RUGER 77/357: The Charming Carbine.

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Garandimal

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RUGER 77/357: The Charming Carbine


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The 77/357 - 5.5 lbs of handy pleasantry.

The straight stock and 18'5" barrel allow it to mount and point well.

The 5-round rotary mag leaves the bottom smooth.

NEGC Aperture and Williams higher profile front bead handle the sighting chores.

And the stainless Bbl and action and composite stock make it tougher'n boiled boot-leather.


And what's not to like about a heavy .357 Magnum out of a carbine Bbl.?

JSP will take deer sized game to 150 yards and beyond, and Hollow Points will rival a shotgun in social work up close. All for very little recoil.


It is no wonder so many are so fond of their pistol caliber lever-action carbines. They flat Work.

But I'm a bolt and semi-auto rifleman.

...and am jackpot lucky to have stumbled onto this somewhat obscure, yet absolutely charming li'l wonder.

It is literally the first rifle in my freezer, and every time has to lose the argument why another should go instead (or, as is most likely the case, "as well").


Sure, you can scope her...

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But when it comes down to it, the first thing you will want to do is take her glasses off.

She doesn't really need'em, and they mess up the balance and handling and just get in the way.

And what girl doesn't look and handle better in a peek-a-boo peep.

:D


Sure, it's a little pricey.

Most really nice thing that will last nearly forever are.

And it's not Winchester lever action carbine pricey, either.

It's a fair price for the tool that it is.


$22.50/50 box for AE JSP, $16/50 box for PPU FMJ/FP.

Both shoot well inside of 3 MOA, from field positions, which is all I ever ask of a field rifle and aperture sights.

So, if you have the need...?

Consider one.




GR
 
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That's a good looking gun! I also like the looks of a pistol caliber carbine in a bolt action.
 
there a great gun, i hope to get one soon i like the stainless steal. be a hard choice between the 44 or 357. probably the 44.
Make mine a .44, one less type of brass for me to try not to lose.
But I'm a bolt and semi-auto rifleman
As am I.
My 9mm Hipoint handles plinking or any social interactions I might have need of it for, but I REALLY, REALLY want one of the 77/44s for a pig gun.
I had a Rossi 92, and while I enjoyed the gun it finally cemented the fact that I don't care to actually USE small levers, or guns I can't put scopes on.

not that ive got any need for a dedicated pig gun.......
 
I've got too many 77/22's but I need both a 77/357 and 77/44.

How well does It feed and shoot 38 spl?

It appears the front sight on your 77/357 did not have to be that much higher with that fat barrel to regulate the NECG rear sight.

On my 77/22 "camp gun" a boatpaddle all weather with barrel cut to 18" I needed to mount a new front ramp and tall sight to regulate the rear NECG rear sight properly.
 
I've got too many 77/22's but I need both a 77/357 and 77/44.

How well does It feed and shoot 38 spl?

It appears the front sight on your 77/357 did not have to be that much higher with that fat barrel to regulate the NECG rear sight.

On my 77/22 "camp gun" a boatpaddle all weather with barrel cut to 18" I needed to mount a new front ramp and tall sight to regulate the rear NECG rear sight properly.

WILLIAMS GUN SIGHT - RIFLE BEAD 1/16" MEDIUM FRONT SIGHT
962-161-571WB
.570" Bead 1/16" Medium Front Sight Brass Gold

Had to cut the OEM front sight in half to get it out ("punch out" my ass), and press the new one in with grease and a vise.

:D




GR
 
Have had one since the year they came out. I really like it and should have stopped buying rifles with this one! I've taken 2 deer with it and am really happy with the performance of the 158gr XTP.

Scoped it with an nice little Leupold 1.75-6 which works perfect but I agree it's a great gun with just a peep sight.

I will say when you take it apart and see what it's made of the price makes a bit more sense. Still expensive but it's a ton of machined stainless parts, not a bunch of plastic or stamped parts.

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My 77/357 does have some competition this year:

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I HAD one. Couldn’t warm up to it.
IMO Ruger needs to start over, and make an American version. The 77/357 has/had issues. The split bolt design and rear lugs and poorly cut throat are the biggest issues.
At least I was able to turn a profit on mine when I sold it.
Ruger discontinued them for a while.
I really wanted to like mine, but the lack of ANY accuracy with cast bullets was a turn off. Accuracy was actually quite good with jacketed bullets. However magazine length limits cartridge oal.
I sold mine to amortize the purchase of a Marlin .308ME MXLR. Drastically more gun!
 
I had a 77/357 when they first came out. They were more reasonably and realistically priced back then, at around $550.

At first blush, it was cool, but as I started shooting it more and trying to get it set up where I wanted it, I just kept getting more and more annoyed.

I wanted a decent aperture rear sight for it, but there were only a few available, and they were lacking. I tried the NEGC sight and while well made, found it to be fidgety and you couldnt remove the aperture like the Williams/Lyman type sights, so you could have a "ghost ring".

You also had to mount it on the forward of the two rear scope mounts, as it interfered with the bolt in the rear mount, where it belonged.

I think if XS made a simple ghost ring, like they have for others, it would have been perfect.

The bolt knob and clearances with scopes were also an issue. And that was with a small scope. That was also just with that tiny little bolt knob too, which I would have preferred to have been about twice its size, but would have then been even more of a problem.

The magazine works fine with 357's. With 38's, I was getting constant rim lock and the gun was down until you removed the mag and got them unlocked. That small difference between the OAL in the two rounds, is just enough for the rounds to move around and the rims to jump over each other and tie things up. Simple handling and shooting was all it took too.

Accuarcy wise, my rifle prefered 125 grain JHP's. It didnt like the 158 LSWC's I usually loaded at the time. It didnt seem to like the 158 grain JHP's either.

This was mine, with a 4x Leupold mounted.
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If Ruger would address some of the issues, it could be a cool little rifle. Things like this with them is one of the main reasons I no longer have any of their rifles, and only a couple of thier handguns. Their stuff is well made, and I always liked the looks of their rifles, they just always seemed to be a let down when you actually used or shot them.
 
I'm personally holding out hope for one in 327. Doubt they will make one but the 327 is Ruger's child so who knows. Think is would make a good small game and varmint rifle with the potential for deer depending on how the round performs out of a rifle.
 
Have had one since the year they came out. I really like it and should have stopped buying rifles with this one! I've taken 2 deer with it and am really happy with the performance of the 158gr XTP...

Have quite a bit of the 158 gr. XTP, both HDY Custom and FM, back when they loaded it for cheap, and like it for deer.

But in my woods, we also have some pretty big hogs as well, and they are easy to stumble upon while still hunting.

So, the AE 158 gr. JSP is usually carried.

Both will work inside of 100 yds., the XTP being much better outside of that.

Have some 180 gr. XTP to load up, and that, I think, will be the best of both out to 150 yards.




GR
 
So how do the 357 rifles handle 38Spl case loads? I have heard internet stuff (we know how true that is) about 357 lever guns not feeding 38s well.
 
So how do the 357 rifles handle 38Spl case loads? I have heard internet stuff (we know how true that is) about 357 lever guns not feeding 38s well.

Honestly?

Have never run a round of .38 SPL through it.

Got a pile of FM 158 gr FMJ/FP. .357 Mag. at $16/50 box, back when they loaded it, and the same stuff/price today from PPU.

As stated, the FM XTP 158 gr. .357 Mag. was a gion'away steal, and that was stacked high and deep as well.

Even the AE 158 gr. JSP .357 Mag. is only $22.50/50 box.

So, for me? I just haven't seen the need.




GR
 
I think Ruger would be smart to offer a .38 sized mag for the 77/357, for those who want to use 38's for more than just plinking.

The rim lock with the 38's is annoying, but its not really a big deal if your just plinking with it.

If youre hunting with it on the other hand, it could get REALLY annoying, if you needed a quick, second or third shot and the bolt locked up on you.
 
I think Ruger would be smart to offer a .38 sized mag for the 77/357, for those who want to use 38's for more than just plinking.

The rim lock with the 38's is annoying, but its not really a big deal if your just plinking with it.

If youre hunting with it on the other hand, it could get REALLY annoying, if you needed a quick, second or third shot and the bolt locked up on you.

The only .38 SPL I ever shot were cheap target reloads out of my Ruger BH at the Police Pistol Range.

Never saw the point.




GR
 
The only .38 SPL I ever shot were cheap target reloads out of my Ruger BH at the Police Pistol Range.

Never saw the point.




GR
I don't really see the point either, and with most things, and especially handguns, the practice can be more aggravation than it's worth, especially if you're not up on keeping things clean, but, the fact that you can use them, seems to be important to some, and pretty much always comes up..

If you don't reload, I suppose cost can be a reason too.
 
I would bet that it the 77/357 magazine was set up similar to the 77/22 magazine 22 short conversion that it would feed 38 spl. (brass block with feed ramp on top located at the front of the magazine)
 
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