77/44 opinions

[hvacmedic]

Looking for some thoughts on the 77/44. I am looking at 2 different guns. One is used, only about a year old and looks brand new for $520. the other one is new at another dealer for $585. wondering if its worth the extra to go with the new gun. Also, looking for some input on this gun in general. Is the accuracy decent with factory ammo? I'm thinking it would make a fine truck gun.

 

[mike7mm08]

As long as the used gun includes the scope rings i would go that route. No rings the new gun will be cheaper. Even if you don't plan on scoping the rifle right now rings in the future will run you about 70 to 80 bucks for new ones. Used rings are cheaper but the 77/44 rings are both the same height. Which in the used market seem to be the hardest to come by.

I have have a older blued/walnut version of the 77/44. The gun handles very well very slick action feeds reliable and is just fun to shoot. As for accuracy I cannot say what factory will do. I don't remember when one of my guns saw factory ammo. With my loads I can get just under an 1.5" at 50 just under 2.5" at 100. From what I have heard typical accuracy is 3"ish at 100 for most folks using factory ammo. As with any gun you will have to play around a bit to find would your gun prefers.

 

[dfletcher]

I was very disappointed in mine. Loved the little gun but accuracy was terrible. I tried all sorts of solutions and got wandering point of impact - 2 or 3" groups at 50 yards "down there" then "up there". Dumped it for a Deerfield.

 

[buck460XVR]

I love mine. Only had it about a year, but it handles very well and is a hoot to shoot. Probably put 1000 rounds downrange with it. I too get about 2.5'' @ 100 yards and feel I can do better if and when when I replace the trigger. I had a Ruger .44 auto carbine years ago and this gun is hands down more accurate and reliable.

 

[rugerjunkie]

I think dfletchers experience is outside of the norm for the 77/44. Most comments are like already stated and accuracy is far from benchrest but more than good enough for deer out to the effective range of the 44. They are an absolute blast to shoot!! I have had one for years and it is one of my favorite "plinkers"!

I recently picked up a new camo model and haven't had a chance to shoot it yet so hopefully it is a good shooter. The bore looks great and the rest of the gun is finished off perfectly so no out of the box surprises Most reports I read on the new ones gives no reason to think that it won't shoot.

The trigger is terrible but that was expected! :shock: But that is an easy fix.

 

[PJR]

The 77/44 needs to be seen in the right context. If you expect performance comparable to most other centerfire bolt actions then you may be disappointed. But compared to lever actions shooting the same caliber or revolvers then it is definitely equal if not an improvement.

I didn't get mine to be a precision instrument but as a light, short-range rifle for use on my farm in situations where I may have to deal with varmints up to black bears. The 77/44 is as light as the rimfire rifles it is based on but with a lot more stopping power.

Mine likes the Hornady LeverEvolution bullets and when equipped with a the Leupold VXII 1x-4x shoots 2 inch 3 shot groups at 100 yards. With handloads mine seems to prefer .430" jacketed bullets.

Because this is a short range, reactive rifle I have switched from a scope to a barrel-mounted Skinner peep sight which slid in easily and worked with the factory front sight.

I have two objections to the 77/44. From the factory the trigger pull is very heavy. A Volquartsen sear makes a definite improvement. I retained the factory spring in mine as with the Volquartsen spring it was too light. There is still a little creep in the trigger but it is not objectionable and the pull is better than my Marlin lever action.

The second is the magazine capacity. I'd like a higher cap mag but if I can't solve any issues with 4+1 rounds of .44 magnum then more probably won't make that much difference.

The 77/44 is a niche rifle. There is nothing else quite like it on the market. It meets my needs as a light rifle that is easy to carry with good stopping power and it is a lot of fun too shoot.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I'm still on the fence about mine. I bought it back in Jan/Feb and have only shot it a few times, but accuracy is very questionable. I haven't gotten better than a 4-5" group at 100 yards regardless of the bullet/charge, and sometimes it's a much bigger pattern. I've also found that the POI varies dramatically with bullet weight and powder charge changes. Like 2-3 FEET of vertical difference between 240gr lead bullets and 240gr JHPs with appropriate loads behind either. Even 180gr vs. 240gr vs. 300gr JHPs give considerably different shot placement -- more so than one might expect.

I tend to shoot light-ish loads in my .44 handguns, as I have no need for barn-burners. In fact, I shoot a lot of .44 Special. OTOH, the 77/44 shoots heavy stuff with ease, and doing so makes it feel more like a rifle than a pop gun. If I try to swap between them I have to waste a bunch of ammo rezeroing the scope.

So I basically have to decide if I want a "companion" rifle for my .44 handguns, or a rifle for heavy .44 mags, as it won't do both at the same time. I do not currently hunt, though I wouldn't mind trying my hand at taking a feral pig.

-- Sam

 

[roashooter]

back when the 77/44 first came out, I bought one as a companion piece to my 44 pistol. and like some here I did have to do some reload testing to find "the one"...found that the pistol and the rifle both really liked the Sierra 180grn hollow point....somewhat hot loaded...have had the 77//44 cloverleaf at fifty yards....around an inch at a hundred...which is all I need for it to do

 

[hvacmedic]

Thanks for everyone's input. The more I hear then the more I can't decide if this is the gun for me, especially since I don't reload. Maybe I should just spend the money on another vaqero or single-six.

 

[Cedar Creek]

I've had my wood/blue 77/44 since 1998 - like it just fine! As stated - accuracy is good enough. My gun likes the 265 grain Hornady rifle bullet over 23 grains of H110 - this bullet won't come apart like some 240 grain pistol bullets tend to do on a deer.

Only complaint - my gun likes to drop the clip upon firing when shooting light cast loads for some reason, but doesn't do it with full-throttle loads. :?:

Cedar Creek

 

[RJ556]

Yosemite Sam, I found that I get a lot more consistency and less fliers out of my 77/44 if I hold the forend in my hand and rest my hand on the front rest. I have found this the case with most very light carbines shooting slow moving (relative to a rifle bullet) projectiles. Consistently under 3" at 100 yards using a red dot sight is very acceptable to me. However my gun wil shoot handloaded Hornady FTX 225 grain bullets into 2" to 2.5" groups. I have shot a few groups with those loads into less than 1.5" . The gun is such a delight to hunt with. That means a lot to me as I am getting older.

 

[ClintV]

Mine's plenty accurate enough, especially for hunting in the swamp where most shots are under 50 yards. I've since switched the 2-7 compact out for a VariX II 1-4 with the heavy duplex. It's about as handy a hog gun as you'll find.

This one was taken at 60 yards, with a 240 Federal Hydra-shok behind the ear. DRT,

 

[RJ556]

Good job Clint. Nice gun, nice hog!