Just got my first M77

[SoundDude]

I'm a long time Ruger SA revolver fan and have acquired more than a few, but less than many. I just took home my first Ruger long gun last night - an M77 in .358 Win (Gotta love those CDNN closeouts - $489 brand new). I've always wanted a .358 - it looks like a great little thumping cartridge. Obviously by looking at the ammo shelves at the LGS, it's a handloading only proposition. I'll give it a test run this weekend with a load of 46 gn of AA2520 topped with a Hornady 200 gn SP. Anyone have a good .358 recipes?

 

[cellar701]

Congrats on the new rifle - enjoy!

 

[Rocdoc]

You folks outside of TX can get smokin deals from CDNN, not so much in state due to sales tax, shipping and transfer fees...but still once in a while things work out even here within state. I saw that 358 on closeout, was very tempting, think they had a 338 Fed on this list too? Let us know how things go with the new toy over the weekend.

 

[MikeJinVT]

I use 50gr of Varget in my Browning BLR with the same 200gr Hornady SP. It shoots great. Congrats on the new rifle.

Disclaimer. What is safe in my rifle may not be safe in yours. Work up loads following the manuals.

 

[SoundDude]

First range report: That load with AA2520 turned out to be decent. I spent time this morning doing a few shoot-then-clean cycles more out of time-tested voodoo ritual than an actual scientificly tested breaking in the barrel regimen. I was also trying to sight in the scope. The biggest problem was I didn't bring enough ammo and had to expend a few before I started hitting paper. Anyways, groups were good with the load I brought. I have some Varget on order so I'll try to work up a load with that one in a couple of weeks. I also ordered some of the Hodgdon "Leverevolution" powder, and am curious to see how that runs. All in all, I'm pleased with the gun. The guy next to me had a 308 and the guy next to him had a 243 so I felt it was a 51mm case with small-medium and large all in a row. Maybe I'm weird. but I like shooting stuff not everyone has.

 

[Luckyducker]

My main complaint of Ruger rifles, at least the ones I've owned, is they often leave the barrels in some state of roughness. My M77 standard in 30/06 was so rough I could hardly shoot ten rounds before accuracy started going way south, and if that wasn't bad enough, then it was a real chore getting the copper foulilng out of it. I fixed that with some hand lapping of the bore. Now she shoots better and hardly fouls at all, even with a lot of rounds down the pipe. I always joke about Ruger firearms "some assembly required".