My New 357, and why it matters.

[Tom K]

I don’t shoot much factory ammo because I can reload cheaper. However, I firmly believe that the factories make better ammo than I can. I’m referring to the premium stuff, not **** like Wolf FMJ.

One thing I’ve learned from chronographing everything is that the smaller the E.S, the tighter the group in this rifle.

One 3 shot group is too small an example to be meaningful. After those 3 I couldn’t bear to risk shooting 2 more. This may never happen again, but it did this time.

Your picture illustrates one of my pet peeves. It shows a target with a group, lists the gun, the group size, the ammo, the date, and even the individual velocities of each shot - but there's no clue to the distance! I would think a person would want that notation on there for their own reference if nothing else. I always note the distance on my targets (as well as the shooting position).

Now I know upthread you mentioned that you were shooting at 100 yards, but there isn't anything on the target itself to indicate that. I see that all the time in gun discussion threads, someone posts a group and the readers have no way of knowing if it was shot at ten feet or a hundred yards. And people will still reply with, "Nice group!"

/rant off


*All that said, since I do know the distance I will say, "That is a really nice group." Now I want to get my Ruger M77/44 out again.

 

[Bald1]

Very cool! I always liked the 77/whatever - even the 22. hornet I had that wouldn't group very well. I still have the 77/22 that my dad gave me as my first big .22 rifle and a 77/44 at SRT arms right now waiting for an integral suppressor.

I’d love to see a thread on your 77/44 after you suppress it. I believe my son will put a suppressor on his eventually. I think it’d be the ultimate nighttime hog gun.

 

[Bald1]

I’m counting down the days. Deer rifle season opens here Saturday. As soon as buck tag gets filled I’ll hang up the A Bolt II and fill doe tag with 77/45.

 

[Yendor357]

Oh, sorry! You’re right Tom. My bad. I think I put the distance on the first target. And forgot on the second.

93 yards.

Why 93? That the distance from my house to the property line. That’s if I shoot from the window in the house. I can get 130 yards if I go outside. I was being lazy that day. I usually shoot, and do the math to get the MOA.

*The bolt and trigger guard on this 77/357 weren’t as nicely polished as my older 77/ so I spent about a half an hour on it with some 1200 wet or dry sandpaper. Just another little detail taken care of.

 

[Bald1]

YENDOR, is Indiana one of those straight wall rifle cartridge for deer states? That’d be a handy little package.

 

[Yendor357]

I think on Public Land you still have to use a straight walled cartridge.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been trying to get the best/most consistent accuracy out of this rifle possible, within reason. Things I have learned:

My Leupold 3-9, 22 LR scope bit the dust. The 77/357 now wears (temporarily) a 4.5-14X Side Focus on a 30 MM tube.

I shimmed the action, which floated the barrel. I don’t think it helped much. But it certainly didn’t hurt.

It’s been my experience that Ruger barrels are a little rough, so I lapped the barrel. Lapping, I think helped drop a half inch or better off my 100 yard group size.

I’m now sure, with the aid of my Garmin Xero, that consistent velocities are critical for this rifle to achieve its best accuracy. The flyers that always go low, to the left are always 65 fps slower than the average. Thank you Garmin.

I’m burning H110 because I can’t find 2400. I’ve always heard H110 needs a max charge to do it’s best work. The listed max load of16.5 grains yields 1710 fps. Extreme spreads all over the place.
So I kept adding powder. Now I’m running a 158XTP at 1930 fps with extreme spreads in the low 20s. Accuracy has improved as well. The gun would always tease me with the occasional zinger. But I couldn’t get consistently good accuracy because of inconsistent velocities until I upped the powder charge.

I chronoed some 30+ year old Federal High Velocity, nickel cased factory ammo at 2010 fps! My hand loads were 300 fps slower! Paco Kelley, and Buffalo Bore runs their 158s even faster than the Fed factory loads I have. In my gun my loads eject easily. Primers don’t look stressed.

 

[Papa32129]

My 77/357 is fitted w a Vortex 1x6 scope. I removed the leupold 3x9
Off of it. Thought it was too much scope.

I like the setup.

Papa

 

[Yendor357]

Update: The abbreviated version…

Review: If you’ll remember, and who could forget, my initial request was for a medium/heavy barreled and a laminated stock on a new 77/357. What I got was a rifle with a medium heavy barrel and an unacceptable plastic camo stock.

A few days ago, Midway USA sent an email telling me that they have walnut stocks for the 77/44 in inventory. Figuring that with the judicious application of sandpaper, I could make the 77/44 stock fit my fat barreled 77/357.

UPS delivers the new walnut stock today. Much to my shock and amazement, the new stock fit my 77/357 perfectly! I suspect the new walnut stock is a factory second. It has numerous tiny flaws. But the walnut is still 1000X better looking than that nasty camo.

So…. I did manage to get a heavy barreled 77/357 with a walnut instead of laminated stock as originally suggested. I asked for laminate instead of walnut thinking laminated would be cheaper, thus a higher probability of success. But I’m happy with walnut. All this proves that Dreams really do come true. Or, Once in a while even a blind hog finds an acorn.

 

[38magnum]

2 years ago, i wanted one of these. they were out of production. Used models were hitting 15-1800 I couldnt afford that. seriously too much. Then i started looking at lever actions... wont go with brass... and every one else making them has gone nuts in price... no lever action.

Why cant they just make a bolt action 30-30

 

[tops]

I wanted one several years ago for a grandson and got tired of looking and bought a .308. Loaded it down to 2000FPS with a flat nose 170 gr. bullet. Grandson shot 10 times and killed 9 deer. Larry

 

[BillyMagg]

A very wise decision!

I don’t shoot much factory ammo because I can reload cheaper. However, I firmly believe that the factories make better ammo than I can. I’m referring to the premium stuff, not **** like Wolf FMJ.

One thing I’ve learned from chronographing everything is that the smaller the E.S, the tighter the group in this rifle.

One 3 shot group is too small an example to be meaningful. After those 3 I couldn’t bear to risk shooting 2 more. This may never happen again, but it did this time.

Well, Dirty Harry said it first, and he won't be the last, "but a man's got to know his limitations"!!! and you've proven that theres NO POINT, in ruining a perfect 3 shot group, and that special place in your mind, that your new rifle is the most accurate 357/model 77 on the planet! its called "imprinting", an no, there is no charge for my affirming your "imprinting" that Ruger will shoot.

I'm NOT a Ruger guy, (yes, I did love my old 44 Flat top), but in general, I'm not, not a "Colt Guy" either, (although, I was foolish enough to trade my old 44 Flat top and 275 bucks cash, for a Colt New Frontier in 45 Colt, with a 45 ACP cylinder), Colt was nice, but no 44 Flattop..

but, I was very tempted by an "all weather .223 model 77, at the gun show yesterday... neat rifles, and I still love the looks of that stainless barrel with that "paddle" stock.

 

[Bald1]

Always thought a .357 Magnum version of the Mini 14 would be interesting

The Deerfield is a 44 mag very similar to the mini 14. It uses a rotary mag. I have 10rd IQM mag for mine. It’s a lot of fun.