quote:

Originally posted by gnmkr:
Sorry to high-jack your thread Roland.
To answer your question, As an out of the box rifle I would probably choose the Ruger. Both are high quality factory rifles but each has inherent problems.
Ruger- Although many folks report good accuracy without modification, generally speaking the forend hanger was not a great idea and most rifle will shoot better if it is "grounded" to the barrel and the forend is glass-bedded at the three contacting points at the front of the actionand hanger, and the first 1 1/2" of the barrel. I've done this to a number of #1's and seen excellent results. The newer trigger is not great but there are aftermarket items to handle both of these conserns.
Dakota- My biggest gripe with the factory Dakota is too straight a stock. Without the concern of bolt clearence, the height of the comb and heel are perhaps the highest of any factory rifle. This is fine for bench shooting but I find it an inconvenience for hunting. Also, the safety does not allow clearence for a cleaning rod from the breech which is one of the great things about most single shots. I'm a fan of the Walther-Lothar barrels Dakota has used and all of the factory rifles I know of are very accuate with full contact bedding of the forend. If forend tuning is needed, relieving the contact between the wood and the front of the action is a good idea. Dakota's have fragile, off-set firing pins, are a hassle to dis-and reassemble and the tension of the buttstock through-bolt changes the stiffness of the breech block/lever tension.
Cosmetically I think the triggers and guards of both rifles suck.
I would imagine that the price differential would be the major deciding factor in choosing between the two rifles.
Obviously I think each one is a good candidate for custom work although I would choose the Hagn over either largly because it doesn't need any action work. But this adds up to a much greater price differential.
Cut-away of Dakota #10

SDH