I'm thinking of a new-to-me solution for whitetail hunting in local counties where straight-walled rifle/handgun cartridges are allowed. This to maybe replace the scoped Redhawk I've been using off-and-on for 30 years...

Experiences with the M77/44? Good, bad, so-so? Accuracy (or not)?

I would most likely gravitate toward the #7417 model with synthetic stock and threaded stainless barrel. The Ruger site says only 5.2-lbs; that'd be a good thing, IMO...

-Chris

Wow, that is light... I might look into one of those, just for fun.

From what I have seen accuracy has been not that good on the 77/44.

The ruger 350 legend on the other hand.......

they are a super light handy package. i love the ergos. the ruger americans will shoot rings around it.

My CVA hunter 44mag outshoots two friend's 77/44's.

It's obviously a single shot though.

With 240g JSP bullets we've gotten the Rugers to about 3" at 100 yards at best.

I have a ruger 77/44 with the walnut stock. I topped mine with a Leupold Freedom 3x9x40. It shoots about 1-1/2" Groups at 100. I shoot the Winchester 240 grain Jacketed Hollow Points. I have shot the Hornady Leverevolution ammo and it only shoots marginally better but is more expensive. I shoot the same bullets in my Ruger 44 carbine and my Super Blackhawk and they are deer killers.

My BIL and his family have shot carloads of whitetails with his 77/44 and wallyworld Winchester white box 240 JSP. I've owned a couple of early wood stocked Rugers, accuracy was acceptable for whitetails @ 100 yds. I shot handloads with Hornady 240 XTP's. I scoped my rifles with Leupold 4x Compact scopes and found them to be just right for the kind of deer hunting that I do.

My cousin has one in .357 that shoots well with 125 soft points

A 77/44 is my preferred choice for whitetails in Ohio. If I had to take shots over 150 yards I would reconsider - probably use my MGM 24" 460 S&W Encore more.

I like my 77/44 with plastic stock and low power scope. Easy to carry ( I picked it up a while back when I had tennis elbow) and handy in a blind. Shooting Federal American Eagle 240 gr factory loads took a doe last year DRT at 60 yards and a buck this year at 100 yards. The buck ran about 80 yards with a good lung shot that did not exit the far side. I think 100 yards is about as far as I like to shoot a .44 magnum.

IIRC mine shoots the inexpensive 240 gr into 3" at 100 yards. I expect it would do better with some H110 handloads. Some see accuracy improvements with shims in the two piece bolt. I might try that some day but it shoots plenty good the way it is for southern Michigan deer hunting.

It makes a nice "Walking Gun". I had to go direct to aftermarket supplier for QD 30mm Rings. I live with a massive amount of Brown Bears, and feel good walking with just the rifle and the scope in my pocket or pack, if a problem needs quick mitigation the open sights are fine for close encounters, truth is don't need sights for 5 or 15 yards. Should standing cabin meat present itself there is time to quickly attach the scope. I have the stainless 77/44 which receives an annual shower of "rattle-can" light brown paint. I am ever so slightly lukewarm on the safety configuration. It is "Safe" and functional, I just would prefer the full on position not quite so snug to the bolt. I have never had a problem finding the safety in a problem situation. Good strong solid gun.

Note: The heaviest power defensive bear load cartridges will not fit in the 77/44 magazine. But I chamber one, and put "Good'Enough" in the magazine.

I have one in the stainless synthetic. The thing I really like about it is that it handles about like a 10/22 and seems to have the same sights on it. I've fired hundreds of thousands of rounds through a 10/22. Back when we had a lot of rabbits I probably averaged 2000 rounds a week from a 10/22.

When I carry the 77/44 in grizzly area I load it with 270g speer gold dot flat nose bullets loaded to about 1500 fps from the rifle barrel. That bullet fits the mag and feeds well and seems to penetrate well at those speeds with a bit of expansion.

I load the same speer 270g in my 444 marlin outfitter at 2200 fps. The bullet seems pretty soft at those speeds but the harder 265 Hornady flat nose has been hard to find. I find myself moving more towards the 270g in my handguns too so I always have a supply of the Speers.

Bb

So, favorable reviews, in general... Good to hear...

I handload, already do the .44RM, so that's one possible attraction... I think I'd be inclined to put a red-dot optic on the receiver ring, call it good.

Doesn't seem to be any of the #7417 models anywhere for sale just now... no surprise there, I guess...

-Chris

Fiddled with one for a spell, whacked a few critters, boom-flop. Very limited experience with jacketed bullets, shot OK-fine. Came out of the closet and roared when I started loading paper patched lead.









Then I started foolin' around without the paper.

I can agree the 77/44's are definitely light/handy rifles, but I have actually yet to shoot mine.

Mine shoots great with factory 240 xtps. If I could only own one rifle it’d be on the short list

They seem to get some flack around here but I love mine for a short range deer gun. I've taken 2 bucks with it and both fell in sight. I found that mine prefers the cheap federal 240 grain JHPs. Will hold 2" at 100 all day.

I have one I use for still hunting deer in standing corn fields it is easy to carry and very effective as the shots are close range and so far have all been head shots.

In my experience, Rugers are not known for accuracy. But beings the 44 mag is a short range deer cartridge, it ought to be “minute of deer”.

I had a stainless 77/44, liked it alright.

I did a few things to improve accuracy, that being float the barrel, put a trigger kit in it, and shimmed the bolt. Scoped it with a Leupold VX-2 1-4X20.

With those mods, I could rely on a steady 2 MOA with the ammo I loaded for it, which was only one load, a 300 grain WFN LBT and L'il gun, got just under 1600 fps. Obviously this would fully penetrate a whitetail from any angle but I also wanted the load to do the same with the bear we have around here. Perhaps it was still more than needed but I like a .44 mag with 300 grain hardcast bullets, don't know exactly why, but they work.

I shot a few deer with it and about all I can say is that it killed them with boring reliability.

I had one of the early ones. Only criticism is the heavy trigger, which made the light rifle tough to shoot well. Put in a Timney or DIY it and it’ll be fine.

I’ve often thought about buying the SS one and putting it into a walnut stock. Have two other rifles like that now and like the look.

The couple of ones that friends owned shot patterns not groups @100 yds. The Ruger American's in 350 Legend will shoot circles around a 77/44

I have owned two 77/44's. They were both "good" for 6-inch groups at 100 yards with the several types of ammo I tried in them (240 and 300 grain bullets). I wanted to like those rifles very much. In contrast, I had a Ruger Number 1 .44 Magnum and still have a Ruger 77/357. Both of those rifles were (and are) quite accurate (about 1 1/2 MOA or sometimes less).

OK, I get the message accuracy might be hit or miss (so to speak). I can live with that.

For those who've said theirs didn't group well: Was that with factory ammo or handloads? Or both? Which loads were bad?

I appreciate that some folks have suggested something like a .350 Legend, but I'm not at all excited about taking on a new cartridge that I don't already handload for. Don't see a need to go there, the Legend won't do anything in our habitat and terrain that the .44 RM can do... when I can also just continue with the scoped Redhawk.

Although my hands and wrists are getting on a bit with age and so forth... and that's partly what's driving my curiosity.

There don't seem to be any 77/44 #7417 models (synthetic stock, stainless and threaded barrel) available anywhere just now, anyway...

-Chris

My father picked up a used stainless/synthetic 77/44 and hunted with it a bit this year in short range setups. He sighted it in at my place so I got to see it a bit. He's not a shooter, only a hunter. He sighted in with 0 at 100 yards. I don't remember the brand of ammo he had, some factory 240 jacketed hollow points. Just watching him sight it in his final "group" was 2 shots.....final adjustment to 0 and then one to confirm.....again, just a hunter. It looked like the two shots were ~1.5" to 2" apart at 100. No telling what a 3rd would have done.

He hunted with it often this year but only shot one with it. Large doe, straight on chest shot, bullet ended up in the hip. It's accurate enough for him and he likes the compact size, lighter weight, and low recoil. He's happy as a pig in poop.

I've got a 77/357 and all I do is play around with 38's in it. I need to get serious with it. I've wondered how well one would do with a full length barrel bedding in the Boyd's Rimfire Hunter:

https://www.boydsgunstocks.com/cont.../rimfire-hunter-ruger-77-357-3za78271azz

I have owned one and worked with another. They were 4 inch guns with handloads and factory ammo. That was before I knew about shims. There are very few cases where shimming hasn't made an appreciable difference. Videos of shimming make it look like an easy undertaking.

I had 2 stainless 77/44's, one early manufacture, one about 5 years later. I could never get either to shoot better Consistently than 3 inches with factory or handloads. God knows, I tried. I hear people repeatedly say, "4" @ 100 yards is all I need. On an off hand shot, even if you are good enough to hold 8" @ 100 yards, if your shooter error is on the outside edge of that 8"and your 4" 77/44's "pattern" bullet is off several inches, then guess what dude, You very possibly will have a wounded animal running off. Personally, I choose not to play Russian Roulette when hunting and use a more accurate rifle. Now if you limit your shots to approximately 60 yards, I think the 77/44 would be perfect. RJ

I must not be all that great at searching the 'net...

@Aagaardsporter, @Vic-in-VA, @PaulBarnard... can you guys give me a clue about where to find more info and maybe videos about shimming the two-piece bolt?

-Chris

Like I said before, I owned one 77/44. Have a Browning Low Wall now. Within the last year, I acquired and then sold a Browning 92 and an MGM Contender barrel that both proved unsatisfactory. The LW is here for the duration.

If I were itching all over for another one, perhaps one more scope-friendly, I’d drop $500 on a Henry Single Shot, being careful to get one made in 2020 or later to avoid dealing with the recall.

I haven't viewed the whole video but I think this will get you going.



In case you do something wrong.

Thanks, that helps. Dunno why I couldn't find those...

Looks easy enough, in any case.

-Chris

Hogwash... I have had half a dozen 77/44's and they were all good shooter's... terrible thing about the internet is one B.S post gets repeated 10,000 times until it is gospel.

NO. It's more than one post and one gun. For any one that wants a 77/44, go for it. Good luck! RJ

It is much more than one post. The guns are probably the most inconsistent with accuracy that I have ever seen. I had experience with two. One that I owned and one that I gave to my son in law as a gift. They were 4 inch guns. What sounds a little suspect to me is someone who HAD a half dozen, all of which shot great.

Not to worry, I can read between the lines. It's either great or it's crap. It'll either shoot well or it won't group inside a garbage can. Shimming the bolt may help... or not.

If I were to get one, find it unusable, I've still got the scoped Redhawk to fall back on.

The issue is sorta academic just now; apparently none (#7417) to be had...

-Chris

I may have read of shimming not helping, but I can't recall off the top of my head. I am tempted to try again now that I know about shimming. The guns feel great in hand.

In that first video Vic posted, that guy said it might help... or it might not.

-Chris

i wonder if some of it could be barrel channel related? i have 3 77/22's and two of them were helped greatly by either relieving the barrel channel a little out towards the end or in one case i actually cut a little shim of beer can and put it under the barrel at the very end and tightened the action screw as tight as i dared. my oldest one didn't need anything but a dayton traister trigger. maybe the 77/44 could work the same. i never had any problem with the half dozen or more centerfire 77's i own though.

I've wondered the same and at some point I'm going to do the following:

JM, when I worked on my 77/44, I got a good return for my effort, but I can't really tell you what was the best improvement. I saw 3 things that needed addressing and did them all at one time. One was the shimming of the bolt, the other two items were pretty standard, a better trigger and floating the barrel.

Again, I can't tell you what each individual item contributed, but the rifle went from about 3.5 to 4 inch to a solid two inch with more than the occasional 1.5 inch group.

I only ever fired one load in the rifle, a 300 grain LBT WFN and L'il Gun.

Yeah, likely they all helped. No doubt the trigger makes it easier to shoot. I've become a big fan of neutral full length bedding. The factory stock wouldn't be a good option for it....I'd think free floating would be the best route to go with it.

A 7-lb trigger does not help one keep a 5-lb rifle consistently on target....

Nothing suspect about that... I have been a Ruger collector and shooter for four decades, but at the same time a blue collar worker, so for new ones to come to play, others have to go. I have owned in the neighborhood of 200 Ruger rifles, M77's, (all iterations) No.1's, 77/22's and 77/44's... I really like the 77/44's and every one I have owned was under 2" and a couple well under. I have taken a dozen deer and a couple bears with them out to 150 yards... I could post pictures ad nauseum, but for some reason it says all my file sizes are too big, even though I post them easily enough elsewhere.

My go to rifle around here. They kill in person way better than they do on paper

I’ve held off on buying one due to all the reviews on accuracy. For the price of them decent groups and trigger shouldn’t be an issue. Just my 2 cents though.