Aussie_Hunter
AH elite
I thought I would take some time to share my thoughts on the Ruger Guide Gun chambered in 30-06 as I have used this rifle in the field for around 4 years now. I bought one of these rifles new in mid 2017 and as of yesterday I have put around 1100 rounds through it (give or take 50 rounds) and taken around 400 pigs with it here in Australia.
A few things about this rifle.
The bolt is fairly rough straight out of the box and can become quite sticky in harsh conditions (heavy dust). Having said this, with use the action is wearing in and becoming much smoother, it now cycles as smoothly as any other bolt action rifle I have owned. If you were to buy one of these rifles new I highly recommended spending a bit of time in front of the TV cycling the bolt to smooth it out or getting a gunsmith to slick the action up for you.
The laminate stock, I actually really like the green laminate stock and the idea of the spacers so the LOP can be adjusted, the laminate stock from factory also comes with a very durable rubber recoil pad. But, now the rifle has seen quite a bit of use I am running into some issues with the laminate stock, the stock has absolutely zero glass or alloy bedding, I have noticed the action has started wiggling itself loose from the stock far too easily. Some of this being my fault, letting the screws come loose under heavy use and then over tightening them, even so with time and use I believe you will run into issues as the laminate stock is just too soft to lock up against the action properly.
I have mostly used this rifle fitted with a Leupold VX1 2-7 or Leupold VX Hog 1-4 and most hunting has been done at short mid ranges (0-150m). Accuracy out of the box with factory ammunition has been outstanding, shooting 1" groups or less at 100 yards no problems at all mostly using 180 grain Federal Fusion.
Recently I have started hunting some areas where I am having to reach out to 200-250m so I now have a Redfield 3-9 scope fitted to the rifle and since I recently started having issues with the factory stock as mentioned above, I purchased a new Hogue "B" barrel stock with the full block bedding for this rifle. With this new stock fitted and the 3-9 scope I am shooting 3 shot groups at around 0.3-0.4 of an inch at 100m (photo below) using my handloads which are 165 grain Woodleigh PPSN at 2995fps, yep that's right I'm pushing the 165 grain Woodleighs at 2995 fps from a 20" barrel. This configuration will soon change again though as I have recently purchased an old model Ruger Alaskan in 375 and plan to fit the Hogue block bedded stock and 3-9 scope to the 375 for use in the areas where I am shooting the longer distances and go back to the 2-7 Leupold on my 30-06 with the pillar bedded Hogue stock that came on the Alaskan which will again be used in the areas I am shooting 0-150m.
At the end of the day even with the factory stock bedding issue I can't say enough good things about this rifle, it is as Ruger advertises "rugged and reliable". Mine often works very hard, hunting from dawn to dusk, several days in a row with minimal cleaning in hot humid tropical conditions or in very hot dry dusty conditions and has never let me down once. If I was to buy another one of these rifles new again and there is a good chance I will in a few years time I would work on the action a little bit straight out of the box and look at maybe glass bedding the stock or buying a bedded Hogue stock and fitting it from new and keep the factory stock as a spare or sell it to cover some of the costs of the Hogue stock.
30-06 Ruger Guide Gun still in the factory stock with a Leupold VX Hog 1-4.
30-06 Ruger Guide Gun in Hogue stock with Redfield 3-9 scope
30-06 Ruger Guide Gun 3 shot group at 100m using Woodleigh 165 grain PPSN
Hand loaded 30-06 ammo, 165 grain Woodleigh PPSN at 2995fps
A few things about this rifle.
The bolt is fairly rough straight out of the box and can become quite sticky in harsh conditions (heavy dust). Having said this, with use the action is wearing in and becoming much smoother, it now cycles as smoothly as any other bolt action rifle I have owned. If you were to buy one of these rifles new I highly recommended spending a bit of time in front of the TV cycling the bolt to smooth it out or getting a gunsmith to slick the action up for you.
The laminate stock, I actually really like the green laminate stock and the idea of the spacers so the LOP can be adjusted, the laminate stock from factory also comes with a very durable rubber recoil pad. But, now the rifle has seen quite a bit of use I am running into some issues with the laminate stock, the stock has absolutely zero glass or alloy bedding, I have noticed the action has started wiggling itself loose from the stock far too easily. Some of this being my fault, letting the screws come loose under heavy use and then over tightening them, even so with time and use I believe you will run into issues as the laminate stock is just too soft to lock up against the action properly.
I have mostly used this rifle fitted with a Leupold VX1 2-7 or Leupold VX Hog 1-4 and most hunting has been done at short mid ranges (0-150m). Accuracy out of the box with factory ammunition has been outstanding, shooting 1" groups or less at 100 yards no problems at all mostly using 180 grain Federal Fusion.
Recently I have started hunting some areas where I am having to reach out to 200-250m so I now have a Redfield 3-9 scope fitted to the rifle and since I recently started having issues with the factory stock as mentioned above, I purchased a new Hogue "B" barrel stock with the full block bedding for this rifle. With this new stock fitted and the 3-9 scope I am shooting 3 shot groups at around 0.3-0.4 of an inch at 100m (photo below) using my handloads which are 165 grain Woodleigh PPSN at 2995fps, yep that's right I'm pushing the 165 grain Woodleighs at 2995 fps from a 20" barrel. This configuration will soon change again though as I have recently purchased an old model Ruger Alaskan in 375 and plan to fit the Hogue block bedded stock and 3-9 scope to the 375 for use in the areas where I am shooting the longer distances and go back to the 2-7 Leupold on my 30-06 with the pillar bedded Hogue stock that came on the Alaskan which will again be used in the areas I am shooting 0-150m.
At the end of the day even with the factory stock bedding issue I can't say enough good things about this rifle, it is as Ruger advertises "rugged and reliable". Mine often works very hard, hunting from dawn to dusk, several days in a row with minimal cleaning in hot humid tropical conditions or in very hot dry dusty conditions and has never let me down once. If I was to buy another one of these rifles new again and there is a good chance I will in a few years time I would work on the action a little bit straight out of the box and look at maybe glass bedding the stock or buying a bedded Hogue stock and fitting it from new and keep the factory stock as a spare or sell it to cover some of the costs of the Hogue stock.
30-06 Ruger Guide Gun still in the factory stock with a Leupold VX Hog 1-4.
30-06 Ruger Guide Gun in Hogue stock with Redfield 3-9 scope
30-06 Ruger Guide Gun 3 shot group at 100m using Woodleigh 165 grain PPSN
Hand loaded 30-06 ammo, 165 grain Woodleigh PPSN at 2995fps