I am thinking of getting a ruger mark III hunter or thhe ruger 22/45. can anyone tell me pros and cons of these to help me decide.

The main differenct is the grip angle. I like the 22/45 better.

can you tell what about the 22/45 you like better. is it the feel, performance, just your taste? Im looking to get all info possible. knowledge is power. Thanks bro

If you like the grip angle and feel of a 1911, you'll like the 22/45; as that is the purpose of the design. If you like the look and feel of a Luger, or that type of grip, you'll like the hunter. The uppers for all the "mark series" Ruger's are virtually the same; the only significant difference is the grip frame. You can't go wrong with either. I'd suggest handling both and then make your decision.

I have the Mark III hunter. It is by far the most accurate 22 handgun I have ever fired. It flat out beats the buckmark I used to have hands down. I got rid of the buckmark because it wasn't even close. I don't think you can go wrong with either one, but for me, I'll never get rid of the Mark III Hunter.

With open sights, I have been able to shoot small pine cones out to 25 yards with ease while just plinking around. I have a scope coming for it, and will be able to shoot small game out to 50 yards easily with it. I have no doubt it will do rabbit and squirrel head shots at that range. One of my buddies has a Taurus revolver, and he has been looking to sell it so he can get the MKIII now that he has fired mine.

The MKIII Hunter is certainly more accurate than I am. Its been a blast, and has fired every manufacture of 22LR that I have fed it without any malfunctions of any kind. Now in all fairness, I have not dealt with the 22/45. The MKIII Hunter was on my bucket list, and I never looked back once I got it. So easy to shoot accurately, and very dependable. I can't say enough good things about mine.

My first Ruger .22 was a Mark II Competition. Sweetest SA .22 pistol I've ever fired but it is heavy. I decided this spring to buy one of the new Mark III 22/45 Lite pistols. It's not a totally fair comparison because of the Mark II/Mark III difference but I hated the 22/45. The gun carried well in a holster but that was about all I liked about it. The internals mounted on the plastic grip frame just didn't seem to be put together as well as the all steel gun.

Like I said, some of the things I didn't like about the gun could have been attributed to the changes in the Mark III design but for my money I'll stay away from the 22/45.

thanks to all who have replied. I am leaning more towards the mkIII. just like it and have heard good thing about it. have yet to hear anything negative bout the 22/45 aswell. any thoughts on the MK III being a carry gun I will be getting my permit soon.

Don't know about using the MKIII as a carry gun. The Hunter I have is a bit heavy for that with the fluted bull barrel and all. I did find a holster for it from blackhawk that allows it to be carried with or without a scope. Fits the gun nicely, and keeps it secure for sure. Don't think it would work as a carry gun though, at least not the hunter version.

If your thinking of a 22 for a CC gun, ya might look at the Walther. I have a buddy that carries that, and you could almost hide that thing in your nose!!!

I have the 22/45 hunter with the fluted bull barel.. I love it .. great gun shoots awsome.. I have shot the mkiii hunter and its nice too but i l;ike the grip frame of the 22/45 and have had t two die hard mark 3 shooters convert to the 22/45 because the like the grip frame better.

Hey Bondock,
I'm down the road a piece from you in Dawsonville, Ga. I haven't shot the 22/45,but own a mkII. I love this gun. From all I've picked up on the interwebs, the mkII is the mk to own. It has less leagle bs built into it than the mkIII. I dont' own a mkIII, so I won't say bad about them, just what I've picked up. You can also pick up some nifty loooonng and light aluminum barrels for the marks.
I will say this though, I don't recommend carrying a rimfire for s/d in a auto loader. They just dont' have the reliablity of a centerfire. I'm not against rimfire for s/d, just not in an auto. A NAA mini or a j-frame sized gun with 9 rounds makes a cool carry gun. Not ideal, but for those who just can't handle recoil, or where you just can't fit something bigger, a valid tool and better than a whistle.
One last note. Every one who has shot my mkII has said "wow, that's a nice gun". Those very same words. Experinced shooters and granddaughters. Some say they are hard to take down. They are not hard, just complex. Once you learn 'em, they are no problem. If you put it back together the first time without issues, you are a better man than I.

Happy Huning,
Dogsbreath

I also prefer the Mk 3 over the 22/45.
I have 1911s and I love them.
But I've been shooting the Luger style since the Mk 1 that the old man had.
They're crazy accurate guns so it all depends on what style you like.

Hey TN. Don't mean to hijack your topic here, but you mentioned your cc license is comin, and that you thought about using the MKIII for CC. This might be something to look at...

I cary two guns at all times. My OPEN CARRY gun is a .45 Springfield XD-M for now, until I get the Springfield TRP here that has been on order forever. My b.u.g. (back up gun) is my concealed gun, which is a Taurus TCP in 380, and you can't even tell your carrying it. It is VERY small, light weight, very cheap, excellent quality, ALWAYS goes bang when I pull the trigger, and hides in my back pocket with an appropriate pocket holster. It goes EVERYWHERE with me (My wife has one to).

If I go to a store somewhere that stops me, points to the XD on my hip, and says, "Hey we would prefer if you don't bring that gun in here". I simply go out to the truck, leave the holster on, but place the XD on the floorboard, then go back to the store. The TCP stays in my pocket and I go back inside. They never said a THING about the 380, they just said "that gun" on my hip.

Oh, and if you want my honest reason why I open carry my 45 when I also have a cc license??

Well, other than it is my RIGHT, I do it SIMPLY TO PISS OFF DEMOCRATS!!!

Thank you to everyone for all your input i have made my decision and I got a XDM .45 less than 6 hours ago. I havent had a chance to shoot it but i love it already

You will love it!!! I've had mine for several months, and carry it all the time. One of the most accurate 45's I have ever owned also! I've always believed everyone should own a 1911, and I still do. But an XD-M is a GREAT addition for my open carry purposes.

Congrats!!!

I got to shoot my xdm today and WOW!!! I love it smooth and accurate, what more could i ask for. My wife aint happy bout it but I see it like this... Its like a fence she can get over it or stay where she is at. Her cousin was shot in the shoulder yesterday while being robbed, that inncodent just reinforced my point it could happen to anybody anywhere anytime. im hopeing she will get her ccp too!! Thanks again for all the experienced input.

Glad you like it! I have been nothing but pleased with mine. Its hard to put into words what those XD-M handguns are like. Ya just gotta go shoot it to see what I mean! I've even thought of doing some hunting with mine cause of the accuracy being so good.

I love it. The feel in my hand fit to perfection. The style is awsome aswell. Im thinking of wearing my holster to bed. LOL