In mid September my brother and I attended a sportsman's club flea market and I bought a like new 2011 built Ruger M77 Hawkeye SS/green laminated stock with a Nikon 4-12x 40 Buckmaster II scope, dies, some factory ammo, a few 200gr. handloads, and a full box of Sierra 215gr bullets. I took the handloads down, chucked the powder and reloaded them the same with my W760 powder according to the original owners recipe. I believe Ruger called this model the, ''Predator'' model, but I'm not sure, just going off what I see on Guns International, SS/green laminated stocked Hawkeyes, (haven't seen a .338WM SS/laminated listed at all).
Range report-It went well, the scope was a bit off, four shots to get it where I wanted it and fired a three shot group that went just over an inch. My brother shot another three shot group just a little larger. The load was 69gr W760 under a Hornady 200gr. Spire Point. Recoil isn't bad, I learned after the first shot to hold the fore-end of the stock down or it jumps up about six inches. The excellent stock design combined with the factory installed ''Decelerator'' pad made recoil down right manageable even with my wrecked shoulder, (when I move it, it sounds like a light stick being cracked-without the light benefit). The Sierra 215gr. bullets that came with the gun, I'll use RE-22, with the Speer 225gr. bullets I bought, I think Re-22 or H-4350 may do well. Seems like the .338WM is flexable with many powders.
I wasn't looking to buy a .338 WM, but a beautiful Ruger Hawkeye with scope, dies, ammo, and bullets at what he was asking for it, I couldn't walk away without it. The Hawkeye is such a nice rifle, I kinda regret not buying the .25/06 Hawkeye Varmint another guy had at the ''going'' price without any goodies. Either way, I think the Ruger Hawkeye is one of the best designed and built factory sporting rifles made today, (if I see that .25/06 Hawkeye Varmint again, I think I'll buy it!).