Hawkeye Ultralight in .308

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wrs840

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Coming to the experts for opinions. I'm looking for a bolt rifle for deer hunting.

I'm 52, and have never been much interested until this season, but I own and live on a good place to hunt deer, and went a couple times in December, and I'm seeing the attraction. My "deer rifle" is a 336 Marlin in 35 rem, which is fine for where I'm hunting now, but I've also been given access to a neighbor's two-man box stand that overlooks some foreseeable 300+ yard shots.

I've about made up my mind I want to buy a Ruger M77 Hawkeye in .308. I have a couple of Savage Varmint rifles with the Accutrigger (17hmr & .223) and I like Savage Rifles just fine. I just want to try something different. I have never owned a Ruger rifle. I don't own anything in .308 but always wanted to. I do not reload. Yet. If the M77 Hawkeye Ultralight feels good to me, any reason not to consider it?

I also am looking for recommendations for optics for it. $200-something-dollars range is what I have in mind for the scope-budget.

Thanks,
Les
 
I have a Hawkeye in 30-06 and think well of it. It's certainly accurate enough for 300 yard hunting. Having said that, these days I prefer the Tikka T3 and it's almost always the one that I grab when I want to carry a bolt gun.

My Ruger wears a Bushnell Elite 3200 in 1.5x-4x and my Tikka wears a Leupold VXIII 1.75x-6x. I always recommend a scope that goes down below 3x as a general purpose hunting optic - you just never know when you'll need to take a shot in the brush or woods and need less magnification. On the other end, I have found that 6x scope is plenty of magnification for 300 yard shots on deer-sized game.
 
As to the scope, a Burris FullField II is a great buy at $199. Your dealer may still have some that come with the binoculars included at that price.

I have both Savage and Remington 700 rifles, and my Rem 700 SPS Stainless is the most accurate rifle I own, with no mods or work. It will put 3 of my 168 gr SMK handloads into a <0.4" group at 100 yds. I tried out some 168 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips and 168 gr Barnes TSX bullets this weekend with my standard hunting loads of Varget and they both averaged about 0.8" at 100 yds.

Ruger makes a very solid, dependable rifle. I tend to prefer the standard to the lightweight versions of rifles to absorb recoil but you won't regret your choice. You may also want to look at the Winchester mod. 70 Featherweight since you like Rugers, which also have controlled round feeding.

Good luck and good hunting,

FH
 
Thanks guys. I've been studying up for the past few days. rbernie, what caliber is your Tikka T3? I'm becoming very intrigued by this rifle and I've heard a lot of good and just a few negative comments on them, and I'm also now considering 30-06 since this will be my "only" bolt action large-game rifle.

I'm also figuring-out I need probably need to up the scope budget and get a Leupold VX-II at minimum and maybe even a VX3. I'm also very interested in a compensating reticle: Either the Boone and Crockett or the LR Duplex. Thoughts?

Thanks,
Les
 
Deer will never notice the difference between a .308 or a 30-06

Rifles up to you, find something that is comfortable and you feel confident in. Lots of good reviews on the Tikka's and most will shoot very well.

I have several Rugers, triggers are usually pretty heavy but are easy to work down. Most rifles for that matter will need some trigger work, the Rugers aren't adjustable but again are easy to work.

Take a look at the used Market on a VXII or one of the variations, can be had for around 200.00.

Some people love the B&C, others complain about low light use of it. I have no personal experience. The LR reticule gets a lot of good reviews. Just make sure you check where the extra cross hairs are for your rifle than assuming where they should be.


Good Luck
 
Thanks guys. I've been studying up for the past few days. rbernie, what caliber is your Tikka T3? I'm becoming very intrigued by this rifle and I've heard a lot of good and just a few negative comments on them, and I'm also now considering 30-06 since this will be my "only" bolt action large-game rifle.
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My 'go-to' T3 Lightweight is in 30-06, with a VXIII 1.75x-6x/33 optic. Inside of 250 yards, you do not need a BDC reticle with most any modern high-pressure chambering, and I find them of limited use in the field as a result. If you are contemplated 300+ yard shooting under field conditions, it's not likely that having a reticle that compensates for bullet drop will be a big deal to you - having an accurate way to measure distance and knowing the actual trajectory of your load at any given distance will be far more useful.
 
The Leupold 30mm European scopes pass exactly 100% as much light as their VXII 1".
Nowhere does Leupold claim any light transmission advantage for the larger tube.
 
Couple years ago I tried a .308 Ultra Lite Hawkeye with the Fullfield II on it.
Shot well, but the action was rough.
Dunno if it was representative on the action or not.
Nice & light, easy to carry.
Denis
 
Nothing wrong with the 30-06 thats for sure.But if your mainly just hunting deer the 308 or 7-08 are perfect and could be used to take much larger game with less recoil. It sounds like you will be stand hunting mostly so why the need for a lightweight rifle? Most light weights have shorter barrels that increase muzzle blast and give slower velocities.
 
My "deer rifle" is a 336 Marlin in 35 rem, which is fine for where I'm hunting now,
Click to expand...
Sweet! I love the 336 for close-range "bush" hunting. Its a great little rifle.

I do not reload. Yet. If the M77 Hawkeye Ultralight feels good to me, any reason not to consider it?
Click to expand...
To me, the main strength of an Ultralight rifle is that its much easier to carry on long stalks typcal in the west. If you are doing stand hunting, I see no reason not to opt for the larger, heavier Standard model. The extra weight makes shooting full power .308 ammo more comfortable. Indeed some people in similar situations like "Sendaro" or "Beanfield" style rifles, with heavy weight, full length barrels for stand shooting over large, cleared farm areas where 300+ yard shots are to be expected.

Still, if the Ultralight fits you better, that can be reason enough to go with it.
 
Well, Ruger has removed the Hawkeye Ultralight from it's website. I didn't know it was being discontinued, but apparently it is, based on other web chatter.

So now it's between a Savage 11FNS / 111FNS... or the Tikka T3. Either .308 or 30-06.

I'll probably go with the Savage because I think I'd prefer a three-position safety with a blind box magazine, a configuration not available in the Tikka T3.

Thanks,
Les
 
Just because they discontinued it doesn't mean there aren't some out there in the pipeline---just have to seach a bit if its what you really want.
 
^^^^
Yeah, but It also says something to me about how well they were received.

In my case I'm just wanting to end up with a relatively light-weight utility rifle that is a "standard" of sorts in a mid-price-range deer-caliber bolt gun, capable of 300 yard shots, with better-than average optics.

Thanks,
Les
 
You might check out a Model Seven from Remington, perhaps an older one. They are very light and handy.
 
I have a Hawkeye Standard in .308 wearing a VXII 3-9x40. It shoots about MOA but haven't played with a lot of ammo yet. It's light enough that it handles nice, but heavy enough that I can put a box of 20 rounds through it at the bench before I need a break. The fit and finish are wonderful, the action smooth enough, the trigger is pretty good. The hunk of wood I got is pretty nice. Very disappointed Ruger no longer offers a polished blue as they did on the MKII, the "matte finish" is clearly a cost saving technique.

The scope is very nice and clear, easy to adjust with the edge of a nickel. Can't tell you much more because it is my first serious optic on a rifle. Overall I just really enjoy owning the rifle, I wanted to get an all-American classic.
 
Not a fan of blind mag - much prefer to drop the mag in hand and cycle one round out. Love the TIKKA action - smoothest bolt I have cycled in ages - even better than my custom Mauser which has been lapped in. I'll be buying a TIKKA this year in 308. Almost the ballistics of an 06 with a shorter case and bit less recoil. Second the 7mm-08 if you don't plan on going through more than 2 boxes of ammo a year? A tad bit harder to find and bit more expensive.

I'll get the Varmint model as I want the 5 round magazine. The ones I have seen and tried come to shoulder very well - maybe better than any other rifle I own. But that's all about how you are put together. You need to find a rifle that comes up naturally and fits well with your build - MFG is secondary. Marlin XL and XS are very nice too. Even the Mossberg ATR 4x4 is getting good marks now that they have worked out some of the production bugs :)

The Savage synthetic stocks are too small through the wrist for my bigger hands. There is a lot to stock fit. Look around. And don't forget the used rack :)
 
Not exactly the same but I have a 77 MkII in 308 with the forward mounts and the regular mounts and love it. It is a little short but it is light, compact and really accurate. I have a good Bushnell scope on the rear mounts and shoot 130 grain hps and 160 lead sighted to the same point (130 at 100, 1.5 in high, lead at fifty, dead on). Wouldn't trade it for anything short of another pre-64 winchester super grade in 308.
 
for the scope, I would recommend a nikon, 2-7 or 3-9 prostaff. They were on sale for 100.00 at Cabelas and that would be the best 100 bucks you ever spent, believe that!!!
 
I am 66 and recently purchased one of the Rugers in .308. I have a fixed 4X on it and love the lil thing. Easy and light to carry, accuracy is good, easy to handle in a box stand and will kill heck out of deer. I know cause it has for me. Hard to beat that choice.
 
Look at the RCM. 20" barrel like the UL but with iron sights. Available in .308.
Under 7 lbs.

Anything from a 4X to a 2-7, choose your flavor. A Ruger with irons will work quite well with a NECG peep sight and the factory bead.
 
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This is rather easy. If you want a rifle for toting, spotting and stalking or just plan on doing a lot of walking with it, get the Ultralight. Who cares how it was received? Choose based on merit, not the preferences and opinions of others. They produced the MKII Ultralight for years and years before the Hawkeye. If you want a rifle for the tree stand, get the standard model. I have a 77MKII "Standard" in .270WCF and have no problem using it for either purpose. They're not overly heavy anyway.
 
Well, I thank you all for your help. Here's what I bought (in .308):

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/11FNS

It just had the best feeling ergos to me after I handled a bunch of the candidates, and the feature set is best suited to my preferences (blind mag, 3-position safety that's really quiet, satin blue metal), and I got it OTD for $500.

Now I'm joyfully embroiled in shopping for the optics:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunt...200-Riflescopes/748946.uts?WTz_l=SBC;BRcms196

The Bushnell Elite 4200 3-9x40 for $199 looks like a bargain right now and the interweb chatter on these is very positive, many putting them in the same league as a Leupold VX3.

Thoughts?
Thanks for all the help...
Les
 
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