.450 Bushmaster is a real thumper and a nice match for Scout-style rifles. (Photo: Ruger)
Ruger is adding a new .450 Bushmaster Scout-style bolt-action rifle to their catalog along with a .223 Remington Ruger Precision Rifle. The company is also expanding their American pistol series and updated LC9s.
The new .450 Bushmaster rifle is built on their Gunsite Scout action with a compact 16-inch barrel. The whole gun weighs just 6.6 pounds making it easy to carry in the field. Overall it measures 37 inches long and the length of pull can be increased with spacers.
Chambered for .450 Bushmaster the newest Gunsite Scout is a solid medium and large game-getter. The .45-caliber cartridge is intended for short- to medium-range hunting and shoots flat out to about 200 yards.
Scout-style rifles are designed to accommodate a forward-set long eye relief scope. With a low magnification scope it’s possible to shoot with both eyes open for fast and accurate target acquisition.
And while the Scout rifle was originally intended for military and police users its modern niche is in hunting. The rifle has quick peep sights as well as a barrel-mounted Picatinny rail for scopes and other optics.
Ruger’s take on the Scout rifle uses a traditional American walnut stock with standard sling swivels for slings and bipods. To help with recoil the stock is compact with a generous buttpad and the barrel is fit with a large compensating muzzle brake. The barrel is threaded for other muzzle devices as well.
The .450 Bushmaster Gunsite Scout is priced at $1,199 which puts real-world pricing in the $900-$1,000 range.
The new RPR is built to handle low-drag projectiles for long-range precision shooting. (Photo: Ruger)
In the small-bore category Ruger is adding a new Precision Rifle, or RPR, to the company catalog. The rifle is chambered for .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO. This means the rifle can shoot longer, heavier bullets suited for long-range shooting.
The market for high-precision .223 rifles is growing fast. Not only are these guns popular with competition shooters they are also favored among small- to medium-game hunters and varminters everywhere.
The Ruger Precision Rifle, originally chambered for the .308 Winchester family of catridges, has achieved high marks for accuracy and affordability. Adding a .223 model seems like an obvious next move and hopefully indicates a new series of intermediate cartridge options.
New color and camo options as well. (Photo: Ruger)
The RPR is built on the Ruger American Rifle action with a completely modern chassis. It has a free-floating barrel and fully-adjustable stock for precision. The chassis houses an AR-pattern pistol grip and uses a modular KeyMod handguard.
Compared to the Scout the RPR is a heavily overbuilt gun weighing in at just under 10 pounds without the optic. The RPR has a sizeable muzzle brake and combined with the weight shooting even the hottest .223 Remington loads recoil will be a non-issue.
The rifle uses oversized AICS-pattern magazines for longer, heavier bullet weight options. The chamber is cut for .223 and 5.56 NATO and the barrel is cold hammer-forged with 5R rifling for accuracy.
Ruger’s RPR sports features usually associated with custom to-order rifles, so its $1,599 pricetag is particularly low. If you’re looking to get in on long-range small-bore action this gun leaves a lot left over for glass and other accessories.
Ruger is also adding a new AR-556 with a reduced-capacity magazine for states with magazine capacity limits. The AR-556 is a very economical AR-15-style rifle with carbine-pattern barrel and stock assemblies.
The American pistol has fully ambidextrous controls and a modular grip frame. (Photo: Ruger)
The company is expanding their handgun offerings with distributor-exclusive LC9s and SR22 pistols. Gallery of Guns is now carrying an LC9s with a Muddy Girl camo finish and Talo now has yellow and turquoise two-tone .22s.
See Also: We Shoot the Ruger American Pistol
And to top it all off, Ruger is adding another American pistol to the family. The new subcompact American is chambered for .45 ACP, feeds from double-stack 10-round magazines and is priced at $579.
Judging the RPR 5.56s mag release lever and mag, I think they made a big mistake not going with a configuration that takes standard AR mags.
I use my .450 Bushmaster for hog hunting and it is a great round for close range hunting 25 – 200 yards. The problem with the AR version is that if you travel international some countries are funny about AR rifles. A more traditional bolt action would open up more opportunities to use the .450 bushmaster for bears or other large game. I’ve dropped 300lbs. plus hogs in their tracks with the .450 Bushmaster. It is a great hard hitting round. I made a poor shot on a 275lbs. hog at about 75 yards hitting him in the jaw and it knock him out. The shot was in no way a kill shot but the hog was out long enough for me to get to him and finish him with a knife. I have also used a .460 magnum and hit smaller hogs in the jaw and they just shook it off and started running. So, to answer why not chamber this rifle in .480 Ruger, .500 S&W or any of the other big bore pistol rounds, they just don’t have the same punch as a rifle round like the .450 bushmaster.
The natural extension would have been to chamber the GunSite Scout Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor.
How about true big bore, .500S&W, or 475 Linebaugh that also shoots the amazing .480 ruger, ruger’s own proprietary cartridge.
This makes no sense, but from a collector stand point if you want something to increase in value, it is a safe bet.
I would like to see the 450 bushmaster chambered in a ruger ranch rifle or mini 30. Would b a lot easier to carry than a ar version with quick follow up shot.
Wondering where all the 450 Bushmaster fans are. No doubt they are out there because Ruger doesn’t make a new model on a whim, but I personally have never met anyone who is a fan or even uses the 450 bushmaster.
There is however a HUGE following of shooters out there who are waiting for Ruger to chamber 7.62×39 to the Scout Rifle. Ruger has been queried about this many times and their reply is always: Ruger has no plans at this time to chamber 7.62×39 in this model. It is difficult to understand the process Manufacturers use to select calibers and models.
Ruger should have designed this rifle to chamber the .458 Socom round then the M-16 magazines could have been used and cheaper to purchase, If Ruger offered the same rifle in .458 Socom with a stainless steel action with scope rings I would be interested..
Damn it! Now I am going to have to buy a bigger safe, new reloading dies, optics and lord knows what sort of bribery it will take to keep marital harmony around the homestead! Another home run for Bill Ruger’s team!!
Ruger considered AR mags for the scout, but the bolt would have required a big redesign and would lose a lot of the strength in the action. If you want AR mags go with Mossberg’s scout, although you won’t get that beautiful walnut stock.
Trying to understand why one magazine would cause the rifles action to loose strength…when the other magazine does not?
Can someone explain that one ? As far as the redesign is concerned, its not like re-inventing the wheel. Its Engineering…that is what they do. Simply put…they can do it….they choose not to. The excuse of strength doesn’t work. those actions are more than strong enough to apply whatever magazine / feeding system they design to put on the rifle.
I would agree! Should have been standard 223/556 magazines! Or have an adaptor for either! It works would sell more RPR!
Judging the RPR 5.56s mag release lever and mag, I think they made a big mistake not going with a configuration that takes standard AR mags.
I think you guys are missing the point … it clearly says ” The new RPR is built to handle low-drag projectiles for long-range precision shooting.” … most people that shoot long range already know that a standard ar15 magazine has quite a limitation on long low drag bullets seated close to the lens…. so their decision to have a longer magazine makes total sense , for the guy looking to stretch the capabilities of that cartridge …. prime example i have a tikka t3 tight twist 223 … but i’m limited to what i can use because the current design of the magazine does not allow for long bullets … so people mod their mags to shove in long bullets … Ruger got the recipe right from the get go and sells the rifle with a magazine that can handle the longer projectiles designed for long range … BRAVO!