Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles How would you improve the Ruger Hawkeye

Even the original Winchester M-70 went through two diffferent mods to it's safety lever before it settled on the current one.

I like Ruger rifles and they've always been my go-to. The safety could be a little bigger, the action could be a little smoother and the front action screw could be omitted. Wait a minute -- I think I just described a Winchester!

The Hawkeye is labeled the Hawkeye Standard in their catalog. Maybe they could keep the standard "rugged and reliable". They could introduce a Hawkeye Deluxe with some upgrades -- bedded actions, free floated barrels, iron sights and pay a little more attention to the action. They could charge accordingly for these options as well.

Maybe they could use a little refinement, but I'm pretty fond of them the way they are. If I want other options I usually turn to Kimber, Winchester or Remington.

Big improvement for me would be drop the name Hawkeye.

I was thinking the same thing.

Don't hunt as much as many people on here and I seem to use different rifles of mine for different animals these days. But my boat paddle 7mm mag had taken a few dozen deer, about half as many antelope and a few elk in conditions from blizzard conditions to 80+ and I've never given a 2nd thought to the safety being too small?

BUT... thankfully we all like different things as it'd be a pretty boring site and an even more boring world if we didn't.



Little smoother action and a little diet would be welcome changes.

Offer it in 6.5x55 and 7x57; that'd be nice!!

+1, and offer the option of open sights on 'em.
Aside from that, I've been very pleased with my M77's, in all three variations (tang safety, Mk II and Hawkeye). The only rifles I've hunted with since 1978.

Jeff

Make one in 375 H&H

Make the safety a little easier to work with gloves on.

Get rid of the angled front screw to make it easier to bed.

Keep the trigger simple and reliable but a bit of adjustability would be good.

Better recoil pad, although the one on my SS 338 rcm is decent.

Float the barrel and add a least a dab of bedding at the lug.

If they want to run an integral base make it picitinney.

Offer a LA that will handle 3.60 COL without it being to heavy and then offer a 300 and 7mm based on the 375 ruger case that you can seat vld type bullets out a bit and kiss the lands.

Smooth up the feed rails and ramp a bit so they don't scratch the crap out of your brass and feed so rough.

Sounds like a lot but i can't imagine a good recoil pad costing much more per unit and a free float and dab of bedding shouldn't add more than pennies either. The integral picatinney could be unrealistic with investment casting but hey, it could be doable since they probably have to Finnish machinebthem anyways.

They could also have bell and Carlson make them a synthetic stock option like the one on rems Alaskan Ti. That would definatly add some cost but would be a nice option.

Bb

I'm just used to a M70, if you want it off quickly just jamb your thumb forward and the wing moves, that doesn't work for me with the M77.

I'd have McMillan make a stock that duplicates the factory wood.

Ken

My son has a Ruger MK II in 6mm Remington and I have never had a problem with the safety. It seems large enough and effective to me. We also have 2 Ruger's in our family, my #1B in 6mm and his MK II in 6mm Remington. Both shoot very well! No complaints there at all.

6mm Remington & .280 Remington: Start chambering those two fine cartridges again PLEASE!!

Do NOT put detachable magazines in them, or only specific models if requested. They have a great scope mounting system in my opinion. Possibly heavier but stout and bullet proof!

24" barrels on more chamberings such as 30-06, 280 Remington, 6mm Remington. I know the last two aren't chambered but they should be again! Put longer barrels on more of them guys!

Never had a problem with the angled forend screw. Had my boy's MK II pillar and glass bedded. It shoots 90 gr. E-tips like lazers!

I love the new stock design of the Hawkeye. It feels and looks great. I think Ruger makes a fantastic rifle. I know this doesn't count here, but I want them to keep making #1B's. I have two and would buy more. Best looking of all the #1 models!

Sorry, that is actually 3 Rugers in our family. Two number 1's and a MK II>

Make the safety a tad larger.
Make aluminum rings for lighter weight.
Redesign to a larger straight recoil lug and screw.
Scale down some of the excess metal in the receiver.
Make the tab on the bolt bigger, in tandem with the rails, to reduce bolt wobble.

Spend the extra $50 per rifle to pay a craftsman to do the little things that make a rifle great, such as buffing the action rails, working the bolt a thousand times to wear it in, adjust the trigger via file and springs to be creep free and just under 4 pounds, put a dab of epoxy bedding on the new recoil lug, etc.

The basic design of the current Hawkeye is amazing for a hunting rifle.

Yep. You and I share a fondness for 6mms and .280s.

Kurt

Ok, since no one else has said it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Tie it to an anvil, row out to the middle of the Atlantic, and sink it to the bottom. Then go buy the Winchester that you really wanted in the first place.

now THAT is mean!!!!


Gus

If only Winchester would make one of their new M70 Extreme Weather's in 375 H&H with a 22" barrel we would be there!

http://www.winchesterguns.com/products/catalog/detail.asp?mid=535110

How to improve them?

take accuracy lessons from Savage and Sako. Same goes for Remington and man do they need them lessons!!!!!!!!!!

I put in a lighter trigger spring, aluminum pillars (wood stock) and bedded it. Shoots great, really like the rifle. I do prefer the tang safeties to the wing, flip, whatever their called, safety.