Ruger American in 350 Legend

Help Support Ruger Forum:

Joined
Apr 9, 2006
Messages
1,294
Location
Wi USA
just picked it up today at my LGS , wanted something with easy recoil for my daughter to try for deer hunting this fall (first timer)
got it home and put a Burris 3x9x40 on it , first 3 shot group after getting it sighted in , at 100 yards off sand bags ,, Winchester 145 FMJ plinking ammo
YxckKTCl.jpg

KsUguKxl.jpg

lmg3vhLl.jpg


pretty darn happy with it , my daughter came over after she got home from a friends wedding and just had to shoot it even tho she was all dressed up, gallon jugs and steel plates at 100 yards no problem
v8De7tfl.jpg

F06Kqk6l.jpg

the 3 in the black are hers, the 3 higher ones were from before with hand guns
fgmQgwOl.jpg
 
Joined
Apr 9, 2006
Messages
1,294
Location
Wi USA
yes sir she's really coming along , up until about 2 weeks ago she had never shot any rifle other than 22's
and she's right handed and left eye dominant, so I have the left side of her safety glasses taped off ,

she gave me quite the surprise when she told me she wanted to try hunting this year, so we started the search for what gun she could use , I had her try my AR pistol in 300 blackout , that has a brace on it and a reddot sight , she did ok with it but she didn't really like it , so then out came some more , Ruger 77/44 , T/C Contender 30-30 with a 21" rifle barrel , both of those had more recoil than she wanted to deal with, scoped AR 15 in 223/5.56 she liked that but i wasn't comfortable with her starting off hunting with that set up and finally a T/C Encore in 243, she was ok with that but had a hard time getting under the scope to cock the hammer

So I had been looking at and wanting to try the 350Legend and wanted to get a upper for my AR but right now finding one at a reasonable price is pretty much out of the question . so I called my LGS and talked to him this morning and he had a couple Rugers on hand , so this one came home
 

rugerjunkie

Buckeye
Joined
Mar 15, 2005
Messages
1,962
Location
Kansas
I've toyed around with the idea of the same rifle. Good to see they can shoot. I'm not in any hurry. I have a new mgm 357 max barrel to try out at the moment. Fingers crossed that it shoots like that rifle!
 

Ethang

Blackhawk
Joined
Jun 1, 2009
Messages
760
Location
Michigan
I have everything for a 350 but the rifle. I have almost purchased the compact Ranch a couple times now, just have not pulled the trigger. Your's or her's... looks like it shoots really well.
 
Joined
Apr 9, 2006
Messages
1,294
Location
Wi USA
rugerjunkie said:
20" Encore barrel

interesting , I would really like to know more about your set up . why the 20" encore ? does it need that much length to get the max vel. out of it or was it what you like or what was available ? also
are they available for a Contender frame ?

please need us posted as you go along
 
Joined
Apr 9, 2006
Messages
1,294
Location
Wi USA
thanks for all the nice comments , I'm hoping to get some more shooting in with Winchester hunting loads in 150 and 180gr this weekend , if i do I'll post up the results
 
Joined
Apr 9, 2006
Messages
1,294
Location
Wi USA
did a little more shooting with some hunting loads
same deal 100 yards off the bench with sand bags, clean cold barrel to start off with, nice day but had about a 10-15 MPH cross wind
top left Winchester 150 gr Extreme Pt., bottom left Fed 180 gr JSP, top right Win.180 gr Power pt other 2 groups where just messing around with Win. 145 fmj
when you look at this first target, its shooting 4 different loads within a couple inches to the same point
tbHbv0Bl.jpg

both groups left side Fed. 180 gr JSP, right side both groups Win, 180 gr power pt, center Win. 145 FMJ
jzUjcZYl.jpg

POA > point of aim
uma0k5Gl.jpg

Wherhxdl.jpg

ElB5Gu6l.jpg

had to run back into town and was able to find some different loads to try out, plus the wind had died down
BkplRael.jpg

Bo84xyyl.jpg

332500fl.jpg
 

rugerjunkie

Buckeye
Joined
Mar 15, 2005
Messages
1,962
Location
Kansas
Man! There are a few loads that rifle really likes!

I have a pic of the 357 max encore but no way to put it on the forum here anymore. I could email it and start a new thread if someone wanted to post it up for me.
 

langenc

Single-Sixer
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
471
Location
Lewiston, MI USA
""yes sir she's really coming along , up until about 2 weeks ago she had never shot any rifle other than 22's
and she's right handed and left eye dominant, so I have the left side of her safety glasses taped off ,"" copied from your post on p 1.

Raise the front rest and have her set straighter/higher and she will shoot BETTER.

I recommended a Ruger to a friend-he is a LEFTY. He was considering my 77/44 till I realized he was lefty. I told him "do it right and get a Lefty bolt gun and be done w/it."
 

jn 41

Single-Sixer
Joined
Aug 3, 2005
Messages
242
Location
central, pa,
A guy I was hunting with last week, shot an average whitetail buck. Winchester 150gr ammo. Bullet performance did not impress me. But it worked. He shot it twice, 1st bullet hit bone in the shoulder, penetrated a few inches and came apart, 2nd bullet hit no bone and worked well. Expanded, did enough damage but not too much and let an exit wound. I think a little more bullet weight would perform better. Sorta like a 3030 or 35 rem.
 
Joined
Apr 9, 2006
Messages
1,294
Location
Wi USA
we ended up using the Hornady custom 165gr FTX, she dropped this guy in his tracks
bullet took a rib dead center going in and either a part of the bullet or part of the rib went up into his spine and the bullet exited out the right side of his rib cage, that's the exit side you're seeing in the picture
dFlTGMal.jpg
 
Top