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Thunder Beast 22 Take Down - First Impressions
After waiting about 6 months for BATFE approval, I recently took delivery of a Thunder Beast 22 Take Down. I mounted this can on a Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite with Vortex Venom 3 MOA RDS. After about 350 rounds downrange, here are some very early impressions:
Thunder Beast 22 Take Down: https://thunderbeastarms.com/products/22-take-down
Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite: https://ruger.com/products/markIV2245Lite/models.html
Vortex Venom RDS: http://www.vortexoptics.com/product/...-dot-3-moa-dot
I've visited Thunder Beast in Cheyenne, WY a couple of times. The folks there are hospitable, helpful, knowledgeable, and very skilled. The place is jammed with all sorts of high-tech machines, titanium, and stainless steel. After a good experience with a TB CB9, it became clear that I "needed" a .22 LR can. I did some research, including this review from Recoil Magazine: http://www.recoilweb.com/recoil-rate...ns-128171.html. In October, 2017 I made the 275-mile trek to Cheyenne and placed my order. Amanda from TB notified me in May, 2018 that BATFE had approved the purchase. I mounted my new can on a Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite with Vortex Venom 3 MOA RDS:
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A few things attracted me to the Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite. This pistol comes from the factory with a threaded muzzle. Disassembly is very easy. Push the "button" on the rear bottom of the "upper" and it's in pieces ready for cleaning and/or maintenance. The trigger is a 2-stage and averages about 3 lbs. 10 oz. Not bad at all. It's a lite gun, something that women seem to especially appreciate. The controls are very similar to a 1911, something that I especially appreciate.
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The Vortex Venom is a 3 MOA RDS. It attaches easily to the 22/45 Lite rail. The factory irons are not available when the RDS is in place.
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The TB Take Down is simple to disassemble. It comes with a plastic wrench to remove the end caps fore and aft. The 10 stainless steel baffles slide right out. They are numbered and have index grooves to make re-assembly pretty much idiot proof. I can testify to that. It cleans up readily in my Hornady ultrasonic cleaner.
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How does it shoot? Well, that depends on the ammo. I did some informal accuracy testing with a small variety of ammo at 15 yards this weekend. I rested the pistol on a sand bag and fired 5-shot groups. My best groups were with CCI Standard Velocity: https://www.cci-ammunition.com/produ...=5&loadNo=0032. This ammo shoots also runs 100% in my pistol. The accuracy and reliability makes me happy.
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Other ammo did not perform as well - accuracy and reliability were both degraded. I will continue to experiment but, for MBC (minute of beer can) purposes, the CCI Standard Velocity works just fine. It's also very, very quiet.
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It's early still but, I'm really liking the TB TD. :) From the Big Empty, ELN.
