Which Ruger to Buy?

[NoFe2O3]

I've been shooting my husband's 22LR Ruger "Target".  I love the gun (and the Steel Challenge), so I'm starting to research what gun to buy for myself.  I will eventually put a red dot on my gun, but I will probably use the iron sights for a while.

 

I found a poll in this forum, and it indicated that Ruger is very popular with this crowd.  I'm OK with that, but now I need to choose between all the available models.

 

I like the heft of my husband's "Target".  I understand that excess weight could be a penalty in terms of rapid motion between targets.  But on the other hand, the extra weight makes it feel so solid in my hand.  Opinions?

 

Also, I find that the beavertail on my husband's gun is sort of uncomfortable when I take a good, high, solid grip.  Any fixes for this issue?

 

Thanks in advance for your input!

[Hi-Power Jack]

2 hours ago, NoFe2O3 said:

   I love the gun  

 

 RustFree, welcome to the Forums   

 

I'd buy one exactly like the one you "love" without the beavertail     

Edited November 18, 2017 by Hi-Power Jack

[dapribek]

     Hi, I’m going to make a different suggestion and recommend that you try the new S&W Victory. Two of the women I shoot SC with purchased them and almost overnight became better shooters  I don’t know if it’s because of a smaller grip or what. You may be able to go to a range near you and rent one to try out. They’re reasonably priced and very easy to take apart to clean. The trigger is good right out of the box, but can be made even better by replacing it with  the Tandemkross trigger. If my wife develops an interest in shooting, that’s what I’d get her. Let us know what you end up getting, good luck!

[bobert1]

I would also recommend the SW22 Victory. Bought one for my 10 yo Grand-Daughter. Very easy to mount a red dot in the future too.

Edited November 18, 2017 by bobert1

[Hammer002]

The Ruger Target is a very good choice.  Some of it is going to depend on what you plan to do and what your aspirations are.  Meaning, the target is an excellent iron sight gun, as are most of the Rugers.  What might happen though as you add to it with your mentioning of a red dot is that it may become pretty heavy.  This is mine, and its still a work in progress.  The 22/45 is one of, if not the, most popular rimfire pistol for steel challenge if you were to count the number used.  I was glad I went with the LITE model, as it is perfect in weight now with the dot.  There are other options for a dot, but the CMORE was the only one that I put on and immediately thought, "Oh, that's it."  Weight is completely subjective in my opinion to both the shooter and the gun.  My PCC is far heavier than my 15/22, yet I shoot the PCC considerably faster.  Let the weight factor be determined by YOU, just take into some consideration if you plan to add to it. 

 

The beavertail issue is something to consider from a couple different angles - One, is that its purpose is to allow you that high grip while keeping the overall grip tight with amazing control of the gun, so it may just be something to become accustom to.  Kinda one of those things that feels uncomfortable at first, but once you get used to it there is nothing else that feels right.  However, again, the 22/45 has a completely different grip angle that may not bother you as much.

 

There is nothing wrong with the Victory.  However, I will tell you this from experience = it is likely you will compare EVERYTHING from now on to that first gun you liked.  So if you went with something other than the target, you will always be thinking about how its different from the target.  Hope you find something you like and stick with the Steel Challenge, its a fun sport and looking to possibly explode in the next couple seasons.  Good luck.

 

 

Edited November 18, 2017 by Hammer002

[LeviSS]

I'd get a 22/45 lite Mark IV.  The one button take down beats the hell out of the old design.

 

Also look at Browning buckmarks.  I like the grip on them better.

Edited November 18, 2017 by LeviSS

[Dr. Phil]

I have a Buckmark done over as a steel gun. Xtended mag release, slide lock and with a slide racker. Also have a MKII and MKIII 22/45. Keep trying the Rugers and keep going to the Buckmark for anything "important". I like the grip, balance and trigger better on the Buckmark.

All have red dots mounted.

My opinion...

[NoFe2O3]

Wow - so much great info!  Thanks to all of you for your input!

[GOF]

A Ruger MIV, in whatever option you choose, is very easy to thoroughly clean. That's important with a .22LR pistol. None of them run well when dirty. Adding a reflex sight adds little weight to a Ruger if you opt for a Burris FFIII or a Trijicon. Grips, triggers, and other stuff are readily available on the aftermarket (Volquartsen is very good). It's a solid and accurate pistol that won't break the bank.

 

Sorry about the italics. Couldn't kill them and run straight fonts. 

[Hammer002]

9 hours ago, GOF said:

A Ruger MIV, in whatever option you choose, is very easy to thoroughly clean. That's important with a .22LR pistol. None of them run well when dirty. Adding a reflex sight adds little weight to a Ruger if you opt for a Burris FFIII or a Trijicon. Grips, triggers, and other stuff are readily available on the aftermarket (Volquartsen is very good). It's a solid and accurate pistol that won't break the bank.

 

Sorry about the italics. Couldn't kill them and run straight fonts. 

 

This is a very good point.  This was what I didn't like about my Buckmark.

[Hi-Power Jack]

When I bought my .22, I handled both the Ruger and the Browning - preferred the handling of the Browning Buckmark ...    it's personal.    

[itlogo]

If you get a chance to try a 22/45 Lite, I'd definitely recommend that.  I don't own a Target, but from the pictures, it seems like the grip angle is very canted, almost like a Glock.

[AzShooter]

I love my Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite.  It has a number of upgrades including the VQ trigger kit, a Tandemkross flat trigger, Stoner Grips and a C-More 12 Minute Dot on an Alchin mount.  I also have the Alchin compensator on it.  People noticed this weekend how loud my gun is compared to other .22s.  It sure helps in picking up all my shots.  I had the Tandemkross compensator on but just changed them out.

 

 

[zzt]

NoFe, I'm with Dr. Phil if you want to buy off the shelf.  Before I tell you what my experiences were, I'll also second the notion that you buy what you like.  It's not like it's going to break the bank, unless you go all in on upgrades and the like.  Buy a gun and shoot it just the way it comes for a while.  At the range, ask to hold and shoot other 22s you see there.  Almost no one will say no if you express and interest and ask nicely.  Use your own ammo.

 

I'm the RM for all my home club's non-bullseye matches.  That includes lots of stuff for 22s, such as our Wed Night Steel Matches,  Plates and pins, and hostage pins.  I also shoot and RO at Steel Challenge matches all season long.  Here is what I see.

 

The most problematic pistols are Rugers.  Part of the reason is there are so many of them, there are bound to be more failures.  If you buy a Ruger, get a Mark 3 or 4.  Buy lots of mags, because some of them won't work.  To get them 100% reliable you have to tweak the feed lips and use good ammo.  At the East Coast Steel Challenge Championship, there were lots of 22 pistols.  All of the Ruger problems like failure to fire and failure to eject were by users who did nothing to their pistols and mags and used cheap ammo.  In contrast, the serious Ruger shooters came with equipment that ran 100% and used either CCI Minimags, CCI AR Tactical (most popular) or the Eley Force bullets.

 

I tried Rugers, including the no holds barred Volquartsen Scorpion.  I got tired of the constant fidling, so I sold it and bought a Buckmark.

 

Buckmarks are the second Most popular pistol.  The factory mags almost always work without tweaking.  I eventually replaced the barrel with a light and accurate Tactical Solutions barrel, had a trigger job done, added an overtravel trigger, polished up all the insides, added Aluminum grips  an extended mag release and a compensator.  I added a rail and a red dot.  That pistol was awesome, and it ran 100% for 18 months.  It looked great and was always a hit on Ladies Day.  Everyone wanted to shoot it.  My wife, who previously confiscated my Hammerli target pistol, decided she didn't like it any more, and now shoots my Buckmark.

 

There were four SV Victory pistols I saw at the Championship, plus two used in our club shoots.  I've seen no failures at all, even with the really cheap ammo.  I don't have enough experience with them to say more.

 

To replace the Buckmark I had Chet Whistle of CW Associates build me a complete upper based on his Aluminum slides.  I use it on a 1911 frame.  I like it better for SC than the customized Buckmark.  It runs clean, dirty and anything in between.  It has been 100%, and the 22 mags for 1911s are much better than anything you can get for a Browning or Ruger.  I also have a Marvel Precision conversion unit that I shoot for Bullseye.  I've used it for SC, buy prefer the racier upper.  I'm a 1911 lover to start with, so I'd never go back to any of the 22 guns.  A 1911 with a 22 conversion is SOOO much better.

 

I reiterate the recommendation that you try lots of guns before you buy.  Squad with a bunch of 22 shooters.  Look at what they have.  Ask them why they like it.  Ask if you can shoot it.  As long as you are not holding up the next squad, most ROs will let you have an extra crack at the stage using the borrowed gun.  On the next stage, try someone else's.

[NoFe2O3]

Hi again, all of you!

Based upon your input, I'm expanding my search.  Today I held a Browning Buckmark (slab-barrel; 5.5"), a Ruger 22/45 Lite, and a S&W Victory.  I totally fell in love with how the Browning felt in terms of the grip and natural pointing.  So I'm leaning that way, but my gunsmith brought up a troubling thing - the need to remove the sight rail in order to do a good cleaning.  But the salesman told me that I could do a pretty good cleaning without hassling with that step.  But I don't know; I like to really get in there and swab springs, etc when possible.  And for a 22LR, it seems that good cleaning is pretty important.

What do you folks say?

Thanks again for all the wonderful input!

[zzt]

Removing the sight rail is not a problem.  Just buy a good one.  I removed mine every time I did a deep cleaning.  I never took the dot off, just removed the rail with the dot still on it.  My rail used flat head screws to fasten.  They locate the rail and it goes back on in the same spot.  I never had to rezero my pistol after cleaning and reassembling.

 

When you take a Buckmark apart you will see there are very few places where dirt and grime can accumulate.  If you use a pull through cleaning system and use a brass brush on the breach face, you can go thousands of rounds before you want to remove the slide for a 'deep' cleaning.  When you do, you'll find that nothing in there was all that dirty.

[DesertTortoise]

Shoot the one that fits your hand like a glove

No matter which gun (ruger, buckmark, etc), I think .22 problems are from
#1 poor quality ammo
#2 magazines go bad
#3 dirty gun

[LeviSS]

Yeah.  Use good ammo at matches, use cheap stuff for practice.  Good ammo goes a long way...I use CCI Minimags.

 

My 22/45 only has problems when it gets dirty, which is exacerbated by cheap ammo.  I clean before a match, shoot a couple mags through it to make sure I got everything back together right, and it's good to go for the most part.

 

I do plan to buy a Buckmark at some point to try out.  I have only held them, but really like the feel.

Edited November 22, 2017 by LeviSS

[NoFe2O3]

Woo-hoo!  I found a GREAT (ie, low starting bid...) deal on GunBroker.com on a Black-Label.  Put in a bid, and I won (I was the only bidder - go figure...).

 

So my Buckmark should arrive in a few days.  I'll stick with Mini-Mags for a while, and get some rounds through her.  Actually, I'll probably feed her only Mini-Mags or CCI AR, since I HATE malfunctions...  Most shooting will be indoors for a few months. Next step will be a red-dot, but I plan to do that in the spring, just as steel challenge season starts up again in these here cold parts.

 

Probably either a DeltaPoint or a C-More.  Y'all aren't shy - what do you recommend?

[zzt]

Nofe, put the dot on sooner than that.  It takes a while to develop the muscle memory for the dot to come up on target.  The dot will be higher above the bore than iron sights.

 

Of the two you mention, I definitely prefer the DPP for SC.  I like the size of the glass in the RTS2 better, but mine are not as bright as the DPP, and they eat batteries.  I have to put a new battery in before every match.  I have never yet changed a battery in a DPP.  I just received two new DPPs in 2.5MOA.  I'm replacing the RTS2s on my Steel Challenge guns with them.  Reason- with anything other than a brand new 3.2V battery in the RTS2, the dot is too dim to see clearly on white steel in bright sunlight.  Even if I turn the dot down between stages, it dims as the match goes on.  At the end of an 8 stage match, the battery is 2.9v.  At 2.8 the dot blinks to tell you to change the battery.  I like my RTS2s and will run them for anything other than white steel.

 

BTW, the CCI AR Tactical are more consistent over the chrono than Minimags, if that is important to you.

Edited November 23, 2017 by zzt

[DesertTortoise]

I put this style mount on my ruger. It's a full 1/4 inch lower since you can get rid of the rail and rail adapter

https://outerimpact.com/shop/browning-buckmark-m-r-a-red-dot-mountadapter/