plethora of used 338 Win Mag M77 around

[Don Lovel]

LGS, pawn shops in our region seem to have a bunch of M77 used in 338 Win Mag, and all for really reasonable prices. Now we live in big elk country so I would think there would be lots of 338 cal guns in the area, but is there something about the M77 that is undesirable, ie bad recoil or inherent accuracy problems in them that would make them price used cheaper than other calibers?
I found one with original time frame Redfield post reticle 3-9x 40 scope on it for $525 the other day, and thought about grabbing it for a restock and tweak into a great long range gun.
Anyone got input on the 338 Win mag chambering in Rugers?

Anyone load lighter weight 180gr bullets in them?

 

[rugerjunkie]

Don,
My opinion is that Ruger has one of the better stock designs to handle recoil. Plus the 77's are plenty heavy compared to others out there in same calibers. Maybe its a trend of wanting one of the newer better badder calibers intead of a plain old 338 win? Sounds like the one you spotted would have been a pretty good deal if it was in decent shape.

Jeff

 

[planetcat]

I would buy one in a heartbeat. A very versatile round and ammo is cheaper than the other "new" magnum loads. Maybe because .300WM is about half the price and can be loaded up with 200-210 grain bullets, the .338 is loosing popularity. I personally like the idea of shooting a 250 grain bullet at 2900 fps.

 

[TBear77]

Don,
Suspect Jeff may be right about the 'newer and badder' magnums. Around here I'm seeing lots of 7mm Mag's...same situation. Another possibly, as the hunter demographics ages the recoil sensitivity increases. I know I no longer enjoy shooting anything over .308 Win. or .284 Win.

Ted

 

[rugerjunkie]

Don,
Suspect Jeff may be right about the 'newer and badder' magnums. Around here I'm seeing lots of 7mm Mag's...same situation. Another possibly, as the hunter demographics ages the recoil sensitivity increases. I know I no longer enjoy shooting anything over .308 Win. or .284 Win.

Ted

Another thought and there might be a lot of people like me...I have quite a few magnums in 264 , lots of 7mm mags , 350 rem mags , and although I am not very recoil sensitive I have my favorite cartridges , the 7mm-08 and 25-06 , and they have been used more than the larger calibers by far. They will do the same job as the mag calibers and personally I don't hunt anything larger that whitetails. Im just not selling any just because they havn't been used in a while. Others out there might not keep rifles like that lying around taking up space if its not going to be used.

 

[black029]

It took only 4 posts, but I think you guys figured it out :)

 

[rugerjunkie]

It took only 4 posts, but I think you guys figured it out :)

Easy enough to turn it into 4 pages when we're all here to bs about guns we like!

 

[Silent Sam]

"I personally like the idea of shooting a 250 grain bullet at 2900 fps."
Not gonna happen with a 338 WM.

 

[Sugar River]

I think a lot of folks are realizing that with today's bullets a .338 isn't needed for elk.

 

[martyj]

I have 2 of them and both shoot under 1 MOA easily.
They work really well on river bottom hunting for dear with Nosler partition bullets. Not a whole lot deflects the bullet from getting out the other side of the deer.
I took mine elk hunting and on site in day everyone wanted to know what I was shooting that out shot all there high dollar guns.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Gitcha one and have fun walloping deer with lead slugs at 2000 fps!!

 

[picketpin]

AGE: Most of them were bought by guys that are now in their 60s-70s and 80s. I have a couple of them. Over the years you tend to age out of serious elk hunting and chukar partridges just due the physicality of it. Some years ago I sold off everything bigger than my .338s. I figured I probably was not going to Africa any time soon. While not particularly recoil sensitive, why put up with it.

I suspect that the dearth of 338s reflects guys aging out or in fact those whose families are dispersing "dads" guns.

I still own a bunch of mags but if it's elk, it's still my #1 in 338WM and 250s at close to 3000 fps out of a 26" barrel.

If you are ever going to seriously hunt elk. I'd jump on a 77 in 338 in a heart beat.

RWT

 

[Mtneer]

I'm kind of with picketpin. I'm 67 and don't seriously hunt elk anymore. If I had a M-77, .338 Win Mag I'd probably trade it off because it's a cinch neither of my daughters or the 3 non-hunting grandsons want it. And the one grandson I have who hunts will get my pre-64 Model 70, .338 Win Mag someday. Although, I'm pretty sure he'll do the same thing I do with it - keep it locked up in a gun safe except for when he's showing it off.

As far as the recoil thing goes, I'm not particularly recoil sensitive either. But I have to say, the newer M-70, .300 Win Mag I had for a while hurt me worse than my old M-70, .338 Win Mag ever has. And I don't really understand that because I had a custom .308 Norma Mag built as my retirement gift to myself a few years ago that to me, is a real pleasure to shoot. Yet the .308 Norma Mag is virtually equal to the .300 Win Mag ballistic wise. I tend to believe the way a gun fits a person has a lot more to do with felt recoil than most people think it does.

Anyway, back to the subject - at 67 years old I don't seriously hunt elk anymore. So, if I had a M-77, .338 Win Mag lying around, I'd probably trade it off. Not that there's a darn thing wrong with a M-77 Ruger. I still have an old M-77, 30-06 that I don't use anymore, and my wife still technically has her old M-77, 7mm-08, even though one of our daughters has laid claim to it. I use my custom .308 Norma Mag for deer nowadays, and my wife uses the M-70, 7mm Rem Mag she had customized as her own retirement gift to herself. Yeah, I've heard about the "overkill" and "ruins too much meat" nonsense. You can only kill an animal so dead - you can't "overkill" him. And if you're worried about ruining too much venison, don't shoot a deer in the ass. :lol:

 

[Silent Sam]

Don't know how you guys are pushing 250 gr bullets at 2900-3000 fps out of a 338 WM...

 

[Mtneer]

Don't know how you guys are pushing 250 gr bullets at 2900-3000 fps out of a 338 WM...

Ha! :lol: I'm sure not. I'm pushing 225 gr bullets out of the 24" barrel of my .338 WM at a little better than 2800 fps - chronographed, not conjecture. I could probably get better than 2900 fps with those 225 gr bullets if I was willing to use close to maximum loads, which I'm not. But 250 gr bullets at 2900-3000 fps? Not from my .338 WM. Maybe if it had a 26" barrel instead of it's 24" barrel. :)

 

[Don Lovel]

I found another M77 over in Salida yesterday, 360 deg barrel ports, claw extractor, They wanted $550 for it without a scope. I might grab that one, invest in a decent synthetic stock and glass for it, work on some 180-200gr long distant target loads, get where I can shoot a 250gr Nosler out if it offhand or quick rest at 100-250yds pretty good for Elk hunting out here, but really use it for some long distance steel ringing

 

[picketpin]

First you don't use today's reloading manuals that have all been approved by the lawyers. Second you use the powder that gives you the highest velocity at the same time it is the accuracy load for that powder. Then drive it through a 26" barrel. Mine with 250 Noslers averages 2932 with an extreme spread of 17 fps top to bottom and will shoot 3 shot cloverleafs from a cold barrel. In nearly all cases one or two shots have been plenty. I have never recovered a 250 grain Partition from an elk with ranges from 90 to 400 yards..

Are they loaded at or near maximum? Sure they are. Do I think there is an issue? Nope. I suppose if I thought it was a varmint rifle and shot 100s if not 1000s through it it might be an issue. Do I spend the day at the bench or in the varmint fields with one? No. Just how many MAGNUMS of any kind do you shoot in the course of a year at actual critters. I've owned my #1S in 338 for at least 40 years. I've killed 17 elk with it. Total rounds down the tube? Way under 200. Do I think 3-7 a year might harm a #1? Nope.

Another classic example is the 7STW. Simpson initial load for the #1 he was shooting was 80.0 grain of IMR 7828. With a 150s he was getting 3400+. So that what we loaded when we built ours. Among my extended family we now own 11 #1s in 7STW. ( that were punched from 7mm Mags and two that started life as #1 KB in 7STW. The standard load we all shoot? 80.0 grains of IMR 7828, and yes with a chroinograph we are getting 3400+ with 150s. I suspect every one has less than 200 rounds through it but none have had issues.

I have purchased 180 and 200 and 210 grain .338 bullets over the years. They are all still on the shelf. Why load a .338 Down? It isn't a deer rifle, it isn't a target rifle and it isn't a varmint rifle. It IS nearly perfect for the BIG stuff on this continent, big bears, moos and elk. IMHO

I own #1s in 264 Win Mag, 270 Weatherby Mag, 7STW, 30-338, 300 Win Mag and of course 338 Win Mag. All are HUNTING rifles. As such most will never see 200 rounds in my life time. So the burn your barrel out or excess pressure for the action and all that are simply non starters.

While we're on velocity, 50 fps on average per inch of barrel. The difference between a "fast" barrel and a "slow" barrel with the same cartridge in the same barrel length is up to 150 fps. Simpson ran across it in his first STWs. Read the article, Sep 1989 Shooting Times. He was getting over 100 fps more out of his converted factory barreled #1 compared to his high dollar Jarrett also with a 26" tube. So if you happen to have a slow 24" barrel there is 250 fps right there if your rifle tends to the slow side.

RWT

 

[Silent Sam]

I have read many of your posts and have found your experience and advice invaluable, especially when it comes to #1s. I’m not knocking your load at all. Just saying it is not typical. Anyone buying a 338 WM and expecting 2900 fps with 250 gr. bullets is likely going to be disappointed and if they try to get there they might need a 2x4 to open their bolt. If I were inclined to push a load a #1 would be my first choice to do it in. And I have… But there is no free lunch. The only way to get more velocity out of a given case capacity and projectile is more pressure. I shoot 250’s out of my 375 H&H and 2900 fps is a warm load. My rifles are hunting rifles also. I also don’t see my 338 WM only useful with 250 gr bullets. Done a lot of good work with a 210 gr Partition load @ 2980 fps. If I were to plan on playing tag with a bear in the thickets I'd load some 250gr bullets for sure.To each their own and good luck to you.