Personal experiences wanted....22LR Mark III vs. Buck Mark

[TheBigLebowski]

I'd like to pick up a little 22LR to target shoot with these days. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.......

If anyone has a Mark III or a Buck Mark they are trying to sell, let me know why your trying to sell. I can't really post a WTB or contact you since I'm a new member. I like the looks of a Buck Mark.

 

[DialTone301]

Nothing to sell but I will say that I have both a Mark 2 and a Mark 3 and they are very accurate. The Mark 2 has eaten everything I have tried in it and I expect the same of the Mark 3.

 

[doglb]

Ive owned both...both are awesome shooters...
The thing most people complain about is the disassembly/reassembly of the Rugers...

Never had an issue with either one...both can be customized to the shooters liking with upgrades, different length barrels etc.

You will probably pay a bit more for the Browning, and I like the fact that Ruger is offering alot more models with removal grip panels and threaded barrels-

Cant go wrong with either one, it all depends on which one you like more!

 

[hooky]

I have a Mark III 22/45 and have shot a buddy's tricked out buckmark. I love my Ruger, but that Buckmark is pretty sweet. He's easily got a few hundred more invested in the Browning than my stock gun. I don't think either would do you wrong. I'd look for the best deal on one or the other and wouldn't look back.

 

[shootinghoosier]

A friend of mine had a Buckmark...seemed like everytime we went to the range, he spent more time working on it because of FTEs than actually shooting it downrange. When it did function, the Buckmark was indeed accurate, but he lost patience with it and sold it.

I have a Ruger Mk III and have not had a bit of trouble with it. Eats all types of ammo and is more accurate than I can ever hope to be. I will say it is very hard to disassemble/reassemble for cleaning. I now only run a cleaning rod and patch soaked in solvent down the barrel, followed by a patch with oil, and leave it at that.

 

[deadsquirrel]

I prefer the mark 3 ruger. Mine has been great and once you get used to taking it apart it becomes very easy.

 

[jgreiner]

I'd like to pick up a little 22LR to target shoot with these days. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.......

If anyone has a Mark III or a Buck Mark they are trying to sell, let me know why your trying to sell. I can't really post a WTB or contact you since I'm a new member. I like the looks of a Buck Mark.

If you haven't shot a Ruger MK III Target or Hunter (I prefer the Hunter), then by all means do so. The local range here in town has an older MKII or so that they rent out....it's a great shooting gun. And the Ruger will be around for your great great grandchildren to shoot, that gun is SO over engineered that it will literally last for generations. I purchased a MK II in 1978. My younger brother now has it, and his kids shoot it all the time. He REFUSES to sell it back to me.

Browning makes some nice guns. I had a Browning BL-22 Lever Action rifle back in the mid 1970's. It was a great gun. And a beautiful gun. But I don't think they are built anywhere nearly as well as the Rugers.

and I just find the Hunter DAMN sexy.

BTW...the front sight is as red fiber optic sight. Those sights are amazing, I have one on my S&W MP 9mm Pro.

 

[jajwrigh]

I have owned 2 buckmark camper models and I sold them both. They were decent guns but they are definitely a little particular about what you feed them. I currently have a ruger mark III 22/45 target and I love that gun! The Ruger cycles everything and it is very accurate. I will never part ways with this one...

 

[INyooper]

Don't think I'll be selling my MKIII Hunter any time soon. Just had it out today making one big ragged hole in the paper. FWIW, the first time I did a field strip, it was somewhat frustrating (to say the least). It's not nearly so difficult after it's done a few times.

I know people who have good things to say about the Buckmark as well. I don't really think you could go wrong with either.

 

[jgreiner]

Ive owned both...both are awesome shooters...
The thing most people complain about is the disassembly/reassembly of the Rugers...

Never had an issue with either one...both can be customized to the shooters liking with upgrades, different length barrels etc.

You will probably pay a bit more for the Browning, and I like the fact that Ruger is offering alot more models with removal grip panels and threaded barrels-

Cant go wrong with either one, it all depends on which one you like more!

you can get one of these kits and make tear down and cleaning a snap, AND improve the trigger pull.

 

[barrelmaker_2002]

I have extensive trigger time on both. I have owned two Buckmarks and the club I advise has 2 Mark II's, 6 Mark III's and 3 Buckmarks.

For an entry level target gun, both are fine choices. Though, I will say the very basic models of each usually have just OK sights and so-so triggers. Spend a bit more and you will get better sights and at least a slightly better trigger.

Neither gun tends to be ammo finnicky and they do not need to be cleaned all the time - I tend to clean my Buckmark every 300-500 rounds. Our club guns get cleaned 2-3 times per year, which works out to at least 1500 round between cleanings.

In terms of how easy it is to maintain them, they are a draw. The Buckmark has more small parts and is slightly more tedious to disaasemble. The Ruger is easy to tak apart but sort of a pain to put back together. Note that this comment does not apply to detail stripping. I have never detail stripped a Mark III and the getting the mainspring and hammer back into a Buckmark is a giant PITA. In terms of durability, I would have to give a slight edge to the Ruger.

The grip angle on the two pistols is totally different. You should try both and see which you like.

The Ruger has a major advantage when it comes to customization. There are tons of parts and mods available - to the point where you could literally build an entire gun with non-Ruger parts other than maybe magazines. Buckmarks mods are pretty scarce in comparison. One possible downside is that the upper receiver on a Ruger is a single piece and is the serialized part. So if you want to change the barrel, you have to buy the entire upper and it has to go through an FFL (unless you buy it FTF in state of course).

Finally, what sort of target shooting matters.
- If you want a gun for NRA Conventional (Bullseye) shooting, the maximum barrel length is 10" and the maximum sight radius is 10". Minimum trigger pull is 2 lbs.

- For NRA International and/or ISSF events, maximum barrel length is 6" and maximum sight radius is 8.6" Minimum trigger pull is 2.2 lbs.

- for International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Association (IMHSA), maximum barrel length is 10.65 inches and in the production class, only parts from the same manufacturer can be used to modify or repair the gun. There is no minimum trigger pull or max overall length.

- For NRA silhouette, pistols used for the conventional event (vs. unlimited) may have a barrel up to 12". There is no minimum trigger weight or max sight radius.

Note that most of these competitions have max weights too, though neither gun you are looking at is likely to exceed any of them.

Clear as mud? Good. In my experience, I find that if you are not sure what types of competition you are interested in, getting a gun with a 6" or less barrel is ideal. Both pistols come in models with a 5.5" barrel.

That being said, if you know you do not want to shoot NRA international competitions, then a longer barrel is a good idea. The Ruger can be had with a 6.88" barrel and the Buckmark is available with a 7.25" barrel.

Anyway, good luck. Lots to think about. PM me if you have any more detailed questions about rules and such. I can provide links to rule books and such. Not the most exciting reading though.

 

[BlueDog]

I am also looking for a Browning Buck Mark (either camper or hunter) to replace a Ruger 22/45. The 22/45 is solid and reliable, but the grip angle just didn't work for me. Interesting to hear that some Brownings may be finicky with certain ammo, the Rugers are hard to beat in this regard. Thanks for all the info!

 

[Hoosier45]

I have a Mark III Target that I put a Volquartsen trigger kit in. It is one of my favorite shooters and I have lost track of how many rounds are through it. Close to 10k?

I have a Buckmark Micro URX and a Buckmark Plus UDX. Both are accurate fun guns.

You really can't go wrong with either. It's all personal preference. Ford vs Chevy.

 

[Osobuco]

I own both - a MkIII 6" and a stainless Buckmark. I will not sell either but I prefer the Ruger - Both are tack drivers but the Ruger has that old world heft and look to it I just love!

Other 22s I own include a Beretta Cheetah, Beretta 70s, Walther P22 and Beretta 21

I love them all, All are of course different and the Cheetah and 70s are in a class by themselves. I hope to pass them all down to my boys some day.

If I had to give them all up and choose only one it would be the Cheetah

 

[Tryin']

I received a MKIII 22/45 TB for Christmas and could not be happier. Very accurate, handles very nicely, and eats EVERYTHING. Federal Bulk Pack, CCI Subsonics, even Remington Golden Bullets!()

Gun is rough to get apart the first time; some guys have trouble, some do not. I fixed mine with a bit of judicious stoning; now it locks up nice and tight and comes apart smoothly.

Again, NO issues so far! (500 rnds) Not ONE FTF, FTF, FTE, with standard ammo. I did experience low reliability with CCI CB Longs. . .
Better than I can say of my cousin's Buckmark. . . But not better than my friend's. Pick what appeals to you; the Ruger.

 

[jkirby]

I own a MK III 22/45RP and can't say enough good things about it. I've had it for just over a month and have shot almost 1000 rounds through it. It has quickly became my favorite gun to shoot. I'm sure the Buck Mark is a quality gun but i have no experience with one, so no opinion here. I've added a Sightmark reflex sight and now I'm as accurate as the gun is. Its accurate, reliable, looks good and is a really nice gun.

 

[JettaKnight]

A friend of mine had a Buckmark...seemed like everytime we went to the range, he spent more time working on it because of FTEs than actually shooting it downrange. When it did function, the Buckmark was indeed accurate, but he lost patience with it and sold it.

I have a Ruger Mk III and have not had a bit of trouble with it. Eats all types of ammo and is more accurate than I can ever hope to be. I will say it is very hard to disassemble/reassemble for cleaning. I now only run a cleaning rod and patch soaked in solvent down the barrel, followed by a patch with oil, and leave it at that.

Ditto this. My dad's Buckmark has a lot of problems. But I suspect it's more of a one-off thing than a slight against the Buckmark in general. Personally, the Buckmark's right handed grips don't fit my left hand.

I own a Mark III 22/45 Hunter, stainless steel, fluted 6 7/8" barrel. Mods: Volquartsen trigger and sear, Mk II bushing (removes mag interlock), loaded chamber filler, bolt hold open spring removed, iron sights removed and red dot installed. The difference before and after is dramatic - the once OK trigger is now terrific.

Check out the Rimfire Central forum.

 

[TheBigLebowski]

Thanks for all the good info....... I think I am going to price out a MKIII Hunter in stainless.....I've held one that I really like.

 

[Bummer]

Hold both. Preferably one after the other a few times in a row. Do it with your eyes closed. Let your hand tell you what feels best. That's what I did, and the Buckmark came out the winner.

In over 1800 rounds fired the Buckmark has had three failures to feed, all of which were resolved by pulling back on the slide and letting it go again. The offending round chambered and fired each time. Seems fairly reliable to me, though my Colt Combat Elite has done that once in just over 2,000 rounds, and that was a dented case. I'm using Federal from Wally World, which I assume to be fairly generic.

All that said, I really wouldn't mind having a Ruger too. Can't have too many guns.

 

[paperboy]

Ive had both. I really think the trigger on the buckmark may be a little better but I like the heft of the MKIII. Both are very accurate and have eaten everything I put through them. I did get rid of the Browning, just to get something else. As far as disassembly goes, the MKIII isn't really all that hard.