Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires R.A.R. Rimfire Target 17 HMR - Field Report

I got RAR’s in 22 lr 22 Mag and 17. Haven’t shot the 17 yet but the other 2 are dandy’s for the $....

Pappy348: I double checked the ambidextrous R.A.R. Target at my local gun shop and indeed the stock IS adjustable (removable and replaceable spacer system)!
And I double checked the action screws (all there) and the safety (works easily/fine) and I would gladly have waited for this thumbhole model stock had I been aware it was coming along.

Oldelkhunter: Which model of Ruger did you get for $225.00?
Sorry its not performing well (sorry its performing horribly!) for you.
Maybe you remember me telling this story here some years ago, when I got a smoothbore Smith & Wesson Model 647 (8 3/8" barreled six shot revolver in caliber 17 HMR) and indeed it did come new to me from the factory with a "smoothbore" barrel!
Quite a story behind that and I am glad I did not harm/blind myself when I first took it to the range not knowing it was a smoothbore!
It had been drilled and reamed (the barrel) but had NOT been "rifled" - so the tiny 17 caliber bullets could NOT expand into the rifling and much shrapnel came blasting back into my face as the bullets had no where to expand as they traveled into the barrel.
Factories make mistakes (we are all human!) but that un-rifled barrel should NOT have gotten past inspection and out of the factory.
The replacement Model 647 they eventually replaced to me shoots like a Rifle (extremely well!)!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Judman: Good news that. Hope the 17 HMR shoots equally as well.
Let us know please.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Ruger American Standard. It shoots like a shotgun for sure, even though the barrel is rifled.

Good On You Jud! You got that 17 hummer at a steal of a price...What are you gonna scope them with??? Swarzo? S&B? Leica? Don't say Leupold dawg...Ha, ha...Loopy's Rock! Big Grin to all the haters!

OE, I truly know the feeling....Except mine was a Kimber Varmint in 204 Rug...I wanted to use the barrel as a golf club. I spent a few hundred bucks trying to get it sorted out before giving up and ordering a new tube from Pac-Nor. Mission accomplished...But an expensive mission! Hope the Tikka shoots tiny little bugholes...

He's a bit young, only nine, and his enthusiasm span is still a bit short, in other words, he runs hot and cold on just about everything just now. Long-term plans for him are pretty risky at present. I am setting up a Howa mini youth model for deer hunting which will get upgraded as he grows.

Thanks for the tip about the ambi-RAR. The jury is still out on which eye is dominant for him. That one would work either way.

+1 to this ^^^^ Thanks VG!

Will do buddy

Haha had a 4-12 leupold for it, decided to go full cheap ass and and got a 4-16 TASCO world class, just to piss people off!!! Grin

Fine scope...Just fine 🤪

Judman: Took the Ruger American Rimfire Target in 17 HMR out today for a 4 hour Safari.
Shot 200 rounds of Hornady 17 grain V-Max ammo. Not a single misfire, misfeed, failure to extract or failure to eject!
Safety is working somewhat better - probably down to 10 pounds push off.
Magazines are extracting somewhat better but still not acceptable.
Need to work on those two things.
Probably ran right at 80% hits/kills on Ground Squirrels and I was trying NOT to shoot anything closer than 100 yards.
The Leupold 6x18 variable is just an exceptional optic for this shooting at these ranges.
Furthest kill was probably 160 yards - difficult to laser these tiny vermin on flat ground/fields.
Hosted several "crackers" from Florida and they just had a ball - all shot 17 HMR's, all heavy barrels (Volquartsens, Ruger 77/17 V/T's and CZ's with one A-17 which I forget its brand).
Let three folks shoot my Rifle and all commended its trigger, handiness and accuracy.
Just been to busy chasin guns, hosting dinners and Hunts to get that R.A.R. Target to the range or even to try and fix its minor flaws.
More later.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Progress... just right

OSU Sig: Thank you for the kudo's - just trying to share my experiences and impressions - its fun for me to share.
Thank you for the trigger suggestion I am saving it.
Another Varmint Safari is on line for tomorrow (Saturday) so I am going to clean my Ruger American Rimfire Target with a cleaning rod tonight.
I have cleaned it with the "snake" type cleaner three times while afield so far.
We'll see how that cleaning "affects" things.
More later
Hold into the wind
VamintGuy

Just ordered some Talley lightweights for mine, should be in bidness next week...

Varmintguy, got my rings today, scope mounted ready to roll. This is the “budget tweety bird rifle”...

photoupload
Everything was in sale except for the rings.... grin

Yeah buddy...There’s your small soft fur grenade thrower...Try and face shoot a possum with it and he’ll likely laugh at you 😎

Ya I’ve shot several grinners and coons with a 17, never impressed with it. Should be a good rat rifle

JM, Try a couple boxes of that “CCI A17” Ammo. It runs about 200fps faster than Hornady and the rest. Buddy took some rat hunting. Did really well...Mo money, though....Grrrr 😡

Judman: That is a handsome "modern" looking Rifle you put together there!
I hope it shoots as good as it looks.
My Ruger American is perking up a little - on occasion I can get the safety off with one thumb and on occasion I can get the empty magazine out in under 5 seconds.
I have been on Varmint Safari for the last 3 days (plus a morning Hunt today) and the Ruger American is still performing very well accuracy wise.
Feeding and extraction/ejection have been flawless.

Beaver10: One of my friends has been shooting the A17 ammunition through his bolt action CZ 17 HMR and he is very happy with it so far, this young season.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy