ilerman

Well, the bullseye bug has been biting me recently. Regretfully I have no .22lr semi-autos only my S&W 617. Anybody have recommendations on a good .22lr semi. I have looked at the S&W Model 41 and Beretta 87T but both are more than I want to dish out for. Any recommendations on specific firearms including Ruger MKs would be appreciated!

fungun

Is bullseye the name of a competition?

ilerman

It's also referred to as Conventional Pistol.

It boils down to single handed shooting at 25 and 50 yards with a .22, a .45, and another center fire caliber. Extremely difficult.

I'm really only interested in the .22lr stage myself. Seems like a rewarding shooting experience though.

stargeezer

I use a Walther SP22 MK3 with CCI Green Label ammo. You might hear a lot of guff about this gun outside bullseye circles, but inside, it's the low dollar bomb. I out-shoot guys with $1500 guns regularly (thanks to the gun, not me).

Change the sights first thing, don't even waste a minute on the OEM sights. Horrid things.

jlh820

I've toyed around with the idea but also don't have a .22. I would use one of my 1911's for the other stages. It sounds like a really fun sport and there are matches at two ranges in my area. I've thought if I were to get into it, I'd probably go with the Mk III with a bull barrel, but I haven't researched it that well. I know that a lot of shooters will use a 1911 in .22 for that stage. It would make sense because your shooting style wouldn't have to vary between guns.

Bullseye

A lot of folks new to Bullseye (Conventional Pistol) start out with Ruger Marks, Browning Buckmark or other less expensive .22 pistols. You can get a lot of quality shooting out of these pistols. A good trigger and a steady hand makes all the difference in this game. Rugers have a solid barrel/receiver unit which makes them a good platform for Bullseye shooting. You can see lots of more expensive pistols out on the firing line but folks didn't typically begin with them. Once you get into the game then you can keep your eye out for a used Model 41, Hammerli, or Pardini. Besides, the Rugers have less alibis than some of their more ammo-finicky counterparts.

Save your money, invest in some good equipment like a Bullseye pistol box with an internally mounted spotting scope. Gil Hebard sells some good equipment for Bullseye shooting likes boxes and scope mounts.

If your handy you can build your own box, here's one set I drew up over 25 years ago home made pistol box plans Add in your own tray configuration for extra equipment and a scope and your ready for the firing line.

Here's another good reference for you to peruse http://www.bullseyepistol.com/equipmnt.htm#box

Have fun and learn the sport. Many of the fundamentals of Bullseye shooting transfer well over to other disciplines.

R,
Bullseye

jlh820

Apologies to the OP - not meaning to take over your thread, but I found Bullseye's post to be of great interest to me.

Hey, Bullseye Thanks for the Links!!! Especially that 2nd one. As I stated, it's been a curiosity of mine. At least one of the local ranges invites people to come and watch. I think that should be my next step if I decide to pursue this. I'm getting older and was afraid that I wouldn't have a chance to be competitive, but I saw an article recently that said just about all optics are allowed. I'm assuming lasers would not (where's the sport in that?), but apparently red dots and scopes are. This would be one of my biggest problems. I grew up with 20/10 vision and got spoiled. I'm corrected now to 20/20, but wearing corrective glasses just isn't the same. Using optics might help me erase a few years off my old eyes.

North country gal

I'll second the Mark III (Comp or Target) as a good way to start. Out of the box, they usually won't have triggers that rival a S&W 41, but you can always do a Volquartsen mod, later, which will get you darn close and still spend less than a 41, even some used 41s. Best of all, Marks are inherently very accurate and darn near impossible to wear out. It's a good compromise between the cheaper Buckmarks and lower level S&Ws and the high end stuff like the 41.

Bullseye

There is a lot of useful information gathered together on the Bullseye Pistol website for those interested in conventional pistol competition. Another great resource is the US Army Marksmanship Training Unit's (USAMU) Pistol Marksmanship Guide, parts of which are accessible from the Bullseye Pistol Website.

Optics have leveled the playing field for older competitors who tend suffer from aging vision issues. Age is not a factor in Bullseye and many of today's top level competitors are greying. All optics must be self contained, that is to say lasers that project a spot downrange is not permitted under the rules. Clearly something moving around down on the targets would be a distraction to the other competitors. But Red Dot scopes and the traditional cross hair type pistol scopes are permitted in competition.

Some of the friendliest and most helpful people are involved in Bullseye competition. If you're interested I'm sure going and watching is a good idea, even though Bullseye is not much of a spectator sport. What you will find is folks who are genuinely interested in helping others get involved in the sport. Many will provide useful advice and likely even lend out equipment to those who are serious and do not have any of their own.

Keeping a personal score book to track your progress is another highly recommended technique. Bullseye pistol is an individual sport and as such places competitors in the position of striving to better their performance. However, patience is a key factor in this sport, as progress for some takes time to develop, and here's where the score book assists the shooter with monitoring this task.

R,
Bullseye

Dale53

The Ruger 22/45 is what I recommend to all new Bullseye shooters. I prefer the model that allows you to remove and replace the grips. They are drilled and tapped for Red Dot sights (which I certainly recommend if you are middle aged or have ANY vision problems).

Ruger® 22/45™ Target Rimfire Pistol Model 10140

The first thing you need to do (before you even fire it) is to have a trigger job done. Then, you will have a pistol that is Camp Perry ready for very little outlay. I have a Smith 41 but I would be the first to tell you that the Ruger is competitive in every way (as soon as you have the trigger job done). The Ruger is the best value in a pistol to be had. You will NOT out grow it!

Dale53

Frank V

I shot NRA pistol bullseye for over 20 years. I started wth a Ruger MK2 target auto. I added a Valquarson (sp?) trigger & a set of adjustable target stocks. I never bought a more expensive gun. That Ruger was always able to outshoot me.
I think the Ruger target autos are a fine gun to start with & will serve you well. I did seem to have less stoppages than some of the other shooters who were using other brands of guns. There were several fellows were shooting Rugers.
Good luck, it's a fun game.
Frank

ilerman

Thanks for the info guys. I appreciate it. I think a Ruger MK III may be in my future.

jlh820

Ilerman , glad you got the info you were looking for. As for me I keep thinking the next gun I buy is going to be the last one. At least for awhile. I'm picking up a new one tomorrow and I've already got two more stacked up on my wishlist. I guess there are worse things to be addicted to.


While we're talking about bullseye competition does anyone know if the FN Five7 would be allowed for the .22 section? I'm guessing no, but it's one I've been looking at lately. However, the cost of the gun and the ammo are pretty much deal breakers.

Tater

Give me a Ruger Mark III with a VQ trigger and some upgraded sights, and I'd be thrilled.

stewswanson

Have been shooting bullseye for a few months with a 6" Stainless Mk.3 std. It has VQ sear and trigger, Sams bushing, Volthane grips and Millett SP1. Shoots better than I do but I am having fun and will have to improve a lot before I can justify a Pardini (local favorite).
Stew