Ruger American Gen II Varmint Target: Heavy 20″ Threaded Barrel, Adjustable Stock, AI Mags

What’s up, Squat Squad. Ruger just added another model to the Ruger American Rifle Generation II family, and this one is aimed straight at the bench, the bag and the prairie dog field: the Ruger American Gen II Varmint Target. It has a 20″ heavy target-contour barrel, a fully adjustable target stock in TerrainFade Woodland camo, and AI-style magazines. Ruger says it’s available now in 6.5 Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor and .308 Win.

Short version: Ruger took the Gen II action and dressed it up the way a lot of us were already modding our Ruger Americans. You get an adjustable comb, adjustable length of pull, an M-LOK forend, a bag rider and a suppressor-friendly threaded heavy barrel, right from the factory.

Quick note: this one is based on Ruger’s press release and its spec sheets. I haven’t shot the Varmint Target yet.

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Key specs (from Ruger)

• Barrel length: 20″
• Twist: 1:8″ RH (6.5 Creedmoor), 1:7.7″ RH (6mm Creedmoor), 1:10″ RH (.308 Win), 5 grooves
• Thread pattern: 5/8″-24, factory thread protector
• Finish: Graphite Black Cerakote on barrel, thread protector, receiver and bolt handle
• Weight: 9.7 lb (6.5 and 6mm Creedmoor), 9.6 lb (.308 Win)
• Overall length: 40.50″
• Length of pull: 13″ to 14.50″ (three 1/2″ spacers included)
• Capacity: 5, AI-style magazine
• Sights: none, factory-installed one-piece Picatinny scope base
• Trigger: Ruger Marksman Adjustable, user-adjustable from 3 to 5 lb
• Bolt: one-piece stainless steel, three lugs, 70° throw, oversized handle threaded 5/16″-24
• Safety: three-position tang safety that locks the bolt
• Bedding: Power Bedding integral bedding block, free-floated barrel

The stock is the story

The original Ruger American was always a great action stuck in a basic stock. That’s why the aftermarket for chassis and stock upgrades on this rifle is huge. This new stock fixes most of that from the factory. You get a push-button cheek riser so you can actually get behind a scope, LOP spacers so it fits you (or you in a winter jacket), and a more vertical grip angle. There’s a squared forend that sits flat on a bag or rest, plus a removable aluminum insert with M-LOK slots for a bipod or accessories. In the back there’s an integrated bag rider for working off a rear bag.

Under it all is the same Gen II action I already liked: the three-position safety that locks the bolt, a stainless bolt with a short 70° throw that clears big scopes, and a trigger you can adjust yourself between 3 and 5 pounds. The oversized bolt handle is threaded 5/16″-24, so you can swap knobs.

Barrel and calibers

Ruger went with a 20″ heavy target-contour barrel and says it gives a good balance between cartridge performance and overall length once you put a suppressor on it. That’s the right call for a can. The twist rates are chosen for each cartridge, with a 1:7.7″ in 6mm Creedmoor for the long, heavy 6mm bullets and a 1:8″ in 6.5 Creedmoor. The .308 gets a 1:10″.

Who it’s for

• Varmint and predator hunters who shoot from a bipod, a bag or a truck window and want a stable, heavy rifle.
• New precision shooters who want an adjustable stock and AI mags without buying a chassis on day one.
• Suppressor owners who want a short-ish threaded heavy barrel ready to go.
• Ruger American fans who were about to spend money on a stock upgrade anyway.

Our take

This is the Ruger American a lot of people have been building piece by piece. Adjustable comb, adjustable LOP, M-LOK, bag rider, AI mags and a threaded heavy barrel are exactly the upgrades I’ve talked about for this rifle, and now they come in the box. At around 9.7 lb it’s not a walking-around hunting rifle, but for prone, the bench or a varmint stand that weight is a feature. What I want to see: how rigid that stock and forend feel under a loaded bipod, how the adjustable cheek riser holds up over time, and what kind of groups the heavy barrel prints with good factory match ammo. The 6mm Creedmoor version especially looks like a fun, low-recoil steel and varmint gun. If Ruger nailed the stock, this could be one of the easiest entry-level precision rifles to recommend.

Related on SlavGuns

Here’s my original look at the Ruger American Gen 2 when it launched. It’s the same action this new rifle is built on:

• Ruger American Rifle Gen 2: A Game Changer That Ups the Ante
• Ruger American Gen 2 Ranch in 7.62×39: First Impressions
• Ruger American Upgrades: Must-Haves to Feel Like an RPR
• Ruger American Predator 6.5 Grendel: Best Value Bolt Gun?

Where to find it

Ruger has all three models on its Ruger American Gen II Varmint Target page, and each spec sheet has a dealer locator.

Sources

• Press release via The Outdoor Wire: Introducing the Ruger American Rifle Generation II Varmint Target Models
• Ruger: Ruger News, November 11, 2026, plus spec sheets for 56920 (6.5 Creedmoor), 56921 (6mm Creedmoor) and 56924 (.308 Win)

Which one would you grab: 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor or .308? Let me know in the comments. Keep on squatting!

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