Ruger K77/44 .44 Mag --- why not?

[jkc]

For no reason I'm able to articulate, I'm thinking that I need a short, light, stainless steel, synthetic stocked, rugged, carbine, with a detachable magazine (this feature matters, in California, and perhaps elsewhere), equipped without optical/electronic /or any otherwise battery-requiring sights, that can stand the rough handling of being "tossed" into my canoes or other small boats, can be cleaned/restored to duty without elaborate tools or techniques after immersion, and chambered in an easily and inexpensively reloaded cartridge adequate for bears and mountain lions at near powder-burn range. So --- I'm looking at the Ruger K77/44-RSP, to be fitted with a NECG peep sight, retrofitted with a Merit adjustable aperture disc.

That said, I'm suspicious of Ruger rifle's quality, and suppose that I would need to "fix" the factory trigger at some expense (Timney Triggers is local, and can fix the factory trigger at modest cost...)

Anyone with experience with this Ruger model, or, alternative suggestions, please comment...

 

[Hofstet]

I have the Ruger 77 bolt action model in .44 mag. Great little deer gun for 100 yds or less.

Check out the Tikka Lite Stainless Steel. Very accurate, lightweight, reasonably priced and available in a variety of calibers. I own one in .270 WSM and have harvested many deer with it. I added a Limbsaver recoil pad to mine.

 

[bigshot500]

a month or so ago I popped in to our local store and they had one of the rugers in their used bins...$225. my first impression ..."man is this thing light and short too...great buck buster" the action was very slick..easy to cycle...my .02

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Ruger makes top flight rifles. I have a stainless 77 in 30-06, a stainless 77/22 a 10/22 and a mini 14. A 77/44 stainless is definitely on my short list (of wants certainly not needs ). I would outfit it with an apeture sight as well.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Ruger just came out with a dedicated scout rifle. Sounds like the 77/44 would make just as good of a scout rifle with a rail installed.

I have a 77 in 30-06 and I have a lever in .44, IMO a .44 rifle is a fantastic thing. The extra barrel adds mucho velocity - so much so that at 100 yards the bullet is traveling much faster than at the muzzel of a revolver.

The 77 is a very solid rifle.

I'd hunt as much as 200 yards for deer or pigs with a .44 rifle.

 

[sasu]

I bought one recently, but have not had time to shoot it yet. I wanted a practice rifle that shoots an economic cartridge, and 44 Magnum having a straight case it is fast and easy to reload as it does not require lube for sizing.

Easy to carry.

N.E.C.G. peep sight.

Williams Firesight.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Sweet!!! where did you get those sights and how much did you have to raise the front sight?

 

[Out West]

If you have one spotted, go ahead and buy it. I would. Sorry I missed out when these were being made.

Out
West

 

[cowart]

Sorry I missed out when these were being made.

Why do you say that? - they are still in production. Davidsons has 14 of them in stock right now.

www.galleryofguns.com - Gun Genie - Davidson's most popular and powerful search engine to find and buy guns at galleryofguns.com

 

[model48mag]

have three of them, an 'old' one in blue, and two new production: one stainless and one in camo. It is a great gun, short, functional and accurate. not a 300 yard elk stopper, but one hundred and under deer are hammered.

you won't go wrong on one of these fine rifles.

 

[Wolfy]

I am thinking of getting one of these. Can it shoot 44 special?

 

[steamloco76]

I am thinking of getting one of these. Can it shoot 44 special?

I wouldn't want to muck-up the chamber in a center-fire rifle by shooting a shorter case round. The 44 Mag. cartridge isn't exactly a shoulder killer fired from a rifle, so why bother with the .44 Spl. except in an emergency.

 

[buck460XVR]

I love mine....great little gun. Lightweight, accurate(considering the chambering) and easy handling brush gun......and since it shoots the same reloads well that my 629s do, it gets shot at the range as often as my handguns. It does have the infamous "Ruger" trigger, but it has smoothed out a tad and I have gotten used to it. I have a 2X7X32 Nikon on it and bowling pins @ 100 yards are so easy, I've taken to shooting them as they swing to make it more of a challenge.

Problem is.....Ruger now makes one chambered in .357.

 

[Cyrano]

Not to reopen an old and somewhat overlong thread, but 44 Mag might be a trifle thin for bears at halitosis range. I'd go with a Marlin stainless lever in 45-70.

 

[jkc]

Odd that this old thread has been resurrected, but, for what interest it may hold to anyone, and I think reduntantly (there having been another similar thread), here are my observations:

1.) The factory trigger sucked ...
2.) The factory trigger was immensely improved by the installation of a "sear kit" by Timney Manufacturing, in Phoenix, AZ
3.) I added a New England Custom Guns (NECG) rear aperture sight (a fine and innovative piece of equipment), and to correct the front sight height, a Tech Sights front sight, featuring a wing-protected adjustable, AR/M4 screw adjustable-height front sight
4.) I installed a short length of aluminum Picatinnay rail to the forend, to allow mounting a SureFire G2 Nitrolon flashlight in a V-LOTR mount --- an entirely satisfactory arrangement --- illuminates both target and front sight!

This has become my "go-to" long gun at the mountain cabin where I've spent most weekends this past summer. It's capable of killing the only big predators likely to menace us, and is short, light, sweet handling, and pretty much impervious to rust, corrosion, &tc.

This rig gets my endorsement!

 

[mtheo]

Problem is.....Ruger now makes one chambered in .357.

Is the .357 a problem because it is a temptation...or something else?

I borrowed a lever action .357 w/ a 16" barrel and it was a lot of fun.

I'm thinking I like the 77/357. My center fire revolvers are all .38 sp.

 

[sheriffoconee]

I don't NEED any more guns, but I sure as #$^^ WANT one of those 77/357 rifles

 

[Out West]

I don't NEED any more guns, but I sure as #$^^ WANT one of those 77/357 rifles

I picked up the M77/357 recently and took it out to the range over the past weekend. Mucho fun. It's no sniper rifle, but more than adequate out to 100 yards.

I thought that the 44 mag. version had been discontinued - I guess not.

These little carbines are handy and fun. Great partner for that favorite stainless S&W revolver in the same caliber.

Out
West

 

[Stevie]

I bought myself the Rossi M92 stainless .44mag as a feral hog gun. I had owned a Ruger .44 mag semi-auto carbine years ago(the 10/22 on steroids looking version..plus a Marlin 94 in .44 mag.

.44 magnum is a heckuva carbine round for hunting..smashs deer and hogs as respectably or better than a lot of popular rifle calibers.