Bolt v. Semi
 

I own a remington semi. already and it works great. I'm planning on purchasing a new rifle soon and was wondering what the pro's or con's are to bolt action's. I'm thinking of getting a Ruger Model 77 Mk II. Any advice about this?

RE: Bolt v. Semi
 

Big, you're going to get many opinions on this one!:)
I am partial to Rugers and own 5 Mod.77 Mark II's.

RE: Bolt v. Semi
 

I just purchased a M77 Mark II about two weeks ago, I think they are great looking guns, dont know how they perform though, good luck

RE: Bolt v. Semi
 

The only issue and I mean only is that their triggers arent adjustable, so if trigger pull matters to you, then youll have to take it to a gunsmith and for about 50bucks(my area) you can get that 3ish # trigger pull most people like.

Other then that the Rugers are great. Their 3 position safety is awesome, they have stainless bolts even on the blued models which is smart, they are accurate and come with the intergral scope rings as part of the purchase price. I have a few Rugers and other then my Brownings they are my fav guns. You'll be very happy with a Mark II.

RE: Bolt v. Semi
 

go with the bolt ruger m77

RE: Bolt v. Semi
 

I have owned remington semis and Ruger bolt rifles. The Ruger will likely become your goto gun before long. I like rugers but also suggest a tikka, you might want to check them out also. They both have some advantages over the other, depends on what you like in a rifle.

RE: Bolt v. Semi
 

I'd get the ruger

RE: Bolt v. Semi
 

Pros and cons. Had both and the biggest for me was the hassle of cleaning a semi auto.Breaking those autos down to clean is a hassle. Bolt is a dream to clean. Unless your a gun afficianado and enjoy breaking down and cleaninggas operated guns go for the bolt for this reason alone.No real advantage to the follow up shot stories, at least for me and at the distances I hunt for deer, no accuracy advantage to a bolt( my BAR was just as accurate anyway.) Other big thing was weight, my BAR was a pig, definitely a deer stand rifle, forget still hunting with it(your rem may be a bit lighter). Also never felt real comfortable with the trigger safety, always appreciated something a bit more positive? As far as rugers, I love the looks and CRF action of the them but the accuracy always seemed abit hit or miss to me. Good luck whatever you get.

RE: Bolt v. Semi
 

I think the Ruger is a decent rifle, but I've never been impressed with the workmanship that goes into these rifles. The actions aren't as slick as most other brands and the trigger is an abomination. Take alook at a Tikka. I think it's a better rifle.

RE: Bolt v. Semi
 

this is just my 2 cents but i would go with the bolt action because they are more accurate and guaranteed never to jamm up

RE: Bolt v. Semi
 

Just my opinion but a Ruger m77 would be way down on the list of bolt actions to purchase. The quality of workmanship just isn't there like it is on other rifles.

The triggers are terrible and non adjustable so plan on spending about $50 for a trigger job or more for an after market trigger.

Even though they come with a set of rings I have found Ruger rings to be some of the absolute worst made. Talk about a set of rings that need to be lapped. Plan on another $60 for Leupold rings or have the Rugers lapped.

The machining on the receivers leaves much to be desired IMO. There seems to be very little consistancy from one to another.


IMHO one of the best values in the price range you are looking is a Howa/ Weatherby vnaguard (not the cheap synthetic version). Much much better and more consistant on the tolerances and machining. Adjsutable triggers, use Remington two piece bases, Shoot as well as any other rifle out of the box. Look at a Howa and/or vanguard before you buy a Ruger.

RE: Bolt v. Semi
 

Semis in cold weather aren't dependable in my experience. There may be some models that are better and with minimal lube are acceptable in colder weather.

But I'd recommend taking a look at a Tikka T3. The trigger on it is far superior to what Ruger has put in their rifles for years. It's comparable in price and much more in quality and accuracy out of the box for the money, imo.

RE: Bolt v. Semi
 

The only things I find that matters practically thatworkagainst the auto is that they can have a worse pull and whats more important, they are more noisy to load. But thats only a problem if you hunt where you cannot load until you are in position. Maybe it is easier to find a good low price bolt than an auto?

My next will probably be an auto.

RE: Bolt v. Semi
 

Bolt is a little bit more accurate at long ranges....IMO

RE: Bolt v. Semi
 

I do not like the safety on the ruger. I'm not talking about for safety reason---I'm sure it's very safe. But for hunting reasons, you just (I did anyway) have to move your trigger hand away from the shooting position to switch the safety off---as opposed to just using your thumb to move it--like on a remington, etc. It may seem like a very slight detail but when you're in a real hunting situation at closer ranges to tha animal, it's a problem as it just adds that extra movement and split second that is not desireable (in my opinion). You could flip it with your thumb, but its going to make a fairly substantial "click"---I just think it's adetriment.