77/22 vs 77/357 bolt clearance.

[wolfee]

Can anybody tell me if the bold handles on these two guns is identical? My 77/22 only has enough clearance, with low mounts, for very skinny scope eyepieces. Is the 77/357 a longer handle? Different shape?

 

[rugerjunkie]

Im sure they are the same as far as degree of lift but I imagine the 357 being a wider action and possibly giving a touch more clearance.

 

[wolfee]

Ah, I never considered that. The middle is still the middle but if it is wider, I would gain that much clearance. This must be why I see guys on youtube shooting 77/357's with scopes that I know have big, fat eyepieces but they seem to have plenty of clearance.

 

[wolfee]

That assumes it IS wider. Do we know that for a fact?

 

[rugerjunkie]

We do not know!

I am gone from home for the week and cannot check. I have 77/22's and a 77/44. The 357 and 44 are the same. Another factor is ring height. If I remember...there is a sweet spot where a medium ring seems to put the scope in the way. Low is ok or a bit high works too.

 

[wolfee]

Yes, low CAN provide more clearance if the scope was already skinny enough to clear a medium. But, the geometry doesn't seem to work out with fat scopes. I am in no rush, but please post whenever you can about ocular diameter and receiver widths.

 

[mattsbox99]

I like to use low rings whenever I can, but I just have the medium height rings on all my 77/22s. I don't have a 77/44 or 357.

 

[RJ556]

I have a 77/357. Like Matt, I like to use low rings where possible. However I found that if I mounted my scope (old Weaver Classic 300, 3x) in low rings, the bolt handle would barely clear. If I tried, I could get the bolt handle to contact the eye piece. Not good enough for me. I changed to mediums. Now it doesn't look all that bad and I have good bolt handle clearance.

 

[wolfee]

Thanks. That probably tells me the Leupold won't work in low mounts either. I guess I'll just have to try it and see what fits and what doesn't.

 

[Warthog]

Thanks. That probably tells me the Leupold won't work in low mounts either. I guess I'll just have to try it and see what fits and what doesn't.

I bought a 77/357, and i am using a Vortex scope which has a large eyepiece. With medium Ruger rings, the zoom would change from 12X to 10X every time I worked the bolt. Now i have the high rings, but the 90 degree bolt lift still comes close to the scope.
Warthog

 

[rugerjunkie]

I have the mediums on my 44. Plenty of clearance with an older stainless 4x Weaver. My 77/22 has a Weaver classic 4x32 if i remember right and has low rings mounted. I'd need to confirm though...it's been hiding in the back of the safe for so long I'm not 100% sure anymore.

 

[wolfee]

Is that maybe a 3X? Doesn't matter as the eyepiece diameter is probably the same.

 

[RJ556]

Rugerjunkie, I prefer black scopes on all of my stainless rifles. That being said, that stainless Weaver on your 77/44 looks great. I think that those old stainless Weavers are about the only "Stainless" scope that really matches the finish of a Ruger stainless rifle, because the scope really is made of stainless steel. Anyway, it looks great.