Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Best 308 Factory Stainless Sporter ??

Ruger Hawkeye, Synthetic/Blue, $499 plus $14.75 shipping.
http://www.cdnnsports.com/308-hm77rfp-22-syn.html#.VZ5cjPlVhBc

Or get an All Weather for $549.

Just picked up a walnut/blue .30-06 at the $549 price two days ago. Best trigger I have seen on a non-VT M77/MKII/Hawkeye -- ever.A little take-up, then a crisp, clean break and fairly light.

The Ruger rings are all that I've ever used on the several I have.

Absolutely. Why pay more for a hunting rifle when the Ruger rings come with the rifle and work fine?


Here's my old (1982) M77 7mm RM, 10 shots in a very gusty 40+ MPH crosswind (radio said gusts were hitting 60+):



1989 Ruger M77 .257 Roberts:



2003 Ruger MKII .30WM, first shot from an oiled bore:


1984 Ruger M77 .30-06, 2-shot scope check:


1994 Ruger semi-custom (2010) MKII .338WM, factory barrel and rings, 3 shots:



19913 Ruger #1 .280 Rem, two different loads:


No target pics for my MKII .223 but it routinely shoots .5" groups at 100 yards and i use it to shoot clay pigeons at 500 and 600 yards. (At 600 I miss most of the time but rarely by much unless the wind is kicking up.)

I would suggest the Remington 700SS Mountain Rifle with BC stock in 308.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=493855827

Yes and no.

I have a Hawkeye Predator. Rifle comes with mediums. I used them for an older VX-1 4-12. I bought a set of lows for the illuminated Mark AR 1-4 it's wearing right now. Amazon has good prices and a good selection of rings so you can match the rifle's finish. I like the look of the gray rings and matte black scope, but lots of people don't. There was a big discussion a while back about the various color combinations possible.


I would be okay with the Leupolds as well if I was going to use matte black rings.

Win m70 ew gets my vote.

Win EW M70
Kimber Montana
Remington MTN 700

I would have said Ruger Hawkeye, but had one last year that no matter what I did, only shot 2-3" groups. Had an 06 that was the same, so I am 50/50 on the Ruger's now.

We bought two hawkeyes 243s for my twin little sisters. One being a RH and the other LH. Despite our hand loading efforts we have yet to find any loads that can consistently maintain sub 1" groups. Pretty disappointed with them.

sako 85

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.

I'd pick up a Kimber Montana all of the 308's I've heard about shoot very well. I'm sure you can learn to shoot it well and it's a hunting rifle after all. Past that a 700 in a Mcmillan will be a fine choice. Good luck!

The only dud Ruger I've owned is a 308 Hawkeye. It does really well with one load and nothing else. It won't shoot any 165 to save its own butt. I replaced it with a 700 and my 308 problems were solved.

I've got 2 other Hawkeyes and they are great. Based on mine 2 out of 3 are good

I have yet to get a lemon Ruger M77/MKII/Hawkeye and my safe is full of them. The targets I posted above speak for themselves.

That includes the the two Hawkeyes in .308 Win and one in .280 Rem that I've purchased in last 7 months.

I do float the barrels on my Rugers but I do that to all my rifles with one-piece stocks.

What is available new today in a sporter? My picks:

Win 70 EW or Stainless Synthetic
Sako 85 Finnlight

Ultralight:

Forbes Mod 20 (only a stainless barrel on this one now, but allegedly a stainless action with be available shortly)
Kimber Montana

The 700 mountain rifle is fine too, but I don't like the B&C stock on the current ones.

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.

My opinion here, but based on all the 77s I have owned and been around since Ruger started making their own barrels, the odds of getting one that won't shoot are slim. I'm not talking benchrest here, but MOA is the norm in my experience.

Okay, you bunch of enablers talked me into the stainless laminate Hawkeye that CDNN has for sale . I hope it shoots well - I don't hunt flys, so sub-MOA isn't necessary... it would be a nice surprise though

To the OP - My apologies for hijacking your thread.

Tikka T3 or Super lite

Really like my Montana....

My Ruger was averaging 2.5-3 inch groups until I bedded and free floated it. I filed down the box magazine and put in an aftermarket trigger. It will shoot 1 inch or better now! My first but not my last Ruger!