Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles New Ruger M77 Hawkeye Finish

There could be a windfall here. Matte Hawkeye owners maybe tempted to dump their rifles in favor of the new blue therefore creating some good buys if you do not mind the matte finish. (speculation on my part)

As promised, the pictures of my NRA Hawkeye with the new finish. To clarify something from a previous post- the $787 was for the Hawkeye African. The dealer has $609 on the standard Hawkeyes. IMO, 787 and 609 are pretty decent prices around here.
Not the best pictures, but still a decent look..

You had me drooling until I saw the floorplate . It looks a tad tacky, but that is probably just me. That sure does look like the MKII. Very nice rifle.

You might be right, but I don't mind my matte finish hawkeye. I sure would like to buy a new one though.

The floorplate is coming off. I'll order a new one from Ruger and put this one in the safe. A little too much for me too, but I don't want to mess it up either. Ruger says it's a 24K gold inlay. If that's true, probably worth more than the gun! I'll use the gun as a hunter/shooter. Looks good, feels good and hope it shoots good. I'll find out soon.

That's a beauty. I'm sure it is a shooter too. Whatever you do, don't get rid of the forend tip pressure that ruger designs into the stock (most of them shoot better with it). You may want to glass bed it and lighten up the trigger spring, but that is about it with that rifle. Good luck with it.

I sure liked the old blue on the MK II. Perhaps Ruger has discovered that the easy matte finish does not ward off weather near as well as a deep polished blue can. I left a rifle on the mountain one cool fall evening when I was not able to get back for a second load with my young son before dark enclosed us. I was a bit woried that the cold spitting sky would smudge that new rifle. But the blue was untouched 16 hours later.

I'd like to see some short runs of matte stainless Hawkeyes in the old Zytel "boat paddle" stock. A trio of 308s for the boys would be perfect.

Klik,

How 'bout a 20-inch-barreled 308 with sights? Check-out this baby: http://ruger.com/products/m77RugerCompactMagnum/specSheets/37101.html

I want one of those with the new finish.

The "old" Hawkeye matte finish might not "ward off weather near as well as a deep polished blue can" but I would bet the real reason for switching back to a blued finish is simple economics. I don't know anybody who likes that gritty nasty finish, but I know a lot of guys that like a polished blued finish. I don't think the matte Hawkeyes sold very well. I didn't buy one, and I like Rugers.

I've also 'welded' the bolt shut on the older blued rifles during a week long goat hunt.

The most rusted rifle I've ever owned was a blued M77

bsa1917hunter - "NRA"...it would work IF your name was say "Nathan R. Adams". Letters do seem a tad large... Nice blue job however.
Regards, Homesteader.

same here on a week long hunt.Never seen a rifle rust that easily.

That looks suspiciously like Whittaker's , down by O-boro. I hate that place, I can't get out of there without buying something I don't need..................................It always seems to be some kind of CZ, for some reason. Now I'll have to look at the danged old Rugers, too.