Single-Six VS MKIII Accuracy?

[Hylander]

Ok,
So I have owned a few of the revolvers and a few MK's.
To my thinking the revolver should be more accurate than an MK.
Kinda like a bolt rifle being more accurate than an AR for the most part, not always of course.
So I have yet to see the revolver come even close to MK in accuracy.
What say you?

 

[Kevin]

I get what you're thinking. The Mark series has just been perfected so much that they are right up there at the top of competition levels.

I'm not an expert by any means, but I think the fixed barrel and the design of the bolt vs a slide helps with accuracy.

I'm sure there are other reasons. Which makes another good question: "What makes the Mark series more accurate than other guns."

 

[Mobuck]

I don't have a single six(never had a 22 revolver). I have one 22/45 III and three 22/45 II. I'd be very surprised if the single six comes even close to the 22/45 accuracy. The thing is: I've not found a 'doggy' Ruger 22 pistol. What's the average accuracy expectation of a random group of singe six revolvers?

 

[hittman]

I've had Single Six and MKII ( not III ). Had a couple different barrel lengths MKII.

Never ever in a million years was I as accurate with the revolver as I was with the MKII. Not even close.

 

[Cholo]

I never owned a MKlll, but...

The first MKll I ever bought was a Competition model. No reason to suspect it would shoot any better or worse than a MKlll model.

I mounted a 2x6 scope on it and shot consistent one small hole 10 shot groups at 25 yds. off sandbags--over and over again with Winchester Power Points. I'm talking 3/8".

About the same time I shot my '75 Super Single Six off sandbags and the best 6 shot groups I got averaged 1.84" with the same Power Points, though without a scope.

It would take a rare Single Six that could outshoot a MK anything.

 

[arfmel]

You have 6 different chambers with varying dimensions on a revolver and only one on a Mk III. I'd bet the lock time on the single action is longer as well, so you have to hold steady for longer while you wait for the hammer to strike. Add in the rigidity of the fixed barrel of the semiauto vs the slight wobble possible between the cylinder, cylinder pin, and the barrel of a Single Six and I can see why the Mk III frequently outshoots one.

 

[Mobuck]

^^^Excellent response.

 

[RJM52]

One reason is actual bore size. Ruger elected to have the Single-Six sized to the .22 Magnum. This means that the .22 LR has to slug up to totally fill the rifling.

Have had a number to dual cylinder Single-Six revolvers and the Magnums shoot excellent from them.

Hard to beat a MK for accuracy however...

Bob

 

[MHtractorguy]

On top of the correct assumptions above, look at the velocity differences.

 

[Fox Mike]

Even my best Single Six mag won't come close to my MKs. I shot MK I and MK II in competition and can assure you that they are generally more accurate then the person holding them.

 

[gunzo]

The auto will likely be easier for most to shoot accurately. But to say for sure that one is more accurate than the other would require a lot of testing.

 

[Black Fly]

I've had several Single six hunters and a single MkII Target. The Mk II was much more accurate. With a revolver, there are multiple chambers and forcing cones that have different alignments with the barrel and you have a varying space for gas to escape. Just an awful lot of places for things to be different with each shot.
But I've loved them all.
Bfly

 

[BULL'S-EYE]

It just seems obvious, given the mechanical differences that the Mark series pistols would provide superior accuracy over the Single-Six revolver...Where the post convertible Single-Six shines accuracy wise, is with the 22 Magnum cylinder installed. Some will argue until they're blue in the face about this, but every last one I've tested has provided far superior accuracy in 22 Mag, due to the bore actually being rifled for that particular cartridge.

 

[GypsmJim]

I have several different Ruger .22 revolvers, plus ALL of the Marks. They all shoot more accurately than me!

 

[Hylander]

It just seems obvious, given the mechanical differences that the Mark series pistols would provide superior accuracy over the Single-Six revolver...Where the post convertible Single-Six shines accuracy wise, is with the 22 Magnum cylinder installed. Some will argue until they're blue in the face about this, but every last one I've tested has provided far superior accuracy in 22 Mag, due to the bore actually being rifled for that particular cartridge.

View attachment 32109

I'm on my third Single-Six and like yours, all mine have shot more accurate with the magnum cylinder

 

[radshop]

Interesting thread. I got my Single Six when I was shooting cowboy action as a lower cost practice alternative, so "accurate enough" was good enough. I think I only put 1 box of 22 Mag through it, and the rest has been LR. Now I keep it as a fun plinker and a good starter gun for teaching youngsters. I definitely noticed I was less accurate with it than with other guns. These replies all provide some context for that.
I haven't had an MK to compare, but will soon. I'm on day 2 of my 10-day waiting period.

 

[Snake45]

A decade or so back, when I was testing .22 ammo, I put a scope on my 5.5" Mark II and proceeded to shoot groups under 1" at 25 yards with it with several different kinds of CHEAP .22 ammo. Runs in my mind the best groups were around 1/2" at that distance, with Winchester Dynapoints. That was the best performance of ANY of my .22 handguns.

NONE of my SIX .22 revolvers has ever shot even ONE group close to that performance, and the Single Six is the least accurate of the six.

So that's MY answer to your question. As always, YMMV.

 

[mirglip]

Sure the Mark series is more accurate than Single Sixes, I have several of both and love them all. But there is a special "fun factor" in shooting Single Sixes. Maybe you have to have a little Cowboy mentality. When I want to plink at golf balls, I usually reach for one of the Single Sixes. They're just more fun for me.
When I shoot in my backyard, I don't want brass scattered all over the place, so I shoot revolvers.

 

[wproct]

mirglip sums it up pretty well. I also can shoot in my backyard. I love shooting the Single-six when I want some slow relaxed shooting, mostly tin cans etc., but I never expect to get the accuracy out of it that I can with my 5.5 inch heavy bbl Target MKII. My semi-autos are quicker for me to clean. I'm anal about cleaning after every shooting session no matter how much shooting that is. Cleaning the barrel and cylinder of the Single-six takes longer for sure.

 

[Mobuck]

One thing I've noticed while in the company of single action rimfire shooters(which is very, very seldom): there's a big savings on ammo vs the semi-auto shooter(within a time frame).