Hey there, Squat Squad, and welcome back to Slav Guns. So far in my Ruger coverage we’ve looked at the Custom Shop offerings, but with Ruger there’s always more. A couple of weeks before SHOT Show I was digging around Ruger’s website hoping to find more rifles in 6.5 PRC, and I spotted a gun I thought was a new Ruger Hawkeye Long-Range Target. It wasn’t. It was something better for my wallet: the brand new Ruger American Rimfire Long-Range Target in .22 LR.
I sat down with Mark Gurney from Ruger to go over it. Out of everything Ruger had launched, he told me this one was probably his favorite.
Quick note on what this is: it’s a first look and a conversation with Ruger, not a range test. I hadn’t put rounds downrange on this rifle when we filmed it, so there are no groups or accuracy claims here.
TL;DR
- What it is: a precision version of the Ruger American Rimfire, chambered in .22 LR and styled like the Hawkeye Long-Range Target.
- Key features: heavy threaded barrel, canted rail, Ruger Marksman Adjustable trigger, adjustable comb borrowed from the Ruger Precision Rifle, and length-of-pull spacers.
- Magazines: ships with a 10-round magazine and takes standard 10/22 magazines, including 15- and 25-rounders.
- Price: $599 MSRP when we filmed, with Ruger expecting it to sell across the counter in the low $400s.
- Who it’s for: anyone who wants to get into long-range shooting and learn fundamentals and wind on cheap ammo.
Precision rimfire, the traditional way
Ruger already had a precision .22, the Ruger Precision Rimfire with its skeletonized polymer stock. It shoots like a house on fire. But just like I prefer the looks of the Hawkeye Long-Range Target over the Ruger Precision Rifle, I really prefer the looks of this one. Mark called me a traditionalist, and he’s right.
Functionally, they do the same thing. They conform to you ergonomically, they send bullets a long way, and you hit targets and get happy. The difference is the styling, and this one is in .22 Long Rifle, so you’re shooting for something like six cents a round. You can shoot all day long.
The stock looks great, and here’s something I didn’t expect: it’s actually a painted laminate wood stock, not a composite. Ruger makes it in its own shop.
Features that matter
- Heavy, threaded barrel: a solid foundation for accuracy, and you can thread on a muzzle device.
- Canted rail: built-in elevation for stretching a .22 out to distance.
- Adjustable comb: raise and lower it, and move it in and out. If it looks familiar, it should. It’s the same comb hardware from the Ruger Precision Rifle. As Mark put it, Ruger is mercenary about this stuff, and that comb works because it does a really good job.
- Length of pull: just like the Hawkeye Long-Range Target system, you get three half-inch spacers to adjust length of pull.
- Trigger: the Ruger Marksman Adjustable trigger.
- Magazines: it comes with a 10-round magazine, and since it uses standard 10/22 magazines, you can run 15- or 25-rounders if you want.
Who should buy it?
I asked Mark who the target buyer is. His answer: anyone who wants to have fun, but especially anyone who thinks they want to get into the long-range game. With a .22 you can get all your positional shooting down and learn how to shoot accurately on cheap ammo. You don’t have to be burning up 6.5 PRC to learn, and you’ll probably learn faster on this.
That’s a really interesting way to look at it, and honestly I never thought about it that way. It’s the same idea as having a .22 version of a carry pistol to train with. And the other thing that happens when you start playing with these in the wind: it will humble you. It certainly humbles me. A .22 shows you what the wind is doing at a much shorter range than a centerfire rifle.
If you’re getting into rimfire matches, check out my talk on everything precision rimfire with Anarchy Outdoors.
Accuracy and price
I asked what kind of accuracy people can expect compared with other rimfires, even something like a 10/22. Ruger generally doesn’t quote accuracy specs, because it depends so much on the ammunition, the shooter and the optic, especially at long range in the wind. What you do get is a very heavy barrel, a good trigger and a solid foundation, so whatever accuracy is in there, you’re going to be able to wring it out.
When we filmed this, Ruger was manufacturing them every day. The MSRP was $599, and Mark expected it to go across the counter in the low $400s. That’s a bargain for a gun with this capability. It’s definitely not a $100 bolt-action .22, but it could give you the accuracy of some of the higher-end target .22s that we’ve seen introduced at SHOT Show, with Ruger’s backing and support and a price people can actually afford. Need spare 10/22 magazines? Grab them on Amazon.
Bottom line
The Ruger American Rimfire Long-Range Target takes the features that make Ruger’s precision rifles work, the RPR comb, length-of-pull spacers, an adjustable trigger and a heavy threaded barrel, and puts them on an affordable .22 LR with traditional good looks. I’m looking forward to getting some rounds downrange on it.
More from Ruger: my Ruger Hawkeye Long Range Target 6.5 PRC review, the Ruger Custom Shop first look, and my Ruger Precision Rifle 6.5 PRC review.
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Would you pick this traditional-looking .22 or the polymer Ruger Precision Rimfire? Tell me in the comments.
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