridge, its effective range is generally limited compared to some other hunting cartridges.
The Competition: A Comparative Look
The Ruger American 350 Legend competes with other bolt-action rifles chambered in the same caliber. Popular contenders include the Savage Axis, Winchester XPR, and other models.
When comparing these rifles, considerations include the price point, overall features, and performance. The Savage Axis offers a similar level of affordability, while the Winchester XPR may come with some enhancements. The Ruger American, often, provides an excellent balance of features, accuracy, and value for the price. Its adjustable trigger is a noteworthy advantage that is not always found on competitors in its class. The choice between these rifles often comes down to individual preferences and priorities.
A Final Assessment: Is the Ruger American 350 Legend a Winner?
In conclusion, the Ruger American 350 Legend is a compelling option for those seeking an accurate, reliable, and affordable hunting rifle. Its user-friendly design, crisp trigger, and excellent accuracy potential make it suitable for a wide range of shooters, from experienced hunters to those just starting out. Its chambering in the 350 Legend cartridge makes it particularly well-suited for hunters in states with straight-walled cartridge restrictions.
The rifle offers a solid foundation for accurate shooting, it’s generally dependable and presents an attractive price point for what you get. It’s easy to handle and shoot.
The Ruger American 350 Legend earns a strong recommendation. It’s an excellent choice for hunters and shooters looking for a reliable and accurate rifle in a versatile cartridge. This rifle will not disappoint and deserves a place in the gun safe or in the field. Its design, features and performance, coupled with its price point, make it a compelling choice.
