Ruger mark 4

I just bought a new Mark 4 is it alright to shoot bird shot through.

Now think...Why would you really want to do that ?
Have you EVER seen what that load can do to a BBL's rifling ?
And so it goes...

Welcome to the Forum.

What's the owners manual say or does it even mention that?

I just wanted to check with you guys also I want to put a red dot on the mark 4 something that wont break the bank I also have a weaver 4 power pistol scope I may try. Any suggestions

Have to disagree with Will. I've a MKI that I've fired many hundred CCi shotshells (with the plastic capsules) and suffered no damage whatsoever.

There is a bit of plastic residue if you fire many, but it cleans easily with brass brush.

I've used Remington, Federal and Winchester, "crimped" .22 rimfire rounds through several .22 pistols and most of mine are of the Ruger ilk. The #12 shot will not harm the rifling in any manner, and to profess that it does is erroneous. It may leave a bit more "lead smear" in the grooves than a normal .22 40 grain lead bullet, but a bronze brush will get that bore back to normal in short order. I can't imagine that the plastic encapsulated shot would be any harder to remove from the rifling.

The ONLY issue that I've found involving shooting those crimped shot loads is that the shot pattern will come out of the bore and be "swirled" due to the rifling. That action will produce a pattern in the shape more like a donut, rather than the full pattern that a smooth bore will produce.

I purchased a Colt Police Positive revolver at a yard sale that had a nasty bulge in the barrel for a very reasonable price. As I was planning to "line" the barrel anyway, I thought to try some of those very same .22 rimfire shotshells in that revolver with a smooth 8 mm diameter bore caused by the liner drill. Turned out to be a wicked killer on chipmunks and woodpeckers that had a habit of drilling on the aluminum roof of my woodshed. After playing with that smoothbore .22 barrel for a few weeks, the rifled liner was permanently installed.

From the manual, emphasis added:

AMMUNITION
The RUGER® MARK IVTM pistols are chambered only for the. 22 Long Rifle cartridge, standard velocity or high velocity, manufactured to U.S. Industry Standards. Do not attempt to load .22 Long, .22 Short or any other type .22 caliber cartridge into the magazine or in the chamber of the pistol. Use of .22 shot shells is not recommended.

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5Wire said:

From the manual, emphasis added:

AMMUNITION
The RUGER® MARK IVTM pistols are chambered only for the. 22 Long Rifle cartridge, standard velocity or high velocity, manufactured to U.S. Industry Standards. Do not attempt to load .22 Long, .22 Short or any other type .22 caliber cartridge into the magazine or in the chamber of the pistol. Use of .22 shot shells is not recommended.

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And the warnings on every single centerfire handgun, rifle and shotgun tell you not to use reloads. This is lawyer inspired CYA language.