Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger Model 77 Hawkeye

Thinking of getting a new 7 08 and thinking I like the classic looks and feel of the Hawkeye. What has been your experience with these rifles. General overall opinion? What kidd of accuracy are you getting with factory and hand loads?

I've have two, .280 Rem and .308 Scout, Daughter #1 has a .308 Win and I purchased two more in .30-06 as wedding gifts to sons-in-law. I'd buy another.

Don't spend much time with factory ammo but am very happy with accuracy. Sub-MOA groups are common. Really no different than the MKII and M77 rifles i have except the stock is nicer - slimmer, lighter and more graceful looking.

Get a new trigger spring from Ernie the Gunsmith and you will be good to go. I have 7mm Rem mag with a laminate stock that will shoot most anything very well., An RSI 270 that shoots MOA with the first load I tried. My Hawkeyes have been much less "finicky" than my Mark II's

I have a standard Hawkeye (wood, blue) in 308. I like everything about the rifle. Accurate with 4 different factory loads, bolt is plenty slick enough for me, the usual ruger reliability, and I much prefer the Hawkeye stock over that on my Mark 2. I had a gunsmith glass bed mine, and smoothed the trigger to 3 lbs. I'd get another in a heartbeat. Ymmv.

Every Ruger I own (5) is a tack driver.

I bought 3 SS ones. Sold one. Wish I hadn't.

They are great rifles. Like others said, glass bed it. lighter trigger spring for rhe LC6. I go to the hardware store and buy my own for .30 cents, way before spending $7.00 on an unnecessary Ernies spring. I also polish out the inside of the receiver, to make it almost as smooth as a model 70. The Hawkeye has some nice lines. The ones ive had have been excellent shooters, after doing a little work to them. They are very nice rifles for the money. Id have to add, the only con to them is their weight.

Love mine. Have a 7/08, 338 Fed, two 358s, and a 338 RCM. All faithful friends I'd never balk at taking afield.

I've had 2 and currently buying another. I like the Hawkeye stocks better but prefer the bluing on the older models. They're just good, reliable rifles. Both of mine shot around an inch without much trouble.

I have a Hawkeye in 7mm-08 and one in 6.5CM. I like them both. Like others have said, change the trigger spring and polish the sear. You should be able to do that in about half an hour and you will have a very nice trigger as a result.

Mine are plenty accurate and very reliable. The 6.5 CM might be the most accurate centerfire rifle I own. It is the FTW model.

I hate this thread. I've been going through my typical mid-winter machinations about how the safe should be populated, and I keep coming back to my lack of Rugers at the moment. I have a couple, along with an overage of Howa/Vanguards and Tikkas at the moment. They all shoot well, but they don't have the distinctive personality of the Ruger action. I'm not sure if that makes sense to anyone but me, but the Mod 77 has a certain sound when the action is worked, a certain feel as the bolt slides over the magazine, and a distinctive feel to the wrist of the stock (regardless of the generation). They are simply classic rifles. I need more.

Yes and that is what prevents me from keeping them around and from wanting more. I've never liked the sound and feel of working a 77 action. But I like everything else about the rifles.

I have a Hawkeye in 35 Whelen bought new in 2015. This is a great rifle. The stock is slim and feels right and balances well with the 24" barrel. Accuracy is excellent. This is my go-to rifle. I sold a Remington 700 in the same caliber to get the Ruger. I would not trade my Ruger for any number of 700s.

Switch, The two Hawkeye's I have owned have been good rifle's. The 1st a 338WM was MOA capable without modification with a number of loads, including one factory load (Remingtons Premier A-Frame load with the 225 grain A-Frame) That rifle went away only because of the arthritis I have developing in my shoulder. The other I still have is a 7MM RM. That rifle would not do better than 1 1/2 -2 inches at 100 yds with any load I tried till I free floated the barrel. The 1st load I tried after free floating with the Hornady 154 grain InterLock miked at .660 thousandths for three shots at 100 yds. center to center.

What are the feelings on the Hawkeye Predator model?

I've owned several Ruger 77s; one tang safety model, three or four MkIIs and a Hawkeye. All with walnut stocks and blued. The Hawkeye has an improved more ergonomic stock design and improved trigger. Unfortunately the Hawkeyes had some sort of thin, matte black metal finish that could be rubbed off taking it in and out of a carpeted gun safe. It didn't compare with the actual bluing on the older model 77s. Despite that I'd have to say it was a good rifle and the new stock design is an improvement.

I eventually replaced the Hawkeye with a Tikka. The Tikka was the most accurate rifle out of the box I've ever owned but if I could get one of the two back I'd take the Hawkeye.

I have only one Hawkeye (and one Mk. II), but would definitely own another if I was in the market and the right one came along. I haven't felt the need to glass bed or free-float my Hawkeye at this point. I simply relieved the magazine box and replaced the trigger spring. I can get MOA or better accuracy out of mine. I like the lines and feel of the Hawkeye stock and the LC6 trigger is quite good. The action isn't as smooth as my M77 Mk. II, but that action is also 7+ years older and has seen a lot more use. The actions do slick up with use/time.

I think the Hawkeye is a simple, rugged design that makes an excellent hunting rifle but I'd like the it even better if it went on a diet.

I can fix that real easy with a little polishing. You think a m77 sounds good, you ought to buy yourself a pre 64 model 70.

Smart man right there.

I bought a Hawkeye African in .275 Rigby a couple months ago...can honestly say I like it more than any rifle Ive ever owned...