The Ruger Mark IV Hunter V. Squirrel

07/26/2020

Six tomato plants are usually enough for my wife and immediate friends, but this year we got off to a slow start. Moving house grown seedlings to the garden had its casualties, so a restart was necessary. Of the six plants, three yielded tomatoes very quickly, two grew quickly and one flowered but bore no fruit. The sixth remained a one half inch seedling that kept getting flattened from watering.

The “flower, no fruit” problem was a pollination issue. High temperatures and high humidity, followed by heavy rain, curtailed the normal pollination. When the first couple of dry days rolled around, the stems of the plants were tapped, which distributed the loose pollen and now the plants are heavily fruit laden. The green peppers are doing well, as are the cucumbers and corn. Unfortunately, there are others present in and around the garden who share our interest in fresh vegetables…

I have a squirrel problem. Well, not me personally, but they have placed every structure within my country bumpkin domain in jeopardy. When determined, they find a loose shingle or board, or they will gnaw their way through shuttered openings and do serious damage once inside a structure. You can trap them, but set them free and they will return, unrepentant.

In addition to teething issues, squirrels seem to know when vegetables are ready for picking for before we are aware. Consequently, midnight harvesting of the garden beats 6 AM harvesting, so we are often left with bare branches and a mess.

Ruger Mark IV Pistol
Company	Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.
Point of Manufacturer	Prescott, AZ U.S.A.
Model #	40118
Description	Mark IV Hunter
Type of Action	Auto Loader SA
Caliber	22 Long Rifle
Magazine Capacity	10
Barrel Length	6.88″
Barrel Material	Stainless Steel
Barrel Contour	Bull – Fluted
Rifling Twist Rate	1:16″ RH
Receiver Material	Stainless Steel
Grip Frame Material	Stainless Steel
Frame Finish	Natural – Satin
Grips	Laminate – Checkered
Front Sight	Fiber Optic (Multi Colors)
Rear Sight	Adjustable W/E
Weight of Firearm	44.0 Oz.
Overall Length	11.12″
Overall Height	5.50″
Width	1.20″
Manual Safety	Thumb – Ambidextrous
Magazine Disconnect	Yes
CA/MA Approved	No
MSRP	$769

Please do not tell me they are cute and cuddly as they are not. They are carnivorous rats with bushy tails that will gladly eat the young they volunteered to babysit and they will kill and eat chipmunks, baby birds and small frogs which are actually are cute.

Squirrels are good target practice; close in, at a distance, still or in motion. I hunt them with 22 Magnum rifles and 22 LR rifles and handguns. A rimfire pistol is the most challenging.

No I don’t lament killing them and the carcasses never go to waste. They become dinner for the resident fox, coyote, hawks, and owls. How do I know? Never found one in the morning that was left out overnight and trail cameras confirm the critters noted. But I’m getting ahead of myself, which is a lot easier than one might think.

The subject Ruger Mark IV Hunter is but one of eight categories of Mark IV pistols, available in twenty seven configurations. The selections include stainless steel, anodized aluminum, alloy steel and 22/45 models.

I have worked with both versions of the stainless Hunter, target grips with finger grooves and the slab side version pictured. I like the idea of target grips, They look good, but they feel like a liberal form of government that wants me to conform.

Subsequently, I shoot better with free finger placement and the non-communist version….. Comrade. Besides, the Ruger Mark IV Hunter looks so good, it takes attention away from the fact I am quite an ordinary fellow as what I hear is, “Man, look at that Ruger!!..!” rather than “Hey! Who’s that ordinary looking dude?”.

In the case of the Ruger Mark IV pistol, stainless versus black oxide or anodized finish is more that aesthetics. Black versions of the Ruger Mark IV have aluminum grip frames and stainless guns have stainless steel grip frames. The weighed difference is six ounces, which goes to improved balanced and overall hand steadying heft.

The Hunter offers a very useful sight set and optical sight accommodation. The rear sight is micro adjustable for windage and elevation with click stops that hold adjustment and a glare eliminating serrated face. The steel fiber optic front sight is a HIVIZ LiteWave product with a 0.125″ blade and packaged with red, green and white interchangeable 0.090″ light pipes.  Good combination that shows well against just about any backdrop. For folks who like optical sight, the receiver top is drilled and tapped to accept Weaver or Picatinny rails.

The industry’s easiest rimfire autoloader disassembly. One push of a button and the barrel/receiver tips down and lifts off and the bolt pulls out. The Ruger is a design of concentric circles; receiver to bore centerline and bolt to center of receiver and bore centerline. The result is excellent accuracy.

The scalloped rear receiver and bolt ears made retracting or releasing the bolt a snap. The one step Take-Down button disassembly makes for easy service and cleaning. The pistol is supplied with an ambidextrous safety, however, the right thumb piece can be removed to suit shooter’s preference.

The Ruger Mark IV Hunter is a high quality, high accuracy, high reliability, forever lasting pistol. Subsequently, from a price standpoint, it does not align well with cheap guns, especially imported gun dung. Why do I say these things? It is the Internet thing. I like firearms, but more so I use them and depend on them for everything from recreational shooting entertainment, to food supply and defense of life and property. I don’t buy cheap tools, I don’t shop for cars with the worst safety and/or reliability records and I don’t higher unrealistically low bid contractors. Why would I change that philosophy with something as essential as a firearm?

The Ruger Mark IV Hunter is a substantial pistol; good heft, good balance and with an effective sight radius. I shot this Ruger for several range days, with numerous brands and power levels of ammunition, averaging 500 rounds per day. There was only one incidence of an easy to clear stove pipe jam with Remington Golden Bullet ammo. The balance of shooting; no misfires, no failures to feed, no jams, shooting either same type or mix brand/type ammo filled magazines.

The Mark IV’s grip frame is CNC precision machined. The barrel is hammer forged. The ten round magazine, 2 are included, pop out when released and there is a disconnect system to prevent firing with the magazine removed. There is no hinged safety blade integrated into the face of the trigger, just surface ribs. Trigger pull checked in at 4 lbs 10 oz. which is actually quite reasonable and safe in hunting situations.

Measuring with a goniometer, the sweeping interior angle of the grip, bore centerline to grip centerline, measured 120º as opposed to a 1911 that measures 111º from bore centerline to grip screw centerline. When I first began shooting Ruger pistols of this type many years ago, it took a while to acclimate myself to the difference where almost all of my auto loader experience had been with the 1911. However, after a little proficiency training, it was easy to shoot the Ruger well and still be able to pick up a 1911 and do the same.

Performance

Above, a great picture of why I don’t like splatter targets and my unwillingness to reshoot when I can measure the outcome. Shot at 50 feet from a rest, the bottom row was a sighting in exercise with Federal Champion 36 grain ammo. In dialing sequence from left to right: #1, #4, #2, #3. The adjustment increments are small, which suits the pistol’s solid potential for accuracy. The bullseyes are a hair under 2″ in diameter.

No, the velocity stated for the Thunderbolt ammunition is not in error. Proportionally, it has performed the same with other firearms as drawn from a common lot of ammunition. The Ruger’s shooting characteristics were notable, particularly in light of its metallic sights. The Ruger Mark IV Hunter is quite insensitive to changes in ammunition brands and types, with only minuscule shifts in point of impact and shot to shot repeatability.

There are a couple of potential refinements I would not mind. There is a slight amount of trigger creep that could be smoothed away. I also wouldn’t mind 10 ounces coming off the trigger pull. The rear target sight is excellent, but I wouldn’t mind a fiber optic Firesight as an option, like the set sold in the Shop Ruger store. For me, front and rear fiber optic sights are the fastest on target, next to a red dot reflex sight, and they really stand out even under a dense, woodland canopy.

My comments reflect personal preferences, not corrections to problems. Considering the success and stellar reputation of the Ruger Mark IV and its predecessor, I have just advised Leonardo da Vinci how to improve the Mona Lisa.

Great. Super on paper, what about on squirrels?

Squirrels in our immediate area have become skittish from being popped, so they tend to stay farther out. Subsequently, this one was shot at 25 yards. Little meat damage was done and he never moved from where he took the first round.

If you have been a member of Real Guns, you’ve probably seen this guy roaming around in the downloadable target section. The tail top group measures 1.1″, the lower tail shot is 1.0″ and the nut shot was a sympathetic 1.3″. Took the smile right off his face. And that concludes our programming. Terrific rimfire pistol.