Ruger Guide Gun .30-06 Review (Pic Hvy)

Moxie - "complementary". If it was complimentary I'm sure that the Guide Gun Package would own the industry...

Thanks for the catch!

Also - re: 1 gun/1 pistol - I'm trying to stay a tad more "condensed" with the number of firearms I have at this time, as I'm not yet settled into my own house and such where I can let them frolick and play and make others in the gun room.

mainecoon said:

How does the bolt motion on the Guide Gun compare to a gun with a jeweled bolt, such as a Model 70 or a Remington 700?

Click to expand...

Is that in feel or appearance? Feel-wise, it's too early to tell - I can't say it's bound up hard on me, but it is still a little...rough/tight. It's not Steyr or Sako/Tikka smooth, but not R700 loose either. It stays tight to the rails, as a good Mauser should, but I'm still well under 100 racks of the bolt so far. Maybe less than 50. Also, since this is stainless on stainless, I'm not expecting it to be as slick of a throw as a Stainless on Carbon steel or similar.

As I've never FELT a difference with a Jeweled bolt - I'll say that it doesn't give as much "bling" as a jeweled bolt since it's all matte finish to reduce glare. Call me a heathen, but I've never really understood the draw to a Jeweled bolt other than asthetics.

DPris - Gotcha. Also, my response wasn't meant to be as defensive, more explanatory for the full audience.

Update

So, I have my first and so far only complaint - after running a couple of cartridges through the action/mag, I noticed the characteristic "Mauser" cuts on the brass from the underside of the mag lips (which out of box were sharp enough to cut skin if you moved too fast) - no biggie, some 1500 grit on that edge to round it did a pretty decent job. I may do another round on it (1000? 800?), but I don't like messing with feed lips on Mauser actions since they play a role in lining the nose up to the chamber.

HOWEVER, and worse - the chamber/breechface is shaving rounds on me. I thought it was the uppper edge of the feed ramp, so I 1500'd that too, until I looked at the breechface and saw a pile of brass shavings sitting under it, right after the feed ramp/lug. The breech edge was causing 5.5mm wide scrapes along the brass - only a thou deep, but enough to feel with a fingernail and potentially cause issues reloading. I also found that I could push the round halfway to 3/4 of the way into the chamber (so the rim got to the boltface), then retract the bolt and it would leave the round in the action - so the round isn't getting to the boltface smoothly. The other concern is this was actually scraping the jackets off the bullets too.

Some research led to this being a common issue with the M77 Hawkeye action - the extractor is too tight/extractor claw is too long for the boltface, so it keeps the round pushed down when it should smoothly slip onto the boltface. Since the rounds don't make it all the way onto the boltface, they stay "hugged" along the feed ramp and drag on the mouth of the chamber on the way in.

I took the bolt out and "pushed" a round under the extractor - which needed some GOOD finger pressure and a very authoritative "CLICK" when it settled - enough that when I took the case off the boltface, the claw edge left a definite gouge/dent in the extractor groove.

I tried sanding the claw down with the 1500 (I didn't want to go a stronger grit and over-sand the claw or miss and damage the boltface), and it didn't do much besides remove the finish on the extractor. Should I send the rifle to Ruger or is there an easier DIY "dress up" to loosen up the extractor? I read somewhere that hitting the extractor behind the collar with a rubber mallet can "ease up" some of the pressure on the nose - but I don't know how well the cast parts would take to "Bending" pressure like that, and since the claw on a 77 action sits farther forward than a more traditional Mauser pattern, would the pressure behind the collar be enough to pull it back a bit on the front?


Also, does the extractor claw have to be putting pressure into the extractor groove to work? Does a "loose" extractor on a Mauser action cause issues?
-----------------------------------------------
Update - found This link:

http://www.gunsumerreports.com/review_ruger_m77-gs_p4.php

Described complete takedown and removal of extractor for 77 Hawkeye...I forgot it's so dang similar to the M96, M98, CZ 550, etc etc. Turn out of extractor retaining groove, slide forward off collar. Also neat they used a more "flexable" collar - seems it may help in allowing some "give" in sliding over the edges of cases.

QC relates to production, IMHO. The ONLY company to exceed Rifle sales compared to Ruger in 2011 (correct if I'm off here - per BATF statistics ) was Remington - and that was combining entries for more than a few of Remington plants (total both exported and domestic was ~647K). Ruger produced over 558K rifles (domestic+export), and IIRC they make all of them in Newport, at the same facility they've been producing them at for years. I'm sure every one of us has heard of a Remington that had misaligned scope-mounts, lugs that weren't even, stocks that weren't bedded well or even bolts that snapped off due to bad heat treatment. It's a factor of insane mass production.

Remington is ALSO "owned" by Freedom Group and Cerberus, so they can potentially afford as much QC staffing as needed and can house them at multiple locations - whereas the independent Ruger keeps it all in-house and has to devote space in Newport exclusively for their QC (for rifles), as well as cust svc AND the gunsmithing department.

That said, I'm now down to whether I try to tinker with my extractor myself or just send it up to Newport to deal with.

UPDATE from Service

I sent the Guide Gun and my SP 101 to Ruger recently - the SP101 was completely replaced, free-of-charge - apparently the cylinder throats were way oversized (~.359+) and the rest of it was out of spec. The new one is nicer in trigger pull and locks up like a VAULT, but definitely rushed manufacturing, as evident from SEVERE tool-chatter on the lands and a healthy "booger" on the inside of the yolk when I got it - causing the cylinder to stick on rotation (since cleaned out, smooth now). Also, the ratchet/ejector star has issues re-seating into the back of the cylinder sometimes - nothing a bit of 1500/2000grit sandpaper can't take care of. I don't know if it's worth returning ANOTHER SP101 to Ruger over the lands - I hate to be "That Customer". I'll figure out if it has a huge issue when I shoot it.

On to the Guide Gun!
T'would seem took a dremel and "polished" the feed ramp and magazine rails - by that I mean they polished the ramp exactly where the nose of the bullet goes, but left the rest of the ramp untouched, so there's two strips of bright shiny with a bunch of the matte grey around it...also a patch of shiny on the upper left of the ramp, and it looks like they made the V-shape for the bolt-body at top of the ramp a tad bit deeper...BUT - the cases go in and out like BUTTER, and I can't see any scratches on them.

Also picked up a pound of H4831SC - one of the two powders needed per Woodleigh for the 240's. Got 3 made so far...and thems look like BEASTS.

Pulled the brake off too (as shooting with anything to the side to deflect sound suddenly got REALLY LOUD ), and the kick went from .223-level to a about a 160gr 6.5x55...~13-14lbs @ 11.5fps by most recoil calculators. In other words - COMFY! I could probably do a couple of boxes worth with no issues. The Stock is VERY good at putting the recoil STRAIGHT back, but into the pad rather than harshly into your shoulder. The "weighted-cap" is also interesting - as it not only keeps the muzzle balance identical to the brake, but the design seems to throw most of the blast forward. It makes a good, healthy, .30-06 Boom, but there's no eyebrow-singing blast in front.

Given the 5/8x24 threading, I'm now looking into other muzzle-devices. Down the road, a suppressor WILL be happening, but in the meantime I'd like to find the most offensively-tacticool flashhider for this gem. Also different sights - the Express is FAST to action, but terribly imprecise (as many of you know). It's very hard to detect muzzle wander with that deep V-shape.

I'll update on the Woodleighs as appropriate. I may go un-braked just to see HOW hard the heaviest .30-06 rounds kick.