Ruger mark III accuracy

[JImbothefiveth]

How accurate are the various ruger mark IIIs and 22/45s? I have, as discussed previously here, settled on some form of ruger mark III.
I'm new to handgunning, so will they be able to shoot better than I can?
Could I compete in beginning bullseye pistol with one?
Thanks!

 

[cliffy]

Ruger Mark III Competition Model owner

6 7/8" barreled stainless steel Rugers are extremely accurate. Tearing the centers out of 50 foot bullseyes appears easy, even for me, the rifleman. I'm a rifle shooter, but I wouldn't trade my Mark III because I need something accurate on my hip whilst PIG Hunting. You know: Rattlesnakes. At fifteen feet my rifle scope blurrs-out and I have to WAG a shot. Coming into "play" emerges my 40 grain CCI Velocitor-loaded Mark III. If only one bite becomes imminent, one Velocitor becomes golden. They NEVER misfire! cliffy

 

[onebigelf]

Mine was so-so until I replaced the barrel. Worlds of difference, it's almost scary on the 75yrd rifle range.

John

 

[iafirebuff]

I just bought the 5.5" 22/45 last weekend. Got about 500 rounds through so far - I LOVE mine!

 

[P90shooter]

I dont own one personally but I have shot the Mark III many times. I have to say of the 7 I have shot I can tell you it is very accurate and on fun gun to shoot. In fact I think I might talk the miss' into letting me buy one this weekend.

 

[Canuck-IL]

A Ruger's accuracy can take you to Master level in BE ... it will likely need either a trigger job by someone who knows them or a Volquartsen kit however.
/Bryan

 

[SoCalShooter]

Well off hand rapid fire with aguila match pistol/rifle I can keep 5 shots in the x ring at 25 yards is that accurate enough for you?

 

[cliffy]

With all the lead soldiers I've cast . . .

Loved the aroma of melted lead since the 1940s when I smelted hundreds of lead action figures. Perhaps I'm without full mental faculties by now, but I still harbor strong opinions regarding right and wrong ideas. Having taught thousands to read above eighth grade, I feel my brain overcame the fumes somehow. I never realized, as a kid, that lead fumes were anything but sweet perfume. Perhaps I'm unique, but I doubt that. Lead is over-rated as a brain destroyer, or my brain would, by now, be lead-filled. Eating leaded paint was never my hobby; however, it's sweet enough to eat. My vocabulary power is over 40,000 words, so lead may have detracted 10,000 words but who knows? I'm 66 years of age now, so just how many people I can still teach to read effectively remains a mystery. I have no choice, since the damage must have been done years ago. cliffy

 

[cliffy]

Wow! Where did that come from?

Lead vs Mark IIIs seems off-target, but consider I may be lead brain-damaged, but do not fully realize it. CCI Velocitors in a Mark III appear the maximum of potential; however, CCI STINGERS are no slouches. Does CCI dominate the maximum potential of .22 LR prowess? I tend to think so. Zero misfires, extreme accuracy, the feeling of maximum firepower in a .22 Long Rifle cartridge . . . gives me great confidence regarding a dreaded Rattlesnake attack, with the personally-feared venom injection. I've squeezed the trigger, merely to hear the firing-pin snap mutely with 550 blocks of cheap crap, to hedge toward CCI products regarding rimfire dependability. Color me silly, but when a rimfire must fire . . . CCI does! cliffy

 

[PzGren]

1.How accurate are the various ruger mark IIIs and 22/45s?

2. I have, as discussed previously here, settled on some form of ruger mark III.

3. I'm new to handgunning, so will they be able to shoot better than I can?

4. Could I compete in beginning bullseye pistol with one?
Thanks!

1. The MkII and MkIII are accurate handguns, to use the full potential and shoot it offhand, a better trigger and grips are helpful. The 22/45 misses some weight that I find desirable in steadying the gun.

2. You made a good choice, it is a fairly inexpensive gun that is available in well balanced versions.

3. I can only guess ... but in general it takes more than a year of practice to be a serious competitor and I think the Ruger MkIII will serve you much longer. It is a very versatile gun with many aftermarket parts available to improve the guns as your ability to shoot improves with practice.

4. Absolutely yes!

 

[klover]

My 22/45 with ultradot

is the best money I ever spent for a 4 inch accurate per dollar bull barrel.
Why, are you shooting legs off of grass hoppers or somethng?

 

[Majic]

I'm new to handgunning, so will they be able to shoot better than I can?

Yes and for a very long time.

Could I compete in beginning bullseye pistol with one?

Again yes but don't expect to get to that level for quite a while. Shooting a handgun is not as easy as a lot of people think. Hitting small targets at distance is even harder. Learn to shoot first then work at mastering the basics. Once you have your skill level up then consider having the trigger action tuned up. After a lot of practice and I mean a lot then consider entering the games.

 

[cbm1948]

I have a Ruger Mark III Govt. Target in SS, it is very accurate better than I can hold anymore, but most accurate guns are. Get a MK3 and I think you will be happy.

Clint

 

[CajunBass]

As bad as I shoot, even I can hit a target with a Mk III, 22/45.

If you can't, don't blame the gun.

 

[IdahoLT1]

My MKIII is really accurate. I attribute the weight of the gun and low recoil of the .22LR round to most of that. But, it is very finicky with ammo. It only reliably feed round nose ammo. Hollow points and flat nose ammo are a no-no for my gun. They jam on the feed ramp. Im thinking of getting rid of it as it does me really no good since i like to varmint hunt. I bought it with a 100rds through it and the previous owner had trigger work done to it. I paid ~$400 but since ive put ~300rds through it, i want to get ~$335 for it.

 

[JImbothefiveth]

Yes and for a very long time.

Is this still true considering I intend to dry-fire practice about an hour a day?(Like I do with my rifle.)

And speaking of dry-firing, I heard releasing the slide(a bolt in this case) on to an empty chamber will damage the pistol, is that true?

 

[Ske1etor]

with my el-cheapo tasco red dot I can rest my arms on a bench and hit golf balls from as far out as 40 yards with quite a bit of consistency with Remington bulk pack ammo.

 

[PzGren]

Yes and for a very long time.
Is this still true considering I intend to dry-fire practice about an hour a day?

If your stance, grip, sighting picture, breathing, trigger pull and whatever else is off, no amount of dry firing will help you! You have to learn the basics and apply them. There is only one way of cutting corners that I know of; good instructions by a dedicated mentor.

Even if you are analysing every shot and have very good instructions it will take you over a year to be just good at a state competition.

And speaking of dry-firing, I heard releasing the slide(a bolt in this case) on to an empty chamber will damage the pistol, is that true?

Well, dry firing a rimfire without a cartridge or snap-cap/dummy round will have the firing pin hit the breech. It will eventually either leave an ugly imprint or wear out the pin.

 

[sheephearder]

I do not know of another 22 that you can buy for the same money that is as accurate. I know of several people that compete with MK IIs and the MK III is the same gun (with a couple of improvements ?). I personally think you should try your hand at BE even though you may not be competitive for some time, you can learn a lot from the experience and get tips on how to improve. I missed out on the fun of trap and handgun shooting because I did not want to embarrass myself, most shooters will help you, not laugh. Good luck and have fun------Bill

 

[JImbothefiveth]

Learn to shoot first then work at mastering the basics.

I don't understand what you mean, could you please clarirify? How can I learn to shoot without working on the basics?

Well, dry firing a rimfire without a cartridge or snap-cap/dummy round will have the firing pin hit the breech. It will eventually either leave an ugly imprint or wear out the pin.

Although I don't normally dry-fire rimfires, Ruger says their rimfire pistols are safe to dry-fire.(They used to have it on their website, you could e-mail them if you want.)

However, their pistol has the last shot hold-open, so would pulling the bolt back and releasing it for every shot (I dry-fire maybe 150 rounds a session, likely more, and every single day.) damage it?

If your stance, grip, sighting picture, breathing, trigger pull and whatever else is off, no amount of dry firing will help you! You have to learn the basics and apply them. There is only one way of cutting corners that I know of; good instructions by a dedicated mentor.

I shoot on private land, would a bullseye club usually have good instructors?
Or would an NRA basic pistol course be better?

 

[PzGren]

Regardless of what Ruger may say, on a rimfire gun the firing pin is hitting steel and that will lead to premature wear.

Learn to shoot first then work at mastering the basics.
I don't understand what you mean, could you please clarirify? How can I learn to shoot without working on the basics?

I do not know where you found this quote but it usually works the other way around.

Naturally all bullseye clubs differ from each other and the quality of their instructors but you have the probability to find experienced shooters helping you over a long period.

The NRA basic pistol class can just teach you some general basics, to advance quickly, you will need constant coaching of achieved competitors.

Search for Encyclopedia of Bullseye Pistol for a lot of good advice from top competitors.

I also think that an hour of dry firing is a bit excessive, I'd rather recommend a quality airpistol. There is nothing harder to shoot than 10m Airpistol, imho.

 

[JImbothefiveth]

do not know where you found this quote but it usually works the other way around

Post #12. I thought it was messed up too.

I also think that an hour of dry firing is a bit excessive

On the pistol, or just excessive to be doing?

Regardless of what Ruger may say, on a rimfire gun the firing pin is hitting steel and that will lead to premature wear.

I think they have a "firing pin block".
For what it's worth, I have probably dry-fired my 10/22 over a thousand times, and the dry-fire ability was part of why I settled on a ruger pistol.

 

[PzGren]

Dry firing for an hour is just a little tiring for the "shooter". You will get a feeling for the trigger and develop a steady hold by dry firing and holding the pistol for about 15 minutes a day. A good airpistol will give you a better training effect than just frequent dry firing does. I used a Walther LP53 in my competitive days and lately switched to a FWB 65. I save on gas and driving time and shoot a tin of 500 for about $6.

Standl, a German that was top notch in ISSF and wrote an excellent book about pistol shooting, is writing that it takes about four years to develop from a beginner into a master, given talent and hard training.

Look this up:
http://www.bullseyepistol.com/

 

[cliffy]

Dry Firing Sucks

Dry fire when you must after a thourogh cleaning. Find a nearby range or wooded area to fire at. Shoot a ten cent, twenty-two rimfire round or a $1.00 .243 Winchester, but dry-firing solves little and can cause mechanical damage. Rangetime is golden: dry firing sucks. I'm sighted for 20x at 100 yards, so how can dry firing compare? Gee-I-thing I hit it! NO ONE is very far from a safety range or open-range. PRACTICE is what makes one great, not dry firing. A proper Three-Inch target is cheap, use it! A pistol should be a 25 yard devestator, while a rifle should shred the center out of a 3" bull at 200 yards. If one doesn't believe it takes practice time, one is apparently much BETTER than I am accuracywise. cliffy

 

[college]

Dri Fire

Ruger states on page 20, #5 of the MARK III Instruction Manual "...With the muzzle pointed in a safe direction push the safety to the OFF (F) position and pull the trigger to decock the pistol. The pistol can be dry fired as long as the firing pin stop is in place...." I presume Ruger knows of what they write.
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