Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Ruger does their homework (again)............

Old news to most folks,I'm sure,but humor me I live in the sticks! For those that have seen/handled the new Ruger Compact,scroll on.<P>Yesterday I caught my first glimpse and handled the new Ruger S/S Laminate "Compact". Damn nice rifle! This particular one was chambered in 260 and sold IMMEDIATELY. <P>Many of the guys I routinely chat with via Email and such,abhor Ruger in general. I dote on them. This particular new model is to die for. It has "Deer Hammer" written all over it. For the Anti-Ruger faction,that I associate with,please don't bombard me with snide remarks(grin).<P>'Tis a shame it took this long,for an ALL S/S rifle in a svelte package,to be made available. Uncharacteristic of the MK II's(excepting the Target/Varmint two-stage),it had a VERY good trigger pull. It has a short length of pull and a bobbed barrel,it simply handles like lightning. All my kids will have one,myself included. I think it is a very large step forward and a LONG time overdue. <P>Hats off to Ruger(again)!.........

Hey Stick,<BR> those little buggers also caught my eye. The only concern I have is the 16.5" barrel,although I'm sure the thing would handle and swing like a fine shotgun I am surprised the barrel is that short. I would think this rifle would be perfect for someone walking a trap line, or for carrying in a boat. It would also be easy to carry on a backpacking adventure. And the black laminate ids pretty darn tuff looking also,,BEARHUNTER

Stick, <P>I haven't seen the particular rifle you're talking about, but sounds good. I'm glad to see Ruger finally woke up and did away with that ugly "skeleton" synthetic stock and replaced it this year with a regular "all-weather" or synthetic. It personally makes it a much better looking rifle to me anyways.....GH

Compact? I am a dye in the wool Ruger fan and to my knowledge the .44 deer field was the last rifle put out by Ruger. What am I missing! 06<P>------------------<BR>Beware the one-gun man.

Ought Six,<P>Picture in your mind's eye,the 77 S/S Laminate,with a 16.5" barrel and a stock with a 12.5" LOP.<P>It is a scaled down offering. The thing is,it really FEELS great and is beautiful. The version I handled was of the grey/black laminate,and was better than "cute".<P>To my limited knowledge,it is only a short action offering. I saw 223,243 and 260,but would assume a 308 as being available. My 4yr old and the 3month old,will have the 223 versions first. The 8yr old is toting a S/S Model Seven,in a McMillan stock.<P> The Ruger Compact is a little gem,I'm sure they will sell like hotcakes,in my locale.........

A 161/2" barrel is 21/2" longer than a 14" Contender and they are setting the woods on fire. For the lower states most of the game is in the forest or brush, seldom in the open, except early and late to feed. All my hunting rifles wear short barrels except a 25-06 and the magnums. -- no

Yee Haw! They're on the right track, and already have some of the best looking rifles out there. Now I'll only have to wait a couple decades until they bring one out in LH (sob). <P>Another whining lefty, Talus

I ordered a lefty SS M77 MKII on Monday of this week. It should be here by the end of this week. It will be in 30-06. (I know a 30-06 is not as exciting as some others, but this one will probably end up as a 338-06 sometime in the next year or so. At least that is the current plan). It has the green & black laminate stock. I really like the looks of that stock. I am hoping the trigger is a good one. <P>Big Stick, your comments about the trigger you tried are giving me hope for the trigger on this rifle.<P>Good shooting!<P>Mark.

What is the asking price for one of these? I would probably look at one in .308, figuring that I could load light 125 gr bullets at .30-30 speeds for starting loads for my son. Or even go with cast bullets at even lower velocities. The .223 version would also get my attention for him...

Davidson's is about the best Ruger Wholesaler. I'd have my FFL holder contact them for a good price. They got $569.99 for it here. I'd assume that is typical of Alaska's inflated prices. I'm guessing you could save $100,if you sniffed around........

$429.00 to $449.00 + Tax -- no

Thanks for the info. Now I'll start looking around for one, or have Cliff's Gun check on ordering one for me. I looked at Ruger's website, but while they are listed in their charts, they don't have a picture yet. It does sound like just the ticket for a kid's first centerfire, or for a small adult or female hunter.<p>[This message has been edited by Calif. Hunter (edited May 23, 2001).]

I rate as a kid and a small adult. Does that mean I can have two?(grin)..........

My friend has one of these rifles in 223 and it is an excellent rifle.It has a good trigger,handles well,shoots good and looks awesome.I plan on getting one for the wife in 260 before hunting season.

Well, I am drooling like a baby. Can't wait to see a factory model. I have a buddy that built one some time back in .450. Cutest thing I ever saw.<P>------------------<BR>Beware the one-gun man.

I'm of course in the dark here. Is Big Stick saying that Ruger has come out with a new model rifle? In a listing of sane calibers and not the newest, bestest whiz-bangers?<P>Cool. <P>Mark, when that new -06 is ready to be baptized, bring it on down. I think I still have some part boxes of factory stuff around here if you want to test some Federal HE with TBBC and Xs.<P>Could Stick share more about this particular rifle as to how it compares to the lightwt MKIIs. Is it the same thing, only in stainless? My daughter is 12 and using a blue MKII ltwt in 257R and it is a peach of a gun. Very nice! Best, Bill

Bill,<P>To my eye,the barrel contour is the same. The Compact's is shorter though(16.5")as is the stock. However,the Compact's stock isn't as slender,nor is it checkered. I like that. With a kid,you can slim the grip and forend. For "grown ups",it is dimensioned nicely,as is.<P>So,though similar in principle to the Ultralight,it is a distinctly different offering.........

Bigstick. Saw two of the short Rugers at a show on Saturday. One was in .308. I doubt that they weighed 5.5 lbs. Definitely needs a compact sccope for proportion's sake. The price in this area was a lot less than the one you quoted -- if I remember right it was around $475.00. I personanly don't hump rifles very far and so have no "need" for a super lightweight. So I din't buy it...plus if I really liked it I might not use my field cannons anymore. 1B

I wonder what recoil is like in 308?For some reson the two 308 rifles I shot the most had a vicious,sneaky kick.One was a rem722,the other a 788.I really like Rugers.<P>------------------<BR>Boone and Crockett was rednecks

Bill,<P>I am picking it up tonight. I'll give you a shout in a week or two.<P>I feel like a kid at Christmas time. <P>Mark.

Give it a few moments and someone will come out with a scout scope base for them darlings. Can you say Scout Rifle, boys and girls? ~~~Suluuq

I hate to throw cold water on this love-fest, but wouldn't this rifle be incredibly loud and have tremendous muzzleblast? I could live with the loss of velocity and the increased recoil but it is the increased noise that would really bother me. This is a hunting rifle meant to be shot in the field. I'm don't like even being around those who shoot magnums with ear protection. This rifle must be very loud.

Considering folks are shooting 15" 308's in T/C encores, that would give a decent answer to the muzzle blast. I have a Ruger ultralight .308, w/ the 20" tube, and its not that bad. I would highly recomend not using ball powders, as I've used them in contenders, and muzzle blast is most pronounced! <P>I would think the 140 gr X bullet could be driven at useful velocities (2700?) from the 16 1/2" barrel, and should have good terminal effects.

Never a fan of Ruger or 260's myself.......but I bet it's a hammer!

That little sawed off Ruger would make Larry look normal size........

Dude, this post is 17 years old!! You must be really bored if your digging back that far in the past for posts.

A blast from the past...when Larry was still semi-sober

Trying to win a bet

To the dumbest of fuucks, you are a small adult.... hint

Very old thread

Did you win yet ?

Another "poke Big Stick" thread. Yay.

Lost count. My guess was 292 in 24 hours, I reckon he hit a couple hundred. We did get BB gun footage, right on que.


He's easier to pattern than whitetails......

Still looking for ruger 44 mag semiauto rifle.

Ruger 44 auto would be good for trapped pigs in a pen!

I wondered what all the <p> were. Then I checked the dates. Holy smokes, I bet half the guys in this thread are at the Big Campfire Up Yonder.

so big stick was human, what happened?

Dumb [bleep] happened

If they were doing their homework I'd have a RAR in 358 with a 20# threaded BBL.

Dang talk about bringing a post back from the dead

You mean 35 Creedmoor, don't you?

The .260 is so passé what with all the Creedmoor and PRC offering of late. I hope I can re-read this thread 17 years from now! LOL!

358 Win. fanciers tend to overestimate the demand for it.

MM, Right! Most non-loony’s have no idea what it is. I had a guy ask me not long ago if that was a blackpowder cartridge. :-)

Nice.

I hunted with a BLR in .358 win (it was part of a line up) and killed a bunch of hogs and deer with it. I got rid of it when I picked up a Rem custom shop KS Model 7 in .350 mag that I use for Black Bear every year. I still have a Mannlicher Schoenauer in .358 win but it sees little use. Have plenty of brass and dies and can't bring myself to get rid of it.

TTT

Call me a heathen, as the masses often do, but what does a 358 do that the 308 does not do?

On that same note what does a 308 do that a 260 doesn't? And what does a 260 do that a 243 doesn't? Eventually bigger is just better for the need at hand. It's easy when you have no real situation in mind to say that small is just as good as bigger.

No, it doesn't go that far. If you went to whomp something big and close I'd say there's more effective difference between a 243/100 gr and a 308/200 gr than there is between a 308/200 gr and 358/250 gr.

Make finding ammo more difficult.....ya heathen.

308 w/180's vs. 358 w/200's

I'll take "which has more whoop ass for $400 Alex"

I didn't compare the 243 to the 308.

Funny how old this thread is. I had one of these in .223. Great vermin gun and shot a few deer with it. My dad bought one in 243 and still has it. I was made an offer I couldn’t refuse and sold mine. Both got upgraded Timney triggers. Fun accurate rifles.

What does the 358 do that the 308 doesn't? Well both kill well but the 358 with 250 grain bullets seemed to me that it anchored tough feral hogs quicker with chest hits than the 308 that I normally load 150 grain bullets in. Certainly it gave better blood trails but I have dropped hogs with both cartridges. It is hard to specifically say, try a 358 yourself and see.