Author Topic: Buying a 77/44? (Read 3288 times)

Cheesehead · « **on:** July 26, 2009, 04:27:28 PM »

Today i was looking at a used 77/44 in like new condition, or as they say at the gun shop "appears to be unfired". This looks to to be true. I may buy it for 479 bucks. It looks perfect. What do you think?

Cheese

45-70.gov · « **Reply #1 on:** July 26, 2009, 04:31:09 PM »

buy it

wreckhog · « **Reply #2 on:** July 27, 2009, 04:01:42 AM »

People had terrible accuracy issues with them. Google it.

Halwg · « **Reply #3 on:** July 27, 2009, 04:12:09 AM »

Doesn't sound too good to me.

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php?t=5446

45-70.gov · « **Reply #4 on:** July 27, 2009, 07:24:31 AM »

Quote from: Halwg on July 27, 2009, 04:12:09 AM

Doesn't sound too good to me.

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php?t=5446

ignore my previous post

unless you are looking for a suppressed gun project

i have been thinking about that......so my judgement was slanted

Cheesehead · « **Reply #5 on:** July 27, 2009, 12:41:00 PM »

Thanks for the replies guys. I have seen some mixed reviews on this rifle. It has been discontinued for some time but is back the 2009 model year. Maybe with improvements?

Cheese

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #6 on:** July 28, 2009, 01:19:36 AM »

bought one and was never impressed with the accuracy. Didnt keep it long. Im a big 44 mag fan and bought it because of that but just never could see a 44 mag in a bolt gun and what advantage it gave over a lever gun

Cheesehead · « **Reply #7 on:** July 28, 2009, 02:22:59 AM »

Lloyd,

How good/bad was the accuracy?

Cheese

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #8 on:** July 29, 2009, 01:12:10 AM »

about 4 inch at a 100 yards at best with a scope.

45-70.gov · « **Reply #9 on:** July 29, 2009, 05:48:08 AM »

might be better to just get 2 handi rifles

same price probly

Cheesehead · « **Reply #10 on:** July 29, 2009, 05:50:28 AM »

Maybe an Encore barrel.

Cheese

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #11 on:** July 29, 2009, 06:23:01 AM »

I have heard the same thing they don't shoot to good . I talked to a guy about a supressed one and he would supress it but not warranty the accy. as he had not seen one shoot well . He advised the encore and would stand behind it .

john keyes · « **Reply #12 on:** July 29, 2009, 01:37:30 PM »

there is always the 96/44

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #13 on:** July 30, 2009, 10:37:23 AM »

dont know if they do any better. Ive heard they dont do well with cast at all.

Quote from: john keyes on July 29, 2009, 01:37:30 PM

there is always the 96/44

Cheesehead · « **Reply #14 on:** July 30, 2009, 03:16:16 PM »

I seen a stainless Marlin lever at Sheels for 695 bucks,

Cheese

Tallwalker · « **Reply #15 on:** August 01, 2009, 08:55:00 AM »

I saw a gal picking up a new one last night, so I guess Ruger is shipping them now. The barrels are hammer forged, and have 20" twists so they should work. They are nice, light bad weather guns so I hope Ruger has addressed accuracy issues.

Doc T · « **Reply #16 on:** August 05, 2009, 04:37:11 AM »

A friend of mine bought one of the original ones you are referring to last year. Accuracy was 4-6 inches at 100yds. Hornady LeverRevolution ammo tightened it up to around 2 inches. I get 1.5 inch groups with this ammo in my Mannlicher stocked 44 carbine. $479 is not a bad price but haggle a little and see if you can get a better deal or some ammo thrown in.

Doc T

single action · « **Reply #17 on:** September 25, 2009, 12:47:15 PM »

I bought a ruger 77/44 at a gun show last week. I like it very much so far. my best group so far is 1 1/4 at 100 yards. no recoil! oh, mine is one of the new ones

Stan in SC · « **Reply #18 on:** November 13, 2009, 10:53:11 PM »

I own a 2001 manufactured stainless/synthetic Ruger 77/44.It is a fine shooting rifle.I get 2" consistent groups at 100 yards.Many people pass on what they have heard/read about rifles.That's worth just about what it cost you.People with no actual experience should just read.

Stan in SC

ECVMatt · « **Reply #19 on:** December 05, 2009, 05:27:55 AM »

Here's a pretty good review on the newer ones:

http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-77-44.htm

These guys are very pro-Ruger and seem to write advertisements rather than articles, but it looks pretty accurate.

Matt

buck460XVR · « **Reply #20 on:** May 15, 2010, 07:59:12 AM »

After reading and hearing Ruger had addressed the accuracy issue with the 77/44, I took a chance and traded for a new All-Weather a coupla weeks ago. After puttin' a 2-7X32 Nikon on it, I took it out to the range last Sunday morning and was pleasantly surprised. Once I got the scope sighted in and moved back to 100 yards it consistently put everything in the 3'' bullseye. I didn't think that was too bad considering it was the first time out with a new gun. Yes, the trigger is stiff and is more of a snap shooter than a squeezer(gonna work on that), but it handles well and recoil even with full magnum loads is no worse than my .357 lever with hunting loads. Only put 50 rounds downrange with it, but unless the accuracy falls off dramatically, I think it's gonna work fine for a close quarters brush gun. Ruger warns about shootin lead outta it, but since I generally shoot jacketed bullets it not a problem. The load I was shootin' is the same load I use for my 629, so I may play around with some different things, but all in all, I'm lookin' forward to deer season. The gun would make a great first deer rifle for a youngster just startin' out. Light and handy as a small lever carbine, but easier and safer to load and unload. The three position safety is also much better for small hands than trying to lower a hammer on a lever. Probably will give it to my grandaughter when she starts huntin'.

Cheesehead · « **Reply #21 on:** May 15, 2010, 09:06:27 AM »

What is the issue with lead bullets?

Cheese

buck460XVR · « **Reply #22 on:** May 15, 2010, 09:52:25 AM »

Quote from: Cheesehead on May 15, 2010, 09:06:27 AM

What is the issue with lead bullets?

Cheese

Dunno for sure Cheese, but they advise against using mid-velocity non-jacketed bullets because of accuracy concerns. I just assumed they meant lead and/or plated. May be similar to some of the Marlin levers that don't shoot lead bullets well. I shot a few mid-range jacketed bullets(starting load of IMR4227) outta it before moving back and fine tuning the scope and found that they weren't quite as accurate as the other 240 gr load I was using(23gr of H110). But then the same is true of the mid-range load outta my 629, so I can't say if it's the gun or the ammo. Next time out I'm gonna bump up the H110 loads a half a grain and see if there's any difference. I'll probably also crono the loads and see what I'm gettin' outta it. I doubt if it will ever be a long range sniper rifle, but as long as it continues to put every shot in a fist sized area of a deer's chest out to 100 yards, I'll keep it.

myronman3 · « **Reply #23 on:** June 07, 2010, 05:09:10 PM »

i know certain lead bullets dont shoot worth beans out of my marlin, but if i say under 260 grains they usually do pretty good. i wouldnt think that there would be a mechanical issue with firing lead out of a bolt action. in fact, i dont see myself owning a gun chambered in a round i cant shoot cast bullets out of.

The Commissioner · « **Reply #24 on:** June 08, 2010, 11:54:49 AM »

I bought a NIB 77/44 this spring and took it to my range for the initial firing using the iron sights. They are the exact same sights that come with the 10/22.

The gun kicked like a mule with 240 grain WWB ammo. The rounds, at 75 yards, fired from a bench rest were literally all over the paper. I figured I was flinching badly which caused the poor pattern. Very disappointed, I wondered if I just made a $550 mistake.

At home, I cleaned the rifle and noticed I could move the front sight back in and forth in the dovetail with my fingers!!

No wonder it was all over the paper. Back to the store it went and the sales clerk filed a complaint with Ruger.

While waiting for the new front sight to be sent by Ruger, I purchased a Nikon 3x9x50 Prostaff scope. After the new sight was installed and the scope mounted, I added one of those Limbsaver slip on recoil pads.

The improvement in recoil was dramatic. Once the scope was dialed in and I realized the recoil wasn't a problem, the flinching stopped. The result was a four shot group at 75 yards that fit inside a one inch square on the target.

I'm confident that the gun will consistent give me a two inch group at 100 yards which is plenty precise for where I hunt.

Next step is to do a trigger job and that gets me a big bore, short range 'sniper' rifle that is much less expensive to practice with than my rifled barrel shotgun with sabot slugs.

buck460XVR · « **Reply #25 on:** June 08, 2010, 05:16:26 PM »

Quote from: The Commissioner on June 08, 2010, 11:54:49 AM

Once the scope was dialed in and I realized the recoil wasn't a problem, the flinching stopped. The result was a four shot group at 75 yards that fit inside a one inch square on the target. I'm confident that the gun will consistent give me a two inch group at 100 yards which is plenty precise for where I hunt.

That's all I'm looking for also. I love shooting the Levers at the range and enjoy hunting with them, but I get sick of racking ten shells outta them everytime you need to unload 'em. There's times when I'm hunting when I'll/we'll load and unload the guns 4 or 5 times a day due to still hunting small areas and making drives. I was lookin' for a pistol caliber that was easy to load and unload. Something I could put a scope on. My old eyes are gettin' tired. Something I could wade thru swamps in the pouring rain, put 'er in the truck and then take out in the morning and do it all over again. Something I could afford to feed with ammo I already reload. So far I've been pleasantly surprised with the accuracy of the little Ruger, especially since I've only put approximately 100 rounds of the same ammo I load for the 629 thru it.

Myron.....I shoot lead and plated in some of my plinkin' loads, but I don't consider the 77/44 a plinker. Altho I've been told the 77/44 shoots hardcast bullets well as long as you keep the velocity up, I bought it to shoot jacketed with legitimate magnum velocities and that's probably all she'll see. Maybe I'll get adventurous with 'er later on, but after the new wears off, she'll probably only see a coupla hundred rounds a year thru it.