Breaking in the ruger!!!

[bsrecurve]

Had a great weekend away at one of my favourite properties. the low rings for my ruger turned up on friday - about time....
so it was set up and ready to go for saturday.
it's a new 308 ruger hawkeye SS, and i put a bushnell elite 3200
2-7x32 scope on it - seemed like a logical choice for a proper hunting rifle like this. after a sighting-in session with various loads i was very happy with the results from shooting off my wobbly camp table in a gusty northerly. all loads shot very close to the same point of aim, so it'll be no worries to use the the projies up untill i stick to the one load. pill's tried were 165gr speer btsp, nosler 165gr ballistic tip, 150gr factory remi corelockt and 150gr hornady interlock. unfortunately i couldn't find any pigs to try the pills on, so had to settle for some goats.
the hornadys seemed to shoot the best - but i will wait untill i have a trip to a proper range and get it on a solid bench rest.
anyway - enough dribble - here's some pics:

this fella copped a speer 156gr btsp and dropped on the spot:



a good thing to wake up to the next morning:



traffic:



the goats are all lambing at the moment, and it was hard to find a nanny without kids. This tasty little fella dropped to a 150gr interlock:



view from a jump-up:

[locutius]

Hey mate, nice outfit. Still got the Savage or was it just a bit too heavy? How have you found the Ruger? I've always had a bit of a soft spot for the M77's. Still waiting for the weapons licence to come through, hopefully this week but won't get a Permit to Aquire until the house is completed and I have a proper container.

Yes this is a great website and forum. Jacko's been starting to do a bit of posting on here. I'm still poking around sucking up lots of good info. Have any of the boys been up for a visit yet? Maybe put the 45/70 or the Nagant to work.

Chase

[bsrecurve]

no mate - still have the savage, and will never part with it.
when i get a laser rangefinder down the track she'll be getting a thorough workout at long distances.
the ruger action is brilliante for a hunting rifle - very solid and foolproof, nice big claw extractor.

no-one been up for a visit yet, but a good mate from brissy will be up for the september holidays with his stainless rossi puma 357.

will be checking out a new property this coming weekend down near stonehenge. lot's of goats and some dogs. and 22+ km of river frontage with plenty of pigs apparently - should be good.

[Jacko]

Locutius ? , a voice warning of a pending attack !! - gotta be Troy - hey bloke , had a good morning at the range yesterday . Welcome aboard .

Wish this good mate with a "blued" .357 Rossi was coming up in September , keep a hunt open late June next year when I'm on long service , I'll have the 45.70 by then - it's your fault mr S for introducing me to your mate with his shoulder cannon - I'm weak and easily lead ! Swapped the Tasco 2-7 from the .22 magnum to the BL22 yesterday - crikey! - 5 shots into a 20 cent coin sized group at 50 yards off a wobbly rest -NICE !

Top way to run in your Ruger . Interesting you tried the sp projectiles and core/interlocks , should be the goods on the big boars up there mate . Can see from your pictures the advantage a .308 would have on your .223 , looks like long range shots could be more common on this place . Any thoughts of lopping the barrel on the Ruger mate , didn't hurt the Savage

Good luck next weekend , if Mandy's health improves enough I may get away for a day or 2 from tuesday mornin 

regards Jacko

[bsrecurve]

yeah mate - should be no worries to organise a hunt then.
i think any of the pills i tried would be good choices, but the interlock will probably be the one i buy more of because they aren't exxy, and they performed well on paper and game.
depending on where the goats are, the shots could be long or close, but every goat i've shot here so far was under 50 yards, as there's plenty of good cover to stalk through on the jump-ups.
i will leave the barrel as it is on this ruger as it's 22" from the factory, and i doubt i'd see any advantage by dropping a couple of inches off it.
although it's hard to say from the small amount of testing i did off my crappy bush bench, it seems that it'll put the interlocks into under an inch, and i'm happy with that.

the 223 is going to see some fox duty soon.....
just gotta get this bloody tenterfield whistle figured out!

[Skunk]

WTG bsrecurve!!! Congrats on the new Ruger and the great hunting. Enjoyed the awesome pictures too.

[locutius]

Yes mate, got it first off. Glad to hear you have fun at the range. Sorry could not make it. I'll save a few extra pennies and we'll give the clays a hiding next trip.

Yeah, I thought a scope would bring the groups in that Browning in a bit. The Reddot is excellent for the close fast stuff but the Browning should prove to be a great small game rifle out to 100m if that trigger lightens up. If it doesn't then get it done, should get those groups at 100m. Ya got a brick of .22 ammo, I'll buy a few boxes assorted and we'll give that trigger a bit of work. Besides it doesn't hurt to see what it likes shooting the best, there can be a big difference in groups.

B. glad to here about the Savage and the Ruger. Very good to see the Model 70 back in the market so it will be a contender for a spot in the cabinet. When you going to get a boomer? .416 Barret perhaps, you know, for the shots past 50 metres.

Take care along the river. I here the min min lights like water courses, usually before a campside visit from the clever man.

[Jacko]

You really have not spent much time out bush have you Troy OOPPS Locuitus , wait till you been on your own a few days standed 25 km from the nearest town due to rain making the track out impassable on the shores a small lake that is full of 20 differant breeds of frog - at night imagination and flickering fire light soon turns the pleasant tune into a chorus of voices that sound a lot more scary than Wolf Creek I tell you - not even a .308 Ruger is much comfort , guess I'm just a big girl .

regards Jacko

[bsrecurve]

troy - no min mins yet mate - apparently i need to head out to boulia to see them.
no nead for a big boomer, and the safe is now well and truly full with the ruger inside.
altough........
i could probably fit a little levergun in if i stood it on it's muzzle........
the savage should be able to persuade the goats to take notice out to 6 or 700 yrads, althoug i have a looooong way to go before i'm shooting well enough, and will need a lot of practice to get my drop charts and other figures worked out.
 
jacko- yes i know what you meen, all you need is to hear a banjo arking up and then you know it's time to get the shotty out (aka - "the gentle persuader") hehe....

for some reason though i do seem to sleep alot better near the jumpups than when out in the channel country....

[locutius]

Not sure what I'm gunna do about a gun safe. So far I've narrowed the selection down to about 18 longarms. 

I am liking a lot what I am hearing about the .416 Ruger so that may just pip the .375 Ruger for a spot. But I will concentrate on the more practical and usable firearms first.

A nice little lever action would certainly compliment your selection mate and I reckon you would have a ball with one up there considering the average distance for your hunting shots so far. Jacko's little Rossi is a beauty and I love the octegon barrel.

Yep, the Aussie bush can be a bit spooky especially when the ghost gums seem like they are moving just on the edge of your vision, but then again pretty tame when you think about camping in Grizzly or Lion country. My imagination would know no bounds. That why it's good to have a dog around, even a little dog. He/she just needs to give warning, me and 00Buck will take care of the rest.

[kombi1976]

Great work on those goats, bsrecurve.
A lot of people rubbish Rugers but with the new trigger they are a much better proposition.
And although 308 Win holds no attraction for me it certainly is a tidy cal for most Aussie hunting.
Out of interest what cal is that Savage of yours?

[Jacko]

I was flicking through a current Ruger catalog today and was surprised to see they still produce a M77 in 44 magnum , thought they had dropped it , would have thought long and hard about one instead of the Rossi . I really like some of the big bore calibres Ruger are offering on the Aussie market .

regards Jacko

[kombi1976]

The M77/44 looks good on paper but it's not like you can get pointy bullets for .429" cal like you can for, say, 308, 375 or 458 cal when you might be normally forced to use flat points in a lever gun.
I reckon the lever action is a much better deal for a 44 Mag.
Fast and quick pointing, accurate enough for an pistol round.
If they could develop a bolt gun in 444 Marlin with pointy pills....now THAT would be good.
You can mount a scope on your Rossi, can't you, Jacko?

[Jacko]

The only scope mounting option I have for my Rossi is to scout mount it on the octagonal barrel and use a long eye relief scope or a  electrodot sight . I already have an Artic Fox Electro dot . Yesterday I was considering purchasing a Peeprib which is a combination Weaver style scope mount and fully adjustable peep http://www.eabco.com/cgi-bin/shopper.exe?preadd=action&key=127-813 but noticed they don't ship to Australia , reckon I'll keep looking bound to be other options out there .

I know what you mean about the lack of .429 pills Kombi but I have outgrown the long range sniping . I just like the idea of a 44 magnum bolt action as they are capable of handling hot loads compared to any Lever action . Either way 150 metres pulls them up .

I am saving for a new rifle , likely in 45.70 and from a price point of veiw like the H & R Buffalo Classic but am very keen on a Ruger No 1 in 45.70 . I have promised myself to save until after Christmas so who knows I may be able to afford a Ruger No 1 . Beauty of the 45.70 in a Ruger No1 is I can wimp out and duplicate Black Powder loads or step it right up and approach 458 Win Mag loads where any of the other single shots or lever actions are sensibly limited to a power level down from this .

regards Jacko

[kombi1976]

That rib/peep rail looks good.
Isn't there someone you know in the USA who would buy it for you and send it over?
The M77/44 is good with the hotter loads.
I suppose, if you were a casting kind of guy, you could make your own custom designed hard cast pills with a decent ogive and a gas check.
That would expand your possibilities.
It's past time someone made a bonded core bullet for 444 though.
With a bonded core bullet version of the LEVERevolution it would turn into a really muscle bound cartridge capable of almost dangerous game performance.
A 45-70 is a great choice, Jacko.
Almost plumped for one myself.
And the Ruger No1 is the preference IMO.
I say keep saving and enjoy the rifle.
The only thing I'd say about "magnum loads" in the No1 45-70s is the weight of the rifle.
They only weigh just over 7 lbs.
It's the reason I settled for another cal instead.
But it certainly makes the cal more flexible.
On top of that how uch is a H&R going to worth in 10 years time?

[Jacko]

Kombi I have had some stand up folks offer to help me out with shipping in the past and I do know one well known bowhunter from the US that spends time in Queensland but he is a hard man to track down . I really like the dovetail mounted peep I have on the Rossi but the Peeprib or similar is an intriging option to have - very worth while but just now I have other priorities .

I had not considered the value of the H & R vs the Ruger No 1 in 10 years - the investment line is not one I've tried on my missus - I like that ! Tax return and my work bonus in August I'm nearly there ! .

At present I am using http://www.rpgfirearms.com.au/WESTCASTINGS.htm for my .357 and they are a top option . So cheap in fact to make casting hardly worth the effort . I have a Lyman mould for the .357 , plenty of wheel weights , just need the wind to shift so it blows the lead fumes over my unfriendly neighboors washing  . Definatly will be using Westcast pills for the 45.70 .

I have run the numbers on the mid range loads I'll be shooting through the recoil calculator on Point Blank and come up in the 40 ft lb range , only about 6 or 7 times  the recoil of my .357 but the same as my shotgun and 2 3/4 shells 500 gr solids if I stick to 300 gr pills so other than a session over a bench I anticipate few problems with recoil . I was considering using Trailboss as it's possible to load down to the original blackpowder velocity and recoil is reduced to under 15 ft lb according to the recoil calculator

Regards Jacko

[kombi1976]

I'm surprised you hadn't thought about future value.
It was one of my considerations when I decided on my "baby bonus" gun.
I suppose I should let the cat out of the bag.
I've ordered a Ruger No.1H in 450/400 NE 3" from Magnum Sports.
It's going to take months to come in but that's ok because Uncle Rudd turned the baby bonus from a slab payment to fortnightly instalments.
Bit of a pain in the neck but still a good thing.
Which brings me to my next point.
Those Westcastings cast bullets look AMAZING!
The 450/400 fires a .410" cal bullet and since I'd prefer not to have to 400gr shoot bonded core premium bullets at premium cost for everything I've been looking at cast and jacketted pistol bullets as a means of cheaper plinking and small to medium game loads.
The Gold Match 215gr SWC they make looks like EXTREMELY cheap fun and I should be able to have some serious fun seeing exactly how fast I can push it before the coating loses it's effectiveness.
So I say go ahead with the 45-70 and get the Ruger.

[bsrecurve]

to answer your earlier question kombi - it's a savage 10fp in 308 - heavy, chunky, solid as a brick sh#thouse tack driver.

i'm gonna work on burning out the barrel when i get a decent laser rangefinder down the track...

[locutius]

Yep, the Ruger No.1's are damn fine alright. I'm gunna think about one in a bull barrel tack driving setup for varmitting I think, I would have loved it to be in the 7mmWSM but unfortinately they don't have them in any of the WSM so will probably go 25/06 or 270.

Like I said before the .416 Ruger really impresses me but would prefer it in a repeater like the M77 Hawkeye Alaskan. I think that this cartridge along with the .375 Ruger will become modern classics.

Jacko you have some great little working rifles now so I agree with Kombi, go for something really fine. Especially with the 45/70 you could have the chamber tooled out to 45/120 cause 45/70 is for girls.

Thanks for the link to Westcasting mate, YAHOOOOO they do .375 Winchester pills.

[locutius]

Damn, I make fun of my wife and her sister when they go shopping for shoes, thank god she doesn't troll my forums to see how often I change my bloody mind.

Now, just the other day I was surprised and lamenting the fact that the iconic Springfield Trapdoor 45/70 was not available...well seems I did not look hard enough. It is available from Taylors Firearms in the US and manufactured by Pedersoli (Italy). Now I decided to have a look at the website for Pedersoli. Well that was just the start....Be warned those who do not wish to be divorced, this site is very very dangerous.

Not just the springfield

http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/?item=ArmiCategoriaDettaglio&CategoriaId=270&lang=en

But the new lust of my life

http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/?item=ArmiCategoriaDettaglio&CategoriaId=280&lang=en the Kodiak Mark IV

The Rocky Mountain Hawken

http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/?item=ArmiCategoriaDettaglio&CategoriaId=242&lang=en

Springfield 1861 (.58 Cal)

http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/?item=ArmiCategoriaDettaglio&CategoriaId=243&lang=en

So even with the 3rd job on the horizion, looks like the Harley will just have to wait. Even then it will be a choice between the price of ammo or the price of petrol. It's ridiculous when you pull into a servo and the bloke asks "Fill 'er up?" and you checking your wallet say "Nah, better just make it $80 worth."

[kombi1976]

Locutius, I know EXACTLY what you mean!
I love the double in particular.
Apparently the timber on those is gorgeous.
I've sorta done my dash ordering a No1H in 450/400.
But if you can swing a Trapdoor or a double go hard! 

[locutius]

Mate, just goregous. I would love a double. In fact I would love one in a Nitro E. but I am never likely to afford that. These may be just possible. Even though the price still makes me flinch more than a 45/70 with full power loads. About $US4000 so add 30%-40% and that's if the local gunsmith really really likes you.

I'd like to do some research down the track of course in having some custom work done to something like this. Rechambered for the 50/90 or something...After I've put a few thousand rounds through it and if I reach a point of more dollars than cents. Even now I'm stupidly curious about capping off both barrels simultaniously. . But then again if someone offered me a chance to shoot a .577 Tyranosaur, I'd jump at it. Haven't had a decent nose bleed in ages.

Kombi, my disease is that I like pretty much everything that shoots. From tactical Lapua magnums to cap and ball pistols.

Now the search begins for Davy Crockets Nock Gun. http://www.imfdb.org/index.php/Alamo,_The_(1960)#Nock_Gun

Just look for the bloke at the range that is battered and blue, 1000 yard stare and a grin from ear to ear.

[kombi1976]

Nock guns, eh??!! 
And I thought punt guns and 4 bore doubles were over the top. 
Gotta say, though, that would be PERFECT to sneak up close on a mob of pigs or goats and open up on them.
Wouldn't want it any bigger than 45 cal though.
The 52 cal would hurt like blazes.
And it'd have to weigh something in the realms of 10 or 11 lbs with a straight comb stock, Limbsaver and perhaps even a mercury recoil reducer.
If you rifled the top centre bbl it would make it able to be aimed better.
You could aim at the furthest target regulate the rest to spray out in a certain pattern, as much as you can regulate smooth bores that is.