Just a quick heads up, for those interested...
A few SS LH Ruger M77 Hawkeye 308 are available on Gunbroker.

I'd grab one if it wasn't so expensive to get them imported up here.

Wow I can,t think of any other production SS LH SA CF rifle.

Why .308? If it was any of the other chamberings, it would be far more appealing.

Maybe I could buy one and swap barrels with my right hand .260, then sell the right hand .308.

Davidsons sold out all 17 in less than 20 hours since yesterday.

How soon before we see these on Gunbroker for $1250 each?

I just bought one. If I can figure out where they're coming from, I'll buy some more. This should be a great companion to the LH .375s.

Is the LH SS action from the LH Scout rifle? Talked to the Ruger Rep today and he did not know.

That makes sense that it would be.

Why would they go through all the trouble to make up just a few of these, when they know there will be a huge demand?

They should have done like 100 in each caliber, and see where sales go, and turn it into regular production if the demand is there.

Also asked Ruger rep why they discontinued the LH SS Hawkeye said they did not sell.

But then they introduced the lefty short actions, and they have been selling extremely well. And they brought out the butt ugly scout rifle in lefty, and that obviously sells.....

Someone in their marketing department needs to get a clue.

Did you know that Ruger made Left Hand Stainless Scouts for the Canadian market? That's where the actions came from for this run. They were left over from Canadian scouts. Why wouldn't they sell them to the US?

The LH Ruger Scout is not Stainless in the US but the Canadian one is? Wow

Where is the logic?

"Well....We have this part leftover, and oh, crap, we screwed up and inletted this part wrong. But, hey, we can combine the two and sell it. Wow, huge demand....sorry, they are gone."

I guess the .308's were sure limited. They are gone like a fart in the wind....Davidson's does not even list them any more, and a google search comes up pretty much blank. One still on Gunbroker for $699 and that's it.

Not trying to refute you, but wanted to pass on the good neews - as of this post there are 6 on gunbroker.

One here:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Aucti....aspx?Item=280242490

5 here with a buy it now of $669.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Aucti....aspx?Item=280475278



I got mine for a BIN of $620, I may put it up on gunbroker for $1250 next week...

When I posted the above, the ad for 6 did not come up in the searches of any type for the left hand Ruger. Interesting that the company that sold the first batch already boosted the price a little for the next round. They probably bought out the rest, and every six that sell, the price goes up.

I know what you mean - I had searched just last night and those 5 did not appear. DCRent had one left and wanted a buy it now of $699.

Just when I think I know what's going on at Ruger they throw out a curveball like this one. From what I can tell, the production line is very limited and they fill in gaps in production with any assembly of parts that will make a group of complete guns. One of my distributors says he's gotten guns that were discontinued 4-5 years before.

anyone got one in hand yet to give any reports on how it is or how it shoots?

Yep, got mine in last week. This is the first Ruger bolt action I've bought in over 30 years and only the second M77 I've owned so I don't have a lot to compare it with.

Out of the box the trigger breaks cleanly at 4.25 to 4.5 pounds with a good bit of overtravel.

Action is gritty feeling, the bolt will bind if you put any sideways pressure at all when trying to push it forward. The gritty feeling is smoothing up a bit with use but you still have to be careful to push the bolt straight in.

Functioning is good so far. It doesn't feed as snick-snick clean as my two LH Model 70's but feeding effort isn't any worse then my short action Model 700's.

Acuracy looks promising. I've only fired 50 rounds so far, 36 for groups/chronographing and 14 for functioning/ringing steel, using the Hornady 150 spire point and a series of TAC, RL-15 and IMR-4895. It likes some loads, doesn't like others, TAC needs to be run hot and IMR-4895 is eager to please. Got a few four shot groups that broke the sub-moa barrier, the barrel looks like it is full length bedded in the stock and I didn't allow it to cool much, just fired four in a row. I've heard that they respond to free floating. I think with free floating and some more tinkering with loads it could be a pretty good shooter.

Mine seems a bit "slow", it is running 75 to 100 fps slower with these loads than the same charge weights and same bullet in a Model 700 with a 22" Pac-Nor barrel. Throating is excellent, though. Seated to hit the lands the bullet is still only 2.795" OAL, that fits well inside the 2.9" bagazine box. Remingtons are notoriously long throated in the .308 so this one gets a big plus for throating/mag box relationship.

The green-black-brown laminate stock takes some getting used to but it's not bad. I was prepared for gag me fugly, but it's growing on me. Checkerig is super sharp, it almost scratches my hand when fired so you definitely can get a firm grip on the stock.

Out of the box it weighed 7 pounds even, with those boat anchor medium rings and a VX-II 3-9 scope it hits 7 pounds 14 ounces, not a lightweight. It comes with a #4 and #5 Ruger ring set. I've order a #3 low ring - you can use the current #4 front ring as the rear ring in a low pairing, so maybe that'll shave one half to one ounce off total weight.

Overall, it seems to be what others report as a typical stainless Hawkeye but with the bolt on the southpaw friendly side. I give it a thumbs up.

Trigger is a simple fix on these, I've done a few of the Hawkeyes with a spring swap and tremendous results. Order the Wolff spring for it, and you will go to about 2.5# (3# max) with about 5 minutes of work. You have to pull the action out of the stock to do it, but well worth it.

I find too that the No 4 and 5 ring sets are too high for my preference. Did you know that you can swap the No 5 for a No 3 with Ruger at no cost? Just call them with the serial number of the gun and you can send it in in exchange for the No 3. I have two of these guns coming in next week. I think I'll swap the stock for the one that comes on a Scout if they'll interchange. I like the short LOP of the scout and the detachable magazine (at least I like the 3 round and 5 found versions) better than the internal magazine.

Not sure what the reality on these is now. Seems to be another bunch popping up. Davidsons has 2 currently, and 6 are on Gunbroker for $599.

quote:

Originally posted by Vol717:
I find too that the No 4 and 5 ring sets are too high for my preference. Did you know that you can swap the No 5 for a No 3 with Ruger at no cost? Just call them with the serial number of the gun and you can send it in in exchange for the No 3. I have two of these guns coming in next week. I think I'll swap the stock for the one that comes on a Scout if they'll interchange. I like the short LOP of the scout and the detachable magazine (at least I like the 3 round and 5 found versions) better than the internal magazine.

I had heard that was true but I was reading some reviews of rings on Midway and a fellow reported that the #3/#4 combo was too low for his VX-II 3-9X40 scope. I went ahead and just bought a #3 ring from Bud's Gun shop, they had about the cheapest price on one. Well, a VX-II 3-9X40 will indeed fit in a #3/#4 set, the bolt handle still clears the bell.

Anyway, that still leaves me the option of a 4&5 combo if I ever want to mount a bigger scope or just move one up 1/8". I used to use low rings on my Model 70 LT but it bent my neck too much so I went to mediums and it's much more comfortable.

Back to the rifle - the bolt is breaking in nicely, movement is getting smoother and either it's not binding somuch or more likely I'm learning how to work it straight in so it doesn't bind. The neck portion of the chamber is fairly large, that could account for the "slowness" of the loads, but headspace is minimum so it won't stretch the brass, it's the same length exactly as a custom chamber on another .308 put together by Coleman rifles. Loaded up another test set of ammo and went up a grain of powder with each type, also seated the bullets another .020" deeper so it's off to the range this weekend to see how that does.

I received the two I bought on Friday. Ruger's inletting has been getting better and better in recent years, but these stocks are exceptional. The stocks on these guns look like the wood grew around the metal. The only gap anywhere is the one that should be there, right behind the tang. Also, When I logged the guns in, I discovered another bonus..they are consecutively serial numbered! Now I can't sell one and keep one, so they'll have to remain together as a set. I don't need two .308s, so maybe I'll see if I can find a stainless right hand .260 and swap barrels. The triggers on these guns are pretty nice for factory triggers. I'll look into the Wolf spring, however, as my preference is for a 40 ounce trigger.

Vol,

Let us know if you pursue the option of the barrel swap. Is this a relatively simple thing on Ruger's? Not sure if going LH/RH makes any difference, but I remember you did a few with the 375. Also, I'm not sure how well a righty .308 would sell in this configuration. I've got a righty compact stainless .260, and would love the same in LH. I would also consider just doing a rebarrel though if I did it, and keep the .260 as is.

Ken,

The barrel swaps on the four 375/416s that I was involved with were pretty straightforward. The gunsmiths said that they had to use the finish reamers only a little. None of the guns had to have a thread removed to align sights. But then the reason I did the barrel swaps rather than rebarrel is because the iron sights can't easily be swapped onto a new barrel. The front sight is pressed on. I would think a barrel swap in these guns would be simple but I don't think economical, as the barrel would have to acquired from a new right hand gun. Then the right hand gun has to be disposed of. I could have one of these rebarreled in stainless for under $400 by McGowen.

In my case, I already have the right hand .260. But, its the compact stainless with 16" barrel. Shoots one hole groups at 100 yards though. So, I'd end up with the right hand 308 having a 22" barrel. Stock is the compact, but I added a limbsaver pad, so the LOP is not really that much shorter. I think the value is much better as a .260 though.

Good idea Ken. I'm going to look into what you've done.

Haven't yet (didn't even buy a LH 308 yet). Still an option.

Jumped on about the last one I have seen around for sale. So, now to decide to keep it as .308 or rebarrel. Strongly looking at the rebarrel option. Already have a Tikka T3 in O6, so don't really want to set up for .308. Probably go .260 on this one

Did you get the one on gunbroker from DCRENT?

A word of caution if you intend to rebarrel - DO NOT shoot the donor!

Mine shot good out of the box but after glass bedding, free floating and taking the trigger down to about 3.5 lbs it shoots lights out. As in consistent and repeatable five shot groups in the .5's and .6's with good loads.

I got two of them, keeping the first as a .308 and haven't taken the hang tag off of the other. Still deciding what to do with it.

Let us know how you like your when it gets to you.

yep, that's the one. I decided to get it a few days ago, but someone already met the reserve, so the buy it now went away. The auction ended today below the buy it now anyhow, so it worked out.

Don't think I'll do a donor rifle. They don't catalog a stainless .260 anymore, and I'm not going to go through looking for a donor for it. Probably just get a new Douglas stainless barrel matched to the same contour and keep or sell the .308 barrel

Got it this week, and it's headed to the smith next week to be rebarreled

Somehow there is another one available on Gunbroker by the same seller. He keeps advertising as the last one left, so he must have bought a whole batch of them, and keeps listing one by one.

Does this model have sights?

No sights. 22" sporter weight barrel

Somehow two more have popped up on Gunbroker (same seller) since I got mine.

One sold right away with "buy it now" and the other is still there as of yesterday.

Thanks, Ken.

Saw that one sold last week on Gunbroker for $705. Not sure if he has any more "last one"

Got mine back from the smith last week. Now is a 260 Rem. Copied the factory contour and is 20" 1 in 8". Sandblasted the barrel and it matches perfectly without having to do the action. Douglas Premium air gauged stainless barrel. Fantastic work done by Dave at I T & D Custom.
Already have sold the factory barrel unfired.

Shot it last week, and got touching groups right out of the gate with loads I had from another gun. Also did the Wolff trigger spring so I'm at about 3#

Still have my second one unfired. Waiting for the price to top $1,000.

Did anybody see that LH Hawkeye Sporter in .375 Ruger at Bud's? The picture showed a standard "sporter" configuration, stainless steel, no sights with a black lmaminated stock. I've seen two different descriptions of these. Bud's description said a 23" barrel with no sights, but then another site slisting one said it had a 20" barrel with sights, like that short run they made a while ago.

The magnum sporters they used to make all had 24" barrels.

You never know what Ruger is going to come out with next - and not tell anybody about!

It looks like Bud's got another of those left hand stainless Hawkeyes in .375 Ruger. I'm curious if one of the distributors ordered these or how they came to be made?



Oops, just went to look for it and it already sold!

yeah, I didn't see it either. They must have picked one up that was lost on a distributor shelf for a while.

Not sure what the story is on those regarding sights. Some ordered the other ones that said were without sights and they ended up having sights. Not sure if any of the 375 Rugers in LH actually ended up not having sights.