Ruger Precision Rimfire in 22 LR for 100 Yard Competition

[DMW1116]

I've been shooting a fair bit more 22 lately and am quite pleased with my first 10/22 (stainless version). It shoots better than I had expected with ammo it likes, and worse than I'd hoped with ammo it doesn't. For its intended purpose, it will be well more than adequate (trainer for peep sights). I intend to use it for a local rimfire silhouette competition, as my choice of a Henry H001 doesn't have the sight adjustability as it is to do what I want. However, that and the 10/22 are another thread.

The competition has a scoped 22 portion that is shot from 100 yards. I've shot it with a Marlin 60 and did well enough to try again. Recent shooting of the Marlin revealed it isn't accurate enough, or I'm not accurate enough with it, to hit all the targets repeatably. I don't see a lot of talk about the Ruger Precision Rimfire but thought it might be capable of hitting a 1" square silhouette from 100 yards with more reliability than my Marlin. I've hit the small target once with it, but that was out of 5 tries.

From what I've read, the RPR shares magazines with the 10/22. The ones I looked at on the shelf had the 25 round Ruger magazines. That will last me a while in a bolt action rimfire. I wouldn't go all out for this competition. I plan to shoot whatever common ammo shoots best from the 10/22 and would do the same with the RPR. Currently I use CCI Standard Velocity as my most accurate target load. The 10/22 doesn't shoot any high velocity ammo well enough to even try the competition. I'd hope for a little more versatility in ammo from the RPR. The Marlin shoots a shade over 2" groups at 100 yards but does so with pretty much anything.

 

[Varminterror]

If I were buying for competition, as a minimum level of performance, I would buy any of a CZ, Tikka, or Bergara. These will reliably outshoot the Ruger RPR, Savage Mark II’s, and Marlin bolt guns - with the semiautos almost unilaterally falling a tier below these. The next tier above the CZ, Bergara, Tikka is an extreme jump in cost, to Anschutz, RimX, or Vudoo custom or factory custom rifles (or old 40x rimfires). If single shots can play, I never bet against Win52’s, but it sounds like you’re looking for a repeater.

As much as I love Ruger and love the idea of the RPR, I think the RPRR is a pretty big miss on their part - I DESPERATELY want it to hang a performance tier higher than the Savage Mark II, Ruger American Rimfire, or Marlin bolt guns, but it really doesn’t, and in a lot of ways, the taller profile of the RPRR is actually less shooter friendly than a traditional stickshift. It’s a great gateway drug, but I think it’s easy to outgrow.

 

[doubleh]

I have one and enjoy shooting it. It does pretty good after extensive work as it was terrible out of the box. I blame part of that on it being one of the early ones. It capable of being set up where it fits perfectly for bench shooting and I like that. It would also work well for prone shooting I believe but I am past doing that so can't say for sure. Mine can't quite hang with my very early Savage MK II FV that has had some improvements or my customized 10/22 in the accuracy department. Close but not quite there. I did have a newer model Savage MK II FV that the RPRR shot rings around. The RPRR does share magazines with the 10/22 but in my experience sticking with the 10 round one is better.

Just personal opinion but I would not choose the RPRR for the chicken shooting game. Like VT pointed out, there are better options. For some reason Ruger seems to produce less than stellar barrels for their 22 LR models.

 

[VoodooMountain]

From what I've heard/read the Ruger RPR can be mediocre to great with most falling in the middle. A barrel swap supposedly greatly improves accuracy.

As stated above, ruger rimfire barrels are hit or miss. I have a Ruger American in 22lr and 22 mag. Both are very accurate. The 22lr is incredibly accurate for me considering the cost. I can shoot an egg at ~80yards with open sights easily with that gun unsupported.

I wouldn't necessarily discount a built 10/22, though if you want semi auto. A Kidd barrel, good trigger, and a good stock can greatly improve the performance to around 1 moa at 50 yards. 1" - 1.5" groups at 100 yards are often expected. Even my Green Mountain 17" heavy taper shoots real well. Some guys claim .25" groups with a kidd or GM barrel and match ammo at 50 yards.

I agree with the guys above that a Tikka T1x or a CZ 455/452 is a pretty safe bet for a bolt gun.

Forgot to add that I also have a savage B22. I had high hopes for it but it seems to be temperamental. Group size is greatly affected by how the gun is held and how tight the action screw is. It also doesn't like to extract spent cases very well. The magazine is also kind of a PITA. I do think if a person is willing to work with that rifle that it will shoot very well.

 

[johnmcl]

I'm going to offer a different opinion. The Ruger Precision Rifle is good enough. I have a stock version, shooting off a Harris short bipod, with a rear rest and a Vortex Diamondback Tactical, 6x-24x, FFP.

This target was shot yesterday. The center is 1.5" in diameter. I'm reading a comfortably sub 1.5 MOA group here. I will take that any day of the week.

Could I spend more, and I mean a lot more money? Hell yes. Then there's this principle of the diminishing return. In short, I'm happy just where I am.

 

[WVRJ]

I have 3 22's that I consider good shooting rifles-a Remington 541S,a Ruger Precision Rimfire and a Bergara B-14 Trainer.The Ruger has a Timney 2 stage trigger in it and it'll come close to running with the other 2 rifles.The 541S is handicapped right now because I have a 2-7 Nikon P-22 scope on it for offhand shooting.The Bergara is much more consistent and accurate than the other 2.I think the worst thing that keeps the Ruger behind the Bergara is the stock/chassis shape.It's tall and easy to torque because of the pistol grip.The factory Ruger trigger isn't close to good enough to get the potential out of the Ruger,so I spent 200+ dollars for the Timney.Adding in a much better trigger brought it up a notch,but it still doesn't want anything to do with the Bergara..I may someday go for a new barrel on my RPRR,but the one I want for it is about $500.That'll buy a lot of practice ammo so I can get better at wind calls.For most of the informal PRS type shoots we have around here,the RPRR is more than adequate,but I still can outshoot it with my B-14.

 

[Varminterror]

The Ruger Precision Rifle is good enough.

“Good enough” for what?

“Good enough” for your desires, obviously, but can you point to successes of the RPRR in 100yrd silhouette competition the OP is pursuing? Or RPRR’s leading any other 100yrd competition format?

 

[Frulk]

Have one of the early RPRs in .22LR. Took it out and shot a couple of different ammo makes through it. That I remember results were not too impressive.

Haven’t shot it since then (been several years). Need to take it out of the rack and give it another chance with various ammo types.

 

[Hookeye]

Stock flex is the complaint I've heard regarding the Ruger Precision Rimfire.

 

[doubleh]

I'm going to offer a different opinion. The Ruger Precision Rifle is good enough. I have a stock version, shooting off a Harris short bipod, with a rear rest and a Vortex Diamondback Tactical, 6x-24x, FFP.

This target was shot yesterday. The center is 1.5" in diameter. I'm reading a comfortably sub 1.5 MOA group here. I will take that any day of the week.

Could I spend more, and I mean a lot more money? Hell yes. Then there's this principle of the diminishing return. In short, I'm happy just where I am.


View attachment 1154150

Excellent group but how many times can you repeat it? I have a group that I shot at 50 yards with a very modified 10/22 that is .261 inches and the ammo used was Remington Golden Bullets. I consider it a once in a life time achievement and that luck had a big hand i it.

 

[johnmcl]

Doubleh, Copy that on once in a lifetime achievement. I have targets shot when all cosmic elements including God above were in support. They are fun, but not reality.

Looking back through my data book, if I shot 10 rounds 10 times, about half would be as posted (if wind free). Half of the remainder targets would have one shot out. The remainder would have two or three out of the center ring. Around one in twenty targets is the long sought after clover leaf pattern.

Varmiterterror, My point is that a $400 rifle with $400 optics repeatedly shooting 1.5 MOA at 100 yards is good enough for me. A $800 rifle with $800 optics shooting 1.0 MOA holds no interest. While I have a small data set for how Rugers perform in match environments, it is too small for consideration. Hope that helps.

 

[TonyAngel]

Oh, man. You're standing there staring at that rabbit hole .... are you gonna jump down it?

Rimfire is the most competitive area of shooting that I ever got involved with... and the most expensive.

The problem with rimfire is that unless you've been into it, you don't even know what you don't know. Do you want to be competitive, maybe staying in the middle of the pack or do you want to win? It's pretty simple. The smaller the target, the more it's gonna cost ya.

If you want to test a rifle/ammo combo, trying shooting at an American Rimfire Association target in an untimed, stress free environment and see how many bullseyes you can get at 50 yards.

Forget about the 10/22. You can dump all kinds of money on a barrel, kidd trigger, stock and then get half a dozen bolts and mill the faces to accommodate different rim thicknesses and then spend the money and time measuring rims on the best ammo money can buy and it won't come close to what a Bergara or CZ will do out of the box.


You can nibble at it, but you might as well take the bulk rate discount and take a big bite. It'll be cheaper and more satisfying in the end. I wound up shooting a shillen barreled Remington 40x.

In the last season championship I shot at my local range, I scored perfect in points, but lost to a guy shooting, I think it was, a krieger barreled anschutz. I had three bullseyes that were touching the inner line on the ARA targets we used and he shot all 100 shots clean.

I would consider the Bergara a good budget option. I'm saying that just based on my limited personal experience shooting CCI SV out of one. The results on an ARA target weren't stellar, but promising.

I'm thinking that a bergara with some flavor of Arken scope would get you into many rimfire games at around $1500 or so.

I've competed against guys with handguns costing thousands with a Glock 19. I've shot my tacticool AR against guys that have thousands into theirs and did ok, because I practice with what I have ... a LOT; but when it comes to rimfire, equipment definitely makes a difference. All of the skill in the world won't make a rimfire rifle do what it's incapable of. In the world of rimfire, capability costs.

Sorry about the long rant, but the subject of precision rimfire really gets my juices flowing. I blame rimfire for most of my hair loss.

 

[d2wing]

My choice is another CZ.

 

[DMW1116]

For the targets I intend to shoot, the 10/22 will work. Any hit on the silhouettes counts, and it will hold a group smaller than the smallest target. I'd like to be competitive for silhouette, but that postage stamp size target isn't easy. Quite a few people shot the first competition I tried with RPRRs, but none of them cleaned the rack as far as I remember, which would have been 45/45.

 

[d2wing]

These threads are always entertaining to me. Also the prove it threads that show how various rifles do in real life. Consistency is difficult and expensive in rimfire. Many rifles and shooters shoot a good group but with flyers here and there. Getting rid of flyers and tighter groups is tough. You can fool yourself but scoreboards tell the truth over time. Thanks for the info and entertainment.

 

[DMW1116]

Yea I’ve see the guys at the local range shooting pencil eraser sized targets at 100 yards with what I imagine was a $5,000 rig, half of which was in the scope. Im mostly interested in shooting stock guns so won’t be headed down that road.

 

[Spats McGee]

I don't have a RPR, never shot one, don't think I've even handled one. The one guy I knew who had one was a SWAT sniper, and I suspect his standards for accuracy might be a smidge higher than mine (this is my understatement of the day) .... He was unhappy with it, though. So, with all of my caveats out of the way, if I might suggest an alternative for a stock rifle with which I've been very happy:

 

[Walkalong]

………..Consistency is difficult and expensive in rimfire. Many rifles and shooters shoot a good group but with flyers here and there. Getting rid of flyers and tighter groups is tough………….. .

This is exactly my experience, even though my serious .22 LR journey isn’t that long yet. Been expensive though. But hey, I’ve been working for over 45 years, it’s my only hobby, and the only thing I have splurged on.

 

[Bartojc]

This is exactly my experience, even though my serious .22 LR journey isn’t that long yet. Been expensive though. But hey, I’ve been working for over 45 years, it’s my only hobby, and the only thing I have splurged on.

Boy howdy you don’t say ? …. It hard to fathom what can be spent to get small groups with a .22. I made the mistake ( not really, I’ve learned a lot) of trying to build a 10/22. I haven’t even shot it yet and I’m already thinking I need to go another route. My Jeep and snowmobile hobbies are a memory but I do not think the 22 rabbit hole is anything close to a cheap hobby. It can be, but it’s a slippery slope down the hole.

Jeff

 

[wanderinwalker]

I'm mostly just jumping in here to follow along, as getting a really accurate rimfire is something that has recently begun to pique my interest.

My only useful comment here is that I wouldn't bother roll the dice on a factory Ruger rimfire rifle. It may shoot great, it may not, and the odds are not stacked in your favor. The rifles I know you can generally count on out of the box are the heavy barrel Savages, CZs, Bergara (which I'm contemplating diving into) and probably Tikka.

For best accuracy with a .22LR you will be chasing different ammunition to find THE one. You'll try lots of options hoping to find something repeatable. My experience has been to just go straight to the European brands; Eley, RWS, Wolf or SK are the ones I've used. It's been a while since I had any Wolf rimfire ammo on hand; it used to be made by SK, but I *think* it's being made by Eley today.

And lastly, consistent good shooting with a .22LR is HARD. I spent 2 winters shooting a 50-foot, 4-position smallbore league with a pre-A Winchester 52 and Redfield sights. Getting close to being competitive on my prone targets did wonders for 600-yard scores shooting Highpower during those summers. It's also addicting; I still want to compare my lightweight sporter rifles to the accuracy of those Winchesters and Anschutzs.

 

[AJC1]

My cz 455 is shot in competition and is wonderful. Our nra metallic Silhouette does not allow semis. Barrels are cheap and easy to change on the 10/22. I run a E R Shaw currently that was 99 dollars at a gun show two decades ago. It's a 1 moa barrel with minimags...