Ruger American Rimfire Target Model 8367 22 LR

A 22 LR bolt-action rifle is a staple in any gun safe. These low-recoil, inexpensive-to-shoot guns are great training rifles and fun plinkers. They also make great small-game hunting rifles. We wanted to take a look at how a pair of affordable, inexpensive rifles would compare to two premium rifles costing double and triple what the price of the affordable guns were and see if we could assess a Best Buy rating. Or, would the premium guns so knock our socks off that we’d recommend one of the more expensive firearms as an Our Pick.

The premium guns consisted of the Bergara BMR ($650) and Ruger’s American Rimfire Target ($505), and the two affordable rifles were the Savage MK II FVXP ($305) and Mossberg’s 802 Plinkster ($190). Three of the four 22 LR bolt-actions were equipped with an 18-inch barrel and were optics ready. The Savage came with a factory mounted scope and a 21-inch barrel. The Bergara, Ruger, and Mossberg all handled like carbines, while the Savage handled more like a rifle. Standard equipment among all four rifles were sling swivel studs onto which you could also mount a bipod on the front stud if you so desired, a protruding cocking indicator, two-position manual safety, and removable box magazines of either steel or polymer. We wanted to see if paying extra for a 22 LR rifle translated into better performance. Our success criteria were accuracy and ease of use.

The Savage came with a factory-mounted Weaver 3-9x40mm SFP scope. The clarity was good, and the reticle was a simple Duplex shape, which Weaver calls a Dual-X reticle. The Weaver and the Savage worked well together. A Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x32mm rimfire SFP scope ($179; VortexOptics.com) was mounted with Vortex Pro Series 1-inch medium-height rings ($79; MidwayUSA.com) for the Bergara and the Ruger. The rings used on the Mossberg were NCStar 3⁄8-inch dovetail 1-inch rings ($13; Amazon.com). The clarity in the Vortex scope was very sharp, noticeably better than the Weaver scope. A V-Plex MOA reticle, similar to a simple Duplex reticle, was inside the Vortex’s tube.

How We Tested

We bored-sighted the Vortex scope on the Bergara, Mossberg, and Ruger. The Savage was bore-sighted at the factory. Using a range bag as a rest, we zeroed for 50 yards and commenced accuracy testing. Ammunition consisted of Winchester Xpert HV with a 36-grain HP bullet, a hot Aguila Supermaximum cartridge loaded with a 30-grain copper-plated solid bullet, the classic Remington Thunderbolt with a 40-grain lead roundnose bullet, and the hot CCI Velocitor round using a 40-grain copper-plated hollow point.

We also used two new toe bags under our rifles because our sand-filled gym sock gave up the ghost. The CVLife ($23; CVLife.com) rear squeeze bag is made of 1000-denier polyester so it should survive frequent use. It came with a pouch pre-filled with plastic beads that is accessible through a zipper so you can remove it and add sand or whatever fill you want. The bag is designed in the shape of rectangular pancake and offers different heights for different needs. We liked this bag because it was very light weight and had enough give so you could squeeze it to adjust your sight picture. The OneTigris bag ($17; OneTigris.com) is made of 500D Cordura nylon and also come pre-filled with lightweight plastic pellets, but there is no zipper to remove, add, or exchange the fill. We found this bag had less give and was too hard to squeeze to adjust elevation. With use it started to give, but we wanted more give so that when we squeezed it, it would suit our aiming needs. The OneTigris is shaped like a cylinder and offered fewer height options than the CVLife bag. Both bags had Velcro straps so you can attach them to your gear.

After sending plenty of lead down range and sweeping up plenty of 22 rimfire empties, we found that both the Ruger and Bergara are quality-built rifles with better overall accuracy and more features than the Savage and Mossberg, hence the price difference. But they were very different products themselves; the Bergara is ultra lightweight, and the Ruger is heavy. Price, however, was not a requirement for accuracy, as we found with the inexpensive Mossberg. There is a lot to like about these rifles for any budget.

Ruger American Rimfire Target Model 8367 22 LR

$505

GUN TESTS GRADE:  A-

The American Rimfire Target is a heavy rimfire with a fairly good trigger. Accuracy was good. The 60-degree bolt lift made manipulating the bolt fast and no fingers jammed against the scope.

A big step up in price from the Mossberg was the Ruger American Rimfire Target. This rifle is a full-size model that is made for adults. The laminated stock felt nice in hand and features an Alexander Henry fore end and a rubber recoil pad that is sticky when you shoulder the rifle — which is good for precision work and not good for snap shooting when you quickly bring the rifle to eye level for a shot. The recoil pad could have been blended a bit better where it meets the stock. There is no texture on the gripping areas of the rifle, so it can get a bit slippery. The bottom on the stock is fairly flat, making it easier to steady the rifle on the bench compared to a stock that is rounded on the bottom. The Ruger logo is tastefully engraved on the pistol grip cap. 

There is an internal bedding system that locks the receiver to the stock. Ruger calls it Power Bedding Block. It features a V-shaped forward block and rear pillar inset into the stock. The action screws tighten the action to the stock using the block. It is a nice set up. 

The heavy-taper 18-inch bull barrel is free floated and gives the rifle heft. The muzzle is also threaded for a muzzle device. 

The Ruger weighed 6.7 pounds without a scope, and we thought that was a lot of weight for a walk-around small-game rifle, but doable. The extra weight helps to settle the rifle when resting it on sandbags for long shots. The American Rimfire Target is only 37 inches in length and handles like a carbine.

The trigger is Ruger’s Marksman Adjustable unit, which is similar to the Savage AccuTrigger, with a safety blade built into the trigger face. The Ruger trigger was crisp, consistent, and predictable, but broke at 4.4 pounds, which was too heavy. It can be adjusted from 3 to 5 pounds, but you need to remove the barreled action from the stock, and that is a pain. We prefer to be able to adjust the trigger without disassembling the rifle. We’d tear the rifle down once and adjust the trigger closer to 3 pounds if we owned this gun.

The trigger guard was plastic. A BX-1 10-round magazine fits flush with the bottom of the stock. We prefer a flush-fit magazine because it doesn’t get in the way when you rest the rifle for a shot, plus it makes it more comfortable to carry in the field. The magazine release protruded just enough to make magazine removal easy. It also accepts all Ruger 10/22 magazines. Who doesn’t have spare 10/22 magazines?

The Picatinny/Weaver-style rail allowed us to easily mount the Vortex scope. A feature we really appreciate is the 60-degree bolt throw, which clears the bolt knob from the eyepiece of the scope. Manipulating the bolt is easy without getting your fingers jammed up against the eyepiece. We could also cycle the bolt while still viewing the target through the scope. This ability is a big plus in our book. The knob was smooth, so it was slick to palm.

The two-position safety falls under the thumb of either a right- or left-handed shooter, which is convenient. With the safety in the Safe position, you can manipulate the bolt.

Going hot, we found the Ruger shot well, with a best group coming from the hot CCI Velocitor ammo that measured 0.69 inch. The hot Aguila Supermaximum also gave us a best group that measured 0.77 inch, and the Winchester Xpert HV measured 0.95 inch. The Ruger preferred the higher-velocity ammo. On average across all ammo, groups ranged from 0.71 inch to 1.19 inches, averaging 0.91 inch, making it the second-most accurate rifle in the match up.

Our Team Said: The Ruger is an adult-sized rifle that offers very good accuracy, offers an easy-to-manipulate bolt that doesn’t jam up your fingers, and it has a flush-fit magazine for a comfortable carry position. This is a good choice if you want a hybrid rifle with heft that can hunt as well as shoot long range.

To collect accuracy data, we fired five-shot groups from a bench using a rest. Distance: 50 yards. Velocities were recorded using a ProChrono digital chronograph set 15 feet from the muzzle. 

Written and photographed by Robert A. Sadowski, using evaluations from Gun Tests Team members. GT