Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Ruger M77 RSC /RS 458win mag opinions

Anyone have a older M77 on 458 win mag? What's your opinion on the rifle and how well do these handle? Are they good shooters?

I just bought a Ruger 77 416 Rigby on line. It was new in the box (made in 1990) and a good buy.

Here's what I've heard about the Ruger 77 Magnum actions:

Pro: Beautiful wood, good sights, good action


Con: Poor stock design, recoil is not handled well by the design, The bolt handle hits the hand hard when fired, the recoil lugs could be improved.

I mainly have Winchesters and Remingtons, but I do have a Ruger 77 in 7 Rem Mag. That Ruger hurts and seems to kick more than either of my 338's (Winchester 70 and Remington 700) and it hurts more than my 375 H&H AI on a pre 64 70. Let me be clear, none of the others hurt, but the Ruger 77 7MM RM does.

I replaced the recoil pad on the Ruger 7mm RM with a 1 inch decelerator pad and it helped enormously. I have not had the bolt handle hit my hand when firing even the heaviest bullets.

Since the Rigby was built in about 1990 and is still new in the box, I might keep it as an investment in a vault. If I decide to take it to Africa, I'll shoot it a lot before hand and I may restock it and have the bolt handle straightened or replaced.

If you are looking at a tang safety model, here are my thoughts. I do not have experience with the magnum length action that is similar to the MarkII.
I have a friend who had one. He was a bit afraid of it, but He claimed it was accurate.
I worked in a shop where we sold a few. On used guns, we always went over the stocks very carefully. We were looking for cracks. We didn't find any, but we often found a chip out at the back of the receiver.
I built a 416Taylor on the tang safety action and the gunsmith chipped my laminate stock when he tested his bedding job. He rebedded it, but the repair is still there. So be sure there is no contact at The back of The receiver. If there is have it relieved.
The 458 tang safety has a metal plate recoil lug that helps distribut recoil forces to the stock.
Unlike the previous poster, I find the ruger factory stock fits me, so for me it makes hard kickers manageable. That seems to relate to stock fit.
That hard pad is nice for mounting the gun, but it is hard. A softer pad makes a difference.
The tang safety is a push feed action if that matters to you. It does mot matter to me. Mine will feed upside down and I can pop a cartridge in without putting It in the magazine. It bothers some people. Mule Deer would be a better source for information on how important that is from a technical perspective.
Bfly

I have the 375 H&H and the MK II action. It's a very nice rifle; not lacking in heft at all. (I also have a #1 in the same chambering which I prefer, but I like #1s, while 77s are 'tools' and the RSM is awfully nice just to be a tool.)

I would say this about shooting these bigger rifles: they take a different approach than something in the 30-06/7Mag class and below. Getting whacked by the bolt tells you you're probably not gripping the rifle adequately. Big rifles and loose/relaxed grip will not serve you well. You don't need a death grip on the stock, but a firm full grip is a good idea and you shouldn't bruise or skin your hands via bolt contact if you're doing it right. And do most of your shooting upright for best recoil management if being pummeled bothers you.