whats your thoughts on the ruger m77 in 338 win mag

 

Don't know much about the Ruger, but a .338 is for moose, brown bear, elk, and caribou. What do you have down in Missouri that you would need a gun that big???

 

The ruger m77 is an all around great rifle. I've owned one in a 30.06 and my bro has one in .270. I know several other who shoot em too. I would recommend the rifle to anyone. As far as the .338 win mag, if you can stand the abuse of shooting it I say go for it. It is known that recoil can effect a persons accuracy and shooting skills. I personally shoot a 7mm rem mag and it is just perfect for me. It has good punch, but not to much, and it's ballistics are what I was looking for. I have shot the .300 win mag and it was almost to much for me to accuratly target shoot. Once in the field you never feel it, so if you can get past the recoil and shoot accurate then go for it. I always here about over-kill, but that to me is just someone's opinion. I bought the 7mm on the premise that I would be going out West every once in awhile, that and the fact that I dont want to have to chase my deer down. All the deer I have ever shot with it have dropped in they tracks from 25 yards to 350, except for one that was out there farther than what I prolly should have been shooting, but I couldn't help it. It was the last day and he was a biggin. Hope this helps and Good luck on your purchase.

 

Thought on the Ruger... well made , nicely finished quality fiream
Thought on the .338....... Flat shooting, hard hitting moose/caribou/bear slayer........ also known to occasionally dislocated the shooters shoulder LOL... Eever get swatted in the shoulder with a 10lb sledge hammer?? Where lots of padding and limit your bench shooting to 4-5 rounds a day or you will likely develop a FEAR of pain from the 338 recoil LOL..

 

I must say, the Browning BAR .338 does do a heck of a job with the recoil. It feels more like a .308. I was very impressed.

 

thanks, i can handle the kick, but how far out do you think i effectively reach out and still have enough power to kill what i'm
aiming at.

 

The gun will reach out further than most people should be shooting and still have more than enough energy to effectively kill an animal. The problem is, to make long shots you have to practice. Practicing with the .338 is insane. It's a punishing round. I haven't shot it yet, but the .300 Win. Short Mag. is supposed to be an awsome round.

 

Winchester has just introduced a .325WSM. It has more velosity at any range, and more energy and any range than the .338 WinMag. It also is reported to have about 1/3rd the recoil of the WinMag. You may want to look into that. As of right now only three Browning A-bolt models are available in the cal. In hte next few months there will be several models of Winchester M-70s available. I'm toying with the idea of building a custom rifle around it. I'm wanting more diameter than the .300s and more punch......but don't want the punishment of the big .338........

as far as the M77. they are excellent hunting rifles. I own a Stainless Laminated in .308Win. They aren't known for jaw dropping accuracy though. You get one that will shoot MOA it's a keeper. Most will shoot minute of deer eaisily. Mine will group factory ammo it likes (150gr corelocs) between 1.5 and 2 inches at 100 yards....................not spectacular but very leathal [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] If you want super accuracy out of box get a savage. you want a highly modifiable rifle get a remington 700, a ruger is just a very nice rifle.

just throwing out idears.

cart

 

You hit the nail on the head with that statement. I have a cheap Savage 110 in 7mm mag and it can easily outshoot me. Just before deer season my son and I went to the range to site in his gun and verify my zero. While I was shooting I was trying to teach him the fundamentals of shooting and well I guess I was listening to myself because I shot three three-shot groups at 100 yds that were ragged holes! Granted these were handloads and I had my trigger pull lightened but still not bad for a non-target gun.

 

I have a 22-250 in the Ruger M77, it's a very good and accurate gun. With a little work it can be a true nail driver. The trigger is easy to work on and mine seem to accept most handloads well, and a couple that shoot less than 1/4 group at 100yds from a bench. As far as the 338 it's a great caliber(I shoot the 300 win mag) but is a little outdated. Don't get me wrong it will be around forever just the new short mags arrew really hot. A hunting friend shoots the 338 and it excellent on elk with the 225gr loads. It is a lot of gun with a lot of recoil. You didn't say what you are used to shooting, I wouldn't reccomend it for your first "big gun". Start with a 30-06, 270, 280, or 7mm if this is for your first and you need the stopping power otherwise I would even go to the 6mm, 243, 308. Just my openion but it's hard to get over a flinch from too much gun. Also match the gun to the game and the range you will be hunting.