Ruger 8350 Ruger American Rimfire Target Rifle Reviews

Chris Parkin gets behind yet another rock-solid Ruger - this time, the Ruger American Rimfire Long-Range Target .22 LR comes under scrutiny in this detailed test and review...

Once fitted correctly, the 20 MOA Picatinny rails adds longer range capability and additional centre relief - Credit: Archant

After waiting then many years for full-sized rimfire rifles, it's been great to run into so many options arriving from manufacturers in the The states and Europe/Scandinavia. These are ideally suited to those wanting a total-sized training rifle to complement their 'centrefire twin' (like the Bergara B14 and Tikka T3/T1 UPR) or in their own right equally a competitive rifle. It must not be forgotten that these lightweight rimfires still make cracking plinking and vermin control tools at the same time, often with far superior ergonomics to cramped sporters with short length of pull and reach to trigger, so what'south not to like?

I'm certainly a fan, and each new manufacturer'south variant has been pleasantly refreshing to test. Some are better than others only here, Ruger accept paired an action I was already familiar with, the American, with a stock I rather liked last October, from the .300 Win Mag Hawkeye M77 variant.

Ruger American Rimfire Long Range Target 22 LR - Credit: Archant

First impressions
Any stock that feels skilful to shoot on a heavier-recoiling cartridge will translate well to smaller cartridges every bit long every bit it's non overly bulky or heavy, like a chassis rifle tin can exist, so gauge what? Straight from the box I quite liked this examination gun.

I combined the rifle with a Schmidt & Bender PMII scope because a twenty Yard.O.A. rail was pre-installed and I was finally confident I had all the ingredients to really push rimfire ranges, with generous elevation from the optic and the onboard rails.

Well, I zeroed the scope and establish very little superlative remaining, so I had another look at the burglarize, in more than item this fourth dimension.

I review guns every bit they are delivered. It aligns me to what whatever regular or novice buyer might experience direct from their gun store and guess what? The runway had been installed backwards. Thankfully, I carry tools in the truck and information technology just took a couple of minutes to spin out the four T10 Torx retaining screws and reinstall merely still, would every heir-apparent find things quite so straightforward?

Vertical and linear adjustability from the cheekpiece, information technology is quite broad though - Credit: Archant

Stock
The black/tan stock is attractive and of a composite build. It avoids rattles and clunks, with no firing resonance. The barrel pad features spacers packing it's length of pull to 13.5"/343mm which is easily added to.

The pad itself is ribbed and grips the shoulder pocket well. It has a business firm consistency and allows y'all to gauge shoulder contact and direct force per unit area when loading the bipod.

A toggle on the right side of the otherwise ambidextrous stock, (the toggle can be switched left side) allows quick unlatching of the adjustable cheekpiece with masses of vertical and linear aligning – not as critical here considering the commodities can be removed regardless of cheekpiece position. It's of the broader variety and not-laterally adaptable so I would keep it a little lower and add together something slightly narrower on it to appoint nether my cheekbone without rolling the head, offsetting the jaw to fully personalise it. Still, peachy for a rimfire.

I liked the tactile stippled finish throughout the stock and the grip'southward vertical position with easy thumb 'up or wrapped' layout with an excellent shape and without as well much angularity in the cervix. Also, there's enough of space for all fingers to fit and wrap information technology. Moving forward, the linear projection of the stock is sleek and looks good, with a seamless dandy around the magazine well, before the sidewalls, which accept slight finger ribs with a delicate beavertail shape and flat bag-riding underside.

QR Stud tin be reversed, the stock is stiff with a truly free-floating butt at all times - Credit: Archant

Mounting/accessory options
A full-length aluminium M-Lok accompaniment rail is embedded with three solid Allen bolts locking it to the stock. The rail is an extended unit and in retrospect, it'southward like shooting fish in a barrel to encounter how someone assembling the rig would see information technology looks a better shape to lucifer the activity'south profile when on the reverse style round (as mentioned earlier in this review), notwithstanding when installed correctly, it overhangs to the forepart of the action onto the barrel. This is to requite plentiful scope-mounting space for any optic; especially helpful on a large scope like the five-25 PMII which only requires 90mm of middle relief. It'due south worth remembering a lot of mid-range scopes like to promise 100mm 'magnum-proof' center relief and it's not always a benefit on rifles with short actions, so after a quick re-zero, I was in concern.

A single QR sling cup is installed at the front end right but can exist swapped to the left side and there are two on the butt just ahead of the recoil pad. The underside features a conventional stud in the centre of the pocketbook-rider which can exist removed if needed for complimentary recoil, although I don't heed them and so much on a soft pocketbook as it tends to add together a little grip. The scallop shaping ahead provides lots of hand infinite to dispense such a bag for fine elevation command, although there's not much of a 'hook' shape to engage the web of your palm, making information technology harder to pivot into your shoulder pocket. That's i of the reasons I liked the sling stud still in place.

A consistent pull weight on the trigger with 95% crisp release without grittiness - Credit: Archant

Trigger
The trigger baby-sit is quite slim and less oversized than a hunting rifle. The 'Marksman' trigger features an inner bract condom and gives a very consistent 2.7lbs break, with a slight creep although no discernible grittiness. It'southward not a glass intermission but I never establish that an event and information technology can be adjusted upwards to 5lbs with an Allen primal, simply merely after removal from the stock.

The blade is broad with a slight curve and offers good reach, with 85mm from the throat of the following pistol grip, which I establish added further delight to the overall ergonomics.

Ruger'south Hallmark BX-x magazine remains remarkably clean on a commodities activeness rifle compared to a semi-automobile 10/22 - Credit: Archant

Mag
The magazine release grab hangs just ahead. A calorie-free pressure is all that'due south needed to release the Ruger BX-10 rotary mag which will drop freely into your hand. Reinsertion is similarly unhindered with mis-positioning impossible.

Ruger'southward BX-25 will also fit the gun for a banana-similar 25-round capacity. It'due south worth noting that Ruger'due south ten-round rotary mag soon eases in bound tension and becomes fast to load; they are easily dismantled for maintenance. In a semi-auto 10-22, they need this regularly because the gas blowback action and jump-loaded bolt do a fantastic job of littering lead, lube and soot all over them. In contrast, the bolt activeness's shine feed hardly deposited a flake of droppings and the system was more than easily used with several hundred rounds through the examination inappreciably agonizing its box-fresh appearance.

Ruger take specified a bully bolt handle pattern and not fallen foul of being also `Tacticool` - Credit: Archant

Bolt action
Bolt performance is from a bulbous teardrop handle extending 65mm from the shaft with a well-supported 40mm cyclical stroke length. The shape and dimensions lead to smooth operation with no jamming or bounden problems, for which I genuinely applaud Ruger. They didn't fall into the trap of a long 'Tacticool' bolt handle that hinders performance.

The commodities handle itself is the single lug of the rear locking action's threescore-degree elevator. A unmarried raceway is machined into the 17mm brilliant steel shaft to engage the anti-rotation/release catch on the left side of the action, with an overall fit and feel that comes somewh re in the middle of 'tight versus rattly'.

A conventional control-feed face on the bolt allows single rounds to lift from the magazine beneath the twin extractor/ejector claws either side of the recessed bolt confront. I de-cocked the commodities to clinch myself of an constructive firing pin exposing itself and was delighted to see a proficient chisel-shaped tip on the Ruger'due south, which never one time failed to initiate a round on test.

The left side commodities face up claw is a sprung steel lever which collaborates with the fixed ejector hook to the rear of the mag. This emerges from under the bolt (it's office of the bedding block) as it's fatigued back and y'all get positive lateral ejection, unhindered by the full-length Picatinny rail enclosing the height of the ejection port. This is important considering older actions similar the CZ452 can suffer badly with ejected brass bouncing back from a total-length rail and causing jams. Finishing off the controls is a two-position tang safety catch with forward for fire, rear for condom, which is easily accessible and serenity to operate with the firing hand'southward thumb.

Spot the factory mistake here! - Credit: Archant

Practical shooting test
Some years agone Viking Arms gave me 1000 rounds of SK Standard Plus target ammunition for .22 rimfire and I have faithfully used it and commented on information technology when applicable. I'm now at the end of the supply because I shot every last one through the Ruger. Like many other rifles, information technology rather liked SK's economical offer.

For once I didn't do a primary nothing at fifty metres as I would with a rimfire sporter, I went straight to 100 metres and since I was printing groups in the 20-30mm spatter for TEN shots on occasion, I was immediately enthusiastic to use this rifle at longer ranges. Muzzle velocities were a little lower than optimum. I think a sixteen-xviii" barrel for .22 rimfire is perfect because the long 22" tube saw cage velocity drop to 1032fps from the more than usual 1060-80 I adopt. Using .22 rimfire at longer ranges is tricky plenty and I'd rather accept all possible speed.

150 metres was a great showtime with x rounds splashing well within 100mm groups on steel, the wind taking its toll in gusty weather. The big Schmidt & Bender had over 20 mRad of pinnacle available subsequently zeroing and this would have allowed me beyond 300 metres but I stayed within 250m on a 150mm gong for the sake of my own ego given the wind.

My mischievous heed likes to investigate marketing claims of newly patented features. An example being Ruger's "Power Bedding, Integral Bedding Block System". This cake is in fact TWO pieces of cast aluminium seated into relevant pockets within the stock's machined inlet to locate the action screws betwixt the frontal escutcheon, and trigger guard assemblies.

Tubular pillars are inserted to prevent compression and the front cake locks snug into the stock and tight into a V-groove at the front of the 27mm diameter action. The rear block floats more freely in the stock and is not locked tightly in position, it mainly attends to location for the mag system and ejector.

Although the rifle shot well, information technology must exist remembered that these ideas, although great marketing tools, are done for the price of the rifle and its manufacturing needs, because when tensioned, the action screws did stress the action, a factor to be attended to for the best target performance.

QR stud anchor at the forend's tip - Credit: Archant

Conclusions
For a serious target-oriented rifle, it is ever best to accept a gun properly bedded and nada has always diminished that belief for me. Take whatsoever gun in and out of its stock, re-apply consistent commodities tension and see how closely it volition hold zero. Information technology's as well interesting to consider the relative stiffness of a large scope versus a sparse action with mag feed and ejection port cutouts, all bolted to a less rigid stock. Which is probable to be the stiffest component? I can tell you a large telescopic ofttimes holds the Ace on that one in the rimfire world!

The Ruger is rather a nice burglarize for the price and I really enjoyed shooting it. Information technology offers fundamentally sound shootability and economics with smooth magazine feeding that won't impairment your soft lead bullets, alongside the familiarity of a centrefire. Blindfolded, y'all might not instantly find the divergence.

Shooting from prone and bench-rested seated positions, using a Magpul Chiliad-Lok bipod or a remainder bag, saw a burglarize gear up to go. Commodities manipulation was light and required minimal move with simply fingertip strength required, allowing the head to stay put and go on the firing cycle consequent. This allows you to sentinel the bullet land and thereby spend less time re-acquiring targets later recoil, thereby building musculus memory!

The trigger was anticipated, with a good reach, encouraging linear pressure for a clean break on each shot. I could load the bipod with shoulder pressure consistently, enjoying minimal vertical group dispersion at longer ranges (sub 50mm at 150 metres was very pleasing). There was no flex in the fully free-floating fore-cease, so the 17.1mm/0.86" hammer-forged barrel was free to exercise its ain thing without harmonic interruptions.

Information technology comes threaded ½"x28, so a moderator was a straightforward fit for all mean solar day shooting comfort without ear defenders, which is obviously equally of import for hunting when switching disciplines.

I'm really no fan of loftier velocity .22 rimfire ammo for anything other than brusque-range semi-autos – subsonic match ammo is the style to reach out beyond the unavoidable transonic problems with higher velocity rounds at long range.

Left side commodities release catch - Credit: Archant

Pros

• Ideal setup for pushing rimfire to longer ranges
• Reliably smooth mag operation
• Groovy scope positioning options
• Safe even so refined trigger

Cons

• Broad cheekpiece
• "Power Bedding" is more of a marketing tool than accuracy do good

Verdict

• I have yet to experience a bad Ruger bolt action burglarize, there's some peaks in the range but all take been shooters and this, like other 'Americans', has been well specified at an attractive toll for its intended market. Well worth a expect and worthy of personalisation.

Tech specs
Manufacturer: Ruger American
Model:Rimfire Long-Range Target .22 LR
Overall length: 40.5"/1030mm
Weight: 8lbs/3.6kg
Magazine capacity: Detachable x+i, 25 round besides available
Trigger: Single stage, 1260gr/44oz. 9Adjustable up to 2200gr/80oz.)
Barrel length: 22"/560mm
Metal Cease & stock fabric: Matt Blacked Steel & Black/Tan Composite
Sights: 20 Thousand.O.A. Picatinny rail included for scope fitting.
RRP: £780
Contact: Viking Artillery

Also used
Schmidt & Bender 5-25 PMII: world wide web.schmidt-bender.com
DPT Sound Moderator: www.dpteuro.co.uk
Magpul M-Lok Bipod: www.edgarbrothers.com

Trigger adjustment does require the action to be removed from the stock - Credit: Archant

Power bedding integral "Cake" is really two pieces - Credit: Archant

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Source: https://www.rifleshootermagazine.co.uk/rifle-tests/ruger-rimfire-long-range-target-22-test-8103668

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