For the Ruger Hawkeye fans - it sounds like there is some discrepancy in the replies so far; some seem to think they shoot great, and others not so much. Obviously that trend can (and does) occur in all manufactured rifles, but what are the odds of getting a lemon hawkeye vs. a shooter hawkeye? I might be interested in picking one up, but I'm wondering what kind of gamble I would be taking.
For my use, reliability of function trumps everything else. I've owned 77s of all three vintages, and all have been accurate enough for any hunting situation I will encounter. My current Hawkeye just averaged 1 1/8" for three 3 shot groups with 44gr of Varget and 165gr BTs. Dead stock, no tweaking of load, seating depth, bedding, or barrel break-in. Later this summer, I'll probably remount the 4-12 and play with some other powders and match bullets, maybe some cast bullets and saboted .224s. I got the Predator to be a do-all, dinking around rifle. If I wanted an out-of-the-box tack-driver for long range, I'd probably get a Savage. For pretty, I'd go Cooper or Select Grade Kimber. For light, a Montana.
The Predator is all steel, inletted perfectly, has a great 2-stage trigger, and came with matching rings for $769, delivered to my FFL. I think I got a heckuva deal.
