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Ruger just expanded its American Rifle Generation II family with the new Prairie variants, aimed squarely at varmint and open-country hunters who want a tougher finish, heavier tubes, and suppressor-ready muzzles without boutique-rifle pricing.
The Prairie models arrive in both intermediate and long-range chamberings, from .22 ARC up through 7mm PRC, covering everything from windy-day rodents to antelope and mule deer.
All versions wear an attractive black stock treated with a gray/bronze splatter texture for grip, paired to a Smoked Bronze Cerakote barreled action that shrugs off weather and hard use.
SEE ALSO: The Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber
Ruger built these rifles around a bull-contour, cold hammer-forged barrel to tame recoil and heat. Shallow spiral fluting adds cooling without going flashy, and every barrel is factory threaded for brakes or cans with a color-matched thread protector included.
If you’ve been waiting for a “buy it, mount glass, go shoot” setup for the prairie dog town or a coyote stand at last light, this configuration checks the boxes.
Under the skin, the Gen II updates carry over: improved ergonomics, a more rigid stock that actually tracks on bags, and a three-position safety with a stainless locking bolt so you can run the gun confidently in and out of vehicles or blinds.
Ruger says the Prairie additions plug into a Gen II family that now spans 48 configurations across 21 calibers, so if you’re already familiar with the platform, nothing here will feel foreign, just a little more purpose-built for open country.
MSRP: $729 (street prices will likely land lower once inventory settles).
If you’re shopping for a field rifle that leans “work gun” more than “safe queen,” the Prairie trims look like the sweet spot: modern features, sensible finishes, and a price that leaves room for a decent optic and a pile of ammo.
For specs, chambering lists, and availability, check Ruger’s American Rifle Gen II Prairie page or your local Ruger dealer, or click HERE.
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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The rifles definitely have issues that Ruger should have fixed when going from Gen I to Gen II like the terrible magazine design, rough action and abysmal trigger so keep that in mind when considering the price. You’re going to have to add $170+ to swap the trigger for a Timney although there may be other brands by now. The magazine issue may not be fixable due to being a bad design to start with. The rough action might improve with use but it might not. The stock is improved over the Gen I but nothing to write home about and since the trigger guard is part of the stock, if you break the plastic guard you’ll have to replace the entire stock which is infuriating as a design choice. Personally, I’m hoping they will issue a Gen III with fixes for all of issues that shouldn’t even exist in a Gen I let alone a Gen II. As it stands you’re better off buying a Tikka, a Savage Axis II or even a CVA Cascade. All three should provide the same or better accuracy after finding what each one likes. These are only my opinions gathered after massive rabbit hole deep dives trying to find the perfect “budget” rifle. YMMV
Man, that’s a good price even at MSRP.