Henry Rifle Forums

This is our Varmint gun for the farm. I have sighted it in before, but at 45/50 yards. Been a while since I checked it and since I updated the range and created the graveled area in front of the range house, I felt it was time to give 'er a whirl at about 75/80 yards. None of our shots would be much longer than that to protect the coop or free range fowl... seems like a good distance. I have enjoyed just driving down in the UTV and banging steel with the handguns, but every now and then you have to work a little, a LITTLE. This time, it won't be too bad. The only thing to haul downrange was a target stand and frame with a simple cardboard marked for checking / sighting in the scope. Let's get set up.

I took the frame downrange, then set up right in front of the range house. Nothing had to be loaded, then unloaded, from the UTV. Just dragged out of the range house and set up. Table, stool, sandbag and spotting scope, etc. Five minutes or so to get ready to shoot.


A view downrange. We are somewhere between 75 and 80 yards from the target. Let's just call it 75 yards to be conservative. Nice shot for offhand if the coyote is standing still and I'm shooting from the back deck.


I loaded up a mag using military ball ammo and settled into the rifle on the rest. Using everything I learned shooting in the Corps I took my time and squeezed... and the first shot was tight in on the target, just above the black dot. I didn't see where the second hit through the spotting scope, lost in black, but the third was a bit high, at the top of the 12 O'clock leg.

Five shot group. As you see in the pic below, I had a decent five shot group, would have been a bit better if I hadn't pulled that second shot high. I made a correction to elevation and fired one more shot, marked by the arrow in this pic.


Moved back up to the bench and loaded up the "hunting" soft point ammo that is normally in the gun when it's "on duty," and gave her a whirl. First shot felt good. I thought the second was a TAD off, but still good and the third was tight. At a dollar a round, I was happy with a three shot group. Went down and check, and I didn't need to shoot anymore.


This one will go back in it's spot by the back door. Feel sorry for anything that is spotted harassing the fowl.

Nice shooting BOM. It's so convenient having your own range. It just adds to the shooting experience. Enjoy.

Paul

Nice shooting. Hope the varmints took notice.

That ranch rifle doesn't have a flash suppressor or a suppressor on it. Tina was working in her shop with the door open so Fiona could lay on the porch... she asked what I was shooting on the range... "It sounded like a cannon."

I told her "It was the Bolt Gun, the 223, she should have been glad it wasn't the M1A, the 308, it's really loud."

Of course if I had been shooting one of the short barreled magnums...

I have one zeroed at 200 yards with Winchester M193. With the bdc lines on the scope I can hit out to 600 yards. The ruger makes me look like a good shooter.

Nice shooting sir.
What scope are you using, if ya don't mind me asking?

RP

Vaquero wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 03, 2025 9:16 pm

Nice shooting sir.
What scope are you using, if ya don't mind me asking?

RP

It's a Vortex Copperhead 4-12 44

It's been a dependable scope but today I had some blurring along the edges and had a problem holding the eye relief. It could have been me. Never been an issue with this scope or either of the other two Vortex scopes I have. As you can see from the groups, I took my time and shot when the image was clear. Of course, hunting, or shooting a varmint around the coop, the shots would need to come quicker. If there is a problem, Vortex has a lifetime warranty and I'll call 'er in.

I have the 308 version of the ranch rifle that I use with 308 subs, and a can. It is a wonderful setup that, for the money, I argue cannot be beat.

I like Vortex and have several of them from 1-4x24 CrossfireII on the 41 mag BBS up to the 4-16x42 Eagle that resides on a Savage in 6.5.
I went to them after Nikon stopped making rifle scopes.

RP

I have a Vortex Viper on an AR10. Really nice scope.

my ruger american came with the vortex, it's a basic 3-9

This is the Vortex Viper on the Armalite AR10. Illuminated reticles. Nice bright sight picture with the optics off. All around good setup. The iron sights at the 45 degree tilt are for Charging Pork.


The AR is nicely set up, I got it that way. When the Oil Boom in our area was killed off by politicians trying to make huge money by taxing the oil business to extreme, taxing even exploration, the oil companies left Oklahoma for Texas, Louisiana, and more welcoming locations that didn't want to make life difficult. Oil workers, who had been making good money, sold things to make the move out of state. The owner of this rifle sold it to the dealer I bought it from.

Hunters in this area wanted Bolt Actions so the dealer kept lowering the price. I got a good deal when I bought it... thinking I needed it for the feral pigs I was told roamed the farm we bought. (NOT) They are in the state, just not in our area.


Not costing me anything, it will be onhand if I need it. I have that M1A that shoots 308, so the caliber isn't alone in the safe.

+++++

RP

Devil Dog -

I too have a Ruger American Ranch but it is a Gen 1 in 7.62X39 Soviet. For a reasonably priced rifle, it shoots surprisingly accurate, particularly with cheap steel-case 123 grain Russian ammo which seem odd.

Other than mounting a Leupold scope, the only modification I made to the rifle was to add a flash suppressor which I bought thru' ShopRuger. The only reason for this was to give the overall length an extra inch or two so it would stand up straight in the gun safe.

Not a particularly smooth operating bolt, at least not on my particular rifle, but I have virtually no complaints about the rifle.

The X39 round is death on feral hogs.

I went with the 556 so I could shoot both 556 and 223. The model I bought was the newer version that would accept AR mags. I have dozens of those, and they work fine in the Ruger. I'm very happy with the accuracy.

My son bought a new Ruger Gen 2 Ranch Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor this fall for deer hunting.
I forget the exact Vortex scope he put on top of the new Ruger. (low power variable optic)
When we sighted it in at the 100 yard outdoor range, the last three shots could be covered with a dime right in the center of the bullseye.

I told him don't zero out the scope turrets, don't bang it, and don't clean it. Just leave it alone.
All those things can be done after deer season is finished.

BW.jpg by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

That is a nice rifle BM. I took a friend down to my range yesterday and we enjoyed shooting same rifle but in 300 Blackout. Really enjoyed shooting it and no issues with it as it was new right out the box. I was ready to trade him something for it!