Let me start by saying that there has never been a better time to be buying a gun in the $600 and under category. The singular thing that stands out to me is the current lack of any guns that I can point to as ones to avoid. There just aren’t any truely bad choices IMO.
My choice of the Savage Axis for a review was based on my personal needs/wants and my desire to answer the question: How low can you go when it comes to price while still getting good or better performance?
To me, the Savage Axis shows what can be done at one of the lowest price points in the entry-level category. It only gets better from there, but “there” in terms of the Axis is damn good.
My central question about the Ruger American is more a question about your daughter: How will she like the American’s trigger? It’s similar to the Savage Accutrigger in that there’s a “pre-trigger release” before engaging the actual trigger.
As I make clear in my reviews, I review hunting rifles. I’m not a competiton or benchrest shooter. My instant reaction when I first handled the Accutrigger, was, “Hmmmmm. How well would this work with heavy gloves on?”.
I see a lot to like in the Ruger American and I would like to get my hands on one for testing. Obviously, the fully adjustable tigger is a plus. IMO, the Ruger action is well respected and I give Ruger credit for being 100% American made.
Also, IMO one of the key advantages for the Ruger in terms of being a good hunting rifle is the removeable magazine. Others will have their opinion, but mine is that fiddling with trying to top-load a magazine with cold fingers or while wearing gloves is a headache I don’t need. I can hardly see a situation for North American game where I would want a non-detachable magazine.
But if you’re satisfied that the trigger configuration won’t be an issue when she’s all bundled up in the deer stand, then I don’t see any reason not to go with the Ruger. Getting the Ruger American for $350 after rebate is a really good deal. I’m going from memory, but I believe $429 is the SRP.
Now to the question of caliber, I like the 270, don’t get me wrong. But–and this may come as a shock to some–I’m NOT a 14 year old girl.
Has she shot anything in the 270 / 308 / 30-06 league? How did she feel about the recoil?
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the .243 as a deer rifle. With today’s preimum ammo, a deer isn’t going to be any less dead at distances under 200 yards if you hit him with a .243 versus a .270.
As an added bonus, the .243 is a heck of a coyote wrecker. I can tell you, with a 60g HP powered by Varget, there are dozens of prarie dogs that found out the hard way that 300 yards wasn’t far enough away from me and my Tikka .243.
Grouse
