first rifle
07-30-2003, 11:51 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location:
Posts: 170
first rifle
Everyone -
I want to say thanks again for everyone' s responses to my original post asking for opinions on a first rifle. After much debate and thinking, I ended up choosing a Ruger M77 7mm Rem Mag in composite/stainless, with a Nikon Pro Staff 3-9x scope. The decision on this was driven a lot by price (I actually found this cheaper than some savages that I looked at). To all the savage fans - don' t think I ignored ya - it was a tough call.
Thanks again for your help.
I want to say thanks again for everyone' s responses to my original post asking for opinions on a first rifle. After much debate and thinking, I ended up choosing a Ruger M77 7mm Rem Mag in composite/stainless, with a Nikon Pro Staff 3-9x scope. The decision on this was driven a lot by price (I actually found this cheaper than some savages that I looked at). To all the savage fans - don' t think I ignored ya - it was a tough call.
Thanks again for your help.
07-30-2003, 12:25 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bossier City LA United States
Posts: 2,425
RE: first rifle
Congrats on the new shooting iron. I like Savage but I' m not at all down on Ruger. Just most of them take a little work to get to shoot well. Have you taken it to the range yet? Let us know how it does. If you have trouble holding good gruops think about a trigger job. My Ruger did much better after I slicked up the trigger and got it down to 3 lbs. Shot even better after I floated the barrel and bedded the action. Oh, something else to think about. A good recoil pad will help out at the range. The pad that Ruger puts on their stocks is pretty much solid rubber and doesn' t do a very good job of recoil taming.
07-30-2003, 02:57 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,918
RE: first rifle
I have one of those M-77" All Weather in 7mm Rem Mag but with a Leupold Vari X II. Mine didn' t like the Federal Ballistic Tips.I think you' ll be more then satisfied with your Ruger.The triggers do need to be lightened on them.You made good choice in your rifle and the caliber.
Ruger Redhawk
Ruger Redhawk
07-30-2003, 06:16 PM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Dover, PA USA
Posts: 5,497
RE: first rifle
Sounds like a few of us have similar taste........
Griz the only difference between yours and mine is that I topped mine with a different Nikon, I put a Monarch on it.....that and mine is a .30-06.
I took the time to clean,polish and break in the barrel very carefully (I followed the instructions from this link http://www.centerfirecentral.com/fixit.html under " barrel break in" ).....You wouldn' t believe the crap that came out of that bore.
After all the work, it seems like I' m gonna have a heck of a good shooting gun on my hands. The last 4 break in shots printed one ragged hole about .5" at 50yds with " Plain Jane" Federal Power Points. Not too bad considering the 100yd range was taken up by trap shooters and I wasn' t actually sighting it in but rather just " Shooting" off the bench with a only a simple front sandbag.........as for my trigger? Mine is surprisingly good?![8D] I was worried about all the trigger stories I' ve heard regarding Rugers but mine is fairly light with almost no creep. A friend had his Ruger77' s trigger done and down to right about 3.75lbs. We both agreed that we couldn' t feel a difference between his and mine right out of the box from the factory. Looks like I got lucky and got a good one?
I plan to do some experimenting to see what it really likes in a few weeks.
Griz the only difference between yours and mine is that I topped mine with a different Nikon, I put a Monarch on it.....that and mine is a .30-06.
I took the time to clean,polish and break in the barrel very carefully (I followed the instructions from this link http://www.centerfirecentral.com/fixit.html under " barrel break in" ).....You wouldn' t believe the crap that came out of that bore.
After all the work, it seems like I' m gonna have a heck of a good shooting gun on my hands. The last 4 break in shots printed one ragged hole about .5" at 50yds with " Plain Jane" Federal Power Points. Not too bad considering the 100yd range was taken up by trap shooters and I wasn' t actually sighting it in but rather just " Shooting" off the bench with a only a simple front sandbag.........as for my trigger? Mine is surprisingly good?![8D] I was worried about all the trigger stories I' ve heard regarding Rugers but mine is fairly light with almost no creep. A friend had his Ruger77' s trigger done and down to right about 3.75lbs. We both agreed that we couldn' t feel a difference between his and mine right out of the box from the factory. Looks like I got lucky and got a good one?
I plan to do some experimenting to see what it really likes in a few weeks.
07-30-2003, 09:24 PM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: KUNKLETOWN PA United States
Posts: 872
RE: first rifle
congratulations on your purchase buddy , take good care of her and remember , " shoot straight " 
also let us know how she shoots once you get a chance to get her to the range
also let us know how she shoots once you get a chance to get her to the range
. Ruger is a great make!
07-31-2003, 07:27 AM
#9
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location:
Posts: 170
RE: first rifle
Thanks!!
Unfortunately, I' m having my first headache with it already, and it' s barely out of the box!!!
I got it home, played with it a little, and decided to run some rounds through the action. My buddy has an M77 7 mag as well. Loaded the magazine, and ran the bolt forward. But it only went halfway. Hmm. Back it off... do it again. Same thing. Third try' s the charm. I jack it out and the case is scratched all to hell. Tried it with some spent casings, because the prospect of jamming the bolt closed on a live round doesn' t exactly do it for me. Same thing. Nothing seemed smooth, and almost every case or cartridge jammed. Took it back to bass pro over lunch, where the guy told me to try factory ammunition (my buddy uses handloads), so I bought a box (along with some snap caps). Got home that night, tried it again. Same prob with the cartridge and snap cap, both were mangled when I took them out (case was deeply scratched) Called the gun counter there again and told them the problem. A second trip to the store in the evening ensued, and I talked to another guy. He looked at it and couldn' t believe the scratched up cases. Looked some more and we saw that it wasn' t seating properly in the bolt. Manufacturing defect, he pronounced. Unfortunately, their FFL does not allow them to swap firearms. I dunno why. A Maryland thing??? I dunno. He started telling me I would have to ship it back to Ruger and get it fixed via warranty. Then he stopped himself, went into the back, and came out saying that he would ship it back and do all that for me. So, I' m without gun for at least a week to 10 days. This is sukk! But, at least we' ll get it taken care of. I" m just glad I caught this before heading out for an afternoon at the range!
Unfortunately, I' m having my first headache with it already, and it' s barely out of the box!!!
I got it home, played with it a little, and decided to run some rounds through the action. My buddy has an M77 7 mag as well. Loaded the magazine, and ran the bolt forward. But it only went halfway. Hmm. Back it off... do it again. Same thing. Third try' s the charm. I jack it out and the case is scratched all to hell. Tried it with some spent casings, because the prospect of jamming the bolt closed on a live round doesn' t exactly do it for me. Same thing. Nothing seemed smooth, and almost every case or cartridge jammed. Took it back to bass pro over lunch, where the guy told me to try factory ammunition (my buddy uses handloads), so I bought a box (along with some snap caps). Got home that night, tried it again. Same prob with the cartridge and snap cap, both were mangled when I took them out (case was deeply scratched) Called the gun counter there again and told them the problem. A second trip to the store in the evening ensued, and I talked to another guy. He looked at it and couldn' t believe the scratched up cases. Looked some more and we saw that it wasn' t seating properly in the bolt. Manufacturing defect, he pronounced. Unfortunately, their FFL does not allow them to swap firearms. I dunno why. A Maryland thing??? I dunno. He started telling me I would have to ship it back to Ruger and get it fixed via warranty. Then he stopped himself, went into the back, and came out saying that he would ship it back and do all that for me. So, I' m without gun for at least a week to 10 days. This is sukk! But, at least we' ll get it taken care of. I" m just glad I caught this before heading out for an afternoon at the range!