Single six hunter thoughts

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dfish1247

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Oct 29, 2022
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Ive given up on owning a 41 mag sbh hunter anytime soon, just too expensive when they show up.

I was perusing the market last night and saw a single six hunter with rings and both cylinders, I do not have a ruger 22 revolver and this would be a neat toy. So, how accurate are these at 50yds? Any mechanical problems that are common?

Thanks
 
Is this a .22 caliber revolver with a second cylinder for .22 Magnum? How long is your barrel? I ask as I haven't heard of the "Hunter" before but I do own a Single Six Convertible (2 cylinders). The barrel is about 6" but, being a .22, I haven't tried it at 50 yds. as I question the ability of the ammo to be that accurate from a short barrel.
One time I was squirrel hunting and one got too close for me to use my 12 gauge. I carefully (and slowly) pulled my SS from its holster and got it to eye level before cocking it. When I did, the squirrel stood up on its hind legs trying to spot me (full camo) and I one-handed shot him through the throat at 10 yds. and dropped him.
And that was using 40 gr, LRN Winchester Wildcat ammo. They can be fairly accurate, even with bulk ammo. But 50 yds. - IDK.
 
Had one for a while. Cannot say how the accuracy would be at 50 yards. Not a great handgun shot, so, never shot it more than about 60 feet. At that range it was definitely useful for small game. With a good rest it seemed to group about an inch with magnum and lr ammo. In the lr it did show a definite preference for standard velocity stuff. Stingers were especially bad.

Magnum ammo is loud! Like plugs and muffs loud The magnum ammo , not surprisingly, had far different poi from brand to brand bullet weight to bullet weight.

What I didn’t like is that you really had to sight it in with one ammo and stick to it. If you didn’t you had to sight in all over again. Also, loading 22 ammo , in a single action, just seems to be a pain in my opinion.

If I was to get another one, and I probably will, I would get a 22 lr only. It just did not have the utility I was expecting.

However , if you want one, go for it. The are great little guns. Dependable, simple and easy to clean, and a decent trigger from the factory. A little trigger work and the pull can be really nice. It just did not fit what I wanted at the time.
 
I've had three Single Sixes. Have owned one or more since the early-mid 1980's.

None of them have given me any mechanical problems of any kind ever... maybe the ejector housing screw came loose on one once? It would be difficult to wear one out with 22's. After I pass, I don't think my daughter and her kids will manage to wear them out, either. They're well made and sturdy. The trigger is nice. They cock easily.

I don't know the limits of their accuracy. They're way more accurate than I am, but I don't attempt any long-range shooting. They've been very effective for plinking and squirrels and so forth.

For casual use I stopped shooting the 22 magnums years ago. For longer ranges they might work better. For shorter ranges they're just loud and expensive, IMHO.

They're very nice handguns. If you want a nice SA 22, it's the one to get. I've been shooting SA revolvers so long that loading/reloading is just muscle memory. If you want a nice DA revolver instead, be prepared to spend twice as much or more.

I got this one for $100-something after someone abused it. It took some TLC and a couple of parts, but now it shoots as good as new.

Ruger Single Six 22lr after

Ruger Single Six 22lr after

 
I have no experience with the Hunter variant of the Single Six with 7.5” barrel. The cuts in the barrel for Ruger scope rings are a clever way to mount a scope and keep the sights on the gun.

Ruger® New Model Single-Six® Convertible Single-Action Revolver Model 0662

ruger.com ruger.com

Like others here, I do have non-Hunter Single Sixes. 4.6” and 9.5” barrel versions. I did scope the 9.5 for some time and it would do well at 25 yards. I never took either of them out to 50 yards, though.
 
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Not sure there's any difference in accuracy between the standard single sixes and the hunter. Hunter is just easier to mount a scope.
 
I have a Single Six convertible with a 6.5" barrel purchased new in 1980. It has been very reliable. I can't say I've ever tried shooting it out to 50 yards but at shorter ranges I'm able to hit the target without issue.

I've probably had no more the a couple cylinders full of 22 WMR through the alternate cylinder.

You cannot go wrong with a Single Six.
 
Thank you guys, I’ll place a bid and see what happens.

As far as setting sights, my 617, diamondback, and 648 are the same, pick one ammo and stay with it. I shoot 44,454, and 460 quite regularly, so I know all about not cheap, lol.

My general rule on accuracy is a golf ball at 50yds on anything rimfire 6” or longer. Which those three have. If it hits cans and plastic bottles, I won’t be impressed, but it won’t go anywhere, and still get taken quite often.
 
I have a Single Six (no magnum cylinder) and it is incredibly accurate. The trigger on this revolver is better than my S&W Model 41. Never shot a Hunter model but I assume it's the same. I don't know if it groups well enough to stay within the confines of a golf ball at 50 yards but it is deadly on tennis balls at 50 yards.
 
I have a single six convertible (.22 long rifle cylinder and .22 mag cylinder). My experience with it is the accuracy is excellent, the trigger is very good, because it's single action (IMHO) it's the perfect handgun to teach newbies with, the quality is a well made handgun that will be a hand-me down to younger generations. I hope Ruger sees this and sends me a check!
 
Milt1 said:
I hope Ruger sees this and sends me a check!
Click to expand...
Shoot Milt1, if a “check” is all you want, here’s a few of them: √√√. 😄
Just kidding around. My wife has a “Made in the 200th year of American Liberty” Single-Six convertible with a 6.5” barrel that she likes a lot. I’ll bet she hasn’t run a whole box of 50, .22 Mag rounds through it in the 47 years she’s had it though. For shooting close-range (20 yards or less) ground squirrels, she prefers her little non-convertible Ruger Bearcat anyway. :)
 
Charlie Martinez said:
I don't know if it groups well enough to stay within the confines of a golf ball at 50 yards but it is deadly on tennis balls at 50 yards.
Click to expand...
Did you mean "deadly on tennis balls at" 50 feet?
A tennis ball is only what, about an inch larger in diameter than a golf ball? At 50 yards, it probably wouldn't make much difference to me because I doubt I could regularly hit either a golf ball or a tennis ball at 50yards with a handgun anyway.
I've killed a lot of ground squirrels at 50 feet or less with my Glock G44 though, as has my wife with her Ruger Bearcat. As I've posted before, my wife and I act as ground squirrel "exterminators" over on our friend's ranch in the spring, and while we use our .22 RF rifles on ground squirrels out to about 80 yards, if a ground squirrel pops up out of a hole within about 25 yards of us, we often just use our .22 RF handguns. :thumbup:
 
I have both a 3 screw and new model single six. Isn't the only difference in the new models barrel length? What ever model of single six it is they are almost as durable as an old USA made anvil. I really wouldn't want to deal with a barrel longer than 6 1/2" but that is a personal choice.
 
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.308 Norma said:
Did you mean "deadly on tennis balls at" 50 feet?
Click to expand...
No, I really meant 50 yards. Our group always holds a tennis ball challenge at the end of each shooting session. We place a tennis ball on the mound behind the 50 yard targets (so it's closer to 55 yards) and we take turns shooting it. The winner has his lunch paid by the rest at the lunch spot of his choice. I have won that little contest more than once with my Ruger Single Six & CCI Standard Velocity ammo.
 
I'd pass on the .41 mainly because ammo is pretty much non-existant------even though the LGS has both the Ruger and the Smith revolvers in the case. Same goes for the .45 Colt.
 
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