Ruger Bearcat 22

[curdog007]

We love 'em. Living in the woods, the whole family has one each.
Never had trouble getting them to shoot to the sights.
Rat shot in the first two holes, followed by 4 std. velocity target solids.

[uscra112]

So glad to read some of these comments. I lusted after a BC for years and years. Then I was offered one by a fellow club member. I couldn't hit a barn from the inside with it, and declined. And now I know I wasn't the only one who couldn't hit anything with one. The $100 Iver Johnson I keep by the back door for porch pests would beat that Bearcat all hollow.

[Hickory]

I bought a Bearcat for my son when he was 6 years old, it's the model that that Ruger reintroduced and is all steel.
I was suprised how well it shot. Of course my son, just being 6 years old couldn't hit much with it, but I could hit 12 gauge shotgun shells at 50 feet more often than not.
I've seen some good shooting Bearcats over the years and I've seen some that I wouldn't pay $10 for they shot so poorly.

[pietro]

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Yep - I learned the hard way: buy/try/sell, repeat as req'd until I got one with trued sights from the factory..


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[onelight]

I have had two of the fixed sighted bearcats that shot ok , both traded off.
I much prefer adjustable sights on guns I might hunt small game with . When the adjustable sight model came out I couldn't pass it up and it shoots great for a small revolver. It's a keeper for me but I wish I had the stainless version.

[Drm50]

In early 60s the first big box store in our area was Harts Family Center in Bridgeport, Ohio. My dad went to grad opening and came back with two pistols and a sack of doughnuts. The pistols were Colt clones from Germany. One was 22lr and the other 32 long. We shot the snot out of the 22. The 32 shot better than the 22. My dad could plink of beer cans at 25’ and call what he was going to hit on can. Dad traded it off to a guy at work for a Stevens trappers pistol 22 so it wasn’t around by the time I was old enough to fool with it. I remember that there were many German SAs on the market in 32, same money as the 22s. You hardly ever see one anymore.

[onelight]

This thread got me wanting a little bearcat time so I took it to the range with me this morning .
Its a good little shooter , like all small guns it is harder for me to shoot well than a larger gun but it I managed to put 20 rounds in about a 5/8" hole standing 2 hands , nearly centered on a 1" dot at 21' that ain't bad for me with 2 fliers outside the group . The trigger on it is in the 3lb range but it has a lot of creep hoping it will smooth up with a bit of use.

[historicfirearms]

I've had a few bearcat and never could get them to shoot. The last one I had a few years ago got a good look over because I really wanted it to shoot anything well. After trying 25 different 22lr loads I have up. When I measured the cylinder, it had no throats, just a straight hole through from the chamber. Like ruger used a drill bit to chamber the cylinder. Ugh. Maybe a 1960s model would be better made.

[uscra112]

.22 LR revolver cylinders do not have a "throat" since the O.D. of the heeled bullet is the same as the O.D. of the case.

[bigted]

Thanks all. Think I have my answer. Will attempt to find a stainless adjustable sighted model to trial fit and feel at a store.

Thanks again everybody