Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Ruger American Rimfire

Snowboardguy: I very much enjoy my Ruger American Varmint, rimfire, Rifles!
I own three of them.
One is in 17 HMR (heavy barrel, blued, laminated stock) and the other two are in 22 L.R. (one in the heavy barrel blued with laminated stock and one in stainless with a custom stock).
I also own some Ruger 77's in 22 L.R. and 17 HMR for long term/first hand comparisons.
I am more than happy with the accuracy of my Ruger Americans - I have top quality scopes on them and use better 22 hollow-point Hunting ammo in them and Hornady V-Max ammo in the 17 HMR (so keep that in mind).
The triggers on my three Ruger Americans are very pleasing to me and very conducive to accurate shot placement - including afield.
I am NOT the type of person who would own/take a savage Rifle out in public so I have NO large amount of experience with the "savage" Accu-Trigger. I have a few uncouth friends who are able to look past the aesthetics of the savage line and I have on rare occasion shot their "rifles", with the Accu-Trigger! Similar I would surmise in that regard.
I wholeheartedly recommend the Ruger American "Varmints" - I have not warmed up to their "savage-like", plastic stocked, sporter barreled, standard model.
Best of luck to you if you decide to try one!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy, Thanks for the reply. I feel the same way you do about the savages, never warmed up to them. I'll have to see if I can find an RAR locally to check out.

Kind of liking this one.

Probably the extractors, I kept a boresnake in a side pouch, and used it about every fifty rounds or thereabouts, and it didn't help. I DID include boresnakes when I gave the rifles to my nephews, I'm not heartless. Chambers didn't seem tight at all, mine were .22LR and .22WMR, my buddy has a .22LR and a .17HMR, and my nephew had bought one for his now ex-girlfriend in .22LR. I think Ruger needs to re-design those extractors, I'm not the only one who had issues, RFC is rife with others who had the same complaint.

SnowboardGuy: I have not seen that model, that you depicted, myself!
I like it.
I am sure you will like one if you buy one.
Again best of luck to you when you get one.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

If CPC offered bolt work for the RAR I'd feel a lot better about taking a chance on one.

Ratsmacker: I simply must ask - are you using the correct ammunition in those 5 (five!) Ruger Americans?
Because I, and my batch of high volume Ground Squirrel shooting friends, don't seem to have any difficulties along the line that you describe.
And I am sure I have run 4,000 rounds through my three RAR-V's myself - in 2,019 alone!
I don't understand?
By the way do you have any connection with CZ or savage arms?
Inexplicable and unbelievable.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I know I never had one malfunction with mine. Flawless in operation. I trusted it so much that I shot against guys using Ruger 10-22's at our local golf ball shoots. It held its own very well. The only limitations there was speed, definitely not accuracy or function. I'd win about 60% of my matches with that rifle. Now that I shoot a Savage A17, I win about 99% of the time...These guys that have 5 buddies with RAR's, and all with extraction issues, sounds a little fishy to me... Just sayin...

I will give one a look, just want a good shooting 22 mag. I was looking at the Marlins about fell over seeing the prices now days. Seeing groups like your 22 mag is what I want for head shooting ptarmigan and grouse.

J, I honestly can't say one bad thing about the RAR rimfire. I really like the Ruger rotary magazine. I'm glad they used that mag, instead of some cheap plastic crap like some manufactures try passing off as a suitable magazine. We all know the Ruger design is far superior with its flush mount and dependable operation. The reason I mentioned maybe looking at the Savage 93 is because I know you shoot left handed and they make a left hand model 93. I also shoot left handed, but like shooting right handed rifles off the bench. That allows for very quick manipulation of the bolt handle. One of the reasons I can almost keep up with the guys using Ruger 10-22's at the club's golf ball shoots. To be perfectly honest, the Savage rifles I've had generally out shoot the RAR rifles, but I've only had experience with the 22" model RAR's, not the predator models, which have a slightly heavier barrel profile. I think the OP would be very happy with the RAR, as I know I loved mine. However, with different rimfire shoots that I participate in I had to switch to the 17HMR and I also went to the Savage models, as they are know for their excellent accuracy. Here's a pic of 2 of my savage rifles and my RAR 22WMR:


Here's how my 93R17 shoots on a consistent basis. This target is actually a target that I shot at one of my clubs rimfire shoots. I believe it was a fall turkey shoot, where I walked away with 4 out of the 6 turkeys they were giving away that year:

That X-ring is only 1/2 in diameter....^^^^^

Also, here's how my Savage A17 shoots:


I actually sold my Ruger 10-22 Target model after I found out how well the A17 consistently shoots. Competing against 22lr 10-22's is like cheating when I'm using that rifle, but they say any rimfire can compete. The last competition was a bugger for the little 22lr's though, as whoever hot glued the strings onto the golf balls used too much and the 22lr's didn't want to take the ball off the string. The 17HMR, on the other hand, knocked them off with authority. If you are looking for something to head shoot ptarmigan's with, you may want to look into the 17HMR, as it has a slight edge in accuracy over the 22WMR. Good luck to you buddy and hopefully my post doesn't sway too far away from the OP's interest in the RAR rimfire rifle. Guys like varmintguy can hate savage all they want, but when it comes to downright consistent accuracy and precision, it's pretty hard to beat them....

BSA1917hunter: Its not that I "hate" savage Rifles its more that they are clunky, ill designed, ugly, garrish and don't re-sell near as well (quickly!) as other brands!
The entire "line" of savage Rifles (including centerfires as well as rimfires!) have NO interests from me.
PERIOD!
Never have, and I assume, they never will.
Indeed though I have shot a number of savage rimfires that shot quite well, indeed.
I have never denied that.
Nothing accuracy wise that would drag me away from my two Remington 541-T's, or my Kimber 82-G, or my Remington 40-X, or my Ruger American Varmints, or my Kimber H/S (Hunter/Silhouette), or my Winchester 75 Targets, or my Browning T-Bolt, or my Ruger 77/22's, or my Sako P-94S and a few others!
You see "life" is simply to short to Hunt/shoot/plink with an ugly, obtrusive, clunky, poorly designed Rifle (savages!)!
Oh and this - and I am not being critical, as I very much enjoy all of your recent posts showing the targets/accuracy of your Rifles but YOU never mention at what distance said targets are shot at?
It would inform/interest me much more if you would include or clarify at what distance they are shot at.
Long live the Ruger American line!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

What, pray tell, do you consider "correct ammunition? Yes, it matched the chambering markings on the barrel. I can read, and I know what ammo goes in what rifles.

For the .22 WMR, I used CCI and Hornady, mostly, as experiments with WW and Aguila didn't pan out,and caused a helluva lot of non-extracting. For the .22LR, I shot mostly CCI and Aguila, which have caused no problems in a dozen or so other .22LRs I own. As far as my buddy's rifles, he uses Hornady HMR ammo, and various inexpensive .22LR. My nephew complained about using having extraction issues with Aguila CB, or it's equivalent, a no-powder load he was using to kill vermin in his gated community.

On second thought, don't tell me what you consider "correct ammunitiion, you're a blithering idiot and I prefer to waste no more time with you.

For the price it's a good rifle in my opinion. To me it feels like a toy in my hands. I am moving over to the higher end market myself. If someone is looking for one in .22LR I would be willing to sell mine. I have shot about 100 to 150 rounds threw it.

I know it's been hashed over, ad naseum on other forums, but I sure would like to put a 'premium' 22 rimfire barrel with a match chamber on a a RAR RF Target or LR Target. Since no one is making barrels specifically for the RAR RF, it seems the consensus it to take a 'premium' 10/22 barrel, cut the shank off, turn the barrel down, rechamber and cut the extractor slot. Little bit more that I want to bite off myself.

Why not just buy a premium blank in the contour desired and machine it as opposed to buying one already cut for a totally different rifle?

How's it shoot and how much??

Sent you a PM

I have set up 4 of the RAR's in 22 lr for family and friends, scoped them, trigger job, the best one at 50yds would do about 3/4" average with mid grade target ammo, others about 1" average at that distance. What needs to be remembered here is that they are hunting or plinking rifles and not match rifles. The cherry picked groups you see posted are just that, they are decent rifles for the intended purpose.

Not long ago, Brian Pearce did an article on a RAR his son bought. It wasn't up to snuff and was going to be sold off, but Brian suggested fire-lapping it first. That improved things a good bit, and the rifle stayed.

My two RAR have very smooth bores viewed threw bore scope. They are one inch guns at 50 yards with best of ammo. I believe their chambers are to sloppy and they tend to rock in the stock. Rugers bedding block system is not so great.

Does that consensus include anyone that's actually done it? I ask because IIRC, I read that the barrel is press- or crush-fit into the receiver, which might make it difficult and/or expensive.