Today’s review is the Ruger American Rifle Model 8301 chambered in .22LR. The Ruger Model 8301 is a bolt gun that fits 10/22 magazines, so you get the best of both worlds, the mags interchangeable with the 10/22(s) you probably already own, and a bolt gun.
The Ruger Model 8301 Philosophy Of Use:
You may be wondering why on earth this gun exists, especially since it uses the same magazine system as the venerable and venerated 10/22… especially when it costs $50-100 more than a base model semi-auto 10/22. Semi-auto is better than bolts, right?
Here’s the quick answer in 3 parts…
1) Unlike the 10/22, which can be quite picky on it’s ammo, the The Ruger Model 8301 will eat any rotgut .22LR you can dig up, from subsonic quiet rounds all the way up to Stingers and Mini Mags. All you can find is a brick of that horrid Winchester white box 333 crud? No problem, this gun will eat it and drive tacks with it.
2) The The Ruger Model 8301 has an MUCH better trigger than the 10/22. When I first shot it, I thought that they had stolen the Accu-Trigger from Savage. Normally, I am not a huge fan of stock Ruger triggers. GREAT trigger on this beasty.
3) It makes one ragged hole in your target and it hits your game dead on. This gun is more accurate than most 10/22’s, it’s more accurate than any of the 3 10/22’s I own.
Expanding on this idea…
Let me expand on point 1) a bit, because I think from a prepper/survivalist point of view, it’s key. There are times when the only tool for the job is a semi-auto rifle, but since a .22LR gun is a very, very poor choice for self defense, these times are quite limited when it comes to hunting (what this gun is designed to do). If you are in a situation where you need to “blaze away” with your .22, then this is not the gun for you to take.
However, I can foresee very few situations where having a semi-auto .22 is an advantage in a survival situation, considering the fact that most .22 semi-autos are picky on what ammo they really like to eat. A bolt action rifle (and a revolver in the hand-gun realm) doesn’t care if you are using Mini-Mags or if you are using rotgut Golden Bullets or Federal Bulk. It will go bang, it will eject, the next shell will load, you are all good.
Bulk crappy rotgut ammo shoots just fine in this gun
The Ruger Model 8301 Design:
The The Ruger Model 8301 comes with 3 stocks, so you can set your length of pull to fit you best. The front sight is a fiber optic and the rear a folding V sight with bright markings, basically the same sights as a 10/22. The iron sights are easy to use, and accurate. It also comes drilled and ready for a scope mount (Weaver #12’s, not included). The safety is an easy to reach tang thumb switch, and the finish is blued.
The trigger is what Ruger calls “Marksman Adjustable”, and mine came set to 3 pounds on the nose.
Unlike it’s sister gun, the 10/22, the American Rifle is DEAD easy to clean. Just drop the bolt, and get to work. Field stripping and cleaning a 10/22 is, frankly, a pain in the ass, and most people don’t bother cleaning their guns very well. I don’t know how many times I have taken apart a 10/22 that somebody is having trouble with and found it filthy beyond belief. More than 50. That won’t happen with one of these bolt guns, they are dead easy to clean and maintain.
The Ruger Model 8301 Tale Of The Tape:
Stock: Black Composite
Capacity: 10 or 25 (or 50 with one of those goofy doubled up mags)
Material: Alloy Steel
Finish: Satin Blued
Barrel Length: 22.00″
Overall Length: 41.00″
Front Sight: Fiber Optic
Rear Sight: Adjustable V (with bright markings, folds down for scope mounting)
Weight: 6 lbs.
Length of Pull: 13.75″ (but different stocks available, mine came with 2)
Twist: 1:16″ RH
Grooves: 6
Suggested Retail: $329.00 I paid $275
Shooting the The Ruger Model 8301
This gun is a joy to shoot. The iron sights are easy to use and accurate. I mounted a scope (A cheapass Center Point .22 scope) and the gun simply makes one hole in the paper at 50 yards. shooting this gun, if you don’t hit the target, it’s on you. I like the way that Ruger has positioned the bolt to make scope clearance assured while still making an easy action both opening and closing. The action is smooth and reasonably effortless, not the best I have ever used, but certainly good.
Both my wife and I felt comfortable leaving the stock length at the default stock that came on the gun.
I don’t really have any complaints whatever on the way the gun shoots.
Verdict:
IMHO, for non-combat firearms in a survival situation, bolt guns are superior to semi-automatic weapons because they are more reliable, easier to clean and maintain, and generally more accurate.
My Ruger American model 8301 is all of the above, it will eat any ammo I put in it, it’s more accurate than my 10/22’s and there’s no comparison whatever to the ease of cleaning and maintaining it. It uses the same exceedingly reliable magazines, and it’s got a great trigger.
If I could only own one .22 rifle, this would be it. It’s that good.
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I’ve got one of these, good gun!
I’ve had several Ruger Americans in 22 lr, 17 hmr, 22 mag, and even one in 5.56. Every single gun accept the 22 lr’s had issues and needed to go back to Ruger. The guns were accurate but the touching stocks, the issues with magazines not working in one gun but fitting fine in another, and the on going extraction issues drove me nuts. On all of my 22 mags and my 17 hmr the gun either wouldn’t extract the shell or the shell had to be rammed out with a cleaning rod. I eventually sold all but one 22 lr model and found the resale market was terrible. I’ve been a Ruger fan for years and now not so much. I bought a 10/22 take down and was not impressed either. It was accurate but it was not a well built gun. I’m not expecting an anchutz for $300 but I am expecting it to run and the pins to stay in the dang receiver!