The Ruger M77 Hawkeye product line is the legacy line for Ruger, their traditional claw extractor, controlled round feed model. The American line launched a handful of years ago as their entry into the more budget efficient push feed market.

While the Hawkeye line is typically more refined in form and features, it's really not any more accurate than the American line, and frankly, is often less accurate. Both models use the same hammer forged barrels, but the barrel nut design of the American, combined with the dramatically better trigger and the push feed design give it an edge in inherent precision over the Hawkeye. I'm a big fan of the M77 Mark II's, the predecessor to the M77 Hawkeyes, as well as the Hawkeyes themselves, but I'm a glutton for punishment in being such - the American is a more modern design, with lower cost and improved precision. The aftermarket support is far greater for the American than the Hawkeyes as well, for parts upgrades and customization. The work required to get an American up to my personal standards is far less than that required to get the Hawkeyes revamped to my liking. As much as I subjectively enjoy the Ruger M77 Hawkeyes, I don't typically recommend them for new gun buyers. The Hawkeyes will also typically be considerably heavier than an American of the same barrel length and profile - or considerably heavier than most other rifles on the market, as the big, square, cast M77 action weighs about a half pound more than competing tube type actions from the American or Remington 700. Nothing functionally wrong with them, but there are better options on the market for the money.