Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger 77/Mk11/Hawkeye All weathers

Pretty sure the skeletons were the only ones that were Zytel. The full stocks were an injection molded synthetic.

True enough, but Ruger has them designated as "FP", Full zytel buttstock. Designation "P" is listed as Zytel stock, AKA skeleton, or boat paddle.

That’d be my ideal rifle right there. Throw a fixed 4x on it and it’d be a simple, rugged, general purpose rifle.

Wanted a 77 MK II international in 308 for years. Finally found one from the 1990's in mint condition. Installed a Leupold 4 x compact scope, added a removable NECG custom receiver sight, got scope and irons sighted in, gun case just the right size and a simple leather 1" sling and had plenty of ammo. Finally got everything perfect. Took my 12-year-old grandson on his first big game hunt and he wanted to use the 308. He fired 3 shots. one shot at a coyote, dead in his tracks. One hour later with one shot he killed a 14" antelope buck. A few weeks later one shot and a mule deer was hanging. Needless to say, I no longer own a Ruger International in 308 Win.

I used a Ruger M77 MkII in .338 WinMag as my primary AK hunting rifle from 2006 through last fall. This was my favorite rifle by far, fit me better than any other rifle I have ever owned and felt so solid in my hands. I may sell it now that my remote AK hunting days are over, but it sure gave me a lot of great memories.

Sorry I didn't figure out how to show the photo within my post, just rejoining the forum after about a decade absence...

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/gallery/80/full/253779.jpg

I really like the Ruger all-weathers. This is my current one. Ruger K77 RSI 6.5x55 dropped into a Ruger Ultralight Synthetic stock:



I would love to find a short action RSI

That configuration right there in a SA .308 would be so damn awesome.

I'm fortunate to have a couple 308s and 223s in that configuration, I swapped out the mannlicher stocks for ultralight wood and synthetic stocks.

This is an Ultralight.

[quote=kandpand]I really like the Ruger all-weathers. This is my current one. Ruger K77 RSI 6.5x55 dropped into a Ruger Ultralight Synthetic stock:



I would love to find a short

Just about perfect right there

Some nice Rugers here. I sure like mine: a 1991 manufactured tang safety model in 7x57. Nothing fancy, but it has been rock solid and reliable. I did have to replace the mag spring as the original "was sprung" (btw, MKII/Hawkeye springs are an EXACT fit) and I somehow managed to damage my extractor after a hard extraction. Luckily, I sourced a perfectly good used one. It now sits in a period-correct B&C Carbelite stock with the barrel pressure point still intact. It shoots an honest 1-1.5 MOA on average with factory S&B 173 grain SPCE. I recently installed PT&G bottom metal (bought one of the last units in PT&G's inventory!). The rifle could benefit from glass bedding, but it seems to be perfectly serviceable 'as is'. I will likely have a professional bed it over the summer just so I don't have to deal with the ridiculous 90-95 inch pounds of torque that needs to be applied to the angled front action screw and the barely hand tight mag well screw (only gripe). The bluing is deep and shiney, and regardless of weather, it has never had a fleck of rust. I just wipe it down with an oily rag and call it a day. Having said that, I might just break with tradition and have all the metal parts coated in a matte black and simply turn it into a low-maintenance, all-weather rifle. They don't make them like this anymore, so hang on tight to yours. I might grab an international in 243 or 7x57 if I can find one in mint condition--those will stay blued! Those crappy American models seem to be taking over. Bill Ruger is probably turning in his grave.

The SS Hawkeyes are my favorite 77s, though all of mine have moved on in favor of lighter rifles. I had three, and not a single issue with any of them. The Predator was a particular favorite, and I gave that one to my son after he had a good day with it during a suburban cull hunt. Wonderful trigger.

Zytel is an injection molded synthetic. Remington pioneered it's use for gun stocks with the Nylon 66.

Ive always wanted a stainless 30-06 with irons. They are hard to find these days so I found a boat paddle stock and plan to buy a guide gun and put it in that stock. Should do everything i ever want.

I can remember seeing racks of them at affordable prices. Always told myself I would buy one. Never did and regret it now.

Bad wording on my part.

The skeleton "Zytels" always had a small bit of soft touch to me. The surface didn't seem as "hard" as hollow injection molded stocks.

Same. At the time I figured that rifle and a 4x scope would be bulletproof.

Would still like a skeleton with irons but my cartridge choice would be something SA now.

Nothing wrong with the full form, the paddle stock just seems to have a shorter LOP which works better for me. The Ruger full form stocks from that era seem to be more solid and stiff than other factory injection molded stocks.

I was going to go that route. I bought s 30-06 guide gun but the barrel contour was too heavy to fit in the boat paddle stock. I didn't want to open up the boat paddle stock unless I was sure I wanted a 30-06 with that heavy contour barrel. In the end I sold the guide rifle and didn't do it but I still have the extra boat paddle stock stashed away.

It really just needed a lighter contour barrel to have the feel I was looking for like my old rcm. I still think a SS 18-20" 308 in a light contour with sights would be great. I liked the limited ss 6.5x55 with the full length stock that was going around I just didn't like them at the prices I was seeing. I sometimes wonder if my guide gun 30-06 would have handled better if I would have taken some weight out of the middle of the barrel by having it rebored to a 9.3.

Bb

Or have someone recontour the barrel if you wanted to stay 30-06.