The cheapest stainless steel RAR I could find on Gunbroker was $429. The cheapest Hawkeye All-Weather is $499 on closeout. I've owned both, and I'd never trade a Hawkeye for a RAR + $70.
One problem, I'm sure, is that the MSRP of any Ruger 77 stainless steel model is currently over $1,000! When I was a kid, even a minimum wage job would allow me to save up the $165 cost of a Ruger 77 (probably why so many Americans are being sold today).
What's funny, as I reflect on changes over the past 40+ years, is that I started out with a Ruger 77 in .284 Win, which pushed a 150gr 7mm bullet at 2850fps. I'm over 60 now, and ending up my hunting years with a newly-purchased Ruger Hawkeye in 7mm-08, which pushes a 140gr 7mm bullet at 2830fps.
The best things never change!
