Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Lightly used Ruger 77 in 7rmg pro's and con's?

Wasn't until my 7 Mag scope knocked me in the head that I realized that all I was doing with that magnum was blowing the hell out of the woods behind the deer that I was shooting. Out west then sure, but at our advancing age I'm sure not chasing an elk out there again. My 7mm-08 with lighter bullets croaks my deer even faster with less fuss than that 7 Mag did using heavier bullets so that I wouldn't wreck them. Not much fun at the bench shooting a magnum either. I'd leave that 77 right where you found it.

As I recall it is a Model 70. I'll be in the Gunshop where the trade deal is being handled next week and check it out.

I shot a couple box's at the range when I 1st "inherited" it from a dealer I had helped get into bidnizz umm some 30 +years ago umm as a help to get me able to tolerate any kind of CF huntable rifle 5-6+ years ago.

Back then I was still inhabited with a shooting shoulder that was full of trash & bone spurs and was still getting over the surgery to remove all of the spurs left over from Dallas VA's efforts to remove a very large "fist" sized tumor on my neck behind & under my right ear and left all kinds of trash in my shoulder and the ball joint connection on my upper arm

The little rifle Shoots pretty decent out to about 150 yards at most but ammo has always a "witch" to find, and I just never warmed up to the 7x57's lack of reach, way shorter than my 270's, once I healed up 18-24 months later and could brush my teeth and comb my hair normally again.

I first tried to get back into fooling around with reloading stuff but could not even tolerate the Super Lite 5 lb rifle I found at a close out "shooting" nuthing but Primers, and swapped the bare nekkid 5lb'er+ off to a guy in Tennessee for a Tikka Swede that had enough weight ...but just never shot it much at all and sold it 2 weeks ago.

A local Auction house here has some shooters and the monster sized Auction House down south of me is on my list of places I just gotta go see sooner or later, if the bigger 7Rmg boomer is still too much for me but I found a cherry Browning 300 Wmg here in town at the big Auction House...still just tooo much money though.
Ron

A good load will help that 7x57 and it's "reach".

You would not think that if you looked at the bore scope photos from my Ruger #1 in 7mm STW, with almost two inches of alligator skin. Or a Savage 110 in 22-243AI, or a Rem 700 in 6mm-284. The Win 70 classic in 264 has already been to Pac-Nor.

I did not roast the barrel on a Win 70 XTR in 7mm mag. But found that it was when purchased from Gunbroker last year. Shaw took care of that one for me.

There are a lot of rifles out there which are anything but LIGHTLY used.

Do an AI re-chamber, then you'll have another "270".

I lucked into an HVA Dlx model with an older VariX 3-9 on top that was re-chambered from 7X57 to AI at my local pawn shop years ago...$200.00 OTD. It's my favorite antelope rifle, plenty of reach and spooky accurate with 140 Accubonds.

I can't understand the fear of the 7RM's recoil. It's a pussycat in everything but a Ruger boat paddle.

Absolutely on the recoil.
You want 300 mag kick but a lighter round, buy a 77.

Though my ex-BIL was a pussy complaining about his 77 7mag.
Until I shot it.
Dads Weatherby and my Sako were pussycats by comparison.

Many many "model 70" variations. Some worth more than others. That is where I'd start. Let us know which one you have and then go from there. Don't trust a gunshop, unless you know them very well and know they are not there to screw you. There are some Ruger 77's that are also worth more than some Winchester model 70's, but without anyone knowing what you have, we can not help as far as valuation. Like I said earlier though, if I were looking for a good 7mm rem mag, or any other magnum rifle, I'd be looking at Winchester first.
I also hate to get into specifics on the 7x57, in terms of ballistic efficiency and ability of the cartridge, but I'd hunt a 7x57 and also feel confident out to any sane shooting distance on a big game critter with one. It would have to be a great shooting rifle though. That would be my only stipulation on the 7x57, or any other cartridge for that matter. Sub moa out to 600 yards and you are golden. The ability to put the bullet in the right spot on the first shot takes precedence over just about everything else, and a magnum is no such guarantee that it's going to produce those results consistently...

Yup

Yes again

+1

The Ruger 77 recoil would bring tears to my eyes. I'm apparently not built for that stock configuration. Been looking for a Mod 70 FWT 7x57 for years however.. Still looking.

G

I’ve been there since 2008. Not going back to magnums unless I go to Africa. No need anymore.

I'm sure not going back to Ruger 77's in magnum rounds. Had the 7mm Rem and 338 Win and I'm fortunate not to have developed a flinch. Never again. Actually I don't think I ever need another 77 again in any chambering

The red pad on those Ruger 77's is solid hard rubber.I got one in a 338 Win Mag.Though I could tolerate the recoil,it didn't make me like it.I changed out the pad and put a Limbsaver on it.What a difference that made.

Agreed! The Ruger Zytel boat paddle stock were extremely durable, but not comfortable especially on magnum rifles! The wood stock was designed by Lenard Brownell, a chap who knew a “thing or two” about stock design & layout.

Just catching up with a week full of problems vehicle problems, and still arguing with the Insurance guys lack of completely settling the couple K$'s of Hail Damage from couple months back ...we have already paid $3k and the new paint job is already peeling ......If any body wants I'll PM the contact info on the the dealer where the 7x57 is on display last week before the Ford pooped on itself and my wallet.

Sometime PDQ we are planning a trip before manana to go down to Trinity Texas to shop a mega sized Sporting Goods Auction House before the auction close's Thursday nite @ 7PM

OTOH If I do come home with the Ruger Big 7 from the tiny shop in the next County North of me tomorrow and I get to go over the Ruger with a fine tooth comb on the Ruger and give it a bland Enh' ....So What ....in the fit and feel, the outfit in Trinity Texas is not tooooo far for a day trip to pickup whatever I can win from the On Line Auction before the Thursday Nite Close and go get whatever I can win before the weekend Out of Staters' show up to pickover the No Shows leavings.

Right now the guys in Trinity got several other possible life long shooters up for sale that have seriously caught my attention.and IF I Don't really get to liking the Ruger PDQ makes for a easy dropoff place too.
Ron

There is another door to open here. Recently an old friend and trusted Road Partner from back in the Road Warrior Days offered me his Tikka T3 30'06 at full pop....might have had 4-5 box's of ammo thru it but it's never been hunted .... Right before I hung up on the Road Warrior mantra, I told him I had put Tikka's in Academy stores chain wide, and they had sold them OK but not too Houston Mgmt's complete and total satisfaction is what I heard thru the grapevine..... So after I went to work elsewhere I made sure all my old Road Buddies knew about the planned Tikka close out and when and in which stores to watch. My CG buddy meanwhile had tried to get me to join him in putting together a USCG program and he went into the CG as a fulltime #2 Senior Officer full time.

Long story short my buddy had also put together a response when Katrina hit under the "Cajun Navy" idea that resulted in his later becoming the #2 at CG station New Orleans, and working hand in glove with the National Guard General Russell Honore.....then my friend got big time sick and damn near died after running the BP Spill Recovery, and has pretty much been living on an air tank ever since.

Couple months ago we talked about old times one night until my wife thru a shoe at me to get me go to bed with our travel scheduled for the next week looming and when can we get together again, but face to face. So when I started to think about dumping my Tikka T3 Swede and getting something bigger and he priced his cherry T3 30'06 to me at a reasonable $ but w/out his big Leopy Scope...and I'd already sold my T3 Swede thru another friend from the old Days shop...it might be time to re think all of these po boy dreams

Where all this is going is just this.... if'n I do pick up the Ruger Boomer and don't like it for any reason I do have a fall back position by dumping the R77 7Mg and picking up my CG friend's Too Pretty to Hunt or Sell T3 '06 to just anyone,.... I think all his family and last brother have already Passed...Too Soon
I don't think I'll miss the 7Rmg but I gotta try it out anyway.
Ron

Downsides to ruger 7 mags is twist rate and mag box length. They can be a bit heavy to and usually need a better recoil pad and trigger.

I'm really liking my 7prc seekins havak. I think the 7 prc is just the right size 7 and it works well in all long action mags and comes twisted right in factory offerings. I think it's really going to take off. I always loved the 7 wsm as a favorite 7 but it just didn't fit well in most short actions. I think it's about ideal capacity wise for drive thin skined LR bullets from a fast twist barrel in a hunting weight rifle.

I was excited years ago when gunwerks came out with the 7 lrm thinking it was the perfect 7 so I immediately had them chamber a rifle for me. Then I had problems with it and I figured their new brass had too thick necks for their chamber. I sent it back and they claimed they shot it and was great and really accurate. However it came back just as clean and copper free as when I sent it in. I finally concluded I was right and either needed to start neck turning their brass or move on. I moved on but always want something similar and that's what the 7 prc is. I think the 7 prc is about as close to perfect as any 7 ever and my necks fit the chamber.

Find the rifle you like and I bet it will soon be available in a 7 prc. No belt, fast twist, mag box friendly length, great place velocity/capacity wise.

Bb

I don't understand the problem with the Ruger rifles and recoil. I use a Hawkeye 270win, 30-06, 308 scout, 338 Alaskan, and the small and light Ruger compact rifle in 338RCM. Of these the 338RCM recoils most but it's not unbearable and the 270win is very mild and even my 338win isn't that bad.

I no longer use the mags I have. A 257 Roberts and a 7x57AI work just fine, as does a vanilla .308.