Bullseye? Bullseye: Top six rimfire pistols

Bullseye? Bullseye: Top six rimfire pistols
by Jim Grant
http://www.guns.com/review/2014/09/04/bullseye-bullseye-top-six-rimfire-pistols/
A group of shooters on the line during a bullseye match in New Jersey (Photo:
NjPistol.com)
Many shooters get their feet wet in competitive shooting by competing in club-level
bullseye shooting matches. Most of these are NRA Bullseye matches and require a
shooter use a .22 LR pistol or revolver capable of holding at least five rounds either with
or absent an unmagnified optical sight. With a three-part course of fire consisting of a
slow fire, timed fire and rapid fire string, speed comes second to precision. The one area
that snags up many new shooters is what equipment to run.
For optic sights anything that will hold zero and features a dot smaller than two minutes
of angle will work fine, but what about the lead delivery system? The .22 LR pistols run
the gamut in terms of price and performance but the two aren’t always linked. In other
words, the most expensive pistol isn’t always the best. With this great conundrum in
mind, Guns.com presents the top six target pistols for bullseye shooting.
1. High Standard “Sport King” – $300-$500
The High Standard Sport King may be dated, but it still outperforms pistols double its
price. (Photo: Jim Grant)
When Carl Gustav Swebilius purchased the Hartford Arms and Equipment Company in
1932 and began making .22-caliber pistols, few people would have imagined that they
would go on to build both world class target pistols, and the preferred assassination
handgun of the OSS in World War II. History nuts like Guns.com’s own Francis Borek
and myself, revel in the old-world quality of the High Standard Sport King pistol.
Featuring a quick-change, fixed-barrel design and crisp single action trigger, the Sport
King was light years ahead of its time. Each gun was milled from a single block of steel
and just oozes quality. Thankfully, used models can be purchase for a song, especially if
they have a rough-looking exterior.
2. Ruger MKII/III – $389-$729
The author’s MkIII with custom grips has punch tons of paper and slayed many a
squirrel. (Photo: Jim Grant)
Ruger’s get a bad rap for being one of the least expensive options for new bullseye
shooters, but they offer a tremendous amount of value and flexibility. Unlike older
bullseye pistols, the Mark III’s receiver is already tapped for a scope mount that is
included with the handgun. Additionally, since the pistol is so ubiquitous there are
hundreds of available accessories for it.
The platform’s shortcomings are its somewhat limited accuracy when compared to
higher-end target pistols, and its difficult disassembly procedure for the uninitiated. The
MKIII has higher tolerances than every other pistol on this list and tends to function with
all but the worst ammunition.
3. Browning Buck Mark – $549.99-$579.99
The Buck Mark is a classic .22LR pistol with an old-world price (Photo: GunAuction.com)
The Buck Mark is a fairly inexpensive way to get into bullseye shooting without holding
most shooters back. It may not be as accurate as the purpose-built models from
Hammerli or Walther, but it holds tight enough groups that any 10-ring misses are purely
shooter error.
Like every model on this list, the Buck Mark features a fixed barrel, but unlike the rest
has a build-in scope rail. The newest models from Browning, dubbed URX feature an
ultra-soft finger-grooved grip, which is good for camping guns, but not necessarily for
target ones. The Buck Mark has been around for awhile, so finding accessories should
be easy enough and the magazines are inexpensive.
4. Smith & Wesson Model 41 – $1,369
An early model Smith and Wesson 41 still looks as sharp as ever with performance to
match. (Photo: GunAuction.com)
Designed with the same 105 degree grip as the venerable 1911, the Smith & Wesson
Model 41 was built for the 1911 lover wanting to try their hand at bullseye shooting. In
fact the stock trigger of a Model 41 feels like it belongs on a match-grade rifle or 1911.
Just like a 1911 the Model 41 comes with a steep price tag, and rightfully so — it’s a
purpose-built target pistol with ultra-tight fitting internals.
The Model 41 is more accurate than its main competitor, the Ruger MkIII, but at more
than double its MSRP hasn’t proved as popular. Older models are just as accurate as
modern ones and often times have a better, hand-fitted trigger. So be sure to check
pawn shops for 41’s that might have a scuffed exterior to save big bucks on this tackdriver.
5. Walther GSP – $1,000
Walther’s GSP looks like it was dropped by a time traveller. (Photo: GunAuction.com)
The Walther GSP looks like Han Solo went to JJ Abrams to redesign his blaster pistol,
and forgot to remind JJ to not make it look like cake-froster. But don’t let the GSP’s uberfuturistic design fool you, this odd-shaped Walther is a precision-built tack-driver.
Featuring a magazine well forward of the pistol grip, the GSP is balanced to reduce
shooter fatigue during slow-fire shooting strings. Several variations of the GSP exist with
grips that suits both left and right-handed shooters with all hand sizes. The biggest
downside of the Walther is finding one, a quick glance at Walther’s website reveals that
the gun isn’t listed for sale, so finding a distributor in the U.S. can be tricky. Used models
are generally just as nice as newer ones but parts will be equally tough to find and likely
not cheap.
6. Hammerli SP20 RRS – $1,899
The SP20 RRS has everything you could ever want from a target pistol, except good
looks. (Photo: GunAuction.com)
The Hammerli SP20 is a weaponized extension of the human hand. The gun points as
quickly as your index finger, and recoils so lightly it feels like it might just be vibrating.
Like the Walther GSP, the SP20 RRS features a forward magazine design for better
balance, and the grips are roughly fitted to the user’s hand before fine tuning is
performed.
The Hammerli is a world-class pistol for world-class competitors and carries a worldclass price. If you’ve never shot a bullseye match before, the Hammerli will make you
look like a serious competitor until you pull the trigger. Because unlike every pistol on
this list, this gun gives the shooter zero excuses to not punch the X out of the target.
If you don’t own a target pistol yet, purchase something else first, unless you’re a multimillionaire that hates money, because learning on the Hammerli is not different than
learning on a Ruger, except it costs more. If you ask yourself, “can I possibly improve
myself as a shooter in any way?”, and the response is “no.” That is the time you’re ready
for a Hammerli.
Bullseye? Bullseye
Shooters getting into bullseye shooting are sometimes intimidated by all the expensive,
“Space guns” they see, but remember, performance is more than just equipment.
Physical fitness, stamina and dedicated practice play just as much of a role in victory as
a high-end target pistol. If you don’t believe me, look at online scoreboards sometime.
Many shooters, including myself, have placed very well with stock Ruger Mk IIIs and
Buck Marks often times beating opponents with vastly superior equipment. Though it
never hurts to have the best.