Ruger American Rifle .308 Winchester
Model: 6903
Ruger American Rifle .308 Winchester
Model: 6903
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
The Ruger American Rifle is a lightweight bolt-action .308 Winchester built for deer hunting. Ruger no longer makes it, so it is a used buy, and the American Rifle Generation II took its place. At 6.12 lbs it is light to carry, and the receiver locates on Ruger’s Power Bedding blocks, which free-float the barrel inside the synthetic stock.
It came with a one-piece Picatinny base already on the receiver, one 4-round magazine and sling swivel studs in the stock. The Marksman Adjustable trigger is set by the owner. There are no sights, so the base is the whole mounting system and rings and glass come out of the budget.
If you’re cross-shopping, the Savage Axis II is also a used buy, 0.48 lbs heavier, with two-piece Weaver-style bases instead of a rail and an AccuTrigger listed at 2.5 lbs. The Ruger American Predator uses the same action and came with a threaded muzzle for a brake or a suppressor. Both of those are out of production as well, so condition and whether the magazine is still with the rifle count for more than the differences between them.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- The twist is 1:10 right hand, the standard .308 rate, so every factory load sold for the cartridge falls inside it.
- Ruger built it in the USA, with a matte black finish over the alloy steel barrel and a synthetic stock, which together shrug off a wet day on a stand.
- The Picatinny base is one piece, so a scope sits on a single plane and ring height is the choice to make.
- Nothing on the stock adjusts, so a stock that is too long or a comb that sits too low stays that way.
- A used rifle that arrives without its magazine needs a Ruger box to feed at all.
- A light rifle in .308 pushes back harder than a heavy one, and a soft rubber buttpad is all that sits between the cartridge and your shoulder.
Category Rankings
How the Ruger American Rifle .308 Winchester ranks among full-size .308 Winchester rifles.
Compatible Ammunition
Find the best prices on compatible .308 Winchester ammunition.
Shop .308 Winchester Ammo →Ballistics Calculator
Calculate trajectory, drop, and energy for .308 Winchester ammunition.
.308 Winchester Ballistics →Alternatives to Consider
Similar full-size .308 Winchester rifles ranked by similarity.
| NAME | BEST PRICE |
|---|---|
|
Tikka T3x Lite .308 Winchester
Tikka
|
— |
|
Ruger Hawkeye .308 Winchester
Ruger
|
— |
|
Ruger American Predator .308 Winchester
Ruger
|
$597.99 |
|
Remington 700 SPS .308 Winchester
Remington
|
— |
|
Remington 700 ADL .308 Winchester
Remington
|
— |
Frequently Asked Questions
What replaced it?
Ruger’s American Rifle Generation II. It has a spiral-fluted barrel and a radial port muzzle brake, neither of which this rifle had.
What rings fit the base?
Any that clamp a Picatinny rail, in whatever height the objective bell needs.
What safety does it have?
A two-position tang safety, which falls under the thumb behind the bolt.
How is it different from the Ruger American Predator?
The Ruger American Predator has a heavier tapered 18-inch barrel threaded 5/8-24 and measures 38 inches overall, 4 inches shorter than this rifle, on a moss green stock.
