I was buying some powder today and saw a used M77 with wooden stock and a fairly half decent scope for $450.00. I kind of thought about buying it for the husband. We've never owned a 30-06 but have several calibers smaller and larger. It had a real hard orange colored recoil pad on the butt stock. Forgot to see if it had screws to swap out to a limbsaver. Bottom release for bullets. Bdl if a Remington I guess. Can't find any info googling it. Anyone know what I looked at and if the price was right. It was in 100% condition. Wood no scratches and bluing was good as new.
Ruger 77 30-06. Is it worth it
- Thread starter Wendyj
- Start date
Is it a 77 a 77MK-II, or 77 Hawkeye. There have been 3 generations. They are decent guns, but $450 is a little high, maybe a lot high depending on exactly which model. There are several places selling new for $499.
http://www.cdnnsports.com/30-06-hm77r-22-mat-wal.html#.VjLAaitKV5c
The original 77 had a tang safety and while it has the claw extractor it has a button ejector and is not CRF. At the time Ruger did not make their own barrels and bought them from several other companies. Accuracy varied from very poor to acceptable depending on who made the barrel at any given time. And the fact that triggers were awful.
The MK-II replaced the 77 in the early 90's with a wing safety, true CRF and a blade ejector. Ruger made the barrels in house and accuracy was more consistent, but the trigger still sucked.
The Hawkeye was introduced in 2006 with minor cosmetic differences. The stock was trimmed down a little and they have far better triggers.
http://www.cdnnsports.com/30-06-hm77r-22-mat-wal.html#.VjLAaitKV5c
The original 77 had a tang safety and while it has the claw extractor it has a button ejector and is not CRF. At the time Ruger did not make their own barrels and bought them from several other companies. Accuracy varied from very poor to acceptable depending on who made the barrel at any given time. And the fact that triggers were awful.
The MK-II replaced the 77 in the early 90's with a wing safety, true CRF and a blade ejector. Ruger made the barrels in house and accuracy was more consistent, but the trigger still sucked.
The Hawkeye was introduced in 2006 with minor cosmetic differences. The stock was trimmed down a little and they have far better triggers.
tahunua001
New member
it's a pretty good deal if it's just the M77, it's an amazing deal if it's the M77 mark II. I own the MKII in 30-06, my little brother's been using it the last couple years as his elk rifle. it's quite accurate, durable, well built. my whole family used to use remingtons exclusively... in recent years the remingtons have been passed around as gifts and heirlooms and the main guns that make it to the field are all rugers.
I have a early 1st model 77 in 270win. This was the first one my gunsmith had in his shop. My smith was a Douglas barrel man, being in WVa and Douglas
A WVa company he probably had a inside track. Anyway the reason he got the
Rugers in was that that run had Douglas barrels. That was in the 60s and I
still have it. That is saying a lot. At my house if it don't shoot, it scoots! Actually
the only Ruger 77s I've come across that refused to group were pencil barreled
guns in 22/250 and 257 Roberts. These observations are not based on one
rifle. The same cals in standard rifle did fine stacked up against 700s and post
64 model 70s. In fact they were looked at as replacement for pre 64 wins. I am
a great believer in pre 64 model 70 Wins.
A WVa company he probably had a inside track. Anyway the reason he got the
Rugers in was that that run had Douglas barrels. That was in the 60s and I
still have it. That is saying a lot. At my house if it don't shoot, it scoots! Actually
the only Ruger 77s I've come across that refused to group were pencil barreled
guns in 22/250 and 257 Roberts. These observations are not based on one
rifle. The same cals in standard rifle did fine stacked up against 700s and post
64 model 70s. In fact they were looked at as replacement for pre 64 wins. I am
a great believer in pre 64 model 70 Wins.
William T. Watts
New member
I own Winchester Model 70's (3), plus (2) Rugers also!
They aren't pretty but they will shoot with any of the rifles available at this time, I have two of the Ruger Hawkeyes a .280Rem and an 30/06, both will group under an inch. The trigger on both use a coil spring that can be trimmed IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR doing to lessen the trigger pull. On my rifle I removed a 1/4 coil only and brought the trigger pull down to 42oz on one of the rifles, removing a full coil would probably bring the trigger pull down too much for a hunting rifle.. Other than the trigger that may need attention they are very good hunting rifles, not pretty just good solid well made firearms with claw extractors which is a plus in my opinion.. William
They aren't pretty but they will shoot with any of the rifles available at this time, I have two of the Ruger Hawkeyes a .280Rem and an 30/06, both will group under an inch. The trigger on both use a coil spring that can be trimmed IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR doing to lessen the trigger pull. On my rifle I removed a 1/4 coil only and brought the trigger pull down to 42oz on one of the rifles, removing a full coil would probably bring the trigger pull down too much for a hunting rifle.. Other than the trigger that may need attention they are very good hunting rifles, not pretty just good solid well made firearms with claw extractors which is a plus in my opinion.. William
Sure Shot Mc Gee
New member
Some decent shooting brand new rifles being sold on-sale this time of year at a lesser price tag than the Ruger you're pondering. And too some having a manufacture's rebate to sweeten a buyers deal. If that used Ruger 77 were a Mag caliber. 450 would be appropriate. A used 30-06 for 450. ~~Na! Not this time of year. Too many other new rifles to consider.
FrankenMauser
New member
It sounds like a Ruger 77 'tang safety' (first generation), based on the red recoil pad.
The barrel will be a crapshoot, as mentioned above.
And the claw extractor has to snap over the rim for chambering, which some people find annoying. (Increased force required to close the bolt, versus competing or similar rifles.)
But, they're generally good rifles. (I own one. It shot better with the factory barrel than the Shilen match barrel that I have on it now!)
As for the trigger....
Standard production M77 tang-safety rifles came with an adjustable trigger. Stock, they could be taken down to under 3 lbs for the standard version, and below 1 lb for the varmint/target version.
If the rifle doesn't have the adjustable trigger, and an improvement is desired, several companies offer replacement springs, or improved and/or adjustable replacement triggers (such as Timney, Rifle Basix, and dozens of 'cottage' gunsmithing shops). Once in a blue moon, take-off varmint triggers come up for sale on auction sites such as GunBroker.
If you buy a 77 tang-safety, check to see if the front action screw (angled forward, on the bottom of the action, inside and at the front of the magazine floor plate) has been over-tightened and crushed the stock. If so, the rifle may not shoot well until a bedding pillar is installed to allow the action to seat properly again. It's a very common problem (even one that my own 77 tang safety has).
--An easy (but not 100% reliable) way to check without removing the screw, is to push the magazine floor plate release inside the trigger guard. If the floor plate pops open with very little pressure, or almost imperceptible movement, then the screw has likely been over-torqued. This test works because once the wood has been crushed, the floor plate hinge is pulled farther forward by the screw and reduces latch engagement. And if it pops open with almost no movement from the latch, it may pop open with recoil, as well (dumping the contents of the magazine on the ground).
---
If the rifle is not a "tang safety" model, then it will be an M77 Mk II or an M77 Hawkeye.
I like the Mk IIs, and consider them adequate to great. (I own one. It has a Timney trigger, now.)
I'm not so much of a fan of the Hawkeye, but they're almost exactly the same as the 77 Mk II. Much of my dislike of the Hawkeye comes from the cheaper stocks, the two-tone finish, the fact that Ruger admitted that it was a 'cheaper to produce' version of the Mk II, and the one that cut me during inspection, due to poor machining of the outside of the receiver. (I don't own a Hawkeye, but have shot several. They shoot. I just don't like them.
)
The barrel will be a crapshoot, as mentioned above.
And the claw extractor has to snap over the rim for chambering, which some people find annoying. (Increased force required to close the bolt, versus competing or similar rifles.)
But, they're generally good rifles. (I own one. It shot better with the factory barrel than the Shilen match barrel that I have on it now!)
As for the trigger....
Standard production M77 tang-safety rifles came with an adjustable trigger. Stock, they could be taken down to under 3 lbs for the standard version, and below 1 lb for the varmint/target version.
If the rifle doesn't have the adjustable trigger, and an improvement is desired, several companies offer replacement springs, or improved and/or adjustable replacement triggers (such as Timney, Rifle Basix, and dozens of 'cottage' gunsmithing shops). Once in a blue moon, take-off varmint triggers come up for sale on auction sites such as GunBroker.
If you buy a 77 tang-safety, check to see if the front action screw (angled forward, on the bottom of the action, inside and at the front of the magazine floor plate) has been over-tightened and crushed the stock. If so, the rifle may not shoot well until a bedding pillar is installed to allow the action to seat properly again. It's a very common problem (even one that my own 77 tang safety has).
--An easy (but not 100% reliable) way to check without removing the screw, is to push the magazine floor plate release inside the trigger guard. If the floor plate pops open with very little pressure, or almost imperceptible movement, then the screw has likely been over-torqued. This test works because once the wood has been crushed, the floor plate hinge is pulled farther forward by the screw and reduces latch engagement. And if it pops open with almost no movement from the latch, it may pop open with recoil, as well (dumping the contents of the magazine on the ground).
---
If the rifle is not a "tang safety" model, then it will be an M77 Mk II or an M77 Hawkeye.
I like the Mk IIs, and consider them adequate to great. (I own one. It has a Timney trigger, now.)
I'm not so much of a fan of the Hawkeye, but they're almost exactly the same as the 77 Mk II. Much of my dislike of the Hawkeye comes from the cheaper stocks, the two-tone finish, the fact that Ruger admitted that it was a 'cheaper to produce' version of the Mk II, and the one that cut me during inspection, due to poor machining of the outside of the receiver. (I don't own a Hawkeye, but have shot several. They shoot. I just don't like them.
)
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I have an old 6mm M77 that was bit of a problem child as far as grouping. About ten years ago I had it glass bedded and shrunk the 5 shot group size in half to 3/4" at 100 yds. I did have a 220 Swift sporter M77 that I think could have shoot better. Today's new guns in that price range are matte finished plastic stocked economy models, no thanks.
http://www.cdnnsports.com/catalogsearch/result/?order=relevance&dir=desc&q=ruger+m77
Many brand new M77s for less than 500 at CDNN. Of course, you'd still need a scope.
Here is a .30-06 with walnut stock, they also have synthetic stock variants.
http://www.cdnnsports.com/30-06-hm77r-22-mat-wal.html#.VjNq9X6rRj0
Many brand new M77s for less than 500 at CDNN. Of course, you'd still need a scope.
Here is a .30-06 with walnut stock, they also have synthetic stock variants.
http://www.cdnnsports.com/30-06-hm77r-22-mat-wal.html#.VjNq9X6rRj0
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603Country
New member
I've had 3 tang safety Rugers. All were excellent shooters, including the Ultralight in 270 that my Dad used for years. Until he passed, I had never reloaded for it. I inherited the rifle, but a favorite nephew longed for it, so I gave it to him. I loaded up some 140 gr Sierra HPBT loads over a mid load of 4064 and it shot 3 round cloverleafs. No wonder Dad loved that rifle so much. I still have the other two, one of which is the International version and the other is my old 220, which came with a bull barrel (pretty sure it was a Shilen). It was wonderful till I wore the barrel out. Now it's wonderful with a new barrel (Douglas). All three of those Rugers have new triggers.
And I have the Hawkeye in 223 and it was a good shooter, but I had Horizon make it into a great shooter. New trigger there too, though the original was pretty decent when I had the spring replaced and the pull lightened up.
And I have the Hawkeye in 223 and it was a good shooter, but I had Horizon make it into a great shooter. New trigger there too, though the original was pretty decent when I had the spring replaced and the pull lightened up.