JCooperfan1911
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Does anyone own and operate a Ruger Bearcat .22? How do you like it? Is it accurate? Thinking about buying one.
Does anyone own and operate a Ruger Bearcat .22? How do you like it? Is it accurate? Thinking about buying one.
Had had a couple. They were accurate, fun to shoot and very handy. I found that both of mine would foul up quicklt, about 30-50 shots, before the cylinder would bind hard.
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. . . It's never given her a bit of trouble other than the cylinder holes (the chambers) might be just a little tight - because she has trouble getting Winchester Power-Points (my favorite ground squirrel ammo) to fit. So Barb just uses Remington Yellow Jackets - a Remington Yellow Jacket really makes a mess out of a ground squirrel . . .
The TALO birdshead Wrangler is very nice, shoots easier, and is less than 1/3 that price.
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Price of the Bearcat is a considerable issue as to why I don't own one. While I have an NAA Minimaster (Black Widow with 4 inch barrel) and have learned the trigger and grip to become accurate with it, the spur trigger is an anathema to accuracy. The Bearcat has a proper trigger and while others have issue with its small size it's nothing larger grips can't help.From the standpoint of having both;
Bearcats are sweet, made in the old tradition of machinework. That being said, they are best suited for small hands due to their small size. Figure a bit over $500 to put one in your hands.
The newer Shopkeepers are just irresistible, but running close to $1K makes it a tough decision.
The TALO birdshead Wrangler is very nice, shoots easier, and is less than 1/3 that price.
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I only have experience with my Shopkeeper version. It is very accurate for a 3" barreled revolver. However, it is hard for me to shoot accurately due to the small size and small sights.
My Bearcat is really simply a plinker. I figure that the Bearcat with the 4.2" barrel and adjustable sights could make a fine kit gun, if it fits the shooter's hand well enough.
Below is an old target with me resting my hands on a trash can shooting at 10 yards and tilting my head back to get the sights in focus in my progressive glasses. The Shopkeeper really laid in the first four shots, then I changed my grip and the last two shots went low. You really have to learn what grip the gun likes and how that positions your trigger finger, in my experience.
This is very difficult for me to repeat with this gun. But if you like a challenge, I believe the Bearcat is capable if you can adapt to it.
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Price of the Bearcat is a considerable issue as to why I don't own one. While I have an NAA Minimaster (Black Widow with 4 inch barrel) and have learned the trigger and grip to become accurate with it, the spur trigger is an anathema to accuracy. The Bearcat has a proper trigger and while others have issue with its small size it's nothing larger grips can't help.
If Ruger would make a Wrangler Lite the size of the Bearcat for $200, I'd be all over it. Don't care how much it weighs, it's never going to be as light as the NAA I have, I just want it smaller than what all the other single action rimfire revolvers are and be a good shooter.
Won't even bring up the quality issues Ruger has been having with their revolvers the past few years, but it seems, Redhawk aside, the cheaper the revolver, the better Ruger makes them.
From the standpoint of having both;
Bearcats are sweet, made in the old tradition of machinework. That being said, they are best suited for small hands due to their small size. Figure a bit over $500 to put one in your hands.
The newer Shopkeepers are just irresistible, but running close to $1K makes it a tough decision.
The TALO birdshead Wrangler is very nice, shoots easier, and is less than 1/3 that price.
View attachment 1078689