M77 International Stainless

[NYC_Shooter]

Hi All, new to the forum, seems like a great place so far.

I have a few questions about this rifle. Until poking around this forum, I had never known it existed. From my understanding, there are currently two versions floating around out there that I would be interested in and those are the .257 Roberts and the .250 Savage. I don't currently own either, but I have always wanted a .257 Roberts. I never paid much attention to the .250 Savage, but I'm thinking for a short rifle like the international, the short case length of the .250 Savage makes it the better fit.

Is there anything else I should consider? I don't reload. Will ammo availabity be significantly different between the two? Other factors?

What about optics? I'm partial to the Leupolds, and I think a scope with a straight tube (1-4 or 1.5-5) looks best on this type of rifle, but I don't think either are offered in silver and I would like more magnification on this particular rifle since I don't plan to ever take it hunting. What else is out there that you can recommend?

If anyone knows where there is one of these rifles for sale, please let me know! I live in NYC & Long Island and there obviously aren't many local gun shops around me, so I will need to buy online and have it shipped out.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Buckeye Bill]

Welcome to the forum! Great questions about a great rifle. Use the search function with RSI and you will find lots of answers to your questions. Specifics on calibers and optics options. Gun broker and Guns America currently have rifles like your discribing. Good luck!

 

[rugerjunkie]

They were also chambered in a 7mm-08.

 

[NYC_Shooter]

Thanks Bill. I did some searching and it seems the RSI has quite a few fans around these parts, so I guess I'm in good company!

 

[BlkHawk73]

Nothing to add pertaining to the question at hand just wanted to say welcome. My wife's from the Island (Valley Stream) so we're down that way every couple months or so. I know there's the shop by the Collesium but it never impressed me. LISS I think it was. There was another my father-in-law liked I forget the name of. Might have been on Merrick Rd maybe.

 

[NYC_Shooter]

Thanks for the welcome. I grew up on the north shore of Suffolk county (and now that I split my time in NYC, I just tell people "way out there"). But I'm actually originally from the midwest and also spent some time down south growing up. As such, I know what a real gun shop is supposed to look like, and I really haven't found one out there. I suppose it makes sense given the limitations we have for good shooting facilities.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

 

[glimmerman]

So far these have been made in 6.5 X 55, 7MM-08 and 250 Savage. The 257 Roberts is supposed to be the next cal. to be made for Lipseys.

 

[CP]

The following ss .257 Roberts is for sale on GunsAmerica:
http://www.gunsamerica.com/952496452/Gu ... OBERTS.htm

I have heard the rumor that the next ss Libseys run will be in 7x57s, and will have the Hawkeye trigger and bead blast. But this is only a rumor… CP.

 

[BlkHawk73]

Nice pics there Buckeye but where's the content pertainant to the stainless RSI's or LI area gun shops?
While "good shooting facility" could be one persons thought, my first thought about that caption would be "what about, know your target and what's beyond"? See,s like it'd be tough to secure that much area as a safe zone.

 

[Anonymous]

The RSI is a classy little rifle and is a natural for both the 250 savage and 257. Both will be great little medium range deer calibers for the RSI and to me that is exactly the purpose for this little rifle. I had one in the 250 years ago. I also had a Rem. 700 classic for the 257. My buddy had a matching classic in the 250 so we did get to do quite a bit of sxs comparisons with our reloads and factory ammo. To me while both are very capable deer cartridges the 257 is easily capable of an extra 200 fps than the Savage offering using comparable bullets and pressures. I also feel that if you want to shoot 120 gr bullets then the 257 is definitely the way to go. Either way you can't go wrong and both would be super little rifles.

 

[BlkHawk73]

Got to thinking on this and gotta give kudos to NYC_Shooter. The .257 Roberts and .250 Savage are exactly widely popular cartridges that people clamor for yet remain as a couple of the great cartridges for all-around hunting purposes. Too bad more models weren't available in them and could bring them back to the light of popularity.

 

[Trey Whitley]

So far these have been made in 6.5 X 55, 7MM-08 and 250 Savage. The 257 Roberts is supposed to be the next cal. to be made for Lipseys.

Actually .257 Roberts was the first one made, late in 2006. I bought one that showed up with a cracked stock, and ended up getting one in 6.5x55 Swede when those came out.

I've got a Leupold 2-7x on mine; I think these and the 2.5-8x are about the right size for these small rifles. I agree that the straight tubes look "right", but I had an excess 2-7x on hand so that's what I mounted.

Check out the ammunition selection on MidwayUSA.com to get an idea of what's available for the .257 Roberts and .250 Savage. You'd be better off with the 257 as far as factory ammo goes, but that chambering is built on a long action so the action & rifle will be 1/2" longer than the 250 (if that's important to you).

As mentioned, next one out is supposed to be a 7x57 Mauser, another great cartridge for this platform in my opinion.

 

[NYC_Shooter]

The following ss .257 Roberts is for sale on GunsAmerica:
http://www.gunsamerica.com/952496452/Gu ... OBERTS.htm

I have heard the rumor that the next ss Libseys run will be in 7x57s, and will have the Hawkeye trigger and bead blast. But this is only a rumor… CP.

Thanks for the link.

I'm also a big fan of the 7x57. That would be a hard one to pass up, but my plan is to round out the collection with a #1 International in that chambering. I also kind of like the glossy finish on these Lipsey specials. Very unique.

 

[NYC_Shooter]

Nice pics there Buckeye but where's the content pertainant to the stainless RSI's or LI area gun shops?
While "good shooting facility" could be one persons thought, my first thought about that caption would be "what about, know your target and what's beyond"? See,s like it'd be tough to secure that much area as a safe zone.

I feel like I've missed something, because all I see is a smiley?

In any case, your comments are spot on. On Long Island, it's hard to procure enough land for a safe rifle range and harder still to find a place where the "neighbors" would put up with it. As the population has grown, things like rifle ranges and drag strips have been pushed "out east", but there is a limit to how far out east you can go because the people in the Hamptons would not tolerate the noise.

The range in Brookhaven is actually not too far from my place and as far as public facilities go, it's far from the worst I've been to. They even have about a half dozen 200yd positions. The problem with public facilities is that, well, the general public is also there, which can be frustrating to say the least.

Hopefully the real estate implosion will keep the Brookhaven range safe for a while.

 

[NYC_Shooter]

The RSI is a classy little rifle and is a natural for both the 250 savage and 257. Both will be great little medium range deer calibers for the RSI and to me that is exactly the purpose for this little rifle. I had one in the 250 years ago. I also had a Rem. 700 classic for the 257. My buddy had a matching classic in the 250 so we did get to do quite a bit of sxs comparisons with our reloads and factory ammo. To me while both are very capable deer cartridges the 257 is easily capable of an extra 200 fps than the Savage offering using comparable bullets and pressures. I also feel that if you want to shoot 120 gr bullets then the 257 is definitely the way to go. Either way you can't go wrong and both would be super little rifles.

Thanks for the insight. I have done a little reading today on both cartridges and your comments are very much in line with what's been published on the two. If the .257 Roberts would fit in a short action, this would be an easy decision for me. I just think it's tough to justify a long action in a rifle with an 18.5" barrel, so even though it would be my preference to have the Roberts, I'm leaning heavily towards the Savage.

My plan for this rifle is really just to shoot at the range for fun so I would most likely be using the lighter bullets. With a stainless barrel and low pressure ammo, I figure it will last many lifetimes of what I plan to do with it. Not to mention, with those light bullets at medium velocities, it will be a pleasure to shoot, which means this could also be the first centerfire rifle my nephews shoot (after they warm up to the 10-22, of course!). They're getting old enough now for me to start to think about that stuff.

 

[NYC_Shooter]

Got to thinking on this and gotta give kudos to NYC_Shooter. The .257 Roberts and .250 Savage are exactly widely popular cartridges that people clamor for yet remain as a couple of the great cartridges for all-around hunting purposes. Too bad more models weren't available in them and could bring them back to the light of popularity.

Thanks for the kind words. The credit goes to my uncle. He taught me everything I know about shooting and he also passed along his interest in unique/classic rifles & chamberings. He passed some time ago and after that I sort of lost touch with shooting, but I've missed it quite a bit and really want to get back into it, which is why I'm here (to learn more and to chat with others who share the interest).

 

[NYC_Shooter]

I've got a Leupold 2-7x on mine; I think these and the 2.5-8x are about the right size for these small rifles. I agree that the straight tubes look "right", but I had an excess 2-7x on hand so that's what I mounted.

Check out the ammunition selection on MidwayUSA.com to get an idea of what's available for the .257 Roberts and .250 Savage. You'd be better off with the 257 as far as factory ammo goes, but that chambering is built on a long action so the action & rifle will be 1/2" longer than the 250 (if that's important to you).

As mentioned, next one out is supposed to be a 7x57 Mauser, another great cartridge for this platform in my opinion.

I'm glad someone knew what I meant about the straight tubes looking "right" on these rifles!

I would really love a matching silver VX3 1.5-5 for this rifle, but with the prices people are asking for these rifles and that scope being a custom shop item, the price of this little setup is really creeping up on me, which is part of the reason I want to find something suitable for the optics "off the shelf". Since this will really just be for the range, I'm also not at all worried about this one being a little over scoped.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

You have not missed anything. I posted two pictures of the Arizona country side attempting to suggest that my fair state is wide open and offered many shootings areas unlike LI and Maine. I was tactfully reminded of the topic and that the photo's and brief comment were not germain to the post. In an effort to prevent any further distraction, I removed the pictures and posted a "embarrassed" face. Some further comment was provided regarding "Safe Zones" that seemed to further stray from the topic. In any case, welcome to the forum and good luck collecting information about ruger rifles.

 

[Trey Whitley]

but with the prices people are asking for these rifles and that scope being a custom shop item, the price of this little setup is really creeping up on me

Find an FFL in your area that deals with Lipsey's and you should be able to save yourself a bunch when the next one comes out...lots of folks on the internet gun sales websites are asking in the $1,000 range for these, but I'm pretty sure I got my 6.5x55 for under $600 (dealer cost plus a small fee).