I don't know much about these guns. Which one would you buy if you wanted to customize? Who would you have do the work?
Thanks JC

Only real difference is the trigger I believe.

Thanks ramrod340, I see custom rifles built on other actions including Ruger number 1 but not many on the 77 series. I think next to the model 70s they are great looking rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
Only real difference is the trigger I believe.

Ditto's, the trigger is the only real difference, it's a good one at that.

Dirk

I think the bottom metal is steel on the Hawkeye and alloy on the Mark II.

quote:

but not many on the 77 series.

I don't think there is really anything wrong with them as an action. Many don't like them because they are cast. Big issue is on a custom you really can't begin to get your $$ back if you use a 77 vs a mauser, m70 etc. Jeffe uses them all the time on his AR wildcats.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
...Jeffe uses them all the time on his AR wildcats.

Yeppers! 416, 458, 470, and 500 AR (accrels in oz) built on Rugers..

I think that the hawkeye has a slimmer stock ...

other than being cast (might be closer to extruded!) they are dual sqaure bridged, intregal return to zero scope bases, and perfectly hard, all the way through ..

ramrod interesting point concerning the action being cast. The Number 1's are cast also and a lot of custom guns built on that action. I have read that some engravers don't like to work on the # 1's because they are so hard to engrave. Can the ring mounts be cut to install Tally rings or could you remove them all togeather? Thanks for all the replys.

Thanks Jeffeosso, Glad to see your reply. What has to be done to these actions to rely make them sing and do you have a preference between the Mkll and the Hawkeye?

JC,
i like the hawkeye, but i haven't had chance to tear one down, at this point... someone might have not mentioned that i am CHEAP!!!

the mkI aint my fav, the mkII, with the crf (ish) makes be very happy...

you don't have to heat treat one... it has a 3 position safety...

i HATE the ruger standard stock... for one ugly ugly ugly feature...

the wood doesn't even come close to matching to the wood on the ejection/feeding port ..

oh, don't go look... its something you have never noticed, and its wickedly ugly, once you see it

jeffe

I started bolt action life with a Ruger M77 30-06 in 1978.
That was the pushfeed Ruger Modelo Nineteen-Seventy-Seven.

It had an alloy floorplate and trigger guard. The .458 WinMag chambering had steel trigger guard and floorplate, and you could replace your 30-06 parts with those steel ones, 30 years ago.

The Ruger 77 Mark II came out first as a pushfeed about 1992, and was quickly updated to CRF in the next batch, stainless or chromoly.
They have been available with either alloy or steel floorplate and trigger guard on various models.

You might find gunmetal gray steel on a heavy-barreled 25-06 stainless rifle and brushed aluminum alloy on a sporty 7mm RemMag or .338 WinMag stainless rifle. A helter skelter mix of alloy or steel bottom metal is to be found on those Mark II chromoly or stainless rifles: Ruger Modelo Nineteen-Ninety-Two

The Hawkeye advertized heavily in 2006 and showed up on dealer shelves everywhere by Jan. 2007. Ruger Modelo 2006.

I agree the only differences between the Hawkeye and the Mark II are:

1. Better "L6" trigger on the Hawkeye.
2. Trimmer wood stock like on the African.
3. Engraved/etched floorplate that has to be steel to support the decoration.

So, get a Mark II with steel bottom metal and an aftermarket trigger and it might be better than a Hawkeye for a custom build. Certainly no worse.

I love the Ruger M-1977, M-1992, and M-2006. It does not get any better for function, forget snob appeal. Properly heat-treated investment cast actions are as strong as it gets. Sturm-Ruger perfected that process.
"Sturm," doesn't that mean "strong?"

If you come across a first-batch MkII that is PF, it is easily converted to CRF by milling off the "weak sister" enclosing the bottom of the boltface. The ejector and extractor were the same on both versions of the MkII. I have a first-batch, stainless MkII in .338 WinMag that was converted from PF to CRF, that simply. It came with steel bottom metal in 1992.

Jeff, tell me more, tell me more. Would you build a 375 H&H on one and if so would you by an 3006 or the 7mm or 300 mag for the build?

quote:

"Sturm," doesn't that mean "strong?"

I guess that depends on the language.

Oh, it was another RIP riposte, not to be taken seriously.

Sorry.

Back to the Ruger discussion!

Thanks RIP,
Great info. who do you recommend to work on the Rugers?

Charles,
Care to explain your post. I am kinda new here.

JC,
*I* would build a 375 ruger.. but i would probably just buy the 375 ruger, for far less than i could build one for.

but, I would start with 7rem/300win ... replace/build the box, and then have the barrel done.

if you are going to build a bigbore, do a 458 Winmag/Lott, or better, 458 AR!!!

You see, you can load the 458s down to 375 recoil

quote:

Originally posted by JC375:
Charles,
Care to explain your post. I am kinda new here.

"Sturm" does not mean "strong," it means "storm" in German. RIP was joking, or so I assume. No offense meant to him and not intended as a comment on the quality of his advice. I have sought his advice myself.

Good luck with your project. Sorry for the hijack!

Thanks Charles.
I understand.

Yes, Ruger's are strong and taking the world by sturm!
Thanks for your riposte, Charles.

JC375,
My Ruger gunsmiths names have been:

Kelly Olson: Of Alaska, now Minnesota ... I'm out of touch ... he coined the phrase "weak sister removal" for the easy fix of the 1992 MkII PushFeed transitional model.

Kevin Jenkins of TN: Gone off to medical school, not taking in my laundry anymore ...

Rusty McGee of KY: Remington R&D Engineer ... I catch as catch can.

If you are near Tallahassee, you might see if Walt Sherman is still kicking. He did some good work for me on Pre-64 Winchesters.
Bill Alexander was smithing in Tallahassee back then too, and worked over some Whitworths for me.

But of course, El Jeffeosso is The Texas Ruger Virtuoso.

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:
[QUOTE]"Sturm," doesn't that mean "strong?"

Means Storm

JC375.
I have "pimped" my Hawkeye African a little bit, but that´s far from "customising".

Work done by my smith is as follows;
Bedding, adding a second cross bolt, new Pachmayr Decellerator pad, refinishing the stock to oil finish.

It will also get an Ebony tip and a barrel band sling swivel, and pehaps a steel grip plate with my name on it (nice touch eh.. )

Still it is a no frill work horse which actually recoils less than my M70 Safari Claasic 375 H&H.

Yes...I like it very much

thanks Rip... that's kinda like being an artist, right? like a chainsaw artist, in my case

quote:

Jeff, tell me more, tell me more. Would you build a 375 H&H on one and if so would you by an 3006 or the 7mm or 300 mag for the build?

The normal 77 and hawkeye are set up to accept the normal length magnums. Like the 300Wmag. You can make them work with the H&H length. You need to pick up a H&H length mag box, bolt stop and ejector and open the stock up ON THE INSIDE. Makes a nice light H&H. Se the article below.
http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/article.cfm?tocid=1186&magid=84

One thing to comsider about the MKII action for a custon, is the excelent timney trigger you can install on such an action.
The timney might be a we bit to light for a dangerous game rifle, but on my little MKII RL its an excelent trigger.
...tj3006

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:

quote:

Jeff, tell me more, tell me more. Would you build a 375 H&H on one and if so would you by an 3006 or the 7mm or 300 mag for the build?

The normal 77 and hawkeye are set up to accept the normal length magnums. Like the 300Wmag. You can make them work with the H&H length. You need to pick up a H&H length mag box, bolt stop and ejector and open the stock up ON THE INSIDE. Makes a nice light H&H. Se the article below.
http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/article.cfm?tocid=1186&magid=84

Very interesting article, I did find the editorial comment, “Because the big, fat, long Remington Ultra Mags won't stack up in the magazine box with proper geometry to feed reliably, a conversion to the Ultra Mags probably doesn't make much sense,†interesting as Jeff successfully utilizes this action for his various standard length RUM based AR rounds.

Arild

The steel grip cap from a No. 1 worked on my pushfeed Ruger.

I have a Timney trigger on my M77M2 (7mm SAUM). It's pretty much a good but normal 3-4 lb hunting trigger, and it's perfectly safe.