The new Ruger American Rimfire Target Rifle.

[xl_target]

Ruger has announced a brand new bolt action Rimfire rifle that looks and sounds very appealing.


It is the Ruger American Rimfire Target. It has a dark laminate stock that has an “Alexander Henry” fore end, a threaded 18” bull barrel and an adjustable trigger. Best of all, it uses the inimitable Ruger 10/22 10 round rotary magazine which I have plenty of.







This rifle is the newest addition to the Ruger American Rimfire (RAR) series of rifles which consists of;

1. A Standard RAR which has a synthetic stock, an 18” or 22” barrel and is available in .22LR, .22 WMR and .17 HMR. The rear of the stock is removable and can be replaced with a version that has raised cheek piece for scope use.



2. A compact RAR which has a synthetic stock and a 18” barrel. It is also available in the three rimfire calibers that Ruger currently offers. The difference between the Standard and compact is the stock. The compact has a shorter length of pull.


3. The wood stocked RAR


4. The new Target RAR which has a laminated wood stock and a heavy ( 0.860") threaded barrel. The bolt has a slightly larger knob than the standard versions. There is a factory installed picatinny rail included. Most people are figuring that the estimated street price will be around $400 or so.



The common features of these RAR rifles are:
1. The use of the Ruger BX1 magazine
2. Power bedding blocks which allow the action to be held securely and free float the barrel
3. A Cold Hammer Forged barrel
4. The “Marksman Adjustable” trigger that is adjustable between three and five pounds
5. A tang safety, which in my opinion is the perfect place for the safety on a bolt action rifle.
6. A 3/8" rimfire scope base is machined into the receiver, which is also drilled and tapped for Weaver® #12 bases
7. A 60 degree bolt throw allows the use of any scope without interference.
8. Williams Fiber Optic front sights with an adjustable V-notch rear.
9. Factory installed sling swivel studs.
10. Available in .22LR, .22 WMR and .17 HMR


You might feel that I am engaging in a bit of hyperbole when I talk about Ruger’s BX1 10 round rotary magazine. However, this is one of the most reliable magazines ever created, as any 10/22 owner will tell you. I received my first 10/22 in December of 1984. It came with one magazine and for years, that is all I had. So, that original magazine has fed thousands of rounds through that rifle. It has never had a problem feeding. I have taken it apart once, about five years ago. It still functioned fine but I was curious to see how dirty it was. Considering how dirty .22 LR ammo is, the magazine was pretty clean. There was no wear on the internals and I don’t see it having any issues for another thirty years (and longer).

You're probably going to ask: How does this rifle shoot?
Well, I haven't a clue as they haven't hit the market yet. I think it will be decent. The current RAR bolts are smooth and relatively slilck and they shoot well with decent ammo.

I was just excited about the concept of this rifle as that is how I would want to build a .22 LR rifle if I had a choice. Some people have mentioned that I have way too many .22 LR rifles so I'm not sure if I will even buy one. There are so many other rifles that I should look at first.

Links:
http://www.ruger.com
http://ruger.com/products/americanRimfire/overview.html

[AgentDoubleS]

Great specs at a mouth watering price! I have often fantasised (sometimes even hallucinated) getting a firearm on TR should an opportunity arise. A ruger .22 bolt action and now even the 10/22 since it is not a restricted firearm has been amongst the top choices for all the good things I've read about them. Ive mostly shot Brnos but would be keen to shoot these when I get the opportunity.

I can only imagine what pleasure it must me to own and shoot these whenever one wants to!

Thanks for sharing the details, xl_target, and a very happy new year to you and your family.

Cheers,
SS

[xl_target]

Happy New Year to you too, SS and the same to Agent 99.

This does look like a very promising little rifle. Will have to wait and see.
They aren't is stock yet but a dealer on one of the other forums that I frequent, is offering them for $385 shipped when they come in.

[SMJ]

Fantastic! We can only dream owning one of these. Unless you become a renowned shot, in India it will sadly remain just a dream

[ckkalyan]

Thanks for sharing this preview - a gem of a .22 target rifle xl_target!

You will need to enlarge your armoury in a hurry in order to be able to accommodate this one!

It is still a steal at the princely sum of INR 26,250 - delivered!

The mind boggles when one imagines Ruger's sales figures if all IFG'ians in India were allowed to order one or two each - WOW! A couple of container loads of .22 Ammo would help sweeten the deal enormously!

[Vikram]

Nice little rifle there, XL. Should be nice to shoot. I have seen CZs with those little stubby barrels. Accurate rifles.

Best-
Vikram

[herb]

The compact would make a nice survival/camp gun. even the wood stocked rifle looks very nice. Have a 10/22 and love the magazine.

Thanks for sharing XL.

Cheers!
Herb

[xl_target]

I was able to pick one of these rifles up a couple of weeks ago.
I haven't really had a chance to really wring it out yet.



The trigger is decent; crisp letoff with no grit.
The laminated stock, heavy barrel and the metal bedding blocks make it a bit heavier than I thought it would be.
The scope and rings add another pound or so.



So how does it shoot?
At 25 yards, it is just basically one hole, even with relatively mediocre ammunition.

last weekend, even though it was a cold and windy day, I went out to the range to try and get some rounds through this rifle.
Though it was gusting up to 30 mph at times, I tried to shoot between gusts.

Below are a couple of five shot groups with Eley Target at 50 yards.

I will have to try it again on a calmer day and see if I can close those groups up.
I would also like to see what it can do at 100 yards.

[Vikram]

Congratulations on another new rifle,XL. Your rifle looks nice and it seems it certainly shoots very well. One thing that is striking is the size of the chunky barrel. Perhaps one would not walk a lot with this.

Best-
Vikram

[xl_target]

Vikram,
It is no lightweight, that's for sure.
I was able to try it out with a suppressor. A friend owns a Surefire suppressor and we screwed it on my rifle to try it out.
I don't have any video of it on my rifle but he sent me a short clip of it being used on his rifle (which is a very similar CZ455 heavy barreled rifle)


You can hear the firing pin hit the cartridge, the target being hit and the bullet ricocheting off into the distance.

I've used a few silencers in the past but most of them are not "Hollywood quiet".
With some of the larger calibers, you still need ear protection.
The .22 LR suppresses very well.

[ckkalyan]

Revisiting this post, like over 5 years later xl_target! Still as fresh and valid as ever with those astonishing range performances!

I must admit, abashedly, that I only recently acquired a Ruger 10/22 - the basic American (Canadian? - LOL), walnut wood furniture one. A very lightly used one; shiny everything, excellent bore, not a scratch anywhere! Came with a simple Simmons Scope (4x32, 22 Mag) pre-installed. All-in cost - C$400.

I am so pleased with the product. Although I can only admire it, take it down and put it back, wipe it clean with lots of gun oil during the pandemic.

The complete takedown and reassembly process was a bit challenging the first time around! The struggle, however, showed me how such a value-for-money firearm is still manufactured and sold successfully (7 million ++ units) many decades after its initial launch in 1965. Ruger has demonstrated expertise in casting (most cost-effective) - and they fine finish only parts that need to be perfect, dependable, exemplary in functionality. What a brilliant product! All I can say is WOW!

Congratulations again, on your Target Rifle!