Ruger M77 love them or hate them?

Of the three variations of the Ruger model M77; Tang Safety, MKII or Hawkeye. Which is your favorite, which is your least favorite and why? Also is there any another factory rifle at the Ruger price point aside from the various versions on the Winchester model 70 controlled round feed that would be a strong contender to the M77?

I owned a Ruger in 257 Roberts with a Tang Safety. Disliked it, too temperamental. Reluctantly bought a Ruger Hawkeye in 375 Ruger and love it. Now a fan boy, own one in 35 Whelen. Plan to buy more.

I have a vintage 2006 RSM in 375 H&H; love the thing after the extensive work and $$$'s invested in it. A bit muzzle heavy but great shooter. I would like one-piece bottom metal though.

Theres two dislikes not that fond of the safety would be more liked if it was more like a Winchester 70. Second is I'am a lefty not by choise but because of a injury. Sure would be nice if Ruger made avalible more 77 then they do. Plus make more of them in stainless steel. I do really like a wood and blued rifle but more choises would be better.

Have owned several tang safety M77. Have rebarreled several with excellent results.
Only issue is the angled front lug screw which makes bedding in a stock a bit more challenging. The Mark II’s I’ve only had in the bull barrel versions and the triggers are atrocious but overall have been more accurate than tang safety bull barrel guns.

Just ordered a Hawkeye in 9.3x62 so will report once i shoot it. Love my Ruger M77 in 416 Rigby.

I have not owned a M77, but I have an RSM M77 MKII and a Hawkeye African. The MKII is my favorite, but I am biased because its the RSM model. I do love my Hawkeye African after the action smoothed out.

I have not owned a hawk eye yet. I have previously owned a MK2 in 300 Win Mag. That stock used to do a number on my shoulder. Got rid of it. I currently have two tang safety. The range safety are custon rifles I inherited. One is chambered in 30-338 and the other is chambered in 300Win mag. These are nice accurate rifles but I normally reach for my prewar 300H&H on a 1917 action. I like everything about rugers except the geometry of thier factory stocks.

i love my ruger alaskan model, (hogue stock, 375 ruger) it is a ready made rifle for tough conditions, 3 pos safety, controlled round feed, sights, integral scope bases, great caliber AND stainless steel. I use as a backup gun for brown bear guiding 12-15 years, as the south africans would say "no complaints"

Love them…

M77 MKII .280rem
M77 Hawkeye African .375 ruger
M77 Hawkeye African .280ai

I only own one. Tang safety, blue and walnut, .300 WM. My first centerfire rifle. I have killed a bunch of caribou, moose, and one brown bear with it. Love it!

I like the tang safety. I wish they would have stayed with it on the mar 2.
My problem with the tang ones the barrel is hit or miss.

I have all ways had good mrk 2
Have not had a haweye

I’ve never met a ruger I didn’t like… I prefer the wing safety… but wouldn’t hesitate on a tang safety version if the price was right…

I like them a lot. Currently own about 27 Ruger 77's between me, my wife and son. Have multiple calibers in the 3 types, and a RSM in 458 Lott. The triggers can be cleaned up to work crisp & smoother, and I swap out the stocks to fit better. Taking a 416 Ruger African, a 338 RCM, and the RSM 458 Lott to SA in May for Cape Buffalo and plains game.

My favorite M77 is the RSI model with the sliding 3 position tang safety.

Love them!

I have many, ultralight MKI in .308, MKII stainless in .243, .308, 7mm rem mag, .338 WM, compact MKII in .308, RSM MKI in .338 WM and .375 H&H and Hawkeye in 7-08.

I love the factory scope mounts, very rugged, most have had triggers polished. Several of my stainless MKII did some serious service for me in very wet rugged terrain, love those zytel paddle stocks for dragging them up and down mountains!

I have had two Model 77s, a 7x57 and a .308 RSI. Both with tang safeties. I love them both.

Personally, I believe the MKII stainless is one of the best American production rifles ever made.

I like them! (M77s-all variants. NOT the newer, non M77 variants.) Ruger is famed for being tough, actions being too tight and triggers way too heavy!! Shot a pile of old wood/blued M77s owned by elders as a kid, then later picked up a MkII in 22-250...After some valve lapping compound through the action (followed by a good cleaning and lube), a trigger job (down to 2.5 lbs via a combo of the bolt treatment and lighter springs), reaming the factory rings (the dimension was less than that of a 1" scope and would either crush or leave marks-that was pretty bad, but easy to remedy,) and some handloading, it's a compact 1-holer and good to 400 yds. It's essentially my quick grab varmint gun.

Before I picked the MkII up I built a highly hot-rodded M700 in 22-250, heavy bbl, parkerized black, fancy boyd's green laminate stock-bedded and relieved, talleys, timney calvin, etc. with same handloading-the V was considerably higher but same accuracy (and it was on-the-money out to 750 yds using the Burris 6-20 w/ Varmint plex)...it must've weighed close to 14 lb (the Ruger is like 8 fully outfitted,) so I decided to let "Frankenstein" go. The buyer uses it to shoot steel out to 750 and he will NOT sell it back. (I asked! LOL) It was NOT a pleasure walking through 1,000 yd+ fields in the hot sun for woodchucks using the Cannon! (The Ruger is a pleasure.) 'Can share some pics when my hard drive of photos (hopefully) gets restored...Ok found 1 of Frankenstein, but the MkII is just so much more portable and equally as accurate! 'Have to get the tall bipods for varmints as you have to be higher on unlevel ground, when the grass is higher, and I prefer sitting shots (w/ elbows on the knees)-super accurate form. The ears, however, favored the Frankenstein variant.

To be contrary.....

I LIKE them


Got:

2 - Older, tang-safety models in .243 Winchester - one has been flawless, the other (a BNIB RSI) had to be sent back because of extraction issues
1 - "boat paddle" in .338 Win Mag - flawless




All are accurate.