Ruger Mark III Competition or Browning Buckmark?

[oldshovelhead]

We have a great bowling-pin competition at the shooting club I belong to and am going to get involved a little more than I have in the past.
With this in mind, I'm looking for a good entry level .22 semi pistol.

I'm hoping to get some input between the Ruger Mark III Competition and the Browning BuckMark here.

I was pretty set to buy the Ruger Mark III Competition but then a deal for the Buckmark came my way.
I've not had a chance to shoot either of the pistols, but have heard there are some issues with the Mark III's trigger operation.
I'm told the Mark III trigger doesn't "reset" quickly, slowing firing.

Spending a lot of money on this weapon is not a choice and therefore I don't want to have to upgrade what I buy, at least not until next year.

Can anyone offer some advice or input on their experience with either of these pistols?

 

[Armed 24/7]

Nothing against the Ruger, but I really enjoy my Buckmark. There is aftermarket support for both, if you decide you want to change something.

 

[Fishbed77]

Both are great pistols, - it's really just a matter of personal preference.

Personally, I'd give the the slight edge to the Ruger. They've been a little more reliable in my experience, they are easy to work on, and aftermarket upgrade are endless.

 

[tlen]

I have a MKIII678 and never have heard of any reset issues. Of course I installed a VQ target trigger & sear which really lighten the trigger pull. I use it for bullseye competition and did quite well on the 50 yard plate rack. There are MANY aftermarket add ons available for the Rugers . Also, if you like the tradition 1911 grip angle you can get a 22/45 model with replaceable grips. In any case I'd recommend the longest barrel. Sight radius is longer and the added length give higher velocity needed for hunting and metal plates.
Save yourself so,e money and get a blued model. IMHO the SS models are rather overpriced and the blued models shoot just as well.

 

[nosmr2]

My Buckmark sucks for a few reasons. This may be on multiple posts due to my phone.
The feed ramp gets dirty after a few hundred rounds and causes jams.
The plastic piece on top holding the rear sight feels real cheap.
The front screw holding that piece down comes loose after a few hundred rounds.

 

[nosmr2]

Stupid phone.
You can thread lock that screw down but it has to be removed for cleaning.
A metal replacement for said cheesy part is $75.
Magazines cost $30
Not a fan of the grips and mine aren't the worst ones.
I read reviews and watched tons of videos prior to my purchase. But if I had to do it all over again I would pass on the Buckmark.

 

[Tex4426]

both will serve you well..just to through another in there a smith 22A...bo brother uses one for bowling pin competition and at about 230 bucks its pretty cheap...and im not a good shot but i shoot pretty good with the smith...not trying to steer you away just wanted to give you another option

 

[nathan]

I own the ruger Mk 2 5.5 bullbarrel and the newer Mk 3 Hunter . NO complaints so far. Stainless steel by Ruger is topnotch and easy to clean . Accuracy is very good, have to practice and practice as usual.

 

[coalman]

For me: MKII > Buckmark > MKIII

I owned a Buckmark I had >15k through. Nice gun. I purchased it to match the function of a 1911. Not super accurate, but I was pleased enough with it. The MKIIs I've fired have all been very nice and would be my next .22lr handgun. The MKIII does nothing for me. That said, I've run a .22lr AA upper on a Glock 17 for some time now. Not super accurate, but reliable, versatile and effective enough for what I'm looking for when I practice.

 

[Blue68f100]

I have the MKIII Hunter 6 7/8" SS model with a Mueller Quick Shot Reflex dot sight on it. I've owned this gun for close to 4 yrs now, bought it new. Aftermarket parts are endless for the Ruger's. Now the MKIII has a Mag Safety which does impact trigger quality, and a Loaded Chamber Indicator. This can be removed by just installing a MKII Hammer bushing. If you can locate a MKII, they are consider better. If your allowed to make mods there is nothing wrong with the MKIII's. I only detail clean mine every 2k-2.5k rounds. There is no plastic or Al on a Ruger, all steel and built to last several lifetimes.

If you want it to match the 1911 grip angle go for the 22/45 polymer grip model with replaceable grips.

 

[jfrey]

I've shot Rugers and Buck Marks. Own a Buck Mark because it shoots better than any .22 pistol I've ever shot. Friend of mine bought the Ruger fancy target model and it proved to be a jam-o-matic delux. Triggers on Rugers aren't near as good. There aren't as many after market items for the Browning because they don't need them. They are good right out of the box. I'll put my BM up against a S&W 41 any day, and have.

 

[DAdams]

Buckmark.

 

[Jesse Wales]

my .22 cents

Ive owned several ruger mk1's, mk2', and then a mark three
i just got rid of the mk 3 two weeks ago, dont like the mag safety or the loaded chamber indicator
Ill stick with my mk 2 22/45, 6 and 7/8 barrel stainless
not impressed with the buckmark
aluminum , clunky , plastic
not a piece id hope to hand down to my grand children

 

[Jesse Wales]

Ruger mk II

for the money, and the reliability id go with the Ruger
I know ive owned a couple of old brownings and the guality was above and beyond
but now I think the quality is not as great as it used to be ,
as it is with most things
Ive heard Rugers customer service is better than most
but ive never had problems with any of the Rugers ive owned
,,, take them outta the box and enjoy several lifetimes of good times

,,on a diff note I know im waiting for the new ruger .308
semi auto on a like AR type platform that is supposed to be piston operated
then Ill have to wait for the reviews to come out
and then decide between Ruger and DPMS
I think for the mony and the reputation It will turn out to be be a Ruger
Its seems Ruger figures out what peope want and then they make it
itl'll will be worth the wait
DS

 

[Pilot]

I have four Ruger MK II's. All are accurate, and reliable. There are umpteen aftermarket parts for them to turn it from a target/plinker to match pistol.

 

[viking499]

Buckmark. Ruger does not fit my hand like the browning does.

 

[451 Detonics]

I own a Ruger and a Buckmark and I have to give the edge to the Browning unless you want to add parts like a competition grade trigger to the Ruger. I have also found the Browning mags to have an edge in reliability for me. One other nice thing about the Browning is you can replace the barrel without having to go through a FFL dealer. The Ruger's barrel is part of the serialed numbered receiver.

 

[oldshovelhead]

Update-
My son and I just got back from our range and had a chance to empty a fresh box of Federal's between the Ruger and the Browning.
Both weapons shot well. We had no fte and 2 each ftf.

We were shooting at bowling pin silhouettes so I can't report groupings.

I liked the trigger on both, but the Ruger felt better under my finger than the Browning.

We both felt the weight of the Ruger helped us pace through the pins better and the gun seemed well balanced in our hands.

My son is 14 but he's 5'10" 155lbs (almost as big as the old man now!) - so comparing how the gun feels is fairly relative between us.

At first he didn't think he'd like the grips of the Ruger- they're the Rosewood grips with the large thumb rest - but after 100 rds between the two guns he found the Ruger's grips helped him find and hold his targer better.
I'd like to get a set of grips similar to these for my S&W 1911 .45.

I had no problem whatsoever consistently putting down six pins with six rds.
And as you'd expect, the more rds I shot the faster I could clear the targets.

I've decided on the Ruger MIII.

 

[searcher451]

I own both, and the answer to the question only lies in which one I have at the range that particular day. I enjoy shooting both of them equally well. If you can, borrow or rent one of each and see which one better fits your hand an eye before you make the purchase.