How are the Ruger 77/357's shooting?

[lbaize3]

Well, I finally got my 77/357 last Tuesday. I have mounted a Bushnell LER 3X9 and bore sighted it. I also put a 6 to 9 inch bipod and a sling on it. However, I have not been able to get to the range to try it out, yet. Plan on going Friday, (tomorrow).

As I tend to batch load my ammo, I have a generous supply of various and sundry 357 and 38 loads to try. I hope to be able to let you know how the rifle shoots by late Friday evening. I really do like just about everything about this rifle. The trigger is going to require some smoothing, but that will have to wait until at least Saturday.

[Artful]

Yup, versatility is the spice of life. I'll probably get one anyway but would prefer it to be a Max.. Or get it reamed.

What are you going to do with the magazine - tough to stretch it - so it'll be a single shot in 357 Max.

[Four Fingers of Death]

What are you going to do with the magazine - tough to stretch it - so it'll be a single shot in 357 Max.

Why not try that Dan Wesson slightly stretched 357? That might fit, but I think properly loaded in a bolt rifle, you could get some serious perfrormance, recoil and noise out of a 357 Mag!

[MtJerry]

Dear Ruger:

Please make this rifle in .357 MAXIMUM and I'll probably buy one.

Ditto!!

[tcrocker]

I was thinking of getting one for hunting and shtf gun. So what is the going price for one of these?

[lbaize3]

I meant to get back with a report on my new 77/357 last Friday evening, but my internet router was down. Just replaced the router and got everything set back up.

I got to shoot my new rifle with a selection of factory and reloads in both 38 and 357. Initial results were promising, however, the only range open was 50 yards. So I shot about 400 rounds just to break in the rifle and get the scope dialed in.

The 38 specials shot very well with 158 grain factory jhp ammo, tending to clover leaf all five rounds. Even the old 158 grain factory lead round nose ammo shot well. My 158 grain lead SWC ammo (several loads with Unique and 231) also showed promise but did not shoot as well as the JHP. The 148 grain WC did not feed from the magazine, but did display some very good accuracy.

The 357 ammo did well. The best load was a Speer 160 grain soft point pushed by 16.5 grains of H110. These grouped one on top of the other.
The 158 grain LSWC with 14.5 grains of H110 did not group near as well. The various and sundry factory 357 I took to the range also seemed to group very well.

My overall impressions were that the gun was excellent in quality and accuracy. I did a trigger job on Saturday, replacing the trigger return spring with a much lighter one and stoning the trigger, sear and bolt. I now have an excellent trigger that is a very crisp 3 pounds (estimated). The magazine was jamming so I broke it down and polished some burrs and rewound the spring to give it a bit more tension. Hopefully it will cease with the jams. I also used JB Bore Paste to smooth the barrel to see if that would aid the lead bullet accuracy some. I also exchanged the 3X9 Bushnell for a 1.5 X 4 Bushnell. (the difference being the parallax setting). Can't wait to get back to the range to try out some different 357 loads.

[Dthunter]

Hi guys, what is the length (internal) of the magazine?
It will be a while before we can get these rifles up here in Canada.

[Spaceball]

Hi All

How are these 77/357 rifles going?

Has anyone tried one of the MiHec hollow point boolits in these?

I am very keen on getting one but they do get mixed reviews.
They are both expensive and rare in Australia.

Thanks

Spaceball

[Four Fingers of Death]

Hi All

How are these 77/357 rifles going?

Has anyone tried one of the MiHec hollow point boolits in these?

I am very keen on getting one but they do get mixed reviews.
They are both expensive and rare in Australia.

Thanks

Spaceball

I have only seen one 44Mag version,my mate bought it and it almost cost as much as two Ruger Americans or about $100 less than a Hawkeye. He reckons it shot all right, but hit me up for some 44Special brass. I reckoned he should have waited for a 357, but the money was burning a hole in his pocket and there were no 357s about, lol.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Any more range reports on these? Just curious because I have one coming in.Thanks!

[Four Fingers of Death]

I saw an ad from Noia, the importer for Australia in a gun mag. They state that they are now available in Australia. About time, lol. The picture showed a SS version with camo stock.

[altheating]

It seems the more I shoot mine the better it shoots. 1/2" marbles at 50 yards and golf balls at 100 yards is no problem with the NOE 360-180 Boolit and 10B101 powder and homemade checks. You will really like it,

[Mica_Hiebert]

bringing this back from the dead I have a NOE 360-180 GC on the way itching to get a good 77/357 load worked up would be nice if I can use the same load in my gp100

[Mica_Hiebert]

I still haven't gotten a load worked up for mine yet but do have the mould and have some boolits cast up.

[Travelor]

Mica, I have a gun on the way and have been casting the NOE 360-180 bullet. Will try the bullet sized to .358" in my Martini in the mean tome. Read an interesting article that recommends 4.3 grains of Bullseye with this bullet.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have only seen one 44Mag version,my mate bought it and it almost cost as much as two Ruger Americans or about $100 less than a Hawkeye. He reckons it shot all right, but hit me up for some 44Special brass. I reckoned he should have waited for a 357, but the money was burning a hole in his pocket and there were no 357s about, lol.

FFOD/Mick: I personally would be inclined to do a .44 version simply because I have .44 everything and .357 nothing. Also since I have a .44 Marlin and have a pretty good idea of what that cartridge will do in a rifle, the R77/44 seems like it would be a more useful gun for me and an excellent candidate for a Red Dot sight installation which would make the gun a real fast brush gun.

I know my 260 gr SWC's knock down a 55 lb Steel Ram at 200 meters with "authority!" When I can connect. 50 meter Chickens go flying.

I see these guns as being ideal Heavy Forrest Guns where rain is a factor and shots are under 100 yards.

If you had .357 everything already then obviously that could be the way to go.

I was told by Brian Pearce that the more you shoot these guns the better they get, and breaking the barrel in properly is the key to great accuracy. But a steady diet of Cast Boolits would also eventually break the barrel in as well, and would be a lot more fun.

Randy

[Mica_Hiebert]

Mica, I have a gun on the way and have been casting the NOE 360-180 bullet. Will try the bullet sized to .358" in my Martini in the mean tome. Read an interesting article that recommends 4.3 grains of Bullseye with this bullet.

I have a handful of NOE 360-180 powder coated and sized .358 as that is all the fatter my cylinder will take in the gp100 and my sp101, they are sitting on top of 13.5 grains of h110
Won't get to shoot it for a while, I've been told I can go up to 15 grains but might be kinda stout in the hand guns also may try to load up some with Lil gun.

[Leadforbrains]

I love Mine. It is now one of my favorites. It shoots cast boolits great and kills deer just fine.

[Four Fingers of Death]

FFOD/Mick: I personally would be inclined to do a .44 version simply because I have .44 everything and .357 nothing. Also since I have a .44 Marlin and have a pretty good idea of what that cartridge will do in a rifle, the R77/44 seems like it would be a more useful gun for me and an excellent candidate for a Red Dot sight installation which would make the gun a real fast brush gun.

I know my 260 gr SWC's knock down a 55 lb Steel Ram at 200 meters with "authority!" When I can connect. 50 meter Chickens go flying.

I see these guns as being ideal Heavy Forrest Guns where rain is a factor and shots are under 100 yards.

If you had .357 everything already then obviously that could be the way to go.

I was told by Brian Pearce that the more you shoot these guns the better they get, and breaking the barrel in properly is the key to great accuracy. But a steady diet of Cast Boolits would also eventually break the barrel in as well, and would be a lot more fun.

Randy

I am well set up for both, but would tend to agree, both useful up to 150yards or thereabouts (which sums up most scrub / bush / forest / going out for dinner hunting), but the 44Mag would have an extra margin of performance (and safety if there are any bitey / scratchy things about).

Going on past performance, my mate will probably try and sell it to me along the way a bit, I have ended up with ten or so of his rifles over the years. I'm a patient man, hahaha!

[Mike in Reedley]

I was happily ignorant of this rifles existence until someone revived this four year old thread, now I have one on the way to my LGS. I recently bought an older Marlin Cowboy in .45-70, that came with a like new Bushnell Elite 3x9 scope on it. First thing I did was pull the scope off the lever and wonder what I might put it on. Well now I know.