Last updated November 2026 · By Nick Hall, who covers bolt-action rifle launches for USA Gun Shop and put 540 rounds through a Ruger American Gen II for our review
Quick take: Ruger just added a Varmint Target model to the American Rifle Gen II line, pairing a 20 inch heavy threaded barrel with a fully adjustable camo target stock. It comes in 6.5 Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor and .308 Win at $899 suggested retail.
- What it is: A heavy-barrel, adjustable-stock version of the Ruger American Rifle Gen II bolt action, announced November 11, 2026.
- Price: Ruger’s suggested retail is $899.00 on all three calibers, $130 more than a Gen II Standard.
- Where: Ruger lists all three models as available now through independent Ruger retailers.
- Why it matters: It puts a factory heavy barrel, an adjustable comb and a 5-round magazine on the Gen II action without an aftermarket chassis.
Ruger’s release sells it as a rifle that is ready “right out of the box.” We pulled all three spec sheets straight from Ruger so you don’t have to, and the numbers that matter most are the ones the release leaves out: the weight, the magazine and what that extra $130 actually buys.
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Table of Contents
What Ruger Put in the Varmint Target
Sturm, Ruger & Co. announced the Varmint Target models on November 11, 2026, calling them “the newest additions to the Ruger American® Rifle Generation II lineup.” Ruger’s release says all three are available now.
The headline change is the stock. It’s a fully adjustable target stock in Ruger’s TerrainFade Woodland camo, with a push-button cheek riser, a squared forend, a more vertical grip angle and an integrated bag rider for shooting off a rear bag.
The forend carries a removable aluminum insert with Magpul M-LOK compatible slots, so a bipod or a barricade stop mounts straight to it. Length of pull runs from 13 to 14.5 inches using three half-inch buttpad spacers that Ruger includes.
Up front is a 20 inch heavy target-contour barrel, cold hammer-forged and threaded 5/8-24, with a factory thread protector. The barrel, thread protector, receiver and bolt handle all wear Graphite Black Cerakote.
Three Calibers, Three Twist Rates
Ruger built three SKUs, and they share almost everything. Model 56920 is 6.5 Creedmoor with a 1:8 twist. Model 56921 is 6mm Creedmoor with a 1:7.7 twist. Model 56924 is .308 Win with a 1:10 twist.
Every one is 40.5 inches long, feeds from a 5-round AI-style magazine and wears the same $899.00 suggested retail on its Ruger spec sheet. Weight is 9.7 pounds for the 6.5 and 6mm Creedmoor rifles and 9.6 pounds for the .308, and that is before you add a scope.
The 6mm is the one I’d look at hardest. A 1:7.7 twist is the fastest of the three, and it is the twist I would want for the long, heavy 6mm bullets people buy this cartridge to shoot.
The action is the Gen II you already know. You get the three-position tang safety that locks the bolt, the Marksman Adjustable trigger with a 3 to 5 pound pull, Power Bedding that free-floats the barrel, and a one-piece stainless bolt with three lugs and a 70 degree throw. The oversized bolt handle is threaded 5/16-24 for an aftermarket knob, a one-piece Picatinny base is installed at the factory, and there are no iron sights.
Varmint Target vs the $769 Gen II Standard
Ruger lists every Gen II Standard at $769, so the Varmint Target costs $130 more. The fairest yardstick is the .308 Standard, model 46902, the exact rifle we put 540 rounds through for our Ruger American Rifle Gen II review.
That Standard weighs 6.4 pounds, holds 3 rounds in its AI-style magazine and runs 41.25 inches long with a spiral fluted medium-contour barrel and a factory radial port muzzle brake. Its length of pull adjusts from 12 to 13.75 inches, and the comb is a removable insert rather than a push-button riser.
So the extra $130 buys a heavier barrel, two more rounds in the magazine, a stock that actually adjusts for cheek height, an aluminum M-LOK insert and a bag rider. You also lose the brake, which I do not miss. It was the loudest thing about the Standard on our range.
But the trade isn’t free. The .308 Varmint Target carries 3.2 pounds more than the .308 Standard before any glass goes on, and that weight goes where you feel it, in the barrel and the stock. Not a rifle for a ridge hunt.
Built Around a Suppressor, Not a Brake
Ruger is unusually direct about why the barrel is 20 inches. Its spec sheet says the heavy barrel offers “an ideal balance of cartridge performance and overall length when paired with a suppressor.”
That’s the honest pitch. Thread a suppressor onto a 20 inch heavy barrel and you end up with a rifle that is still manageable behind a barricade, carries enough mass to soak up recoil, and does not get whippy at the muzzle the way a light sporter barrel can when you hang a can off the end of it.
And the 5/8-24 thread is the same pattern Ruger cuts on the .308 Standard, so muzzle hardware you already run on a Gen II carries straight over. Ruger ships the barrel with a thread protector and no muzzle device, which leaves the choice of brake or can to you.
When You Can Buy One, and Who It’s For
Ruger’s models page lists all three Varmint Target rifles as available, at $899.00 suggested retail each. That’s the list price, and dealers set the street price, so expect it to move once the rifles settle into stock.
If you shoot off a bag or a bipod and want one rifle for steel, prairie dogs and a suppressor, this is the Gen II to buy. If you hunt on foot, the 6.4 pound Standard is still the smarter rifle, and if you want a folding chassis and a full precision setup, that is a different budget and a different gun.
Heavy barrel. Adjustable stock. Two more rounds. That’s the whole $130.
Frequently Asked Questions
What calibers does the Ruger American Rifle Gen II Varmint Target come in?
Three: 6.5 Creedmoor (model 56920), 6mm Creedmoor (model 56921) and .308 Win (model 56924).
How much does the Ruger American Gen II Varmint Target cost?
Ruger's suggested retail is $899.00 for all three calibers. Dealers set the street price.
What barrel does the Varmint Target use?
A 20 inch heavy target-contour barrel, cold hammer-forged and threaded 5/8-24, with a thread protector and a Graphite Black Cerakote finish. Twist is 1:8 on the 6.5 Creedmoor, 1:7.7 on the 6mm Creedmoor and 1:10 on the .308 Win.
How heavy is the Ruger American Gen II Varmint Target?
Ruger lists 9.7 pounds for the 6.5 Creedmoor and 6mm Creedmoor models and 9.6 pounds for the .308 Win, without a scope. All three are 40.5 inches long.
What magazine does the Varmint Target use?
All three calibers use a 5-round AI-style detachable box magazine.
Is the Varmint Target stock adjustable?
Yes. Length of pull adjusts from 13 to 14.5 inches with three included half-inch spacers, and the cheek riser is push-button adjustable. The forend has a removable aluminum M-LOK insert and the stock has an integrated bag rider.
How is the Varmint Target different from the standard Ruger American Gen II?
The Standard lists at $769 and, in .308, weighs 6.4 pounds with a fluted medium-contour barrel, a factory muzzle brake and a 3-round magazine. The Varmint Target is $899, weighs 9.6 pounds in .308, and has a heavy barrel with a thread protector, a 5-round magazine and an adjustable cheek riser.
Is the Ruger American Gen II Varmint Target suppressor ready?
Yes. The barrel is threaded 5/8-24 and ships with a thread protector. Ruger says the 20 inch heavy barrel balances cartridge performance and overall length when paired with a suppressor.
Related Reading
- Best Varmint Rifles, Prairie Dogs to Coyotes
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- 6.5 Creedmoor vs .308 Win: Which Rifle Caliber Wins?
- Ruger Precision Rifle Review
- Savage 110 Tactical Review
- Best Ruger Rifles, Every Model Ranked
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