We presented a selection of 22 LR rifles in the June 2022 issue of Gun Tests. You promptly told us that you wanted more, and that the next group needed to include the CZ 457. So we secured a sample of the recently-released CZ-USA CZ 457 Varmint MTR 02345 with the walnut stock and the vertical grip, $720. We also added a Browning T-Bolt 025236202 22 LR, $880, with a stainless barrel and action along with a grey/black laminated stock. Then we grabbed a Ruger American Rimfire Long-Range Target 8378, $532, with a two-tone laminate stock and 22-inch bull barrel. Last came the Savage B22 Precision 70248, $570, with the great AccuTrigger and a one-piece billet chassis from MDT.

For the sake of consistency, we decided to stick with the same ammo selection we used for the June 2022 article. Those were SK Match, Eley Tenex, and Eley Match rounds. Our team shot accuracy groups at 50 yards, and we weren’t disappointed.

Gun Tests Grade: B+

$532

Sturm, Ruger & Company introduced the “American” rifle line in 2012, right in the middle of an era when many rifle manufacturers were in a race to the bottom. The goal was to get to the bot-tom price, but dollars savings generally come at the cost of features or qualities on the product. While Ruger didn’t offer the least-expensive product in the market, they did come up with a worthwhile product at a very competitive price. We saw references to ads listing them in the sub-$400 range during their first year.

Their new rifles sported several design features that helped them reach their desired retail price point. The most quickly noticed was the polymer stock. Correctly built and reinforced, that type of stock can be very resistant to the weather. It can also be pretty flimsy. Ruger created a system they named “Power Bedding Blocks” to help mount the receiver solidly in the stock. A V-shaped forward block and a rear pillar are both embedded in the stock. Action screws are inserted through these two pieces and attached directly into the action. The forward block does much more than just act as a seat for the screw. Two wings protrude above the block (this is the V-shaped part) and are designed to be inserted into mortises on the bottom of the barrel. Everything tightens back down in a repeatable manner, and the setup prevents over-tightening the actions screws (unless you really try hard). Also in the new rifles were the Ruger Marksman adjustable triggers. More than slightly reminiscent in function of the Savage AccuTriggers, the unit provides a safety blade that must be depressed before the trigger can be activated. It is also user adjustable. When Ruger added in a rimfire version of their American rifle, the best parts of the centerfire versions came with it. One of our testers has been using a 22-inch Ruger American Rimfire for training classes for years and has been very pleased with it — especially the interchangeable stock inserts that can be purchased to allow for long or short length of pull and/or cheekrest height.

One of the rifles we covered in that June 2022 issue was the Ruger Precision Rimfire (RPR). Ruger recently took most of the good parts of the Precision and then rebuilt the exterior. The result is their Long-Range Target. Instead of the chassis used for the RPR, the LRT version now sat in a full-length stock much more along the lines of a benchrest rifle. Made of wood laminate, the stock has been painted brown and then speckled with a black accent. The full-length forend is long and flat, measuring more than 2 inches at its widest point. Inlet just below surface level is an M-Lok rail about 10 inches long. The market is full of accessories for M-Lok rails, so you get to decide if you want sling-swivel studs, Picatinny or Arca-Swiss rails. Want a different kind of sling attachment? No problem. The stock has reversible, transverse-mounted QD ports. It also has a sling-swivel stud at the rear. The inletting was frayed at a couple of points like it was done on a dull bit. That could improve, but the stock, as a whole, felt great and rode in the shooting bag solidly.

The back half of the stock provides an almost vertical hand grip very useful for positional shooting. The bottom of the buttstock has a narrow flat shelf and a bit of a notch, making it very easy to use the off-hand or a shooting bag for support. The LRT brings a cheek rest that could have come directly off one of their Precision Rimfires. That, however, would require a chassis and its structure. Ruger drilled through the stock of the LRT and mounted a fixture instead. Just like on the Precision Rifle, this cheekpiece seems to be a little short to us. It is the perfect length to pinch our cheek between the rest and our hearing protection. A solution we found was to remove and reverse the cheek piece, leaving the longer part of the extension to the rear.

The action is black hard-coat anodized aluminum. As with their Precision Rifles, the bolt handle is oversized, easy to find, and easy to operate. The LRT uses standard Ruger magazines. It ships with the 10-round version allowing the mag to be flush with the stock. Any Ruger-compatible 15- or 25-round mag should work as well. The bolt provides a single extractor hook with a metal wedge that maintains tension for the case against the extractor. Bolt removal is accomplished by depressing a lever on the left rear of the receiver. The muzzle is threaded 1⁄2×28 and is ready for a brake or a suppressor.

We did all our testing with the triggers set as they arrived from the factory. The Ruger trigger was a bit heavy, averaging 3.4 pounds. It is also adjustable with a listed range of 2 to 5 pounds.

Our Team Said: We found the trigger to be very consistent and predictable, making it easy to shoot. We liked the stock, but its execution could have been better. Accuracy-wise, the LRT came in second place out of the four tested in this group. It showed a preference for the SK Match ammo, posting the second-smallest group of all fired in these tests at 0.360 inch for five shots at 50 yards.

22 LR Range Data (50 Yards)