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Custom Ruger Charger

Larry in SD

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Minuteman
Jul 10, 2011
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Rosholt SD USA
It's that time of year again. Actually I have been working on my new Gopher Getter for a while now and it is finally finished.

I actually started this project a year ago, then scrapped the whole project and sold off everything I had purchased. A month or so back I got the urge once again so this time I just went and bought a Ruger Charger.

RugerChargerFactory.jpg


I shot the Charger in the above configuration for a hundred rounds or so and knew I had to make some changes. I quickly removed the factory stock and barrel. I then decided on a replacement. For the Barrel I selected a 10" Bead Blasted Stainless Steel KIDD Bull Barrel. I then sent the receiver, an aluminum trigger housing (that had previously been sent to TT Shooter in Modesto California for one of his Precision Trigger Jobs. It breaks super crisp at 1 3/4 pounds.) and scope base to John Norrell Arms to be refinished in their "Stainless-Steel" Norrell's Moly Resin finish.

I then took the factory Ruger Bolt to my local machinist buddy and he milled the breechface to set the headspace at .043", pinned the firing pin so it can not ride up. I finished the bolt work by chamfering / radusing the rear face of the bolt that the hammer rides against during cycling.

I topped off this Charger with a 3x12x Burris LER Handgun Scope with a Fine Plex Reticle and Target Turrets in Silver 1" Weaver Quad Lock Scope Rngs. My local gunsmith is working on a Custom Stock for me, but it is not finished yet. He is adapting a T/C Contender Grip to a Cut Off / Modified Ruger 10/22 Stock. In the meantime I decided to try a Tactical Innovations REBEL Charger Stock (which is the stock in the photo).

CustomRugerChargerattheRange.jpg


Above is a photo I snapped of my Custom Ruger Charger while at the range. I was actually quite pleased at how the Norrell's "Stainless Steel" Moly Resin Finish matches up with the Bead Blasted KIDD Stainless Steel Bull Barrel.

I had previously zeroed this Charger at the Indoor Shooting Range at 18 yards. Todays goal was to try to determine what kind of accuracy I could expect at 100 yards. I only shot SK Jagd Standard Velocity Hollow Points and Wolf Match Target and was rewarded with a 5 shot 100 yard group 1.350" (best group of the day was with SK Jagd Standard Velocity Hollow Points. All in all I was pleased considering this new KIDD Barrel only now has 190 rounds through it after todays range session. Besides when I got to the range I realized I had forgotten my rear rest at the Indoor Shooting Range, so I had to improvise and use a piece of 2x6 under the grip of the Charger. To get the elevation right I placed my turrett caps under the back of the 2x6 to get the desired elevation right.

I also did some chronographing to see how the velocities compared from this Charger to some of my .22 LR Rifles with the same ammo.

Data: 4-17-12
Temp: 61 Degrees
Conditions: Slightly overcast
Average Velocity is the result of 5 rounds chronographed
The Chronograph was set at 12 feet from the bench.

10" Ruger Charger (KIDD Barrel)
40gr. SK Standard Velocity Hollow Point
Date = 4-17-12
Temperature = 61 degrees
Average Velocity : 986 FPS
Extreme Spread : 25
Standard Deviation : 6.93

10" Ruger Charger (KIDD Barrel)
40gr. Wolf Match Target
Date = 4-17-12
Temperature = 61 degrees
Average Velocity : 939 FPS
Extreme Spread : 135
Standard Deviation : 13.49

18" Ruger 10/22T (KIDD Barrel)
40gr. SK Standard Velocity Hollow Point
Date = 4-17-12
Temperature = 61 degrees
Average Velocity : 1066 FPS
Extreme Spread : 43
Standard Deviation : 6.93

18" Ruger 10/22T (KIDD Barrel)
40gr. Wolf Match Target
Date = 4-17-12
Temperature = 61 degrees
Average Velocity : 1025 FPS
Extreme Spread : 79
Standard Deviation : 10.44

20" Ruger - Nordic 10/22 (KIDD Barrel)
40gr. SK Standard Velocity Hollow Point
Date = 4-17-12
Temperature = 61 degrees
Average Velocity : 1018 FPS
Extreme Spread : 49
Standard Deviation : 8.37

20" Ruger - Nordic 10/22 (KIDD Barrel)
40gr. Wolf Match Target
Date = 4-17-12
Temperature = 61 degrees
Average Velocity : 1002 FPS
Extreme Spread : 47
Standard Deviation : 9.85

20" Ruger 77/22 (Clark Barrel)
40gr. SK Standard Velocity Hollow Point
Date = 4-17-12
Temperature = 61 degrees
Average Velocity : 1014 FPS
Extreme Spread : 29
Standard Deviation : 7.28

20" Ruger 77/22 (Clark Barrel)
40gr. Wolf Match Target
Date = 4-17-12
Temperature = 61 degrees
Average Velocity : 1003 FPS
Extreme Spread : 67
Standard Deviation : 10.58

Now if our weather continues to cooperate with a little luck I can get out and smack some Gophers.

Thanks for reading.

Larry
 
Re: Custom Ruger Charger

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JTG 1977</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Send pictures of dead gophers too. </div></div>

If our weather ever cooperates I can do that.

Larry
 
Re: Custom Ruger Charger

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DFOOSKING</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I wish there were fields still full of gophers...found a quarter mile packed with them about 6 years ago. But the farmer plowed it up and planted it.

</div></div>

A good gopher pasture in my neck of the woods is getting harder and harder to find also. Everything is getting tilled these days it seems. I have a really good place about 35 miles from here but haven't talked to him yet this spring to see what the gopher crop looks like.

Larry
 
Re: Custom Ruger Charger

That looks neat!

I have a Charger but I never shoot it. With trifocal glasses, I just can't get into a position to see well. Took the long eye relief scope off and put a red dot on it but had the same issues. You may have prompted me to tinker with it some more!

Flash
 
Re: Custom Ruger Charger

While these Specialty Handguns are not for everyone they are super fun to shoot and quite rewarding. Being an old Contender Handgun Shooter going to a Charger was not much of an issue. I have also found that shooters new to Handguns of this type and in particular new to using Handgun Scopes have a hard time getting used to shooting Handgun Scopes especially higher magnification Handgun Scopes. The great thing about the 3x12x Burris is that it is really easy to use on the lower magnifications and as experience with shooting Handgun Scopes improves the Magnification can gradually be cranked up.

Larry