A friend is moving a few firearms and one of them is a Stainless Ruger M77 in like new condition. I own a Hawkeye in .204 Ruger and had a Gunsite Scout Rifle in .308 in the past.

Going through older gun reviews on the web you see where many people complained about the triggers or the accuracy of the M77...but praise the CRF of these guns. Trigger is a simple fix since Timney makes a replacement...

I haven't had any issues with my .204 Hawkeye but poor accuracy from a .20 cal hunting rifle is hard to judge. Seems accurate throwing tiny bullets!

I'm not sure if this gun is a Hawkeye or an older Mark II so looking for opinions on both. It is chambered in .270 and doesn't have the boat paddle stock.

I like them, the Mark II's and the Hawkeye versions. I do usually replace the triggers or have a trigger job done. I also usually replace the stocks, personal preference certainly not required. If a Mark II, I have the shiny finish bead blasted, again personal preference.
I have both in a few chamberings from 223 through 416 Ruger.

Edited to add:
The accuracy has been comparable to any other off the shelf hunting rifle in the price range. Sometimes very good.

I have a M77 Hawkeye Stainless in a 358 Win and a newer M77 Mark II Stainless Varmint Target in 6.5 Creedmoor. Both are shooters and have original stock triggers. With my handholds, they are both accurate. The Mark II doesn't seem to be picky and I've gotten decent accuracy with a couple of different brands of factory ammo from the bench.

Last week, I took a smaller mulie buck in SD with the 358 win. The shot was just over 160 yards so, not a particularly long shot.

I too like both rifles and wouldn't hesitate to buy another Ruger M77.

I have owned more Rugers than any other make and have been well satisfied with them.

I love my Hawkeye in 358.
IMO it's one of the best rifles Ruger ever put together.
it's also a great compliment to the 308 boat paddle stainless rifle I have had for B/P type hunting since the early 90's.
the mark-II's have been good rifles for me too.
I had a pair of 25-06's that would both shoot 1-1/2" 300 yd groups no problems and share ammo.
I kept one when I got my BRNO Mauser in 25-06 back from the shop, and sold the other.
they are a little heavy though.

quite a bit heavier then their tang safety predecessors.

Had some Ruger 77s back in the 90s. Had head space issues and they were not accurate.
Have not owned a Ruger long gun in years and no plans to do so in the future.

I like the older tang safety Ruger 77 best of all because of the safety and
Adjustable trigger .I 8 of the tang safety rifles in 243 ,338 .I four of the stainless Ruger 77 mark II rifles in 338 and 264 Win mag .They are nice rifles super accurate trigger is ok .I have one Hawkeye 77 in 338 win mag stainless with the parkerize finish .I bought it because they quit making them .The finish is rough and so is the action.I have not even shot it.The mark II 77 stainless is the best of the stainless rifles the tang safety Ruger rifles are the best of the blued rifles .

Im sold on the Ruger African, the finest rifles Ive owned since the pre 64 mod. 70 or custom mauser..My latest is the LIpskys special order 275 Rigby, and I have a .338, and just recently sold several of them to collectors two .338s and two 9.3x62s a couple of Internationals (these are nice) one in SS and wood 250-3000, one in 308 blue and wood; another in blue 250-3000..these were all Libskys and Halifax specials..Most of these guns are special order guns that only 250 were made and not to be duplicated...Good investiments..

Owned and own at least a dozen from the first dog leg 308 on the market in the late 60s, to now. Never had any issues with any of them such as bad accuracy, excessive headspace, roughness, failure to function, or anything else.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Owned and own at least a dozen from the first dog leg 308 on the market in the late 60s, to now. Never had any issues with any of them such as bad accuracy, excessive headspace, roughness, failure to function, or anything else.

My experience is similar, I own a pile of them and have no issues with any of the variations from the old Flat Bolt in .284 Win on up to .458 tang safety and the newer variations.

I've been through quite a few,the only one currently is a tang safety in 7X57. Over the years Frank Martinez + I sold back + forth the same M-77s .in .375 H+H + .416 Rigby.I told him once,Frank,don't even consider selling these to some one else. Hell,look at how much money we've both made off them.

I've had two Rugers. A 1969 Mark I 5.5" bull barrel. It had a trigger that was vey light (before risk management) and a barrel that was very accurate. At the time I was shooting semi-formal competition and was up against Smiths & Colts. I didn't see any disadvantage in using a gun that cost 1/4 what others were shooting.


the other was a 1977 Model 77-R in 270. I didn't do a great deal of load development but was able to get it to put 10 shots in a three inch circle at 300 yards, of which 5 were within 1 inch. I had the rifle rebarrelled to 30-06 International taper by CP Donnelly and it is exceedingly accurate with 175 gr Bergers.

Both guns were not extensively reworked and received only normal adjusting/tightening. While they don't have the forging, machine work and such of the older and more expensive guns, as far as putting a bullet on target, the ones that I had were as good as any.

I think the stainless MKIIs have some of the best value when buying a modern firearm.

Owned more than a few and currently have a stainless laminate .338 WM and a stainless synthetic .416 Ruger Alaskan. Fine accuracy when properly loaded. No troubles from any M77's I've owned. Excellent rifles for the money.

Preference for the M77 1 piece bolt and Mauser-like action. The legal department-designed trigger, whether the Mk II or LC6, can be improved quite easily. Nice thing about the M77 is the wide range of caliber offerings including some of the more unique ones.

Yes!!
I have a .338WM MKII canoe paddle stock that I purchased in 1994. It will put 3 rounds touching at 100 yds, a case full of IMR 4831 & a 250g pill all is good. I did replace the trigger w/ a timney.

Have yet to get a "bad Ruger" I have a hawkeye in 22-250, mk-ll.308, tang safety's in 6mm, 7mag, 30-06. all are shooters

The M77s I'm acquainted with were the tang safties in .223,257 Rob, 22-250,.243,and .270. All were deadly. roger

Brought this one home yesterday afternoon and have been messing with it. I guessed the trigger to be around 8lbs but the Wheeler scale shows it as a Creepy 5.25lb. Timney trigger and a Boyds/Hogue stock are on the menu. 22" barrel...I haven't compared it to the Overall length of my Rem 700 Ti .270 but it feels handy to carry. I wish my Browning Abolt Stainless Stalker had the stainless that this Ruger has...For some reason my Browning will rust in bad weather if you don't baby it like a blued rifle. This rifle feels stout.

It turned out to be a 2001 year model Mark II. The action is very smooth...I think smoother than my Hawkeye .204 or my Gunsite Scout Rifle .308 that I sold. Points great. I am selling a Rem 700 SPS in 7mm rem mag this afternoon as this is the replacement for it. Nothing wrong with the SPS except I am more interested in my .30-06's and now .270's over the Magnum. At some point they are all stepping on each others toes.

Has anyone used the Brownells T-10 screws on the Ruger rings? I want to replace the flathead screws since they strip so easily.

I wish Photobucket would quit crying so I could share photos.

Have owned four M77 Ruger rifles

All shot great and fed perfectly

I own a bunch of Ruger rifles. I love them.

I had my gunsmith fix all triggers on my Mark IIs.

I love the new LC6 trigger on the new Hawkeyes. I have not replaced one of them.

As Ray mentioned above, the Ruger African, IMHO, is Ruger’s best effort to date. Trim, light handy stock, weight around 7 3/4 lbs., LC6 trigger, CRF, 3 position safety, great barrels, inside trigger guard mag release, free rings, integral bases, open sights with barrel band front sight with white 3/32 front bead, one solid rear sight with white vertical line, barrel band front sling, black forend tip, blued bolt, etc. All for around $900 if you shop smart.

I own and love my Winchesters, CZs, and Dakotas. But I own more Rugers, by far, than any other brands.

The Hawkeyes are the best of the brand IMO, and they are so marked on the receiver.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Im sold on the Ruger African, the finest rifles Ive owned since the pre 64 mod. 70 or custom mauser..My latest is the LIpskys special order 275 Rigby, and I have a .338, and just recently sold several of them to collectors two .338s and two 9.3x62s a couple of Internationals (these are nice) one in SS and wood 250-3000, one in 308 blue and wood; another in blue 250-3000..these were all Libskys and Halifax specials..Most of these guns are special order guns that only 250 were made and not to be duplicated...Good investiments..

I really like The Hawkeye African rifle. I have a .338 that's a little different in that it has no muzzle brake, and the finish is sort of matte black (more like dark gray like an M-16). The bolt too is dull gray, and the sleekest bolt I have ever used (cycling this bolt is incredibly smooth). The barrel is around 22" long. The walnut stock is quite nice, so I replaced it with a McMillan Classic stock that was shortened to my LOP to include a decelerator recoil pad.

We've owned five tang safety guns. Still have one .308 RSI and a 77R '06. Triggers and mechanics were very good. None were quite as accurate as comparable period 700s we own(ed). None were "rebarrel ASAP" guns, though. Wish I'd kept the .300 Win.

Also had an early Mk2 in .223. It would not shoot to satisfy me - maybe 1.25-1.5" at 100.

The new .375 GG is a keeper. Maybe an Oseberg ship rifle (if the kids follow through). Makes 3 shot cloverleafs, love the LC6 trigger.

I have a left handed Hawkeye in 243Win and the African in 375 Ruger that is also left handed. The 375 is very accurate while the 243 Win is so so.

quote:

Originally posted by tsturm:
Yes!!
I have a .338WM MKII canoe paddle stock that I purchased in 1994. It will put 3 rounds touching at 100 yds, a case full of IMR 4831 & a 250g pill all is good. I did replace the trigger w/ a timney.

Have yet to get a "bad Ruger" I have a hawkeye in 22-250, mk-ll.308, tang safety's in 6mm, 7mag, 30-06. all are shooters

I have the same canoe-paddle-stocked rifle except for the Timney trigger. I can put 3 Hornady 225 interlocks in an inch at 100 yards, sometimes better if I'm "on."

I forgot to mention, the only feeding problems I have ever had with a Ruger, was on an Alaskan in 416 Ruger. In fact, I’ve had four of them and NONE of them would feed. Ruger did not do their homework on that rifle/round. However, that is the only Ruger/cartridge/rifle that has not fed for me. I have never owned a tang safety Ruger, so I cannot comment on them. I’ve not had any problems with the MarkIIs or Hawkeyes, notwithstanding the above rifle/cartridge.

I have had several MKII’s now, still have a 25-06 blued/timber model that is scary accurate. It does have a Timney trigger installed, best thing I ever did. I also relieved the barrel channel, glass/pillar bedded the action tight, there is no clearance for the recoil lug, it just slots in nice and snug. I bought my dad a nicely figured factory stock tang safety in 270 for his 70th birthday, the stock looks like no.5/6 grade and has real deep fiddleback through the stock.
The 300WM I had was also very accurate, BUT the boatpaddle stock was totally AWFUL.
It, and my 338WM in the classic stainless were both shot blasted to take off the glare.

I like Rugers, they are rugged and well put together, I’ve never had a problem with one, they have all fed well, extracted well and shot well.
I did, however, get the skin of my left thumb caught in the mag release lever once, man did that hurt.

Cheers.

Surefire bought his Ruger 77 hawkeye Mk.2 African in 7x57 early on for $900, I bought mine at auction a week or two ago for $1500 but got new dies, brass and peep sight with it..I missed another for $1800 a it sold...Ive been offered $1600 and $1800 for mine so far..but not yet is it for sale..I hate this as I am inclined to sell when the money looks right..

All those Halifax and Lipskys specials quickly become collectables as they are special runs of 250 never to be reproduced so they sell like overnight.

My new go to rifles are Hawkeyes. I absolutely love the 2 stage trigger on my Hawkeye Predator and the LC6 trigger on my 375 ain’t too shabby either.

Before that my go to rifles were Mk II’s and a Mauser conversion. I prefer the functionality of Ruger’s 3 position safety above all the others I’ve tried.

I wish Ruger would do a run of light weight mountain rifles with a high end synthetic stock and blind magazine. They won’t win the weight race against Kimber, but you will likely get a trouble free and accurate gun out of the box every time from Ruger.
Personally, I’d gladly trade a few ounces for the added reliability and accuracy.

Ray Alaska,
That model of African you have is now bringing some pretty darn good money in the USA..I have one of the newer ones with the muzzle brake,and I actually like the brake at the range and for working up loads and chronographing, take it off an put on the thread protector to hunt..but the new model African wasn't a special run and the brake has a limited following, so its holding its original value but not going crazy..Its my go to elk rifle most of the time. I sold it recently but then traded the same guy my Ruger African in 9.3x62 like your .338 for it and some cash to me..I was glad to get it back..

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Ray Alaska,
That model of African you have is now bringing some pretty darn good money in the USA..I have one of the newer ones with the muzzle brake,and I actually like the brake at the range and for working up loads and chronographing, take it off an put on the thread protector to hunt..but the new model African wasn't a special run and the brake has a limited following, so its holding its original value but not going crazy..Its my go to elk rifle most of the time. I sold it recently but then traded the same guy my Ruger African in 9.3x62 like your .338 for it and some cash to me..I was glad to get it back..

Thank you for the information, Ray.

The African version (like mine) makes for a very nice-looking rifle. My wife won't agree with me about the rifle's looks, of course. But it it was a new sewing machine, she would think it is gorgeous

I think Ruger’s suffer more from barrel issues on the internet than the range or the field.

quote:

Originally posted by Duckear:
I think Ruger’s suffer more from barrel issues on the internet than the range or the field.

roger

The barrel issue is history from yesteryear, sometime ago Ruger started making their own barrels, and no problems since..

That said I have one of the old barrels on my 30-06 ex tang safety that shoots like a varmint rifle..I say ex tang safty as I had a mod 70 safety installed, a trigger job and the tang tigged up and modified to a control feed. and I custom stocked it many years ago.. Its one of my keepers and (yes I do have a few keepers)this one my son John gave me...

What accuracy can one expect from a stock standard off the rack Ruger today ? One inch, perhaps 1 and half or two ?

I am conflicted and hope to be surprised when I take ownership of a new 9.3x62 !

I have two guide guns one in 338 Win and the other a 416 Ruger and neither impress me as being particularly accurate ( precise)

My current 7x57 Ruger No 1 RSI can best be described as a Area weapon .... it will do minute of orange at 100 .
A buddy of mine who passed on a year ago hunted sheep all his life with a old Ruger 77 in 7mm Rem mag and brought its part , his son now uses the rifle, very accurate for long shots

Then a brace of 10-22's these are so inaccurate I cannot use them for head shots on Grouse.

But and much to my delight one of those light take down 10-22's with the very short take down barrel with the vented barrel jacket thing.... this little gun is surprisingly accurate ! not Anchutz accurate but enough to take head shots on grouse with.

I have two Ruger M77 MKII in the safe right now.
One is a M77 International (full stock) in 30-06 with 18,5 " barrel.
It shoots 5 shots 180 grs Woodleigh PP at 2 " from the bench.
It is my woods rifle for spot and stalk red-and roe deer and the accuracy is more than enough.


The second one is a standard MKII in 308 Win with the 22" barrel.
Accuracy with 150 grs Sierra Match King is 1 ". Usually three in a cluster and two opening up.
150 grs Sierra Pro Hunter usually ends up around 1,5-2" for a five shot group.
This is the best loads I have found so far for these two rifles.

I also had a Hawkeye African in 375 Ruger for some years.
The best hunting load there was the 270 grs Barnes TSX with an average of 1,5 " for a three shot group.

All shot from bench at 100 meters.

A younger guy than me with better eyesight should very well be able to best these results.
All in all, I really like the Ruger rifles, and have had quite a few up trough the years.

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
What accuracy can one expect from a stock standard off the rack Ruger today ? One inch, perhaps 1 and half or two ?

I am conflicted and hope to be surprised when I take ownership of a new 9.3x62 !

I have two guide guns one in 338 Win and the other a 416 Ruger and neither impress me as being particularly accurate ( precise)

My current 7x57 Ruger No 1 RSI can best be described as a Area weapon .... it will do minute of orange at 100 .
A buddy of mine who passed on a year ago hunted sheep all his life with a old Ruger 77 in 7mm Rem mag and brought its part , his son now uses the rifle, very accurate for long shots

Then a brace of 10-22's these are so inaccurate I cannot use them for head shots on Grouse.

But and much to my delight one of those light take down 10-22's with the very short take down barrel with the vented barrel jacket thing.... this little gun is surprisingly accurate ! not Anchutz accurate but enough to take head shots on grouse with.

You need to get a Blaser they are perfection.

I like rugers. I have a 30/06 with custom work from Wayne at ahr. A 300 win that I broke the stock on dropping it out of a tree stand - getting a new McMillan for it. 3 375 ruger - steal at $700 each. All left handed.

Have a 10/22 my first gun. No great attachment for it.

Mike

My .375 GG shoots cloverleafs with Hornady 300s and 270s. I loaded up some old-style 300 gr Silvertips and they print 3 into about 1.5".

As for 10/22s, we use them alot for youth group activities. All average 1"-1.25" at 50 yds for 5 with just about anything. And they'll do it for 10 if we use CCI SV.

If I need more accuracy next step is a 64 Anschutz sporter. Those will do 5/8"-3/4" with SV, Eley subs, etc. for 5 at 50 yds. But they're no better than a 10/22 when fed Blazer, Fed 745, or Minimags.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:


You need to get a Blaser they are perfection.


Mike

I have always been of the opinion that for rugged reliability Simplicity is the essence of perfection.
And the Ruger M77 is both simple and rugged.
And, due to the return spring in the bolt stop, when they are well worn in and smooth they are one of the fastest bolt actions to use.

And now that Ruger controls the barrel making they are also consistently accurate.

I have two MK II SS LH Rugers. Dpcd has made me a nice 9.3x62 and its twin in 7x57 shall be whelped this summer. He took the factory laminate on the 9.3 and reshaped it into a very carry friendly stock and hollowed it out in placed to shed some weight. 8lbs 12 oz with a 1-4 scope.