Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Impressions of the Ruger M77/22 Hornet???

Been throwing around the idea of getting one. What do you like or dislike about them?? Leaning toward the walnut / blue version.

Thanks, Rob

Go with the CZ. I love my CZ hornet.

I was facing the same decision at this very time last year, started doing a little research as I was orginally going to go the Ruger route, but kept reading all the great reviews on the CZ and went that way instead, happened on a NIB one for about a 100 less than anywhere else I could find one. Or if you can find one (un-likely) the Browning micro's are supposed to be great shooters also.


About a month ago I found a great buy on a Ruger laminate with the gray barrel, but haven't shot it yet so don't have any feedback in that department, but I do like the rifle.

I have one in stainless and I like the rifle however I think the CZ would be more accurate. The one I have wouldnt shoot anything very good. Best I can remember when the bullets were seated out to touch the lands they wouldnt fit in the rotary magazine.

Need to use the Lee factory crimp die. Then you don't need to touch the lands to still get consistent start pressures.

Contact Rocky Rabb about it.

They are simular to the NO.1 in the way that they shoot average from the box but there are some easy things, like swhimming the bolt that will improve accuracy.
I cannot put a finger on it, but I do not like CZ rifles. The magazine hanging out the bottom has some to do with it.

I have two Hornets; actually they are K-Hornets. Mine are the CZ527 and the Kimber of Oregon M82. Both shoot .5 MOA most of the time. My buddy has two of the Ruger M77/22 in K-Hornet. His also shoot ragged holes in targets. We both love these rifles for prairie dogs and gophers. All four of these rifles took some tweaking to get them to shoot the way they do. I replaced the trigger on my CZ with a RifleBasix not because it did not work well. I replaced it because I could not get used to it. All four rifles needed their stocks bedded and triggers worked. I also lapped the barrels on my rifles. I personally do not care if the CZ has a magazine hanging lower that the stock. Big deal. Little animals don�t care. I cannot use the magazine, anyway. I load my rounds too long for the magazine and single feed them. I am not impressed with the Kimber even though it shoots fine. I am not impressed with any center fire rifle that started life as a rimfire.

I think you will be happy with the Ruger. Just be prepared to work on it to get it to shoot accurately, but don�t bother if you use factory ammo.

I like the Hornet but it's a problem child, at least in my experience. I had two of the Ruger laminated 77/22H's and a TC 14" barrel. Every one of them was cut with a sloppy, outer limits of specs chamber. At the same time, the Remington and WW brass I was able to get had absolute minimum diameter cases at the web. The combination was bad ... I was generally not able to get more than one loading out of new brass, had case head separations with factory ammo leaving the front of the cartridge stuck in the chamber, and so on.

Good concept, but ... sure didn't work out for me. This was probably 6-7 years ago so maybe things are better, but having been burned I wouldn't buy a Ruger hornet unless I had budgeted for setting the barrel back and getting a clean, tight chamber cut. Maybe I wouldn't need it, but I'd factor it into the cost anyway. I wouldn't buy a TC barrel in .22 hornet from the factory, I'd go aftermarket, probably Bullberry.

When y' get all done, it seems easier to just go with a 700 SPS in .17 fireball ... cheaper, less fuss.

At least ... that was my experience.

Tom

Some good advice from the responses above....

I had been shooting an old Martini .22 Hornet that someone had converted to a K Hornet with a rusty drill bit.. (I think !)
I liked the cartridge so much I thought I'd buy a Ruger Hornet...however all the web advice said that unless you're lucky.. at the very least you'll need to get the two piece bolt shimmed to get any degree of accuracy...

This advice was supported by all the second hand Rugers (back home in Australia when I was looking)were shimmed, had the barrel setback or even replaced to fix up the headspace or sloppy chamber issue....so I bought a near mint Anschutz...however the chamber seems to be a bit sloppy on this one too....

In hindsight maybe the 'smart money' is on the CZ's...(they seem to sell like hot cakes second hand in Australia for what thats worth)......

I'm sure I read somewhere that CZ chambers and rifles (or was it chambers and bores?) the Hornets in one operation, and that way you get a straighter alignment = better accuracy.....(but maybe someone else can verify this....)

do a hunt on gunbroker for a 221 FB and be very happy.

I don't know about the Ruger since they don't offer it in Left Hand but i can tell you the Browning A-Bolt is one great rifle in the Hornet. I also like my my Encore in Hornet

Amen on the Browning Hornet; I have one.
I do have a Ruger 77/Hornet too, and must say it is very accurate.
There is really nothing I dislike about it. One 3 shot group I made at 50 yards was 1/4", using a Weaver V-16x set at 16x. It may not be as well appointed as the Browning, but, there is nothing wrong with it. I have 3 Hornets, all excellent rifles. The other is an old Win Model 54 Hornet, in collector quality condition.
One thing that stands tall with the Ruger 77/Hornet, and that is its rotary magazine....

Edit to add: OldRemington's original posting mentioned that he was interested in a Blued, Walnut stock Ruger rifle. That's the one I have, and I appreciate that it is Blued with a Walnut stock.

Not to say anything about Rocky's findings but I have never crimped a hornet and have had no problems getting any of mine to shoot. I had a 14" TC Contender that I shot a 5 shot 200 yard target under a half inch. My CZ in K-hornet will do the same. The chronograph shows tiny variations in my hand loads.

I use home made hand dies and only neck size about a quarter of an inch of the neck. Works for me.

First, let me say I am a dyed in the wool Hornet fan. Love the little buggers. Have five in the vault now. If you can only have one varmint rifle, the gentleman's advice about the Fireball might be best....I have two and they are amazing little rounds. Don't give up much to the .223 and burn about half the powder. Anyway, back the the hornet. CZ's seem to be consistently accurate at a level that gunwriters used to say was beyound the capabilities of the Hornet. Some Rugers are very accurate but it seems to be a crap shoot. With my pet load .5 inch groups and 100 yards from both my CZs are the norm. I load a case full of AA1680 and 35 grain V-Max bullets. I took the Cz magazines, knocked out the pins that hold the plastic spacers in and clamped the spacer in a vice and cut the sraight edge off leaving the angle alone so the case heads will not hang up. The does away with the pin holes, so you either re-drill with a very small drill or you just do what I did and fasten them back with some silicone gasket maker. There is really not any force exerted on them anyway. By doing this I can seat the bullets out and get more 1680 in there and get closer to the lands. AA1680 will not deliver the velocity you can get with W-296 or Lit'l Gun, but all my Hornets like the same load. Hey, it's a Hornet, not a Swift. It is what it is and you either love it for that or you don't. It is still a great little varmint round.

John

Folks with the Browning Micro Hunter in .22 Hornet have been universally positive as to the rifle and accuracy in that chambering.

You may want to check out the Browning line.

My Browning in 22 Hornet

I had two different 77/22 hornets, one standard and one heavy barrel. After lots of money on various accurizing attempts, they both remained poor accuracy wise.
I now have a heavy barrel Anschutz, and a Kimber 82. Both are sub 1" five shot at 100 yard guns.

I have not owned a CZ, so no comments on it.
I'd skip the Ruger and get something accurate. You will be money ahead in the long run.

I ordered a browning A-bolt in the 22 hornet last dec 2008 from my gunshop,still waiting to see it.I called browning north america about the delay they told me only 175 hornets will be built per year.My delivery date is april 2010.Piss poor customer service IMHO.I will still buy it when it comes in though since I left a deposit on the rifle.I still have my older browning micro medillion,Cz and ruger hornets to hunt with.LOL.coobie

I just got back from talking with my brother over the holidays.

Ruger "target" 77 Hornet, factory with no mods whatsoever, shooting factory Winchester ammo, puts five shots under an inch everytime at 100 yards. He showed me a bunch of targets too, not just one time deals.

So, there are certainly some good Rugers out there!