New to me rifle (Ruger 77 in .280) on the way. Woo hoo!

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Newtosavage

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I haven't been this excited about a new rifle in a while.

I have several deer rifles, but I've never owned anything (in my life) that I would consider a bona-fide "big game" rifle (as in Elk, African game, etc.)...

I've vascillated between the Venerable 30-06 (so cliche'), a 7mm Mag and a 300 Win mag for years now, never knowing what the "right" answer would be, or when or where I would ever use it. You see - i'm a deer hunter. And the rifles I have are more than adequate for these puny southern whitetails.

But the other night I came across a rifle that I just couldn't lay off - a Ruger 77 stainless in .280 (a caliber that is not only convenient but IMO highly efficient) - and I pulled the trigger. I already have a stainless Ruger 77 in 7x57, so in effect, this will be the identical "big brother" to that rifle, familiar in nearly every way, only with a bit more horsepower...

I plan on topping it with a simple yet rugged Weaver 6x scope, and the reloading dies are on the way. This rifle already has me dreaming of hunts I've never been on, in places I've never set foot. Is that crazy or what?

Sorry, but I couldn't help but share my excitement!
 
i used one off and on for over 20 years and have-had no complaints, killing quite a lot of deer with a 154 hornady SP with a healthy dose of IMR 4350 at over 2800 fps. i sold it to my late brother and it was lost to me after his death. eastbank.
 
Congratulations on a fine pairing :)

Ive wanted a .280 for a while (along with the 7-08, and 7x57), ive got magnum 7s that are some of my favorite rifles and a 7-30 contender..... ill admit to being a 7mm groupie.
 
If the 280 had come 1st there would have never been a 30-06 or a 270. I've had 3 different rifles in 280 over the years. It is splitting some pretty fine hairs, but on paper at least the 280 beats either of them by the narrowest of margins. In the real world there isn't anything you can do with one that the others won't do. All 3 will push 150 gr bullets to just over or near 3000 fps with the best loads. I really like the round and it is certainly something you don't see ever day in the woods.

I eventually sold all of mine. Not that I didn't like them, but I have a couple of 30-06 rifles with too much history to ever sell and there simply wasn't enough difference to justify owning both calibers. I think you'll enjoy it. If you choose bullets carefully there literally isn't anything in NA you can't hunt with it.
 
Can't go wrong with the 280 and I've used those Hornady 154's with great success on mulies and elk.
 
Excepting big bears (at least in an ideal sense), the .280 Remington will take any game in North America cleanly. An accurate, flat-shooting cartridge having moderate recoil is hard to beat. I have its ballistic twin, the 7x64 Brenneke, also chambered in the fine Ruger Model 77 rifle (my favorite bolt-action) and have had very good success with it on whitetails.
 
Because of this rifle, I have spent the past two days researching OTC elk tags for Colorado. LOL I think it's going to cost me a lot more than the asking price!
 
I used to read articles by Jack O'Connor an one time he was involved in a bad car wreck that almost killed him. While he was in the hospital he was delivered a rifle that he had purchased earlier. He was so excited that he said his recovery began the day that rifle arrived! It's hard to go wrong with any caliber rifle based on a 30-06 case.
 
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Have always thought the 77s fine looking rifles, particularly in stainless. The few I've shouldered felt pretty good, too. One of these days will add one to the arsenal, & sure wouldn't turn my nose up at that chambering. Hope you got yourself a tackdriver!
 
Newto;

Just curious, is it the older boat-paddle synthetic stock, the newer conventional looking syn stock, or a wood stock? It's an excellent caliber in my opinion & if it had come first, I doubt that the Remington 7 mm magnum would have been developed in the form it was. With careful handloading the .280 treads right on the heels of the 7 magnum. However, I would be more than a little leery of deliberately confronting a grizzly or any of the other large & dangerous bears with that caliber.

900F
 
The .280 was a favorite caliber of Jim Carmichael, long time editor of Outdoor Life, who used it around the world and bagged some big stuff with it. I have his book that tells about his hunts with the .280. Which is reason I had one built.
 
I have a 77 in .280. Mine has is blued with walnut stock. I have a Nikon 6-16 scope on it. It's a great rifle. I've always liked the Mauser action. I had a choice between the .280 and 06. I chose the .280 because I've owned so many 06s in my life I was just tired of um. I've grown to love the .280 cartridge. My rifle is dead on accurate at 100 yards. This is a stock photo of a Ruger 77, walnut blued.

37116_zps7f19e1a9.jpg
 
CB900F said:
Newto;

Just curious, is it the older boat-paddle synthetic stock, the newer conventional looking syn stock, or a wood stock? It's an excellent caliber in my opinion & if it had come first, I doubt that the Remington 7 mm magnum would have been developed in the form it was. With careful handloading the .280 treads right on the heels of the 7 magnum. However, I would be more than a little leery of deliberately confronting a grizzly or any of the other large & dangerous bears with that caliber.

900F
Click to expand...
It's the newer synthetic stock, just like the one I put on my stainless 77 RSI in 7x57 (put that full length Mannlicher walnut away for safe keeping!). So they will be virtual twins, only the 7x57 has the 18.5" barrel and the .280 will have the full 22" barrel.

And I confess I've never handled a Ruger 77 that I didn't like. Heck even my muzzleloader is a Ruger 77 (77/50)! Not many people even know Ruger made a bolt-action muzzleloader, but mine has accounted for as many deer as any rifle I own now.
 
Offfhand said:
The .280 was a favorite caliber of Jim Carmichael, long time editor of Outdoor Life, who used it around the world and bagged some big stuff with it. I have his book that tells about his hunts with the .280. Which is reason I had one built.
Click to expand...
I remember reading Carmichael's stuff when I was growing up. I'll have to go back and find some of it now.
 
DDDWho said:
I have a 77 in .280. Mine has is blued with walnut stock. I have a Nikon 6-16 scope on it. It's a great rifle. I've always liked the Mauser action. I had a choice between the .280 and 06. I chose the .280 because I've owned so many 06s in my life I was just tired of um. I've grown to love the .280 cartridge.
Click to expand...

I felt the same way. I started to get an '06 soo many times... but I just couldn't. Not that it's not a great caliber. It is. It's just so cliche' and common. And honestly the 7mm bullet is so much more efficient than the .30.
 
Newto;

So I take it you're into Mannlicher stocked guns? I like the looks of 'em too.

900F
 
I love the look of them, but in the case of my 7x57 RSI, I was too chicken to take it hunting in that stock, so I pulled it and dropped the action in a black synthetic. Its still looks better than most rifles, and I can beat the hell out of it and not feel the slightest bit bad now. ;)
 
Not me. Life is too short to keep my candle hidden under a bushel. My Ruger RSI chambered in .308 Winchester hunts with me in her very best outfit: the beautiful Mannlicher dress she came with. To put a synthetic stock on her would be the same as having a Ruger in drag. :feet:
 
LOL. To each their own. I plan to hand that rifle down to a grandkid someday, and I want that Walnut stock as clean as the day I bought it. They can beat it up if they want. ;)
 
Both valid sentiments.... I'd probably end up buying a second manlicher style stock.....


Then later "finding" a barreled action to go with it, or atleast thats what id tell the wife as im making spam n cabbage again :thumbdown:
 
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