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Iā€™m starting to feel like a real old timer with my endless rambling about the good old days of cheap and plentiful .22 LR. While some parts of the country are seeing the most popular rimfire cartridge back in stock, our brethren in other areas are more likely to find henā€™s teeth than affordable .22 LR. But Iā€™m an optimist, and given the long term traffic our gun reviews get, my hope is that years from now, someone will read this review and laugh about those dark days of short supply for .22 LR. If youā€™re reading this in the future, and looking for an affordable, flexible bolt gun in .22 LR, you very well could have found it in the Ruger American Rimfire . . .

 

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My very first gun was a Ruger 10/22, an experience that I share with thousands of other gun owners. I have put countless rounds downrange in that gun and many a pesky varmint have met their humane demise thanks to my little 10/22. But Iā€™ve always longed for a bolt-action rifle chambered in .22 LR. Thereā€™s something cathartic about deliberate fire punctuated by a short-travel bolt cycling the next round into the chamber. Remove recoil from the equation entirely, and you have a great gun for working on those rusty fundamentals, or for teaching a new generation the finer points of marksmanship.

 

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The ideal bolt-action .22 should be of high enough quality to be intrinsically accurate, but also have pleasant enough ergonomics and a trigger that enables a shooter to attain ā€œmachineā€ operated accuracy. Said ideal rifle should also come from the factory with a nice set of iron sights, but be able to accept a scope if the owner decides thatā€™s necessary. Lastly, the rifle in question should be able to accept as many popular accessories as possible. In these regards, I feel that the Ruger American Rimfire (RAR) excels in most categories.

 

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Accuracy

Because Iā€™m not able to transport myself to the future, for the purposes of this review, I was only able to test the RAR with 4 kinds of ammo. I used CCI Mini Mag, CCI Subsonic, Remington Golden Bullet, and Blazer. I shot the RAR at 25 yards indoors with open sights and the included ā€œlowā€ comb, and outdoors, at 50 yards, using the ā€œhighā€ comb, with a scope set at 9X. The conditions outdoors were temperatures in the mid-90s with winds gusting to 15 mph. My targets were graph paper with 4 squares per inch.

For analysis, I used OnTarget to figure max group spread as well as average distance to center (ATC). I shot 5-shot groups indoors, and 10-shot groups outdoors with the exception of the CCI Subsonic (I ran out). Because the wind was so gusty, I also picked out the closest 5 shots for analysis from the 10-round groups, but Iā€™m presenting both sets of data for transparency. All groups were fired from a rest with support under the forend and buttstock.

 

RAR - 25 yard open sight composite

 

Open Sight – 25 yards

  • Blazer
    • Max Spread: 6.027 MOA
    • ATC: 2.197 MOA
  • CCI Mini Mag
    • Max Spread:Ā 3.280 MOA
    • ATC:Ā .952 MOA
  • CCI Subsonic
    • Max Spread:Ā 2.886 MOA
    • ATC:Ā 1.137 MOA
  • Rem Gold
    • Max Spread:Ā 3.889 MOA
    • ATC:Ā 1.662 MOA

RAR - 50 yard scoped - all shot composite

 

Scoped – 50 yards – 10 shot

  • Blazer
    • Max Spread: 3.279Ā MOA
    • ATC: 0.940Ā MOA
  • CCI Mini Mag
    • Max Spread: 2.982Ā MOA
    • ATC:Ā 0.869 MOA
  • Rem Gold
    • Max Spread: 3.524Ā MOA
    • ATC: 1.197Ā MOA

RAR - 50 yard scoped - 5 shot composite

 

Scoped – 50 yards – 5 shot

  • Blazer
    • Max Spread: 1.415Ā MOA
    • ATC: 0.457Ā MOA
  • CCI Mini Mag
    • Max Spread: 1.560Ā MOA
    • ATC: 0.538Ā MOA
  • CCI Subsonic
    • Max Spread: 1.965Ā MOA
    • ATC: 0.604Ā MOA
  • Rem Gold
    • Max Spread: 1.715Ā MOA
    • ATC: 0.662Ā MOA

I generally feel that the maximum spread between shots only really tells half the story as average-to-center is a better measure of overall group consistency and maximum spread can be heavily influenced by a flier. For the best of 5 shots 50-yard scoped shooting, Blazer grabbed the lowest ATC and Max Spread with .457 MOA, and 1.415 MOA respectively. In the all-shots-50-yard-scoped test, CCI Mini Mag grabbed top honors with ATC of .869 MOA and max spread of 2.982 MOA. In the 25-yard-open-sight category the lowest max spread came with CCI Subsonic at 2.886 MOA while the lowest ATC was with CCI Mini Mag at .952 MOA.

To frame those results in the world of practical accuracy, even with the worst ammo, at 50 yards or less, with the wind blowing like crazy, a competent shooter can keep 10 shots in a group less than 2 inches in diameter. That translates to dead varmints, soda cans, and ringing steel if the shooter does their part. Iā€™d love to see what a better shooter and some high quality ammo could do on a calm day, but Iā€™ll go on record to say that the RAR is definitely accurate enough for most people.

 

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Sights

The RAR ships from the factory with a dovetail rear sight and high visibility green fiber optic front sight. That front sight is quite nice in both the midday sun as well as twilight. However, the rear dovetail bothers me. First, it is mounted forward of the receiver meaning a shorter sight radius, and thus diminished accuracy. Second, its a dovetail which is much harder to use than a peep. Iā€™m slightly miffed at Ruger that theyā€™d include such a stellar front sight and such a crappy rear. It could very well be me as Iā€™ve never liked a dovetail sight on a rifle, but peep rears are soooo nice, its a shame this rifle didnā€™t come from the factory with one.

The market has responded with a solution in the form of the Tech-Sights MXT200 which fits the RAR. They arenā€™t a cheap date, but if youā€™re committed to open sight shooting, it seems a worthy investment. I have not tested them personally, but Tech-Sights has a good name in the industry. If I get a chance to mount them on this gun, Iā€™ll update this review with my thoughts.

 

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Modularity

Modularity seems to be one of those fancy buzzwords that gets thrown around a lot in gun circles now, and with pocketbooks not fully recovered from the downturn of 2008, companies are finally getting wise to the fact that buyers might like to stay on one platform but change things out as they go. In this regard, the RAR does an admirable job of providing the buyer with a great deal of options.

The marquee feature of the RAR is the swappable stock pieces that allow the user to change the trigger pull as well as comb height. One of my regular gripes with gun manufacturers seems to be that every bolt-action stock comb is too low for use with a scope even when the gun ships without irons. The RAR solves this by using swappable stock components. Four are available, a compact low, compact high, standard LOP low, and standard high. Embedded in the stock is the patented Power Bedding integral bedding block system, which Ruger claims “positively locates the receiver and free-floats the barrel for outstanding accuracy.”

The RAR also ships with either of two barrel lengths, an 18 inch or a 22 inch. The model for this test was a standard LOP with the longer barrel. At the time of this writing, the standard LOP model also ships with an optional shorter barrel that is threaded. The compact version uses the 18-inch barrel in threaded and non-threaded versions. This is great news for those with .22 cans as Iā€™d imagine this gun, some subsonic ammo, and a can would make for a pretty enjoyable day at the range.

 

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While the RAR is definitely a practical addition to any adultā€™s gun safe, keen-eyed parents should be able to see that this gun is great for young shooters looking for their first rifle. Imagine being able to buy a Compact RAR that ships with the low and high combs. Start your youngā€™n with open sights until theyā€™ve got the fundamentals down pat. Buy them a set of scope rings and a scope (for the gun’s Weaver scope base) for Christmas, swap out the high comb, and watch as they learn the art of reading the wind, and compensating for distance using a scope. And once the young Mr. or Ms. starts to grow, simply order the longer LOP stock module and swap it out to ensure that the gun fits them into adulthood. I donā€™t have kids, but even I can see how attractive that sounds. And if you should ever decide to splurge and buy a 10/22, you can use the same magazines!

 

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Which brings me to a big gripe with Ruger ā€” cross-platform functionality. The RAR is a new model which means that Ruger had a great deal of time to try to use as many parts from the 10/22 as possible in their new rifle. As a failed engineering student, I was disappointed to see that the four tapped holes in the receiver didnā€™t match up with the dovetail adapter that ships with new 10/22s. And yes, the RAR does feature dovetail cuts in the receiver so you can mount a scope, but to not match the screw spacing seems downright silly.

Thereā€™s a vast world of aftermarket accessories like Picatinny rails designed to mount to the top of 10/22 receivers that canā€™t be used on the RAR. I found myself further frustrated to realize that the RAR doesnā€™t use the same barrel as the 10/22. There are innumerable options for 10/22 barrels out there in the market and as a consumer, Iā€™d like to have the choice to swap out barrels if I see fit. Especially for those who might be interested in registering the RAR with the ATF as a SBR. Itā€™d sure be nice to pick up a short barrel when the paperwork clears vs. paying a gunsmith to cut, crown, and thread the existing stock barrel. Iā€™ll leave it to the experts, but as a consumer, I really wish the RAR would take 10/22 barrels.Ā 

 

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Trigger & Safety

A good trigger can make a decent rifle and break a good one. Iā€™m happy to report that the Ruger Marksman Adjustable trigger on the RAR is fantastic. There is no slack, no creep, no nothing. Itā€™s like pressing your index finger against a wall until the trigger breaks cleanly at a touch over 3 lbs. While itā€™s adjustable, I never messed with it as I think a 3-pound pull weight is just fine for a bolt-action rifle, especially one used for precision practice. The trigger also features a AccuTrigger-like safety bar that prevents from the gun from discharging unless the bar is engaged. A manual tang safety is in the mix as well and sits immediately behind the receiver in the perfect place for a thumb to engage and disengage.

 

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Reliability

Thereā€™s not a lot to say for reliability where a bolt action gun is concerned. In the few hundred rounds I put downrange, I had zero failures to fire and only one failure to extract that caused a double feed. I dropped the magazine, operated the 60-degree bolt throw, and the cartridge came with. Out of the box, the bolt was a little sticky, but with some judicious lubrication, it smoothed right out. As of now, the bolt can be manipulated with the thumb, index, and middle fingers with quick flicks of the wrist. I have not quite mastered the art of maintaining my sight picture while cycling the action, but thatā€™s most definitely a limitation of the shooter, not the gun.

 

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Specifications: Ruger American Rimfire Standard – .22 LR

  • Stock Material: Black Composite
  • Caliber: .22 LR
  • Capacity: 10 cartridges or whatever you can stuff in a 10/22 compatible mag
  • Finish: Satin Blued
  • Barrel Length: 22″
  • Overall Length: 41″
  • Front Sight: Fiber Optic
  • Rear Sight:Ā Adjustable for windage & elevation
  • Advertised Weight: 6 lbs.
  • Measured Weight: 5.934 lbs. w/oĀ magazine
  • Length of Pull: 13.75″
  • Barrel: 6 groove, 1:16″ RH twist
  • Included Accessories: 1 10-round magazine, one “low” comb, and one “high” comb
  • Suggested Retail: $329
  • Price in the Wild: $259 on the internet

 

Ratings (out of five stars):

Fit, Finish, Build Quality * * * *

Iā€™ll give Ruger the nod for building all the steel parts to a very high spec. The finishes are glassy-smooth, any machining cuts are nicely done, and the trigger, bolt, and magazine release all work smoothly. However, the plastic stock, while very functional, isnā€™t what youā€™d call attractive. Iā€™m not sure the market would support it, but a nice modular walnut stock system for the RAR sure would look trick.

Function & Accuracy * * * *

I was very pleased with both the function and accuracy of the RAR. It held to roughly 3 MOA over 10 shots at 50 yards in a gusting 15 mph wind. Iā€™m not the greatest shooter in the world, but Iā€™ll take that sort of accuracy in a .22 LR rifle any day of the week. I am however knocking off a star for the bolt needing a bit of work and lube to function smoothly and the one failure to extract.

Modularity * * * *Ā 

Had any company but Ruger made this rifle, Iā€™d give them 5 stars for making a truly modular rifle able to accommodate shooters of any size using irons or glass. However, since Rugerā€™s name is on it as well as the 10/22, Iā€™m disappointed that the only common parts between the two platforms are magazines. At a minimum, the receivers should share the same hole pattern and overall shape. Bonus points if you had the ability to slap an aftermarket precision barrel on that receiver. I understand thatā€™s a wholly irrational thing to ding a rifle one star on, but I feel Ruger could have a real winner on their hands if they did so.

Accessories * * * *Ā 

With a sling swivel out front, you should be able to mount the bipod of your choice and with the 3/8ā€³ dovetail, you can find mounts from Warne to fit either 1ā€³ or 30 mm tubes. It also appears that if youā€™ve got $92, Boydā€™s has two stock options for you in case you grow to hate the modular plastic stock that ships with the gun.

Overall Rating * * * *Ā 

Not much has changed from my original impressions of the rifle as it related to ergonomics, trigger, and modularity. I was very pleased to see how much accuracy can be purchased for <$300. It isnā€™t a CZ 455, but I donā€™t think Ruger is trying to fill that niche. This is a working gun that is accurate enough, but offers the end user a great deal of modularity in a durable platform. I do wish that Ruger would have used a bit more 10/22 parts in the build, but Iā€™ll take magazine compatibility between two .22 rifles over nothing at all. This is a solid gun for the enthusiast or the parent looking to get their kiddo started with a rifle they canā€™t outgrow. At less than $300, itā€™s a solid entry in the affordable bolt-action rimfire rifle category.

More from The Truth About Guns:

Rugerā€™s New .17 HMR, .22 WMR Magnum Models of the Ruger Precision Rimfire Rifle

Whatā€™s the Difference Between Rimfire and Centerfire Ammunition? ā€“ Guns for Beginners

Gun Review: Savage Arms MKII FV-SR Threaded Barrel 22 LR

Gun Review: Ruger 10/22 Carbine

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63 COMMENTS

  1. Great review.

    Re .22,LR

    Was talking to a high ranking employee of ATS, the massive company that owns Federal ammo, CCI etc.

    They have a ONE BILLION round backorder for .22LR

    Reason? Purely demand and the ongoing consumer buying behavior of stockpiling every round that can be found.

    • To put that in perspective, even if they can produce .22 at 100 rds per second (might be possible, not terribly familiar with the machines but around 2 rds/sec for a single machine, maybe 50 machines across all brands might get you in the ballpark) it would still take almost 4 months to clear that backorder running around-the-clock, assuming no additional orders come in.

    • I went into my mom and pop LGS just before close last friday, and low and behold, on the shelves were over a dozen boxes of CCI standard velocity .22. I was amazed. I asked if they had just got an order and he said they put out 30 boxes on Monday and these were still left. He was as amazed as I. Maybe, just maybe, the panic buying and frenzy is over in my area….

  2. I’m partial to large calibers and recoil, but there’s just something about shooting rimfire. Love me some damned rimfire.

    As far as my 22 rifles go, I’ve got two in my stable: a 1941 Remington 512 (bolt action), my father’s first rifle that he bought with my grandfather, who I never had the pleasure of meeting. I’ve had it reblued and had the stock rubbed down with oil.

    I also have a ’67 model year Remington Speedmaster, 552. I’ve heard horror stories of how these guys jam up. Mine jams if its old ammo, or Centurion brand ammo. Otherwise, jams? I’d say it doesn’t. (Then again, I’ve never cleaned it. EVER.)

    Had my 552 scoped with a Leupold VX-1 Rimfire. It likes bullseyes is all I can say.

    As far as adding another 22 rifle to the collection, I’ve thought about it for sure. If I go 10/22, I’m going semi-auto, not bolty. If I do get another 22 rifle, it’ll probably be a CZ with some really good glass on it.

    Oh yeah, been thinking about adding a Nikon Target EFR to the 512. Just for sh*ts and giggles. Why not make a very accurate rifle even more accurate?

    • Good Lord, yes. One of my favorites to shoot is an old Mossberg 151K. I don’t know what it is about that old steel, wood, and rimfire. Having said that, I do enjoy centerfire, too – just in a different way.

    • Agreed on the CZ. You can usually pick up a “minty” CZ-452 for about the same as the Ruger, and it’s a Mercedes compared to the Ruger’s Kia.

  3. ADDENDUM: Good luck finding any 22 long rifle at any Wal-Marts here in Missouri, BUT there is always 22 long rifle available at local gun shops, granted you don’t mind paying over $5/box of 50.

  4. Excellent and useful review. Thanks.

    I have a neat little Ruger 77/22 bolt action – sort of a downsized Model 77, with a wood stock. I use it for our 200 yard metallic silhouette shoots, and have found it’s ammo preferences to change depending on the range. Out to 100 yards, CCI Velocitor (40 gr) gives me the best groups. However, the Velocitor starts throwing the occasional flyer at the 150-200 yard targets (as in, missing the ram by 6-8″). At those longer ranges, the CCI Green Tag 40 gr target/lower velocity ammo gives the most consistent groups. Green Tag doesn’t group as tightly (in my rifle) as the Velocitor does at shorter ranges, but the Green Tag is far more consistent at 200 yards. So I switch ammo depending on which set of targets I am shooting. (And I am really glad I was one of those old farts who bought .22 ammo by the case back when it was cheap, rather than waiting to buy it the day before the match, since it is impossible to find any Green Tag anywhere today.)

    I went through ten different varieties of ammo to come up with these results, back in the day when you could find .22LR (say, 2007-2012).

    Recognizing the difficulty of finding any .22, let alone a collection of ten different brands, every .22 tends to have a definite preference in ammo, and it may take you a while to find the sweet spot for your rifle.

    Now all I need is the new American trigger for my 77/22. Or I may just buy a Ruger American .22.

      • Always remember “Pete’s Law”:

        “You are legally entitled to a MINIMUM of one gun of every type for every year of your life. And I’m not going to try to define “type” for you. Hey, the 4″ barrel means it’s different from a 2″ barrel, right?”

        (Your actual compliance with this law may vary with your bank account and marital status.)

    • Theory: The high speed CCI Velocitor probably goes sub-sonic at about 120 yards, causing the round to destabilize. The CCI Green Tag probably is sub-sonic the entire trip and thus works better for the entire trip. Solution is likely to be either to find a sub-sonic round your rifle likes better or a super-sonic round that stays super-sonic out to whatever range you require and has the required accuracy.

      Note too that the range at which a round will drop down to sub-sonic is dependent on temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and altitude. And probably phases-of-the-moon.

      • Good call – that sounds like a high probability for what is going on. My solution has been to use the two different types of ammo for the distances where they work best. The Green Tag has excellent practical accuracy out to 200 yards, where the targets (rams) are about 9″ high by a foot across. The 40 yd chickens are much smaller, so the tighter groups from the Velocitor makes sense at that range.

  5. I got one for my daughter. Dropped the trigger to the lowest pull weight, put a <$100 magnified Bushnell with a simple reticle on it and zeroed it with 40 bullets at 75 yards. It hits a tennis ball at that distance every time, has as much recoil as a pellet gun and when she's not shooting it, I can get rabbits with it.

  6. If, by the benefaction of Zoltron’s golden claw, our overlords allow us the use of 22 LR I won’t be spending money on a BA when my old 10-22 shoots as well or better, for far less money. Just think of the piles of hyper velocity ammo I could buy for the price of a marginal plastic stocked BA rifle!

  7. Interesting in that even the PWS .22 biathlon bolt gun I recently purchased (based partly upon the TTAG glowing review) is built on the 10-22 platform, and I can swap mags., rails, barrels, etc. with my 10/22’s. Why Ruger felt it prudent to stray from such a popular platform when building a new bolt gun is confusing. I don’t think I am interested in adding this rifle to my collection.
    Keep up the great, honest reviews – much appreciated.

  8. And why, by the rings of Booker5, did they think that slotting the receiver to accept a 3/4″ scope mount added to it’s marketability?
    I’m smelling Remington R-51

  9. I think if you want to use 10/22 stuff you should probably buy a 10/22. I don’t think most people are disappointed when their glock magazines don’t fit in their XD.

    • If you were trying to fit a .45 magazine into a 9mm glock maybe, but if theyre not even the same brand…

  10. I see all sorts of random gun food on the shelves, just not .22 still ha.

    Takes the same 10 round magazine as the 10/22, SOLD.

  11. Good review, Tyler. I put a brick down the pipe of an RAR earlier this year and came to similar conclusions. My criticisms of the rifle are:

    It’s accurate enough, but I found it no more accurate that a box stock 10/22. Three shooters shot the RAR side by side with a 10/22 All Weather, a 10/22 Takedown and a 10/22 with a Volquartsen trigger, all at 50 yards from a sandbag rest. Differences in accuracy were negligible.

    The rifle was a tad nose-heavy. This wasn’t a problem shooting from a rest, but it would be a problem when taking a precision shot offhand.

    The bolt is not a smooth operator. The boltā€™s action felt vague and a bit gritty. Maybe it will smooth out in time, maybe not. I believe that the bolt needs a bit of mass to work with greater smoothness, but that’s just a guess. The upside of the bolt is its 60 deg. throw. It’s fast.

    Subjectively, the gun was boring. This would not be the case if I was a youthful shooter and this was my first gun. If those things were true, I’d be over the moon. But for an experienced rifleman, the RAR is not exciting.

    So, my conclusions were that the compact version would make a great trainer for a youthful shooter. It’s safe. It’s accurate enough. It’s reasonably priced. Unlike most youth guns, a kid will not physically outgrow the RAR because of its modular stock setup. The rifle will “grow” as the shooter grows. It’s a lifetime rifle.

    • “Subjectively, the gun was boring. This would not be the case if I was a youthful shooter and this was my first gun. If those things were true, Iā€™d be over the moon. But for an experienced rifleman, the RAR is not exciting.”

      You’re just all jaded and angry. Come to Texas this winter. We’ll shoot some rabbits and eat ’em. You’ll feel better.

  12. 22lr at Wallyworld today, clerk said nobody was waiting this morning when they stocked the shelves! Got my 3 boxes of Golden Bulletts at nearly lunch time.

  13. Plenty of .22 by me in north New Jersey. It’s 5$ a box but I have no clue what .22 used to cost so that’s normal to me. What did it used to go for for 50 rounds?

    • I seem to recall in the ’60s it was right around 50c. But then, I was reloading .357 mag for around 4 1/2c, of which 3c was the jacketed bullet.

    • Pre-Sandy Hook, around $2/box for the cheap stuff and $6-$7/box of 100 for CCI. At least, those were the prices around where I live.

    • Pre-Sandy Hook: $12.99 for a “bonus” brick of 550 at various shops.
      Pre-2008 Presidential election: $8.99 for those same bonus boxes.

      This was in the Phoenix metro area.

      • Eh, $13 a box was over back in 2011 or so. Right before SH, I was seeing it for more like $22 or so.

    • I’m getting a little soft in the head in my antiquity, but I seem to remember buying bulk Golden Bullets (which my Savage adores) on sale at Big 5 for .02 a round or so about a decade ago. Regular price was $15 or $16, on sale for $10 or $12. But I’ll be happy if they get back to .05 a round instead of the current .10. I remember that when Obama was first elected I bought a few boxes of Minimags at $10 each (100 rounds) and thought that that was kind of steep. I can’t imagine what they’d go for now, if there were any.

    • Where the heck in north Jersey are you? I can’t get much further north without hitting NY or west without hitting PA, and there’s nothing to be found at the LGS’s.

      Not that I need it right now. I saw the writing on the wall 2 years ago and picked up 10 bricks for under 5Ā¢/rd. I’m set for a while while the tide rolls on.

  14. Four things
    1. I have a Marlin 25, the mag is troublesome, still like it and it is my comparison.
    2. I have a 10/22 Love it.Bought the RAR Short barrel.
    Loaned the scope that came with the 10/22 to the RAR
    3. I want to compare another RAR to see if the trigger is the same. short pull but mine has a little grind.
    4. Two Butler Creek 30 round mags that fit the 10/22 would not fit in the RAR.
    Laid a piece of sand paper (progressive grades) flat on the bench and sanded off just a hair of material untill it went into the RAR well. Took them out to the range and they worked flawlessly. (Sand the side that doesn’t have the spine all the way down). My Ruger 10/22 10 round mages fit both and vice versa.

  15. Not that I “need” another gun, but this could definitely be on the list. I’m curious what the accuracy would be with Lapua and other match .22 LR ammo.

  16. Thanks Tyler. Good review. I have to admit I saw one of these a few months ago and had to have it as a kid trainer and plinker at the more than reasonable price.

    I also grabbed a 10/22 takedown;). I have plenty mags for the old 10/22, so it just made sense.

    Still have not found time to shoot either sadly.

  17. I highly recommend TechSights. I have them on my Marlin 795 and I can shoot a single 1″ hole all day long in a field sitting position at 25 yards. The stock sights were ok, but there is a reason the US military moved to aperture sights at the beginning of WWII and still use that arrangement for iron sighted rifles.

  18. I got this rifle for my daughter a couple of weeks ago. It’s a fun rifle to shoot on the cheap. I have a little bit of land but not enough for a large caliber boom. As said this is a great first gun, no kick and easy to operate. I’ve had a great time plinking cans in the back yard.

    I bought my 22s at a gun show in Northern Virginia. They didn’t seem to have any shortage. I bought the Remington “Bucket O’ Bullets” this should last me through the Zombie apocalypse. Do you think a 22lr will put down a Zombie?

    Either way I like the rifle . It’s a nice little 22.

  19. At this point, I’m not interested in a .22 just because of a lack of .22lr. I would almost prefer a high power .22 air rifle or .22wmr instead. I’m not really interested in a gun that I “might” be able to find shells for someday.

  20. I bought one in November, within a week of hearing about it! I really like it. If I had it to do over again, I’d purchase the compact 18″ and then get a set of the longer stocks. Instead, I bought the standard 22″ length and it barely fits in my safe. It also doesn’t seem to help the .22lr velocity at all.

    One more thing: It accepts 10/22 10-round magazines, but doesn’t really accept the longer ones, for some reason. Even the BX-25 factory magazine doesn’t really fit without forcing it in. I don’t know why it doesn’t really fit.

  21. I bought the 22″ barreled version of the RAR in 22lr about a year ago. Also purchased both versions of the compact stock modules for it so I would have the complete set. I haven’t shot it too much yet. But from what little shooting I have done, it has the potential to be a real tack driver. And the flush mounted 10/22 mags are the cat’s meow. Wife just bought the same rifle in Muddy Girl camo as she’s obsessed with Muddy Girl anything. Lol!
    Concerning 22lr ammo prices, I think the days of paying 4-5 cents a round are pretty much gone. On occasions it can be found, but expect reasonable prices to be closer to 10 cents a round. Yeah I know that’s about $50 a brick, but that’s still 10 shots from a 22lr compared to 1 shot from the average priced centerfire ammo in a standard caliber.
    I feel the “need” to purchase the RAR in 22mag now šŸ™‚
    Maybe Ruger will eventually offer it in a 17WSM version since it’s now available in their 77/22. How great that would be at maybe a third the price!
    My definition of firearms… Ain’t no such a thing as owning too many, the more the better.

  22. Remember to pickup a Volquartsen 10/22 magazine for 22 Shorts. You will be able to shoot Super Colibri’s and 22 Shorts without any issues on your Ruger American Rimfire 22LR.

  23. This review was very disappointing in that the level of accuracy for the rifle was atrocious. I would not buy one and would spend more on an Accurate CZ American. At least with it, I can shoot a grouse in the head at 50 yards not so with the Ruger American Rimfire according to this review.

    Also, while lauding the trigger yet complaining about options for upgrades, there was no mention made about whether a trigger that is adjustable from 14 ounces to 2.5 pounds was available for it. Ruger’s 3 pound minimum does not do much for me, whereas the options for barrel and trigger swaps would.

  24. Saying this is a 3 MOA gun, and qualifying it with: ‘ I’m not a very good shooter’…yes I believe that, but to say these shoot 3MOA is just a disservice to Ruger and this gun.
    I have one I bought Last year and just got around to playing with it,and it easily…easily shoots closer to 1/2 MOA … and I don’t shoot nearly as good as I did when I was younger.

  25. Great gun. But the trigger guard, which is part of the injection-molded stock, is a bit fragile. My trigger-guard broke and it seems getting a factory original stock from Ruger isn’t possible. They wanted me to return the rifle for “inspection”. Duh…the trigger guard is broken. It appears the only real alternative is to get a laminated wood stock from Boyd’s.

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  27. Four years later, 2018, the date my 22lr RAR shipped, there is a problem. I picked it up yesterday. 11/10/22. It was in the box and looked like it had never been fired.

    I head straight to the range. Only to learn that ammo wont feed. I look at the magazine and see the front pin us not engaging the hole in the front bedding block. If I hold the magazine in place, it feeds fine. I’m very disappointed. A gun should not have left the factory this way.

    I have made photos and will contact Ruger today to learn a solution.

  28. My experience with the RAR:
    Used a brand new RAR with 22″ barrel for under $300 as a donor rifle to build a CMP rimfire sporter (RFS) match legal T-class rifle (7.5 lb max weight, including optics, and empty magazine).
    The molded stock of the RAR is not suitable for shooting with traditional GI sling support on the bicep, the front end warps and it will touch the free floating barrel; the junky stock was replaced with a Boyd’s laminated sporter stock. Next, tried the aperture tech sight and their front sight post; was not competitive. For this game and my presbyopia, the round front post was not ideal and and the aperture was too big, was stringing vertical. Next, switched to optics: Leupold 2×7 rimfire scope with 1/4 moa clicks in low, one piece Talley rings, puts this now semi custom rifle close to the weight limit. Next, optimize ammo selection, Wolf extra match turned out to be consistent and reliable for the targets at hand. How good? 10 shot prone, with GI sling support, in max. 10min, with magazine change after 5 shots, at 50 feet indoor, reduced RFS CMP indoor target: repeatable, clean, 100 pts. perfect scores. Outdoors, at 50 yard CMP RFS target, same shooting position, 95-99 pts. Haven’t shot outdoors as much, I am sure, I will be able to “clean” it as well with more range time. Forgot, I am left eye dominant, shooting from left shoulder, cycling the right hand, 60 deg. bolt of the RAR with no issues in slow and rapid fire stages. Prone rapid fire stage looks like this: 30 seconds for 5 shots, starting from standing before shooting commences from the prone position. So, I NEED an ABSOLUTELY reliable gun, I have NO time to correct malfunctions during rapid fire. I use up the available time cycling the gun and rebuilding my position. The RAR DELIVERS the goods for me with the rotary, flush fit magazine (another benefit: no issues short stocking in standing position), fixed ejector like in a Mauser bolt gun, absolutely solid firing pin impact for reliable ignition, and flawless feeding/ extraction. The bolt appears to be a close copy of the bolt design of yesterday’s rim fire target rifles, but is a lot lighter. I do not have any quarrel with the factory trigger, left it alone, a tad heavier than the RFS rules require. Experienced not a single malfunction to date other than duds due to crappy ammo. I clean after each match/ practice, that’s a minimum of 65 rounds or with a re- entry match, minimum 130 shots. Cons: 1) bolt wobbles a bit more than I would like, but it does not get stuck or fights you while cycling, once the bolt is open, it moves smoothly with barely any force. 2) Force needed to open the bolt could be lower, since I am a lefty, I do not care that much because my position is anyway disturbed cycling with my left hand; that could be a deal breaker for a right handed shooter. Unsupported, shooting the standing 30s rapid stage, I cycle with my right hand and this bolt is lightning fast, giving me more time to settle back on target. After all was set and done, including the detour of the tech sight experiment, I have spend ~$900 with taxes, shipping, and transfer fees. Would I do it again? Maybe not, I overlooked the CZ at the time. The CZ 457 American appears to be serviceable out of the box for RFS and weighs 6.17lbs with a 24″ barrel (would expect it to be a tad steadier offhand than the RAR with 22″). That leaves enough headroom for the same scope in order to meet weight. At 2024 prices, with new components, a CZ457 rig with glass for RFS will break the $1k mark, used components will likely undercut what I spent on customizing the RAR for the RFS game. YMWV.
    The new Hammerli straight pull (similar to a Biathlon rig) will be an interesting attempt to solve the RFS rifle problem (if it is smooth…). That’s for another day.

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