Author Topic: Range report: Ruger Bearcat (Read 921 times)

Dusty Miller · « **on:** September 05, 2005, 05:29:09 PM »

I took my new Ruger Bearcat and one of the grandkids (13 yr. old girl) to the range today and got her introduced to the .22 caliber revolver shooting fun. Poor kid, I took her previously and all I had was a .357 mag and a .45 Colt, so she is dealing with a flinching problem but she'll get better with time and the light recoil from the Bearcat. The trigger has a crisp break but I'd prefer it to be a bit lighter. Its a really attractive gun, I like that engraving and the rosewood grips go nicely with the stainless steel. We were putting .22 longs thru it, I'd wanted shorts but Wally World does not carry them. We have a 2.5 yr. old boy and a 3 yr. old boy (grandkids) as well who'll get introduced to shooting with that gun. And then there's a 1.5 yr. old coming up who'll not stand by and let the older guys have all the fun! This gun will get a real workout over the next few years. I'm really glad I bought it, $389 at Bilson's in Turlock, PRC. With tax, license, and doc. fees it came to $450 which is the MSRP My guess in we'll get our money's worth out of it!

obxmike · « **Reply #1 on:** September 06, 2005, 01:07:44 PM »

Congrats on the purchase!! I bought one of those in blued finish about a year ago so my 8 yr old would have something to learn on. Had to send mine back to ruger for re-barrel and re-cylinder (was spraying lead and throwing "keyholes" from one chamber). They got it back on track for me. We went to the range this Sunday after church and ran @200 rounds through. The kid was ringing the 50 yrd steel all afternoon!
It's a great learner piece, size being appropriate and all, but a lot of fun for us older guys too!
Now, I have to think about getting another one for my year & 1/2 old daughter...any excuse to buy a new gun, ya know... :wink:

Mike

SSS · « **Reply #2 on:** September 11, 2005, 01:20:00 PM »

I've been thinking of picking one of these up in blue. Did Ruger pay shipping on the one that had the problem shaving lead and keyholing?

(And to beat a dead horse, please be sure that the kids wear ear protection and eye protection even for .22s.)

ONE HOLE 4570 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 16, 2005, 08:28:58 AM »

I picked up one of these a few monts back for my 8yr old almost 9 as he says. let him run a bunch of boxes through it shooting at cans etc never did any target work to see how it did. When I cleaned it i pushed a large piece of lead out of the forcingcone/barrel area & it had rifling engraving in the lead. Haven't got around to shooting it again but I may have to & see if it has a keyholing problem.
Hissinggoose what distance did you see the keyholes & what brand of ammo were you shooting. Also did ruger pick up the shipping charges for the repair??

obxmike · « **Reply #4 on:** September 16, 2005, 12:39:27 PM »

Sorry to take so long to get back; been sweating a hurricane for the last week (that thank God, never got here!). I assume Ruger covered the shipping. I have a great local gun shop that handled all the to and fro's for me.
One Hole - I tried three different mfg loads, federal, remington and winchester and all were 5 good, one bad in each loading.You could really feel the blast to your face in the bad chamber. Distances were indoor range (50 foot-ish).

SSS - 10-4 on the hearing protection...even .22's can be harmful. We got good mouse ears! Oh, mine is blue finish...looked at the stainless but didn't like the the (?)aluminum ejector shroud.

Mike

Greeenriver · « **Reply #5 on:** September 18, 2005, 08:31:28 AM »

I just bought a New Model Ruger Bearcat on Thursday at the MC Sports in Cadillac MI., for $296.79 out the door. They had at least one more and a couple of the 50th anniversy 22cal Single Six's for $295.99 + Tax.

Mine is the standard Blued with Wood grips, and I realy like it a lot. The first 6 shots from it bounced an empty 35mm film can the length of my Trailer(65ft). I havn't tried it on paper yet, but some casual plinking in the back yard makes me think it is shooting just a little to the left. I'll try a few diferent brands of ammo in it till I find the one that it likes the best, then get a brick of so of it.

I think I'm going to order a Wolf reduced power main spring for it next week as the factory springs feel very heavy to me, but first I want to put about 500 rounds through it to brake it in and let it smoth up on it's own. The trigger is much stiffer than what I like and has some creep in it before let off, but that is little stuff and easily adjustable the first time I have it all apart after it's broke in.

I have a set of leftover fake Ivory grips from a previous project and I have started to trim them down to fit the little Bearcat. I like the looks of the fake ivory on Blued pistols and have them on nearly all my pistols now.

My Grandaughter, 11 years old, has already decided the little Ruger is the right size for her, and she has had NO intrest in shooting before she seen this little gun. Hehehehe, gess this was a good idea after all!! LOL

Greeenriver(Think this might become my general walk arround pistol this fall)

Tom C. · « **Reply #6 on:** September 18, 2005, 02:05:41 PM »

I have 2 Bearcats, a blued one and a new stainless one. They both seem to shoot ok, but they are so small, and I am so big, it can be tough to tell. So far, my kids haven't given me any grandkids, but we have hope that will soon be changing.

Dusty Miller · « **Reply #7 on:** September 18, 2005, 09:11:23 PM »

Well, hold on to them bearcats! They'll be sure to make them grandkids come along! :-D