I purchased a rough rider 22lr with a 4 inch barrel a couple weeks ago. Ive put about 300 rounds through it and cant seem to hit much with it. The model I purchased does not have the adjustable sights and out of the box was shooting about 5 inches low. I filed down the front post a bit and was able to get it shooting where it should be but still seems to shoot inconsistent. Ive tried shooting anywhere from 10 to 20 yards and end up with holes all over the paper in about a 12 inch group with a few out farther than that, forget hitting aluminum cans with it. I never expected this pistol to be a nail driver or bullseye accurate. But with a lot of good reviews ive seen and lots of people saying its a good gun for the price I expected better than random holes all over the target. I am fairly new to shooting pistols but have been shooting rifles and shotguns all my life so I do know how to use sights. This is the second pistol ive owned, I also have a 357 mag with a 6 inch barrel that is much more accurate and I have no problem shooting. With that being said can anyone give me some tips or advice. Could it be the ammo im using? Ive been shooting armscore 36gr high velocity hollow points
Heritage Rough Rider 22lr inconsistent accuracy
- Thread starter Kingcuda
- Start date
bedbugbilly
New member
I have the same pistol and mine shoots well. That said . . every pistol will shoot differently.
First of all . . . shooting a SA with a blade front sight and a groove . . . like all SA with such sights . . . takes practice. I have a number of SA revolvers . . . the Heritage 22, Uberti C & B, Remington C & B, Uberti 357 Bisley, Uberti 45 Colt and a 357 New Vaquero. I have had "learn" each pistol and how they shoot with the loads I load for them - i.e. bullet weight and grain charge.
On a 22 . . . ammo can be part of the problem as different brands shoot differently. Also, each cylinder chamber can shoot differently. Before doing much filing on the sights, I'd suggest a lot of practice and using different brands of ammo. A LR will shoot differently than a L or a Short out of it. Find a brand that shoots decent and stick with it if you can - then practice. You are going to get different POI to POA at different distances. Learn to use some Kentucky windage and adjusting your sight picture for elevation as well.
Are you shooting single handed or with two hands? Work on your hold. When I shoot my SAA revolvers, all I concentrate on is the target and front sight. At 25 yards with my Uberti 45 Colt, I know where it should hit with each different load I shoot. It just takes time to "learn" the revolver and practice. It's not like shooting a rifle with a long sight radius.
That's not to say that there couldn't be something wrong with your revolver. I once picked up an old H & R 22 "Sidekick" with a 6" barrel for a knock about gun on the farm. It didn't shoot worth a darn. The cylinder had 9 chambers IIRC, and each shot differently. It didn't make any difference if I was using shorts, longs or long rifles . . . it shot so low that I could plow with it. It quickly went back to where I got it and I got my Heritage RR.
Good luck and don't get discouraged with it . . . try different ammo and play with it a lot. If need be . . . start close to the target and then when you know where it hits, move back a little and go through the process again.
Lots of fellas who have the long barrel version - I think it is 6 1/2" barrel? - have no problems taking tree rats down with them. I haven't shot mine in quite a while as I parked all of my 22s when the ammo got scarce and the scalping began on the prices.
I've shot Single action revolvers for 50 + years and to be honest, I have some problems going to a revolver with nicer sights . . my S & W Combat Masterpiece (38 spl.) is a good example. It took me several long range sessions until I got used to the sights as opposed to when I starting shooting my old M & P Smith with the blade/top strap groove sights.
Hopefully it will all iron out for you. Good luck!
First of all . . . shooting a SA with a blade front sight and a groove . . . like all SA with such sights . . . takes practice. I have a number of SA revolvers . . . the Heritage 22, Uberti C & B, Remington C & B, Uberti 357 Bisley, Uberti 45 Colt and a 357 New Vaquero. I have had "learn" each pistol and how they shoot with the loads I load for them - i.e. bullet weight and grain charge.
On a 22 . . . ammo can be part of the problem as different brands shoot differently. Also, each cylinder chamber can shoot differently. Before doing much filing on the sights, I'd suggest a lot of practice and using different brands of ammo. A LR will shoot differently than a L or a Short out of it. Find a brand that shoots decent and stick with it if you can - then practice. You are going to get different POI to POA at different distances. Learn to use some Kentucky windage and adjusting your sight picture for elevation as well.
Are you shooting single handed or with two hands? Work on your hold. When I shoot my SAA revolvers, all I concentrate on is the target and front sight. At 25 yards with my Uberti 45 Colt, I know where it should hit with each different load I shoot. It just takes time to "learn" the revolver and practice. It's not like shooting a rifle with a long sight radius.
That's not to say that there couldn't be something wrong with your revolver. I once picked up an old H & R 22 "Sidekick" with a 6" barrel for a knock about gun on the farm. It didn't shoot worth a darn. The cylinder had 9 chambers IIRC, and each shot differently. It didn't make any difference if I was using shorts, longs or long rifles . . . it shot so low that I could plow with it. It quickly went back to where I got it and I got my Heritage RR.
Good luck and don't get discouraged with it . . . try different ammo and play with it a lot. If need be . . . start close to the target and then when you know where it hits, move back a little and go through the process again.
Lots of fellas who have the long barrel version - I think it is 6 1/2" barrel? - have no problems taking tree rats down with them. I haven't shot mine in quite a while as I parked all of my 22s when the ammo got scarce and the scalping began on the prices.
I've shot Single action revolvers for 50 + years and to be honest, I have some problems going to a revolver with nicer sights . . my S & W Combat Masterpiece (38 spl.) is a good example. It took me several long range sessions until I got used to the sights as opposed to when I starting shooting my old M & P Smith with the blade/top strap groove sights.
Hopefully it will all iron out for you. Good luck!
jonthirkell
Inactive
It may be of interest to you Kingcuda - Hickok 45 has just put up new video of him shooting this very gun on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sruOplt19hw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sruOplt19hw
As with every rimfire, you have to try a box of as many brand and bullet weights as you can to find the ammo your revolver shoots best. The price of said ammo means nothing, but it clearly dislikes that Armscor stuff.
"...filed down the front post..." Shouldn't have done that with ammo it doesn't like.
"...filed down the front post..." Shouldn't have done that with ammo it doesn't like.
As I learned, shooting shotguns and rifles does not prepare you for shooting handguns. I couldn't hit much after I got my first couple of handguns until I learned how to shoot them. My Rough Rider has a 6 1/2" barrel and I find it's pretty accurate after I learned to shoot it. I was tempted to mess with the sights but I'm glad I didn't mess with them until I got the feel for it.
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I understand how people want a "traditional" look, but for shooting practicality the WORST gun you can get is a .22 with fixed sights.
With a centerfire, you can try different loads, factory and handloads, until you find a combination that shoot "to the sights".
With a .22 you are stuck with factory ammo, and if you can't find one (and find it regularly available) that shoots to the sights, then you either have to hold off, or permanently modify the gun.
To me, filing on the sights is the LAST thing I would consider. I have, in fact sold or traded guns to replace a fixed sight model with an adjustable sight one, but, that's just me and my personal quirks.
With a centerfire, you can try different loads, factory and handloads, until you find a combination that shoot "to the sights".
With a .22 you are stuck with factory ammo, and if you can't find one (and find it regularly available) that shoots to the sights, then you either have to hold off, or permanently modify the gun.
To me, filing on the sights is the LAST thing I would consider. I have, in fact sold or traded guns to replace a fixed sight model with an adjustable sight one, but, that's just me and my personal quirks.
g.willikers
New member
Yup.
And vicie versie.
Very different skills
I'd shoot the gun from a rest (sandbags on a table probably) with all the support I could get, with a bunch of different ammo to find out if the gun itself could shoot.
If you can't get a decent group you know you've got a lemon.
If some ammo proves accurate then stand right up and practice with that ammo with the goal of getting similar results...you'll probably never match it (I can't) but it will give you something to 'shoot' for.
If you can't get a decent group you know you've got a lemon.
If some ammo proves accurate then stand right up and practice with that ammo with the goal of getting similar results...you'll probably never match it (I can't) but it will give you something to 'shoot' for.