Ruger 77/22 in .22 Hornet - Opinions?
- Thread starter SLT223
- Start date
elpac3
Well-known member
Hornet is a great150 yard cartridge. Case necks are a little thin and the case semis prone to stretching in my gun.
Would be hard to beat the ruger as a platform.
Would be hard to beat the ruger as a platform.
Can't give you a direct answer, but I have an old Savage 23 in 22 Hornet and love it. Same goes for my Ruger 77/22 in 22 LR.
Can't speak to the cartridge but I've had a Ruger M77/22 WMR for years now. It's the All-Weather Laminate with the Target Gray Finish. It's been a great rifle. No problems at all. I put a Green Mountain SS Fluted 18" .920 barrel on it soon after I bought it. (Glad I did because GM discontinued them for some reason). It's my go-to small varmint rifle. The stock trigger is not all that great. But it's an easy fix. I put a Volquartsen Target Sear/Spring in it that really cleaned up the trigger pull beautifully. I don't think Volquartsen still offers them but I'm pretty sure that Timney does.
Last edited:
Hairtrigger
Well-known member
I have owned a couple Ruger 77/22 Hornet
Fun little rifle. Mine simply would struggle to shoot 1moa
Shimming the bolt did help. Had a NO.1 that actually was a bit more accurate
I found a Browning low wall in 22 Hornet and sold the Rutgers. Since I have added a KoO in the same caliber
Fun little rifle. Mine simply would struggle to shoot 1moa
Shimming the bolt did help. Had a NO.1 that actually was a bit more accurate
I found a Browning low wall in 22 Hornet and sold the Rutgers. Since I have added a KoO in the same caliber
Faulkner
Well-known member
I bought a Ruger 77/22 in .22 mag from a guy needing some cash. I found it to be very accurate and I love the Ruger 77. I found if I could see a squirrel I could knock it out of a tree. I ended up selling it back to the original owner a couple of years later when he asked if he could buy it back.
Never have dealt with the Hornet, though.
Never have dealt with the Hornet, though.
LittleAugieMo
Well-known member
Think the platform is solid. Key to the .22 Hornet is matching bullit weight w/rate of twist in bbl. If you're a reloader you're halh-way there.
I bought a new 77/22 Hornet in the 90s. Still have it. Still love it. I did shim the bolt ($12) and it now shoots about MOA with cheap Winchester SP. I have a Bushnell 4-12 AO on it, also from the 90s. I keep saying I’m going to get a nice Vortex for it but never do. If you don’t reload ammo can be pricey. Seller Bellot is the cheapest I’ve seen but never tried it. The Hornady varmit rounds get rave reviews. I’ve also got a 77/44. It too is a great little package. It does wear a Vortex. When I bought it new last year I expected to have to shim it as well but no sir. Better than MOA out of box. The Hornets can be kind of pricey but the good thing is you’ll sell it for more than you paid should you grow tired of it.
Ivan the Butcher
Well-known member
Never had a Rugar in 22 Hornet. Currently have a 1958 Savage 340, and a 10" Bull barrel Contender w/3x scope. Both like the Factory Hornady 35 gr V-max ammo and love the same bullet over AA1680 at 3125fps in the rifle, 175 yard groups are 3/4". I've gotten 1/2" groups from the Contender @ 50 yards with the same load.
For reloading, brass length consistency is the number one concern! Number two would be propellant charge consistency. Ultimate accuracy come from neck wall thickness being consistent in two ways: The entire neck being in the 1/1000th all the way around and the same 1/1000th for all cases in the batch! Nosler Brass (exclusively from Midway) is the only one available in the last 15 years to be that good out of the box.
For reloading, brass length consistency is the number one concern! Number two would be propellant charge consistency. Ultimate accuracy come from neck wall thickness being consistent in two ways: The entire neck being in the 1/1000th all the way around and the same 1/1000th for all cases in the batch! Nosler Brass (exclusively from Midway) is the only one available in the last 15 years to be that good out of the box.
rockquarry
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2005
- Messages
- 8,485
- Reaction score
- 10,411
I've had many .22 Hornets, but never the Ruger bolt-action. The 77/22 Hornets had a reputation for being somewhat inaccurate straight-from-the-box. Clark Custom (and probably others) accurized these guns to the point they shot very well.
Venom6
Well-known member
Had one a few years ago and enjoyed it. The magazine restricts overall cartridge length, which is seldom a problem with factory ammo but can cause an issue if you reload with plastic tips. Mine, like many, was not particularly accurate, but generally shimming the bolt can help a lot in that regard. The rifles are light and handy, and the cartridge fills the niche between the .22 WMR and the .223. Quiet, no recoil, and highly effective on small vermin and small game to maybe 150 yards. The case has a thin neck which is easily dented in handling, (re)loading, and ejection. All in all, an elegant combination so long as you understand its quirks.
We all have our opinions, but I'm not a big fan of the 77/22 series guns or the hornet. I've owned several 77/22's in various calibers and never found them as accurate as some other options in the same calibers. I know others that swear by them though. I had a 77/17 hornet but gave up on it fairly quickly. A friend had one and we tried a number of handloads, but never got the accuracy he was looking for.
As far as the hornet, it's a neat idea, but much prefer the 223 Remington. You can load it down to hornet levels if you wish or need to and to me it's been a more accurate caliber.
As far as the hornet, it's a neat idea, but much prefer the 223 Remington. You can load it down to hornet levels if you wish or need to and to me it's been a more accurate caliber.
Last edited:
huntsman22
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2011
- Messages
- 641
- Reaction score
- 2,200
The 77/17 Hornet is where it's at......
The Hornet is a fun cartridge but the Ruger 77 I had was very disappointing in the accuracy department. Handloads, factory rounds, it never performed well with anything. I sold it off and never looked back. I love the Ruger 77's but not in .22 Hornet.
I've got a Model 77 in .22LR. Great little rifle. I love the platform. One of my sons has one, too, with the synthetic stock. He's owned it for 34 years. I've had mine a little longer and have absolutely no complaints. Sorry I don't have any experience with the .22 Hornet.
I think you're going to get the same answers that you would on the older rifles. Some will say they suck, while others will say their rifle shoot one hole "all day long".
I don’t have anything to add here, except the wishful thought that, if you do buy one, you’ll come back and tell us about it. I’ve been wanting a .22 Hornet also, and thinking mainly of the Ruger. I’m looking for “light and handy.” The Ruger seems to fill that requirement.
smoothshooter
Well-known member
In the 70’s and 80’s I was reloading, shooting and hunting with various .22 Hornets several days a week. Worked well for groundhogs out to 175 yards (never pushed it any farther).
But if I had a need for a gun/cartridge with Hornet ballistics nowadays I would just buy something in .223 caliber and load it down to Hornet velocities.
By doing that you skip all the issues with thin case necks, case stretching, and tiny variations in case head thickness and powder charges.
I admit the appeal of Hornet rifles having smaller actions and being more slim and trim in overall appearance.
All the above potential issues mentioned above you should seriously consider. Hornets can be a lot of trouble to deal with.
But if I had a need for a gun/cartridge with Hornet ballistics nowadays I would just buy something in .223 caliber and load it down to Hornet velocities.
By doing that you skip all the issues with thin case necks, case stretching, and tiny variations in case head thickness and powder charges.
I admit the appeal of Hornet rifles having smaller actions and being more slim and trim in overall appearance.
All the above potential issues mentioned above you should seriously consider. Hornets can be a lot of trouble to deal with.
Last edited:
The hornet can be tough to get accuracy. I discovered that mt brass weights were not consistent across many brands. With nosler being heaviest. Stick with one brand and don't be afraid to experiment with magnum pistol primers. I fooled with a 1885 , a h&r, and settled on my savage 25. The hornet loves Lil gun
Similar threads
