Ruger’s Super Wrangler
An Affordably Good Time With Precision
Shooting was done from a Ransom Multi Cal Rest for a solid, steady
platform taking most of the human element out of the equation.
Ruger has added to their growing family of modestly priced Wranglers for .22 long rifle shooters by adding the new Super Wrangler.
There are three major differences from the previous clan of Wranglers, the first being adjustable rear sights, allowing loads to be dialed-in for windage and elevation. The second is making the Super Wrangler a dual cylinder shooter by providing a .22 Magnum cylinder for those wanting/needing more power. Swapping cylinders is as easy as opening the loading gate, pressing the cylinder pin latch and pulling the base pin. Your cylinder can be removed and reversing the sequence will lock the new cylinder in place.
Dual cylinders add versatility and the ability to practice with cheaper
ammo and hunt with more expensive Magnum ammo.
The Super Wrangler has a body mounted firing pin and transfer bar safety.
The hammer is checkered, and rear sight is adjustable with square notch.
Nomenclature
Ruger used lightweight aluminum for the cylinder-frame housing on original Wranglers, while the Super Wrangler uses an alloy steel, giving strength and weight to the gun. The extra heft comes in handy for holding your shooter steady while aiming. Regular Wranglers weigh 30 ounces while the Super Wrangler weighs in at 37.7 ounces.
A zinc alloy grip frame is bolted to the cylinder frame using T15 Torx head screws. The heart and soul of any sixgun are the barrel and cylinder, and Ruger used an alloy steel for these components. Cylinder chambers are counter-sunk. The Super Wrangler firing pin is frame mounted and has a transfer bar safety, meaning the gun can only fire when the trigger is pulled.
I have a sneaky suspicion the hammer and trigger are MIM’s parts but haven’t confirmed it. The hammer has functional and stylish checkering on the spur, for slip-free cocking. The Super Wrangler’s barrel is 5.5” which is perfect, making it short enough for ease of carry while being long enough for good sight radius.
The front sight is ramped, sporting glare eating serrations, while the rear sight is square notched, allowing ample daylight on either side of the front sight providing a bright sight picture. Ruger also saw fit to have the cylinders “free spin” making loading and unloading easier. Ejection is positive for both long rifle and WMR cases with the ejector rod.
Since the gun is not blued, polishing is minimal, keeping costs down. A coat of Cerakote is applied instead. Some complain about the lack of a blued finish, but I couldn’t care less when it comes to this rugged Ruger shooter. Cerakote wears like iron, lessening concerns about dinging, scratching, or having your gun rust. It is basically “kid proof” and stops one from babying their gun.
The front sight is ramped and serrated and attached with a screw for easy swapping of sights.
The “poor boy” trigger job is a down and dirty way of lowering trigger pull. Your gunsmith will cringe seeing this.
Pre-Shoot Prep
Being excited, and in a rush, while pushing a deadline to get this written, I did a quick “poor boy” action job made famous by Jeff Quinn of Gunblast. This is accomplished by lifting one the trigger legs off its stud to lower trigger pull. While not the smoothest, or most couth method of lowering trigger pull, it does work in a pinch.
Normally, I take the time to replace the trigger spring and polish the main hammer spring strut, to smooth things out. I had several boxes of both long rifle and .22 WMR to try out and was ready to hit the range.
Here’s a dozen groups shot with the Super Wrangler. Top row was .22 WMR.
Those dots are .62” in size. The distance was 50 feet, benched.
Shooting
Shooting was done from the bench at 50 feet using a Ransom Multi Cal Steady Rest. This basic fully machined aluminum rest keeps sights steady throughout your trigger pull while shooting. I really like its ease of setting up, adjustment and light weight.
I used a plain sheet of target backing with .620” orange Birchwood Casey dots for targets. I’ve got to say I was mighty impressed with the results.
First off, the sights were dialed-in perfectly for most ammo used. Secondly, most groups were around 1”, with 3-4 shots running around ½”. Lastly, the .22 WMR shot more accurately than the .22 long rifle ammo, just as it does for single sixes. The recoil and blast of the .22 WMR ammo is significantly louder than .22 long rifle ammo. For bigger small game it is definitely a better choice.
The easiest way to spruce up any sixgun is replacing the stocks.
The Last Word
The Super Wrangler is a budget priced entry level .22 long rifle/ WMR shooter that’s sure to please young buckaroo beginners to salty old sixgunners of questionable character looking for a worry free, accurate, affordable small-bore that’s right at home on a dirty truck bench seat, tackle box, or sweat-stained leather holster. Either way, one thing for certain, you won’t have to “baby” it.
With an MSRP of $329 and real-life price of around $250, the Super Wrangler is a bargain you can’t afford to pass up. The Super Wranglers come in three Cerakote colors — black, silver and bronze. Black plastic checkered grips round out the package and replacing them is the easiest way of sprucing up your shooter.
Like Ruger American bolt guns, Ruger has discovered the secret to making accurate guns affordable. By being able to practice with cheaper long rifle ammo while saving your more expensive Magnum ammo for hunting, the Ruger Super Wrangler makes perfectly good sense.
