Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Ruger M77 ST ever made in 7x57

This model was the original round top that took normal rings and bases not the integral ones. I had one in 257Roberts but am looking for one in 7x57. 24in medium weight barrel w/sights, tang safety. Made 1971-'73. powdr

I bought a Ruger 77 in 1972 chambered for the 7X57 round.
It was a limited production model with a hollow bolt knob, and the standard Ruger ring mounts.
I don't recall seeing, or hearing of any round top models in 7X57. E

I heard of them, but have never laid eyes on one...not even sure if they officially made it out of the factory...

The ST was a standard model but not for long before they integrated their own rings. I bought the 257Roberts in December of 1973 from a local dealer here in central Texas. powdr

Must be near the same model I have in 30'06. While I've never been a collector type. I've owned several 77 tangers; the '06 is the only one that doesn;t have the Ruger base/ring combo. Is there supposed to be a premium for them?

Not really, but I just liked them. They're the closest thing to the feel of a pre'64 ever made in my opinion. All were 24 inch medium barrel w/sights. powdr

As I recall Ruger made both the 7X57 and .257 in the Model 77ST configuration with 24 inch barrels with rifle sights.

The production run was 5,000, I can't remember if it was for both calibers combined or each chambeingr. I handled a un-fired pair of each caliber for sale in a gun shop back in the early 80's. The barrel diameter was Ruger's medium contour making the rifles quite heavy for bore diameter.

Doc

Yes Doc they were a little heavy but so were the standard pre'64's. I used them for stand hunting here in Texas so it was no big deal. powdr

I've hesitated to comment here until I talked to my friend today who is THE M77 expert. He says the 7x57ST was only made in the 22" lighter barrel, same as the 30/06. Only early M77's to have the 24" medium weight barrel are the 257 Roberts, 25-06, 7mm RM, 300 WM and 338 WM.

Uno you know how much I trust your knowledge...especially on #1's but can't figure why they would make all the major calibers w/24in medium contour and only the 7 and 06 w/22in lighter barrels. Both would have been made at the same time would they not? powdr

My friend has all the really good early M77 I ever had; like serial#3,5,10, several other 2 digits, and many other flat bolts and hollow bolts! And these were a drop in the bucket to what he has! This is what he says. Pm me and I will give you his phone #. He knows more about M77's than anyone I know. Just think about what was going on at Ruger during this time; there were short actions and long actions; there were flat bolts and hollow bolts; there were Roundtops and receivers for Ruger rings. They just did not make the 7x57 in the 24" medium weight barrel in any of these configurations. Would certainly like to hear from someone if they have one.
I got drawn for Chaparral first hunt after 20 years of applying

You lucky dog! Still not drawn after 18 years. powdr

If I had known you had that many Preference Points, I would have let you on my App. Long time ago, at about 8 or 9 Preference Points, I quit putting friends on my APP who did not have any PPs.

I found a Auction listing dated Aug 2012 for a Ruger 77ST
in .257 Roberts with 24 inch barrel and Ruger factory sights. The serial number listed was 70-59356. The 77ST 7X57 models were manufactured in the same time frame.

Ruger also cataloged a 77ST model in 7X57 with the 22 inch
barrel with out sights.

Doc

That's the kicker Doc...22in in light barrel instead of the 24in medium weight. The round top was just made for the 24in medium weight barrel. My 257 was the best feeling rifle in my hands ever. I bet someone out there has a 7x57 that slipped thru. powdr

I checked what I could in the "REFERENCE OF RUGER FIREARMS".

The Reference lists physically known models. It has ...

1 known M77ST 7X57 in a flatbolt, SN 70-45989.

No known in a Hollowbolt, but are a possibility.

And the earliest known M77ST 7X57 round bolt, SN 70-46109.

This Refference does not distinguish between 22" or 24" barrels.

I have This one, it is a 24" medium barrel.

Rifle number 27 (May-June 73) had an article by Bob Hagel on modern loads for a 77ST, 22" w/sights. Some of the loads are pretty sporty, as in 150 Noslers at over 2900.

Starred loads in the chart consist of all the powder the fls WW cases would hold, the bullet then seated over it.

No pressure data, of course, but he said some cases lasted 20 times or so.

308 that is the exact gun I had. That gun in 7x57 is still a mystery. W/o knowing the barrel lengths on the two known guns it's just an unknown. powdr

Ken,
I would wager a drink those two known serial#s belong to my friend and they are 22" barrels. Want me to call him again and find out. We could meet at Pidcoke! I think if there is a 24" medium weight M77 ST in 7x57, it is worth too much to hunt with.
Lee

The is a 77ST 7X57 with a 24 inch barrel. I handled one in the 80's

Doc

Doc,
It would sure be nice to find it!!

As I recall, all 77's came with Ruger rings originally, it was afterward that they began offering the "round top" model to please dealers who wanted to sell mounts and rings with a rifle...

Well it looks like Big Redhead actually had one and Uncle Jim ended up w/it. I was a member at the time and don't know how I missed it. I'm so broke now it wouldn't matter if I found one...if it wasn't a shooter I couldn't buy it anyway. I do not want anything to collect. I want one I can bust the brush with. powdr

Here is one, but it is a 22" standard barrel.
Doc Cash will be at Tulsa next month; I'll ask him if he ever saw one with the 24" medium weight barrel.
http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=195948

I don't know why you assume that the round tops were to please dealers.

I like the round tops. They have the same hole spacing as the Rem 700. This greately increases mounting options. The only thing that I did not like about them are the open sites...especially the front site which is not removable.

I have a 200th year Ruger. It is a round top...no sites. According to Ruger, that gun was never produced in that confiruration. It was, however, purchased new in the box.

I remember this as El Numero states it above. My cousin had a 257 Roberts with the medium weight barrel; I had a Roberts with the standard 22" barrel. We used both on piles of VT woodchucks,crows etc.

But lots of funky stuff went on at Ruger when the M77 first came out. One shop in our area had a tie-in to Bill Ruger or someone at the plant.Bob Chatfield-Taylor occasionally wandered in there and was a buddy of Bill Ruger. Feel free to connect dots. I could only surmise

As a broke college student at the time I could not afford some of the uncatalogued goodies that showed up but saw a lot of them; they included early runs of 7x57,257 Roberts 256 Newton(! ! yes I saw them in the flesh),and 416 Taylor (3-4 as I recall),250-3000 and some others I can't remember. I was offered a Newton but could not afford it.

So I would not be surprised if a medium barrel 7x57 popped up from somewhere,although I don't recall any. Many guys at our club bought 7x57's but they were all 22" light weight barrels.

Bob, my dealer had a whole rack full of Rugers and they were selling like hotcakes. This was in the fall of 1973 I believe. I wanted a 257Roberts at the time so didn't even ask about a 7x57. I paid $137.50 for the 24in round top w/medium barrel...I still have the hang tag. powdr

powdr: My first M77 was a 30/06...second was a 270. They cost me about $125-130 bucks. So your pricing is about right. People did buy them like hot cakes....they reminded some of a pre 64 M70,and smelled gunny when you opened the box.

I owned a bunch. The Roberts came later.


The early one's were nice. Later the stocks became fat and they used Wilson barrels. I stopped buying them.

My friend has one of the Newtons. the 256, I think. He thinks the other was a 30 Newton. The whereabouts of the later is not known. I am remembering they went out West to a FOB (friend of Bill). Would be interested in more Chatfield-Taylor stories. I have his No.1, which is now a 7x65R. It is #21, started life as a 1B in 280. RC-T takes it back to Newport and had it made into a 7x65R with sights and an Alex Henry forearm. A bit off topic here, but the point is, anything is possible. I still don't think the M77ST was "cataloged" with a 24" medium barrel in 7x57, but some sure could have got made.

Bob, the Brownell influenced stock, the checkering and the whole way it was designed reminded me of the Pre'64 as well. It is what drew me to the gun to begin with. I was a poor infantry soldier at the time but while stationed in Germany I was able to save $1500 over the course of 16 months while gone. Upon returning on leave in the fall of '73 I immediately bought the 257Roberts ST and a 250-3000RSI. Wish I still had them both. Anyway, it's nice to know at least one is out there and probably more. Nice to dream. powdr