Ruger 77/357 and 77/44?

[Nobade]

If you've got one that can hold 1.5 MOA, then there's absolutely no need to change it. And maybe Ruger's barrels have gotten better over time, but I have seen quite a few in the shop that were more like 12 MOA rifles. Very long throats combined with short magazines, slow rifling twist, and large groove diameters do not lead to great performance. Keep in mind this is the older 44 mag ones, I have never worked on a 357 one other than to thread them for suppressors. But the 44s most definitely benefited from a Shilen barrel 1:16 and being chambered with a reamer featuring a much shorter tighter throat. I never had them go over 1.25 MOA after doing that and customers were very happy with them.

[Jim22]

Yeah, I have a 77-357. I put shims in the bolt. It is accurate enough. But for some reason I still grab my Marlin 1894C in .357 first. The Ruger has a 3X glass on it. The Marlin has a Williams Foolproof and a 1/16" brass bead on it.

Jim

[358429]

I do wish that the magazine was designed to accommodate bullets longer than 1.6 inch.

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[358429]

*Cartridge* longer than 1.6

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[Jeff Michel]

Attachment 287568
77/357, three shots at fifty yards. I have a 77/44 that performs equally well. The only thing I altered was a trigger spring kit and replaced the original plastic stock with a "Boyd's"

[358429]

Jeff Michel and may I ask what your loading is?

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[Jeff Michel]

NOE 180 grain WFN/GC, 12 grains of 2400. Gives me an honest 1450 fps. Used the load on three different deer, none of which traveled thirty yards.

[358429]

That's fantastic man.

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[Tim357]

I have a 77/357 and absolutely love it with a sweet old Weaver K3. Shooting 189 gr RF plain base boolits (from an NOE mold) it gets 1-1/2" groups at 100 yards with an MV of 1350 fps using AA-9 powder. In the rainforest (jungles) of my area, anything over 75 yards is a long shot. My purpose for it is as an across-the-yard bear rifle for the medium to small bears that molest my fruit trees every fall as well as a "walking around" varmint rifle in winter. It shoots as well with a gas checked 160 gr SWC at 1700 and 125 gr RF boolits at 1150 fps but that NOE boolit is my favorite. That plastic stock plus stainless barrel and frame is perfect for our climate during the "monsoons" of fall and early winter. The rotary magazine is nice too.

That rifle sounds sweet! Always liked those old Weaver K3s. I'll bet the proportions are awesome.

[dverna]

Attachment 287568
77/357, three shots at fifty yards. I have a 77/44 that performs equally well. The only thing I altered was a trigger spring kit and replaced the original plastic stock with a "Boyd's"

Why did you stop after three shots?

[FergusonTO35]

All the reports of inaccuracy from the 77 .357's and .44's I have read suggest that they won't shoot boolits well, as in patterns at 50 yards. Doesn't mean that all of them are like this, but some are.

[cwlongshot]

I have had the "older" 77/ series of guns. None, NOT ONE was very accurate some was n
Down right pitiful!!

I have a buddy with a new 357 and shooting my cast its a good shooter. Tbey are asking a large dollar for them but Im intrigued.

CW

[quilbilly]

NOE 180 grain WFN/GC, 12 grains of 2400. Gives me an honest 1450 fps. Used the load on three different deer, none of which traveled thirty yards.

I start seeing hints of leading with my 189 gr. RF-PB right at about 1400 fps so I keep my velocity to about 1350.

[Jeff Michel]

DVerna, I was just verifying the rifle was still “in”.
Quillbilly, I found the same slight leading using plain based, lubed with 50/50. Went away with gas checked bullet, powder coating was also effective.

[r80rt]

I love my 77/357, I put a NECG peep sight on it and it keeps the ground hog population down around here.

[358429]

Which New england custom gun peeps, mounts, front sights are you using? I prefer good aperature sights over the same quality scope. I was disappointed when Williams told me they don't make peeps for that 77357

I do not like the skinner sights option that mounts the peep on the rear sight base.

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[r80rt]

I use the N-100 sight fron NECG, and a marbles front sight, .500 height. I believe I got the front sight from Midway.

[358429]

Thank you.

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[r80rt]

It's a good combo for me around the farm, makes short work of armadillo's, groundhogs and other vermin of that sort.

[Wayne Smith]

I hear alot of "Accuracy Problems" but no mention of what those problems actually are? If a gun like this shoots under 2-3" at 100 yards it is NOT inaccurate and it doesn't have "Accuracy Problems! It's a 100 yard gun with "Acceptable Accuracy" because that's all the cartridge is good for? Unless you tailor a load for it!

Except My other .44's are 200 yard guns because I can actually hit a target at 200 yards with Iron Sights and there is enough power left to actually do something.(knock over a 55 lb. Silhouette Ram) And 2-3" at 100 yards = 4-6" at 200 yards if you can make the shot in the first place.

Brian Pearce did an article on these guns and was getting 1-1 1/2" groups at 75 yards with Iron Sights! And that was with select Handloads in both calibers, not any Factory Ammo.

A small scope might improve on that slightly but really anything more than a Red Dot on a 100 yard gun is pointless. You kind of need to figure out what you are going to use the gun for and if you think you want to shoot Coyotes or Varmints at 300 yards, you missed the point of these guns. And don't talk about your old eyes! Get some new glasses!

They are Powerful (.44 Magnum!) VERY Handy, Short Range Rifles for Hunting in the Woods or Jungle where Plastic and Stainless Steel and "Acceptable Accuracy" are an Asset and Pinpoint Accuracy isn't . They also deliver Superior Velocity, Power and Accuracy over any pistol in that caliber. And they are light enough that you can also carry your Pistol as a back up and share ammo.

The only negative I've seen with these guns is that the Magazine is too short to feed Keith Boolits in Magnum cases. They will feed if you use Special Cases.

I have looked at a 77/44 for several years now and If I moved to a Moist Place I'd get one in a heart beat so my nice Marlin 1894 CB could stay nice and dry.

The idea of buying one of these guns and then changing the barrel and every other part of the gun out in search of Pinpoint Accuracy is beyond my comprehension??? Who does this???.

My .02 on this subject.

Randy

Nicely written, Randy, but expecting people to be logical and to use common sense may be expecting too much!