Opinions on the ruger 77/357?

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Obturation

Obturation

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Hey all,
I have some dollars melting a hole in my pocket and considering a pistol caliber carbine. Just curious if the 77/357 is worth the price, I could get a Henry all weather for the same ,I've had hands on that one and like it. So in the interest of exploring all options just want to know if you love it or hate it. Doesn't seem to be common, I've never seen one in person and nowhere keeps them in stock for examination.
Thanks!
 
I have one and love it! I have several .357 rifles and that is one of the best! I love how trim and svelte it is and the .357 is disproportionally powerful for its size. I also have a Henry and it is nice, but heavy. This is a tough call, so I say buy them both! Think there was a good thread on the 77/357 not long ago.
 
ECVMatt said:
so I say buy them both!
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I will, there will be a significant time gap between purchases though. I really like the Henry I have (45-70) I own more lever action rifles than I deserve and as soon as I get some gun money the first thing I do is head straight for the revolvers, then the lever guns and between those two categories I haven't bought anything else for several years (I technically am only allowed one gun per year, but I sold a winchester 94 I never used) that's why I was thinking about mixing it up a little. I don't own a centerfire bolt action at the moment and I've never owned a pistol caliber carbine but I primarily shoot & load 357 mag so that's how I ended up looking at this type of rifle. If there was a 77/45(colt) it would be a no brainer. My only hangup on the Henry big boy is that I'm fairly certain the day I bring her home the all weather with a side loading gate will be announced (which I would buy without hesitation). Just too few dollars and sooooo many beautiful guns. The other thing is I want a reasonably powerful rifle for my daughters to be able to shoot in a couple years, I think the bolt action may be easier to shoot from the bench and manipulate- but I'm getting ahead of myself.
 
Obturation said:
I will, there will be a significant time gap between purchases though. I really like the Henry I have (45-70) I own more lever action rifles than I deserve and as soon as I get some gun money the first thing I do is head straight for the revolvers, then the lever guns and between those two categories I haven't bought anything else for several years (I technically am only allowed one gun per year, but I sold a winchester 94 I never used) that's why I was thinking about mixing it up a little. I don't own a centerfire bolt action at the moment and I've never owned a pistol caliber carbine but I primarily shoot & load 357 mag so that's how I ended up looking at this type of rifle. If there was a 77/45(colt) it would be a no brainer. My only hangup on the Henry big boy is that I'm fairly certain the day I bring her home the all weather with a side loading gate will be announced (which I would buy without hesitation). Just too few dollars and sooooo many beautiful guns. The other thing is I want a reasonably powerful rifle for my daughters to be able to shoot in a couple years, I think the bolt action may be easier to shoot from the bench and manipulate- but I'm getting ahead of myself.
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I am with you! I love lever actions and have a few. My favorite .357 is a Marlin 1894CP, but they are so hard to find and replace, I only use it for fun shooting. The 77/357 I can bang round and beat up. I put a Leupold ultra light scope on it and it takes care of my aging eyes and helps to maximize the accuracy of the Ruger. I did put some bolt shims in the Ruger and that eliminated fliers from my groups. My son loves to shoot my lever actions, but he is now 6'5" and pretty darn strong. The rest of my family likes the Ruger. It is easier for them to load, operate, and shoot. Good luck and let us know what you end up with!
 
been looking at these and debating if I need one, since I reload for .38 Special - seems like a natural pair. for newer shooters trying things out and learning, you can shoot .38 Special in it which I have to imagine is very mild to shoot in a rifle. for .357 in a bolt - this is pretty much what there is. I'm leaning toward this vs. a lever, just for durability of it - not that levers aren't durable, but my understanding is the bolt action is more accurate by nature and a little more durable. people who have them seem to like them. I'm having a hard time getting past the polymer and stainless.
 
These are my thoughts as a 77/44 owner. They should apply to the 77/357.

Easier to single load the Ruger.

Easier to clean the Ruger.

Ruger is slower to cycle.

Ruger looks better when scoped vs lever gun.

Newer Ruger are threaded for suppressor.

Box mag easier to load than tube or side gate.

Henry holds more rounds.

Ruger has better aftermarket trigger support.

That's all I can think of.
 
A great kit Carbine.

WP-20190722-10-30-45-Pro-50-crop.jpg
WP-20190722-10-34-34-Pro-50-crop.jpg
​
Have considered getting a Ruger OEM 77/44 (drop-in) walnut stock for it - but it shoots good as is, and it makes a great utility beater.

Light weight, handy, powerful - with almost no recoil with 158 gr. magnums.

It's my "take it everywhere" rifle. (the 580 Series Mini-14 sees the inside of the freezer a lot more now)

And built to last... forever.




GR
 
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Obturation said:
I technically am only allowed one gun per year,
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"Technically" limited to one gun a year? By who? I live in Ohio and am unacquainted with some of the more Draconian anti-gun laws many states in bondage have enacted, but I've never heard of a "one gun per year" restriction. Mighty close to "no guns per year" such a law portends, it would seem .
 
SwampWolf said:
"Technically" limited to one gun a year? By who? I live in Ohio and am unacquainted with some of the more Draconian anti-gun laws many states in bondage have enacted, but I've never heard of a "one gun per year" restriction. Mighty close to "no guns per year" such a law portends, it would seem .
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Lol. Limited by wife law, the most ruthless ruler of them all.
 
Ouch! But, thankfully, I don't feel your pain. I hunted rabbits with my best man on the morning of my wedding day. That was over fifty years ago and my lovely wife still understands my most basic needs (past having new Buster Browns on the feet of the kids, of course :)).
 
SwampWolf said:
Ouch! But, thankfully, I don't feel your pain. I hunted rabbits with my best man on the morning of my wedding day. That was over fifty years ago and my lovely wife still understands my most basic needs (past having new Buster Browns on the feet of the kids, of course :)).
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In all fairness I went a bit overboard some years back and I agreed to it to save myself. I do have a reasonably respectable collection, with 2 daughter's under the age of 3 and all the bills that come along with life it is fair. I can always sell one to get one or trade around but come January every year it's on. This January I got a sweet freedom arms and I'm happy with that. This money came from selling one so I get a pass, she did suggest I use the money for a weekend get away, I laughed and then got real serious and just said no...
 
If they only made it in blue and wood, however saying that off the shell ruger blue makes cold blue look good, so perhaps the SS and plastic is better over the Home Depot lumber rejects they would use.

I have been looking at them for a long time, just never pulled the trigger. Not sure how it is more easy or faster vs. a lever gun with a gate....they stupid 22 tube yea, but a gate, don't see it.

I might jump on it....just not sure yet.
 
Lever or Bolt is the question
Ginger or MaryAnn?:)
Can't beat Ruger for quality and customer service.
 
I have been in the market for a 357 rifle and handled a Ruger. I was disappointed in the over-sized action. Seems like a smaller (Micro Mauser) sized action would fit the cartridge better than what Ruger currently offers. The whole thing was a little over-sized for what I expected. I also wasn't sold on the rotary magazine, but I don't really like any magazines. Other than that, they seem like a dandy rifle.
 
I have a 77/44 that I bought soon after the all-weather option hit the market in 1999. It's a keeper: the action is smooth and fast, and it produces tight groups with the right loads.

Two minor problems with the rifle that I addressed without a gunsmith: the bolt stop on mine did not rise high enough -- it was possible to miss it entirely and unintentionally yank out the bolt during fast cycling; also the mag release was a bit hard to use with gloves on. I replaced the mag release with a Volquartsen aftermarket part, but I had to make my own replacement bolt stop out of sheet steel, opening the notch in the receiver a little with a file. My bolt stop engages about half of the area of left locking lug.

Ruger7744.jpg BoltStop.jpg

The above shows my proof-of-concept aluminum mockup -- the finished steel bolt stop has a radius on the inside corner.

NEGCSightMod03.jpg VolquartsenMagRelease.jpg

I also added an NEGC aperture sight to the rearmost scope mounting position. This required cutting and filing an angled clearance for the bolt handle, but allows positioning the sight about an inch closer to the shooter's eye than the other rear ring mount.
 
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My opinion on the 77/357 is it stinks! They don't come in a left handed model!!!

Just joking Ruger makes some nice rifles for lefties! I'm thinking about trying a Ruger American (lefty)out in 6.5 creedmoor.
 
I know, not the reloading section. but do you guys think I will need to modify my normal 357 load of 14 grains of 2400 under a 158 gr laser cast swc (plain base) ? works fine in revolvers (obviously).with the added velocity I wonder if it will cause leading. Hope not I've got about 1500 of those loaded up for handgun use. I've got a few hundred jacketed bullets and a good amount of brass, but if I can stick to one loading I'd be happy. If I need to experiment to find what (hopefully) they all can agree on, I will. That classic load has been great for me though and I'll keep producing it either way.
 
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