Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Anybody have a Ruger M77 Hawkeye in 280 Remington?

I've never owned, or shot, a 280 Remington so when I saw a lightly-used Ruger M77 Hawkeye stainless in the used rack of a local shop I figured I had to have it.

Anyone else have one of these Rugers? From what I gather they were not made in very great numbers. I've got brass and dies and 120gr Nosler BT's on the way. Should be fun to send those light bullets out at 3000+ fps

Awesome bullet choice for Whitetail.

I've got a blued/synthetic 280 Rem Hawkeye.

It has shot everything pretty well.

I have an old Ruger tang model 77.

I've had a couple of 280's over the years including a SS MK-II Ruger with the boat paddle stock. In my experience the Hawkeyes shoot better and I never cared for the heavy, ugly boat paddle stock.

I think you'll like the rifle and round.

CDNN has them for $499. They were $449 for a while. The 280 doesn't get a lot of love, but it's just a darn fine do it all North American cartridge.

I though of this reading Beretzs describe his rifle. CDNN has a lot of really good rifles for a good value. I snagged a All Weather Hawkeye for $399.00

The 280/7mm Express is a great caliber. Being between a 7 Mag and a 7-08 is a pretty good place to be.

Which one did you get for $399?

I got the 280 Hawkeye for 400, back around Christmas.

Any favorite loads for your 280 Hawkeye?

Not a Hawkeye, but a MarkII, in 280Rem was my first quality rifle. My first rifle was a Rem 710 30-06. With the Ruger, I learned the difference between quality vs budget rifles. The Ruger started my descent into rifle looneyism!

Mine is the walnut/blued version and it shoots 140gr factory Winchester Ballistic Silvertips so well I've just started to work up a handload for it over the past month.

Nothing really is a favorite yet but 130 Speers over RL17 shot excellent at 3150'ish.

Going to start working with RL26 and 150 Sciroccos pretty quick. Hoping for a good load with that bullet.

338 RCM When you can buy a new rifle and 200 rounds of ammo for less than $800.00 what's not to love.

I think there was a few days the 280's were 399.00 also. There were lots of good deals after the election.

Ruger Mk II All Weather in 280 Remington has accounted for a truck load or two of game since 2003. It has been like a good 'ole .22, what ever I point it at goes down.

Picked up one of the All Weather Hawkeye .280 Remington rifles a while back.


I've worked up several loads that work great. This one is my favorite, 140g North Fork, H4831SC, 2942fps. That is a 7mm RM with the same bullet on the left, .280 on the right. Same powder charge boosts a 140g AB to 2901fps. A half grain less powder pushes a 140g TTSX to 2928fps. All are very accurate.


While North Fork bullets are still available, this particular version is not. Mike Brady sent me a bag full of these prototypes but they never went into full production and the new North Fork owners don't offer it either. Not that I'd worry - the standard North Fork SS work awesome. I use the 7mm 160g, 165g and 180g in ,30 cal and 350g in my .45-70.

29,242 fps? Now, that is fast!!

My bad. 2942fps.

Here's another from CDNN. I think I suckered myself into 4 Hawkeyes from them, just couldn't pass on them when the price was so low. Swap out between the wood and a boat paddle stock from time to time. It really likes a healthy dose of H4831 with 154 Hornady IL's or 150 BT's.

Very nice!