.22 target pistol recommendations

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Another vote for the Buckmark....in fact. Check out my Sig line...I know someone who's selling one.:D

Seriously...the Rugers are fun to shoot and just as much a pain in the A** to clean....you'll find yourself cursing before it's over with. Field striping Rugers has brought many a full grown man to tears.

As for the Buckmark. 2 allen screws and you're done.

Accuracy is about the same.
 
I have a Sig Trailside which I really like. I also have a Kadet kit for my CZ-75 that is surprisingly accurate and fun to shoot.
 
I'd go with the Buckmark, unless you're willing to buy the Ruger and spend money on altering it. I shot a Buckmark for a couple of years in Bullseye, I had no complaints. I shot a Ruger for a year, no complaints there either. Then I used an old High Standard Victor my father gave me for a few years, followed by a Hammerli 208S and now a Pardini SP. I got spoiled when I started shooting 2 stage triggers. From the bunch without a 2 stage trigger, the High Standard was the best.
 
87t.jpg


Don't forget the Beretta 87t. Here is mine just a plinking. 50 shots, 15 yards offhand. Very nice gun and quite accurate.
 
I own a BuckMark Camper. I like the gun a great deal BUT. The Camper model comes with a plastic sight base that inevitably cracks. Replacing the sight base with the alloy sight base and sight found on the other BM models will run you around $70. On the other hand you could replace the Camper sight base with the excellent Weaver rail from Tactical Solutions and use any number of red dot scopes, which many folks w/ older eyes (myself included) really like. If you think you might go that route then the Camper is a good way to save a few bucks. If you want open sights I recommend another BuckMark model. Don't let this dissuade you from the BM, just be forwarned. Aside from the plastic sight base on the Camper model, the BM line is quality throughout for a decent price.

I also own a SIG Trailside 4" standard (wife's choice). The gun feels excellent in the hand, shoots good, and is very easy to take apart, but I'd still not recommend it. First off the basic gun is overpriced considering how much plastic it uses and how easily the plastic gets damaged. The plastic magazines are also quite expensive ($35-$40 compared to an average $25 for other gun's metal magazines). The finish on my gun hasn't held up especially well. Myself and other users have experienced an array of minor problems (my trigger occasionally "hangs" tho it's gotten better since I replaced a leaf spring that broke). Most worrisome, a number of owners are now reporting hairline cracking around the slide buffer built into the trigger guard, some after only a few hundred rounds of use. Now I don't have this particular problem. SIG is good about customer service. And yes every manufacturer produces the occasional lemon. But the word is SIG is dropping the Trailside from their 2006 lineup. If you own a good Trailside, well good for you and I plan to keep mine. But if I were buying a new 22, especially a first gun, I'd pick something else. Why invite trouble when there are so many other good options for the same or less money.
 
Lots of opining going on here, so let me just say that while I am an avowed enthusiast of the MkII, I have also owned a Buckmark and was perfectly satisfied with it, and I think the NEOS is a pretty cool looking rig, especially given the carbine kit. I honestly don't think you can go wrong with any of the autos on the market today that would reasonably fit your bill. Sure, the Walthers seem to have trouble with jamming, and there are some cheapies being sold that aren't all that great, but for all intents and purposes, the major manufacturers all have good, reliable and accurate guns. I happen to prefer the MkII (no experience with the MkIII line) and would recommend it to anyone who asked, but I wouldn't look down my nose at a Buckmark, a Trailside or any of the other popular models.
 
Rick in Reno,

You say:
I'd go with the Buckmark, unless you're willing to buy the Ruger and spend money on altering it. I shot a Buckmark for a couple of years in Bullseye, I had no complaints. I shot a Ruger for a year, no complaints there either.
Click to expand...

How did you alter your Ruger so that you had no complaints? If you read my first post, you might think I am being confrontational, but thats not my intent. I am honestly curious as to what alterations you made to the gun to get it to the "no complaint" department though.
 
I have the KMK678GC like Gixer's. Kind of wish I would have gone with the 5 1/2" now though. Gives you all the sight radius you need, but a little better balanced, and a little lighter.

I have no complaints with the Ruger, but I have not compared it to higher end stuff, so I don't really know any better.
 
Is there an easy way to takedown the Mark II????

Guys,

I am crybaby ::banghead: because 4 years ago I bought a Mark II for target paractice.
I bought it before using it on a recommendation, and that might have been a first mistake.

Anyhow, upon receiving it, I broke it down to see how it works. But, it became difficult to get it back to gether. I tried 3 times and it did not work. I put it away, and tried again later. I was able to do it, but I have a "bad taste" in my mouth for this weapon. I need a screwdriver to pry open a piece, then I have to remove something which if I am not careful, will not allow the pistol to be put together again. Then I have to smack the barrel with a mallet to dislodge the it.

Is there an easy simple way to do this? Please help the Crybaby and make me smile. :)

Thanks.

Crybaby
 
Most people want a .22 autoloader for plinking and cheap shooting. Not everyone is looking for a competition tackdriver. I've shot all the major ones, and settled on a simple little entry level Beretta Neos. Why? To me, the trigger felt about the same as the Browning and Ruger, so no preference there. Price was about the same with all of them. For me, they all shot to point of aim, and I could not notice a real difference in accuracy. So, my deciding factors ended up being my long, positive history with Beretta's shotguns, and ease of cleaning (always important when you're shooting 250-500 rds of bulk .22. It was the first Beretta pistol I've owned.

At the end of the day, everyone has their preference, but it's what fits you and your needs the best.
 
Crybaby,

the hammer strut is giving you problems. Check out this site.

The hammer strut has to be 'in the cup' for the firearm to go back together.

I'm not mechanically minded and I can take apart and put together the Mark II. It's bot hard, just counterintuitive. You can download a manual for the Mark II from the ruger website. Follow those instructions exactly. Or check out the website I previously mentioned.

hope that helps.
 
ruger

Ruger makes a nice gun at a good price.I know 2 people that have the little auto's with a 6inch barrel and they love them
 
Thanks, Shamus

Shamus,

I went to the site you mentioned and went through it. I will play with it and the pistol tomorrow...today's NY Eve and no way I can tell my wife I'm stayin home to play with my "gun"

Appreciate your swift reply and thanks again for your help.

Now, if I can only get rid of my 2 left thumbs, I'll be good to go!

Crybaby....and have a Happy New Year to ALL!!!
 
I have two Ruger MKII's a 5.5 inch bull barrel and the little tapered 4 inch barrelled "standard" model. The bull barrelled Ruger is VERY accurate but heavy. If you just want a plinker, get the handier standard. I also have a 4 inch bull barrel Ruger 22/45 which is a kind of a compromise between the two. All are reliable, accurate and lots of fun. They are not difficult to dissasemble or reassemble once you've actually read the manual and done it a few times.
 
The experience that crybaby relates is one that I have heard often and it is why I don't own a Ruger. I have 2 trailsides and 3 Beretta Neos.
For cheap plinking and light target shooting you can't beat the Neos. Very well made, solid feel, accurate, and shoots any kind of ammo, including all the cheap stuff and the high velocity. You can get one for just over $200, extra mags for $9.99, and a little red dot scope for $8.95 (both at http://cdnnsports.com/) which makes the whole package very reasonable, especially for a gun that is so well made.
For more serious target shooting, the Trailside is wonderful. With a Hammerli barrel and Sig built, it's hard to beet for any gun under $1,000 and you can get them for under $500. Larry's gun is the authorized dealer for these guns which are no longer made.
There is one more that may be worth looking at. Sig sold Hammerli to Walther. Walther now has a new gun, the SP22.
http://www.waltheramerica.com/webap...ategory_rn=43326&top_category=43326&training=
Although I have not shot one of these yet, I think they are interesting. You mentioned that you are not wanting to buy and then find out that you are not happy with a gun, so I'm thinking this may not be for you. But now that Walther owns Hammerli, this gun may be claiming a place in the target shooters market.
 
I just discovered Buckmarks and must have one! Trouble is, which one? I'll likely want to put a red dot on it, so I guess I'll need one with a scope base. Don't mean to hijack the OP's thread, but I'd love some suggestions, which may serve him as well?
 
I recently picked up my first .22 - a Ruger MKIII 22/45. Over the past three days, I've put ~600 rounds downrange with zero malfunctions (no cleaning/oiling aside running a boresnake down the barrel before each range session).

My first field strip last night was uneventful - just take your time and read the directions and you're all set. Accuracy is fine, and I'm sure it'll get better as I get used to the pistol. Checked the trigger this morning and it breaks at 4lb_4oz (average of 25 pulls w/digital gauge), which is perfect for me as it's similar to my 1911's.

22_tgt_2.jpg

*NRA indoor range, tgt squares are 2"x2", Federal bulk pack 36gr ammo, fired offhand from 21'

good luck with your search for a .22, they're a lot of fun!
 
I have 2. Ruger Mark II Slabside Gov't. Competition (5 1/2" distributors special). Browning Buckmark Std URX (great grip!). Like others have said - Browning has a better trigger & is easier to take down. Both are very accurate. If I had to only keep one, I'd keep the Ruger, but the Browning is very nice. If I was buying new one today, I'd buy a Browning. I don't like the Ruger Mark III's. Don't like the mag release location on the std's & the trigger pull is gritty with the new safety stuff they put on them. My buddy has a 22/45 Mark III that jams often.
 
Take a look at the Walther P22, I know it had a bad start, but its a nice and compact gun and the price on it seems to be good. Definitely small enough for people with smaller hands and it comes with adjustable grips.
 
This is what I posted in another thread about the Buckmark:
**********************************************
Buckmark Camper: Misfire, FTF, FTE

I bought the Buckmark Camper stainless steel two months ago. So far, I have run 1500 rounds through it - 1000 Federal 36 grain hallow point, and 500 Remington 36 grain hallow point.

I'm not sure if it's the nature of the ammunition, rim fire versus center fire, or the gun itself, but I have had an unacceptable number of misfires, failures to eject, and failures to feed.

I've noticed that after 150 plus rounds the front screw of the Sight Base becomes lose. This causes the firing pin to misalign and the gun to misfire. The solution, I take the allen wrench to the range and tighten the screw after 5 or 6 magazines.

The failure to eject could be due to cheap ammo or a jerky slide movement due to grind accumulated after 150 rounds. The gun seldom has problems ejecting in the first 100 rounds. I always take it to the range clean.

The failure to feed could also be due a dirty ramp after 150 rounds.

The Buckmark is more accurate than I am. After a few magazines, I could place 1 - 2 inch groups at 15 to 20 feet. I had never shot a pistol prior to buying this one.

Shooting this pistol is rewarding because it’s very accurate. I also think that if you are going to learn to shoot, a .22 caliber is excellent because the ammo is in expensive and there is hardly any recoil, so the user does not develop any flinches.
 
Can the Mark II takedown be made easier?

After Shamu's reply, I took the Mark II down 5 times. I got more confident each time, and now I know I can do it, but I can not yet reassemble it in one try.

Here is what happens.

When I go to remove the hammer strut, it will not come out. I cut a small dowel and use a rubber mallet to help me stike the "pin" portion of the hammer strut, and then pull it down and out. After the side is removed, I have to strike the back of the barrel with the mallet to remove it off of the housing.

When assembling the piece, I have to strike the front of the barrel to get the barrel to seat properly or I can not get the hammer strut back in.

This seems like a lot of trouble, and way too many extra-tools for what should be a simple job.

Any ideas?
 
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