Hi - I'm 73+ and have a 6-7 yr-old Ruger American Standard in .223. At 100yds with a 6-18x50 Bush Engage I can get 0.75" groups, and under 2" 2 180yds (max at my range) using 'low-cost' PPU 55f FMJ. My Ruger ( and yours) has a 1:8 twist so the 62s are well within functional range (mine is accurate with 73g). The 5.56 chamber 'might' be your prob since a .223 'regular' bullet might be a bit shorter and need to 'jump' to the rifling. I think your ammo might be the prob, I've never used Wolf. I have used Barnaul steel-case 62gSP & HP with NO Probs. You also might want to get a more powerful scope since if you ever 'hunt' you can dial-down to 3-4 for wider field of view. PS - Those 'good groups' were off a bench, not Off-hand.

 

Mine prefers heavier loads. I use 77gr. Most of the time,. I do shoot others but they are not as accurate. Mine is the older pencil barrel, but I corrected that issue with a harmonic stabilizer. .223 can most of the time be more accurate because of the loadings. Military ammo is not MOA, it’s MOM ( minute of man). Just my experience. Here is mine

 

Verify your scope/mounting first. Did you set it up yourself or buy it that way? Then experiment with brass cased ammo and different bullet weights. Don't assess your combination with a hot barrel. Good Luck!

 

Save the Wolf steel case stuff for 50yd blasting ammo. Buy a variety of brands and weights of name brand, brass cased loads for 100yd testing. Your scope is perfect for the rifle. Just make sure everything is tight.

 

What was the air temp and how many shots how close together? And what exactly was the 50 group?
My 22 in standard American 308 did 1” groups at 200’.
America rifles are pretty much sporter weight barrels.

 

I bought the rifle, scope and mounts new and installed them myself. I have done numerous scope instillations before this. This afternoon, when I cleaned the rifle, I checked the scope mount screws and all were tight.

I ordered an assortment (5 different brands) of .223 match ammo this afternoon from Midway USA. I hope quality brass-cased ammo will produce good results.

 

Barrel heating could certainly impact groups. You could try:

• Let barrel cool and try again at the longer distance. See how it does.
• If groups still bad at long distance, move target back to shorter. Better if you can have 2 targets at one time: one at longer distance and one at shorter. That way you could shoot both quickly while barrel is in same state (heated or not).
• As stated above, the weight of the bullet and even different loads can make a difference. Rifles can have a 'sweet spot', preferring some loads to others. That said, steel-cased ammo may not be the most consistent. Don't get me wrong, I've seen reviews that swear that some Wolf brass match ammo is very accurate.

 

I always take a plinker to the range. I set a gong at 50 or 75 yards and an array of paper targets at 100 yards. I shoot a few rounds through my hunting rifles, then plink at the gong for awhile to let the hunting barrel cool down.

 

Make sure your benchrest set-up is consistent shot-to-shot. You'd be amazed at how groups open up when you don't hold the rifle the exact same way each shot - the rifle will recoil differently. See my example below -

When I pulled the trigger for the third shot on the right-hand target, the cross-hairs were perfectly placed and I did not jerk the trigger (not buck fever as I jokingly stated). That third shot on the right-hand target was all me - not the ammo, not the rifle, not the scope. I was sloppy in my set-up before taking that shot.

 

good luck with this...

My Ruger American Ranch Rifle 5.56mm shoots very tight groups. I bought it in 2021, when a man could buy a rifle but not get any ammunition for it.
Bizarre times we lived through. I bought American Eagle 5.56mm FMJ 55gr because that's all there was at my LGS (s). The rifle shoots those just
fine. Very stable shooting at a range in Tucson where the temperatures were prolly near 100. In Tucson you don't notice the heat because it's so dry...
You just drink plenty of water.

But my rifle was unfazed by the temperature. Grant you, I was shooting quite deliberately. When ammo disappears and all the stores limit a man to
two boxes or maybe four, I decided to take my new rifle to the range and sight it in, but not waste a single shot. And I didn't.
But I was delighted with how my rifle digested the American Eagle 5.56mm 55 gr. I didn't try any other bullet weights because none were available
to buy. *shrugs

Now we have much more available to us. But since you asked, I'll recommend you shoot some American Eagle 55 gr. FMJ and see how your rifle
performs. It ought to do well with the heavier 62 gr bullets as well. With other weights YMMV. I bought a "flash hider" from Ruger's site and screwed
it on. That may help as well. I thought the rifle was a bit muzzle light.

 

I eventually settled on Hornady Black .223 Rem. 75 Gr. BTHP over all the other rounds I tried. Thanks to all who responded.

 

I eventually settled on Hornady Black .223 Rem. 75 Gr. BTHP over all the other rounds I tired. Thanks to all who responded.

Great bullet. That’s my go to accuracy pill in my longer barreled ARs.

 

Find a better brand of ammo?

I've pulled the bullets on a few steel cased rounds. Some bullets won't even stand up straight on a flat surface. The FMJ stuff, the bullets are not even evenly filled just looking. Even the brass case blasting ammo is for guys shooting it out on a 25yd indoor pistol range. Barely. There's good 5.56 FMJ and 7.62X39 ammo, you can tell by the cost. The steel case stuff is pretty much junk, or the people shooting are horrible shots.

 

I've been getting 1/2" to 1" groups with Mead industries 5.56x45, 77g BTHP AMMO at 100 yds. They make quality ammo. My Ranch rifle has a Vortex Crossfire 2 4-12x44 and it's pretty nice.

 

Sorry, but this is a little off your topic but I'm not sure where to go to to post a question on here. So, i thought since you have a Model 46919 I'd ask you. Have you had any issues with your weapon extracting spent rounds? Thank you in advance for your time and help with this!

 

No, I never experienced extraction difficulties with either cheap steel case Russian ammo or quality brass case ammo. However, I clean the bore and chamber after each shooting session and when I clean the chamber, I use a chamber cleaning tool. I can't recall the name of the device but it is essentially a handle with a universal joint connected to a chamber brush. It works well to clean the chamber. I also have the same tool for use with 7.62X39 Soviet chambers. I must have bought the devices at Midway USA or Brownells, maybe someone can help with that. G&B/B&G brand? Also, I go back a few days after cleaning the bore and chamber and clean one again and after this cleaning, I apply a few drops of Hoppe's gun oil on a patch to the bore and chamber.

If you don't do that, the unit armorer may tell a Drill Sergeant and he might materialize from the mists of time to give you a period of individual instruction.

Seriously, I hope this helps. Good luck.

 

Thank you for the process that you go through after shooting & your re-cleaning of the chamber! This was the first time at the range with this NEW/NEVER fired weapon. My ammo supply was limited that day and we were only able to send 60rds downrange. But, as you can imagine it was very frustrating to have to finger the spent round out or to drop the mag to let it fall out. If you come across the name (I will Google it, too) of your chamber/bore cleaning brush/tool if you don't mind let me know, please. Thank you for your time and effort in assisting me with this issue! From my family to you and your family we wish you a Happy and Safe New Year!!!

PS. Also, there is NO WAY anyone that knows about "The Drill Sargeant" or has experienced the wrath of one, does not want to see another one whether it's in person or in a mist!!

 

Try some match grade ammo. Also, get a chamber brush and clean the clear coat stuff that the steel cases leave behind. That can also cause FTE's when you go back to brass.

 

I was using Winchester Target & Practice 5.56 NATO M193 55 Gr FMJ ammo. It was all I could get at the time unfortunately. I have to admit though this weapon likes this ammo in that it shoots very well as far as accuracy goes. Just the FTE issue, chambering a round is not a problem at all. The next ammo I will be trying is going to be Frontier 5.56 NATO 68gr BTHP Match loaded with Hornady bullets. I'll see if that makes any difference...🤞🤞. Even though it is not designed for "Home Defense" I want to be able IF NEED BE to rack as many rounds through it as fast as possible. As it is at this moment my first shot may very well be my last shot if a home Invasion were to happen...

 

Mine is very accurate. i think the problem may be with the rifling twist, which is 1:9. Try some lighter bullets, 55 grains or less, with good ammo. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

 

Thank you! I'm sure it was a typo but the Ruger American Generation II Ranch Model 46919 is a 1:8 Rt hand twist. What is the ammo that you use or recommend?

 

GG&G Chamber Cleaning Tool for Ruger Mini-14. They sell on-line and also thru', vendors such as Midway USA. I ordered a couple of extra chamber cleaning brushes from them for both the Mini-14 and the Mini-30 and they shipped without drama or hassle.

Someone may comment there are cheaper tools or methods to do the job and they may be right but the GG&G tools work for me.

If chamber cleaning doesn't provide a cure, call Ruger and speak to customer service to see if they have a better solution. Winchester brass-case ammo should not give troubles like cheap Russian steel case ammo.

Good luck!

 

GG&G Chamber Cleaning Tool for Ruger Mini-14. They sell on-line and also thru', vendors such as Midway USA. I ordered a couple of extra chamber cleaning brushes from them for both the Mini-14 and the Mini-30 and they shipped without drama or hassle.

Someone may comment there are cheaper tools or methods to do the job and they may be right but the GG&G tools work for me.

If chamber cleaning doesn't provide a cure, call Ruger and speak to customer service to see if they have a better solution. Winchester brass-case ammo should not give troubles like cheap Russian steel case ammo.

Good luck!

Thank you!! This was a BRAND NEW weapon, no rounds fired through it before I fired it. Should (I'm thinking not, but could be wrong) the weapon have been cleaned prior to firing it? When I purchased my Remington 700 ADL (YEARS AGO), I had no issues with it and never used a chamber cleaner on it. Just routine cleaning/maintenance after shooting it. What makes the difference in the two rifles and calibers? I was running mostly ammo that I reloaded through the Remington. It was 30-06 168gr Stbt @ 2700fps.

 

I always clean new firearms before the initial range visit, just to be sure the bore and chamber don't have microscopic metal chips, crud, or some other debris present. Maybe not necessary but I am a creature of habit. That said, I don't think any harm was done by not giving it an initial cleaning before the first visit to the range. Mini-14 and Mini-30 rifles are stout.

The difference lies not in the particular cartridge but in the nature of the action. Bolt action rifles have a camming action when the bolt is lifted to extract the fired cartridge case which semi autos do not have. At least not the semi autos with which I am familiar.

I would give the chamber a good scrub and give it as close an inspection as possible before the next range visit. Maybe try a different ammo and if things don't go well the second range visit, give Ruger a call. Their customer service is excellent.

Again, good luck in resolving your frustration.

 

Thank you very much for your advice! I appreciate you taking the time to read my post and taking the time to give your advice! From my family to your family, we hope you have a Safe and Happy New Year!!!

 

mmwshop - I think I missed an obvious question. You did inspect the extractor? Make sure there isn't something wrong there?

 

I could not decern/see anything wrong with it. I'm sorry I just found your question . Have a Safe and Happy New Year from my family and I to you and your family!!!

 

I've had my RAR 556 for a few years with a reddot on it and decided to reach out further. I moved a Athlon Neos 4x12x40 scope off another rifle on to the RAR. I sighted it in at 200 yards with Winchester M193 55gr fmj. Much to my surprise I needed no elevation changes from 50 to 300 yards. I used the bdc dots at 400 and 500 yards. The range has a 600 yard target but I ran out of time. It's fun ringing steel at those distances with an fairly inexpensive rig. Next time I'll get the 600 yard target.

 

Awesome! How tight a grouping are you able to maintain at the 300 yard range, if you don't mind me asking you or were you just tryin to ring steel at that range? At 300yds you just using the main cross hairs to hit the 300yds target? Thank you for your reply in advance! The Winchester M193 55gr out of my rifle is extremely accurate. The only issue I'm having with the rifle is FTE, unfortunately...!

 

Yeah, that was my mistake. The twist is actually 1:8.

 

600 yards with the M193 and Athlon Neos 4x12x40 scope.

 

Very nice!

 

Curious...diameter of steel?

 

20"

 

I love mine!