Ruger revolvers….don’t seem to hear about them in the bullseye arena

Revolvers and Bullseye shooting sport are all rather new to me so please forgive my naïveté.
Reading some review articles regarding Ruger revolvers, several models seem to be well thought of with respect to durability and accuracy…and yet I haven’t really read much or anything of their presence in the bullseye sport. Curious as to why?
Appreciate your thoughts and experience.

Rugers like the GP100 have two big strikes against them.

(1) the best Ruger trigger, shims and action springs and all, is going to pale in comparison to a decent Smith or Colt trigger

(2) the Ruger hammers and grips are not super ergonomic for thumbcocking (for SAO sustained fire)

I tried a 6” GP100 for a while. Decent sights, good balance, but the trigger just was not competitive.

Rugers can be a solid option. I have seen several people shoot well with them, mostly GP100s if I recall. I shot one for a bit and enjoyed it. You don't really hear about them for two reasons:
1.) They do not have the history of Colts or Smiths, making them somewhat less desirable. Sort of like people tend to like the older colts and smiths vs the newer ones.
2.)A significant group of bullseye shooters that don't regularly contribute online, meaning the vast majority of advice and discussion is the loudest voices, and not necessarily the most inclusive or diverse.

Trigger is a preference thing, what works for one may not for another. I have handled just about as many Smiths and Colts that sucked that were good. Same thing on GP100s, some good others not so much. I have never had an issue thumb cocking GP100s, but I also typically shoot double action.

Funny, I just had a conversation about exact same topic with one of our club members. He likes his Ruger because of the weight and balance, but he cannot thumb cock this narrow spur hammer. Unfortunately, it is our understanding that the hammer mods are not legal for DR and CMP EIC, otherwise I could solder a piece of steel to the spur and shape and checker it. And there are no aftermarket parts for Ruger revolvers.
Of course, it wouldn't be an issue for those brave people shooting DA

If I shot double action I’d use my GP100 or Rhino in a heartbeat. I shoot SA and use a Colt OMM.  I have medium glove hand size I can thumb cock the Gp100 just fine.  Before next season I actually plan on shooting both again and just pick the higher performer, who knows it may just be the 4” Gp100.  Yes the “popular” opinion is Smith or Colt but “thats just like opinion man.”  For example my carry gun from like 1998–2016 was a Glock 23 (40s&w) that to this day has the BEST trigger shy of a 1911.  I was confused for years what people were talking about on Glock triggers.  Really wish I knew why its so darn good, I’d be rich: certain Rugers could be similar, just as the popular opinion pieces have lemons.

Fun to shoot, very accurate, nice trigger, great sights. It's just very hard to keep up with the line. It's not like you can find 12 extra Bisley cylinders lying around so you can swap them out. A Harry Reeves match once in awhile is fun.

Ive seen a few customized for PPC by Clark. Bullseye, not so much.

I like that the ejection rod and cylinder release are pinned in a Ruger. I have had issues with my beloved K frames with their design in these areas.

Im not a fan of Ruger front sights and their design to replace the blade in a dovetail groove. (GP100). There is nothing like a K masterpiece front objective.

Others have mentioned the excellent triggers that can be obtained in the Smiths and Colts.

Drawman, can you tell me more about your revolver, may i ask, what model is that?

When I first started bullseye shooting it was with a Ruger Security-Six because that was all I had.  With Pachmayer finger groove grips and some stoning of the action (plus lighter springs) it was acceptable to me at that time.  I shoot single action and had no real trouble cocking it although I was in my early 20s back then so better coordination all around.  
  I Sold that gun off and switched to a S&W 14-6 which I find has a much better trigger.
I currently do have a GP100 but it’s trigger is no where near as good as the smith (or my old gun from my memory anyways) so I suspect that is is its limiting factor when it comes to competition shooters.

John

Way back when (yes, I'm as old as dirt), a buddy wanted a 4" semi-custom Ruger Security Six for duty. He wanted it in .357 Mag. He contacted Clark Custom (Jim, Sr.) was still alive. Clark Custom re-chambered a Ruger Security Six that was a .38 SPL for .357 magnum. They also did a trigger job. That was one sweet trigger job.

BE Mike wrote:Way back when (yes, I'm as old as dirt), a buddy wanted a 4" semi-custom Ruger Security Six for duty. He wanted it in .357 Mag. He contacted Clark Custom (Jim, Sr.) was still alive. Clark Custom re-chambered a Ruger Security Six that was a .38 SPL for .357 magnum. They also did a trigger job. That was one sweet trigger job.

I bet Ruger service center was wild about that!!!

james r chapman wrote:

BE Mike wrote:Way back when (yes, I'm as old as dirt), a buddy wanted a 4" semi-custom Ruger Security Six for duty. He wanted it in .357 Mag. He contacted Clark Custom (Jim, Sr.) was still alive. Clark Custom re-chambered a Ruger Security Six that was a .38 SPL for .357 magnum. They also did a trigger job. That was one sweet trigger job.

I bet Ruger service center was wild about that!!!

As I recall, Jim Clark, Sr. said that the .38 SPL and .357 Mag Security Six revolvers were the same, except for the charging holes of the cylinder. He gave my buddy a choice of waiting until a .357 Mag came into the shop or getting the conversion. My buddy chose the latter. He had the only .357 Mag that I knew of that had .38 SPL on the barrel! It was worth it for the story! My real point was that the Ruger Security Six could have a really nice trigger if the right person doing the work knew what they were doing. I think that Jim, Sr. and Ruger had a very good relationship from the time that Jim Clark, Sr. won the NRA National Pistol Championship.

I’m not sure that Ruger (or the Ruger lawyers) would have the same appreciation of the modifications today.  There are companies today that will return a modified gun back to factory specifications, some will even keep the non-conforming parts, and then return it to you.  Part if it is “we can’t assume that the modified parts are acceptable”, and part of it is “nanny state” and legal responsibility.

I have a GP-100, 4" barrel, I bought it just before starting Bullseye shooting in 2019.  I mounted a red dot on it and used it for center fire for about half a year.  It is decently accurate, off a rest it will hold 10 ring at 50 yards.  It likes the Remington bulk pack 130 gr FMJ ammo.  I think you can use that ammo for CMP revolver matches.

I haven't used it for DR or CMP matches yet, but I did remove the red-dot sight.  Single action, the trigger is decent.  Double action, it is a long pull, I will need to practice with it.  I have to use double action for rapid fire.

I shot a 32long Smith & Wesson For 5-6 years at the club, I called it a 10-32, shot DA full time. Done a few Ruger for my friends. The secret to a smooth action, if it moves polish it. Install bearings, and right springs. My 686 has a three pound D/A trigger, I worked on it that it had the same poundage from start to finish on the trigger pull.

brand-new wrote:Drawman, can you tell me more about your revolver, may i ask, what model is that?

I shoot an 8 3/8” Smith Wesson model 14.   K masterpiece. It might be a -3 version.  The revolver is stock but for an old set of thumb rest grips (Herrett I believe).
Its no good for competitive shooting (over 6” bbl) but my aging eyes appreciate the long sight radius and the gun is very accurate. 

I medaled when shooting USRA matches with it in the 90’s. 

To the OP, I love Ruger products and deeply respect them.  Their reliability is superb.  I was exposed to S&W early on and just never looked back. 

The bullseye in the photo I posted was with Defender ammo, a 158gr semi wadcutter reload. That company was based in or near Fort Bragg at one time and staffed by patriots. Good people, good ammo.  Thats at least as important, if not more so, than the brand of revolver you choose (my 2 cents)