One of the most sought after rifles in my part of Northern B.C is the old stainless boat paddle Rugers from the early 90's. They are just behind the Win model 70. I like the older Ruger rifles but can't warm up to the new ones due to the investment casting.
Nice moose above
Hate to bust your bubble but Ruger has never made a 77 that wasn't investment cast.
Yup, but asside from the rough unmachined surfaces such as the bolt raceways I don't have any issues with Ruger investment casting their parts. Anyone who's drilled and tapped the trigger housing for an overtravel screw has an appreciation for how strong the alloy is. I'm not going to say no one has blown up an M77, because it's impossible to build something stupid proof, but they are very strong actions.
M77's are like a typical Ruger firearm, extremely strong, reasonably accurate, very reliable, reasonably priced, a little rough in a few spots and maybe a tad heavier than the competition. They may not garner an emotional response and following, but it's a pretty safe bet they can be used hard for your lifetime and passed onto the next generation.
