Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles The Ruger Express rifles.

Yup, much too heavy and completely needless cosmetic frippery, so, these are "OK", but, not really worth the additional $$$$ they cost as a hunting rifle.

I would have much preferred a "ghost and post" setup like that on the old Brno ZKK rifles for a good auxiliary sight.

When, you lay one of these beside a Dakota 76, you can see what a mediocre attempt at an "express rifle" they really are, much like comparing a Ruger 77-.338WM to a P-64-70 Alaskan-.338WM.

But, each to his own and all that.

much like comparing a Ruger 77-.338WM to a P-64-70 Alaskan-.338WM.

The "Pre-64" topic got me thinking of the Ruger Express rifles and what a fine piece of work they are.

much too heavy and completely needless cosmetic frippery

If, this was such a "fine" and "wellmade" rifle, WHY would you HAVE to even touch the bedding?

I have yet to own, of 43 so far, an un-modded P-64 Mod. 70 that would not cut each of three shots with the next shot at 100, using several different loads, even factory ammo. This includes rifles in condiition from "unfired" to well-used when I bought them and in chamberings from .243Win., .270 Win. probably 10 different specimens over the years,.308Win-the LEAST accurate, surprisingly,.30-06-many, .264Win."drill", .300 H&H, .338WM and .375H&H.

These heavy, poorly balanced and, for what you get, too pricey, Ruger imitations of a "custom-express rifle" weigh more in .270Win. than my Dakota 76 does in .338WM and I have yet to see one that shoots well, consistently of the several I have seen and those I have shot.

I think that the issue here is with the "hammer forging" of the integral Q-rib and this causes various stresses and distortions in the barrel that tend to make it/them shoot erratically. After, about 20 different Ruger guns, over some 40+ years, I have found them to deliver less accuracy, overall, than some other makes....but, some Ruger models have other "redeeming" features, IMHO.

To date, the old Brnos, Husqys, FN and HVA ( a favourite for building 7 lb. .280 Rems.), FN and Browning Safaris on that action, and old Mod. 70s, have all given me far superior accuracy, without any bedding, than any Ruger rifle I have ever owned has....I currently have a Ruger MKII-.220 Swift, lam. stock, sporter configuration and this is to be tested later this year and loads, hopefully, developed for Wolf and Coyote hunting in the winters.

I bought this recently, as I wanted a Swift as a "beater" for such shooting as I am not going to spend $2500.00 or more on a decent P-64, scoped, for such hunting; such a P-64 would shoot, but, it would also be beaten up and I won't waste $$$$ that way as retirement income is less then we made while working.....life, tho', is MUCH better now that slaving away is "history"!

Each to his own, but, I just don't "get" Savage 99 on these as he HAS some FINE rifles and these seem more image than substance when compared with P-64s, Brnos and so forth....I would choose a 1980s Remmy KS over one of these and I am no 700 fan.