Big Uncle

It is too bad that you persist in this. The fact that you happen to like a different rifle better does not make Ruger a bad rifle. I am a Remington fan also, but sometimes Ruger is a better choice.
You have your opinion that I respect, except for insulting other people's equipment. Your knowledge of DGRs and crf rifles is thin. I believe that you are pushing this too far. If your purpose is to create friction, well done.

DeerandbearhoG

I never said its a 'bad rifle', all I said is specific things I do not like about rugers, and compared CRF to push fed, in response to your vague, unsubstantiated claims, but since my knowledge is so thin, why dont you educate me, and tell me specifically why a push feed will jam more than a CRF. Why dont you adress the claims Ive made about the trigger, the rings, the action screw , would it be cause maybe, even though it doesnt make it a "bad rifle" for many applications, what Ive said is largely true?

BTW the whole point of the review forum is to discuss things you like/dont about certain guns, dont take it so personally.

Big Uncle

Keyboard wars are a waste of time. You are creating the type of friction that produces heat, but no light.

fritz1

As far as Rugers scope rings, they are not all tall. Ruger has four different size rings that you can get, Low-32mm, Medium-42mm, High-52mm, and X-High-62mm. As far as the extractors go, Ruger is a far better set up than either the Savage or the Remington. I had a Savage model 111 that I bought last year, in 30-06, that I shot a some reloads that I had worked up for my Remington 700, well it was too hot of a load for the Savage, case was sticking so I bumped the bolt handle backwards to remove it, well the bolt came back with no case, it ripped the extractor out of the bolt, I found the extractor and the spring but couldnt find the ballbearing, I ended up fixing it with a BB. had to go home and knock the case out with a cleaning rod. This would not have been a issue had it been a Ruger with the large claw extractor, CRF system, it would have either pulled the case out or ripped the rim off the case. This is one of the reasons Ruger makes a better DG rifle than a rifle that is a PF type system, if this kind of thing happened at the wrong time while faced by a charging Cape Buffalo, things would get pretty hairy fast. By the way this was the first day out with the Savage when that happened, I sold the gun the next day.

Ruger-Redhawk

I have several of the M-77's MKII's, one Hawkeye and one old tang safety M-77V.I have them from 223 up to 300 Win mag including a 350 Rem Mag. I sure wouldn't have bought all I have if the Ruger's weren't a good rifle. Personally I like the integral rings. They are very strong and I have never had them loosen or the scope move using them.

Some I will admit has never been fired. The ones I have, I've been very satisfied with. They will do their part if I do mine. Plus Made in the USA keeping our people working. Ruger stands behind their products. I've been a Ruger fan for over 30 years and have no plans of changing now.

I don't see a problem with the angled stock bolt. I've taken many a stock off and never had a problem.

CommonSense

Again, this is a good dilemma to have, as IMHO either rifle will serve you well. Kind of odd how all the chest thumping BS about charging buffaloes and PF vs. CRF got thrown into the mix, some guys have awfully vivid imaginations

homers brother

Wasn't the OP talking about a .243 Varmint rifle? I'm not sure I can avoid chuckling a bit when I imagine stopping the charge of an ill-tempered prairie dog with one of my .243s.

Ahh, that's the wonderful thing about the choices we have, though. Some things work better than others, depending upon the application.

What kind of varmints are we talking here? The kind you walk and find? Or the kind you sit on a hill and shoot at all morning? One application prefers a light rifle, the other tends toward some benchrest or target features that aren't so concerned about weight.

The Vanguard does give you some options when it comes to mounting optics. I don't know that I'd say that it's a liability with the Ruger, though - I have a No. 1-B in .243 with Ruger's rings that's never given me a hint of trouble.

To me, the M77 seems a bit "clunkier", or "chunkier" than does the Vanguard. I don't necessarily like the triggers on either, but if I were stuck with one of them, I'd take the Vanguard. I've seen aftermarket triggers for the Vanguard, don't think I remember seeing the same for the Ruger. Trigger can be important in a Varmint gun, I really like my CZs for that reason.

I've used all manner of handles under Varmint guns. Walnut, hardwood, Laminated, and Synthetic. Even out in the cold chasing coyotes in the winter, the stocks gave me less problem than did the optics. I'd worry more about those than I would whether it's walnut or laminated.

The one Vanguard I do own was sub-MOA right out of the Wal-Mart I bought it at (obviously, not one of the more expensive versions). Light, and in .300 Wby, it's certainly not the most pleasant thing to shoot, but it's done its duty on elk. I love my 1-B and my Ruger Revolvers, but I'm not so much the fan of the later M77s. The last M77 I carried that shot as well as my Vanguard had the old tang safety.

Of the two rifles and the caliber you're considering here, I think my vote would be for the Vanguard.

fritz1

There are several aftermarket triggers available for the Ruger M77 MKII, here are a few, Dayton Traister, Jard, Moyers, Rifle Basix, and Timney. There are more.

homers brother

That's good to know.

It'll be a great day when I finally get around to replacing the triggers I don't like on ANY of the rifles I currently own. It'll be an even greater day when none of us have to even consider replacing the trigger on a brand-new rifle.

fritz1

VERY TRUE!!!!!!!