Ruger M77 Alaskan vs Guide Gun

[ldmay375]

What are you shooting with 350 gr TSX?

I use the 416 Ruger and the 350 TSX as a moose hunting rifle. I see no issue with using it on anything in Alaska from up close to 200 meters. The 350 Tipped version should be as good and have a little bit more retained velocity and less wind drift at 200. Which is a far as I will be shooting where I hunt, usually Much closer.
The much closer part makes the 416, 375, and 338 Win appealing to me just in case of bumping into a grizzly that you mentioned. I hunt in fairly close cover type terrain.

 

[John Camp]

Man this is great stuff. Thank you all. Idmay375, my general plan is to walk about with open sites trained at 50 ft and some 400 gr swift a frames. If I have a close up shot at an elk then that is what he will get. If he is at some distance, I will shift to the 350s and attach a scope trained at 200 yds. This plan is a work in progress.

 

[Bhfs300]

When I got my 375 Ruger I just got the 300 grain Hornady factor shells since I don’t reload.
I sighted it in at zero at 100 yd that way it was zero at 50 yd also.
Then I ran into a bunch of Hornady 270 grain at a good price so I bought them. They were a silicone tip and boat tail. But thought I should sight them in at 200 yds. I was shooting at 100 so I just got it about 1.5 inches high at 100 yds. Moved over to the 200 yr range.
Shot one low right adjusted it up more and a little left and shot 3 shots. You may have seen this since I posted it on another thread.

Got the group above middle.
The box said they should be 8 inches low at 300 so I moved over to the 300 range.
Only had two shells left I put one of the smaller dots at 8 inches high and shot the two shots on the next target went down and looked and was very happy with one 1.5 inches high and one one inch low both an inch to the left.
Then shot my 300 WM at 300.
I plan on using the 375 the next time I get a rifle Elk tag.
That was with the 1.5-5 Leupold were at 300 the cross hairs covered one of the three inch dots I was using to do the eight inches high.
Sorry for the repetition from the other thread,

 

[John Camp]

Wow. How did the 300 gr hornadys do?

 

[ldmay375]

Man this is great stuff. Thank you all. Idmay375, my general plan is to walk about with open sites trained at 50 ft and some 400 gr swift a frames. If I have a close up shot at an elk then that is what he will get. If he is at some distance, I will shift to the 350s and attach a scope trained at 200 yds. This plan is a work in progress.

Just me but, I would mount a low powered variable scope, leave it in place and use one load.
350 A-frames and /or TSX will certainly work up close. As some have said prior, a grizzly is not a Cape buffalo, as to structure.
If I were in an area where I would have longer than 200 meters shots, I would use my 338 Winchester, an appropriate variable scope, 225 TTSX or 210 version and never give it a second thought. The 338 Winchester is a favorite of mine and kills stuff in short order.

 

[John Camp]

Might be right. I am trying to make exact plans about something I have never done before. I am more comfortable with the idea of defending with open sites. I know the Alaskan Arms swivels will put me right back on 0 when I pop the scope on. I have a Leupold VX-II 4-12x40mm I was planning to use for a long shot. Why would you stick with one load? Just simplicity makes for less chance of something going wrong combined with the fact that bears are not armored?

 

[John Camp]

Also, my son will be there as well. He has a 270 now. He might be sporting something a little bigger next year. Thinking 300 wsm. Anything really long - really out past 200 yards - I would prefer he take. If he gets one and we find another, and it is a long shot, then I could use his gun. Besides. I would much rather get up close. That is fun.

 

[ldmay375]

When I got my 375 Ruger I just got the 300 grain Hornady factor shells since I don’t reload.
I sighted it in at zero at 100 yd that way it was zero at 50 yd also.
Then I ran into a bunch of Hornady 270 grain at a good price so I bought them. They were a silicone tip and boat tail. But thought I should sight them in at 200 yds. I was shooting at 100 so I just got it about 1.5 inches high at 100 yds. Moved over to the 200 yr range.
Shot one low right adjusted it up more and a little left and shot 3 shots. You may have seen this since I posted it on another thread.
View attachment 264604
Got the group above middle.
The box said they should be 8 inches low at 300 so I moved over to the 300 range.
Only had two shells left I put one of the smaller dots at 8 inches high and shot the two shots on the next target went down and looked and was very happy with one 1.5 inches high and one one inch low both an inch to the left.
Then shot my 300 WM at 300.
I plan on using the 375 the next time I get a rifle Elk tag.
That was with the 1.5-5 Leupold were at 300 the cross hairs covered one of the three inch dots I was using to do the eight inches high.
Sorry for the repetition from the other thread,
View attachment 264603

Good shooting!! I really like the 375 Ruger also.
Were those Tipped Hornady's 270 or 250 grain GMX ?

 

[Bhfs300]

Wow. How did the 300 gr hornadys do?

The 300 grain 375 Ruger at 50 and 100 were dead on. Here is the second time out had it sighted in from the 1st time at 50 yds.
Shot a 3” target at 50 top right and then shot at 100 yds. The two shots at 50 were about an inch left and the first two at 100 were about two inches left moved it over two and shot the third shot. The five power setting is great at those distances.

 

[Bhfs300]

Good shooting!! I really like the 375 Ruger also.
Were those Tipped Hornady's 270 or 250 grain GMX ?

I don’t reload so I am stuck shooting factory shells.

 

[ldmay375]

Might be right. I am trying to make exact plans about something I have never done before. I am more comfortable with the idea of defending with open sites. I know the Alaskan Arms swivels will put me right back on 0 when I pop the scope on. I have a Leupold VX-II 4-12x40mm I was planning to use for a long shot. Why would you stick with one load? Just simplicity makes for less chance of something going wrong combined with the fact that bears are not armored?

For me the KISS principle works best. Simplicity, I cannot imagine needing more than s 350 grain premium bullet for anything in North America.
The areas that I hunt, animals usually are not in a completely open area. And usually not much time to shoot after make sure of their legality. To me, with a suitable scope, I cannot think of a reason that iron sights are an advantage in speed or clarity. This was true even when my eyes were much younger.
I use variables with 1 to 1.5'ish power on the low end, visible reticles, and large field of views. Though one should use what they comfortable and proficient with.

 

[TOBY458]

I've had 3 416 Rugers over the last couple of years. The first was the African model. I loved the feel of that rifle, but it had feeding issues, so I returned it to the store I bought it at for a refund. (It was a used gun).
The second 416 Ruger was a Guide gun. I liked it alot and it shot very well and fed well. I sold it to help fund a African hunt last year. I had already had my mind set on using my Winchester 416 RM on buffalo. By the end of the hunt, after walking through miles of thorn bush, I was wishing I had a shorter, lightweight rifle, instead of a 24" barrel rifle that weighs almost 10lbs scoped. I vowed to either buy another Ruger Guide gun or build a 416 Ruger or 416 Taylor on a Winchester action and build it as light as the guide gun.
Then, along came the Ruger Alaskan I found for sale in a local gun store. I never used the brake on my guide gun, so not having the threaded muzzle was a plus for me. I got a great deal on it, so it followed me home. It feeds extremely well, but I've only shot it a couple of times to check the iron sights. They shoot a bit low with the current front sight blade. I will probably change out to a lower front sight to bring the POI up a bit. Otherwise the sights are centered as far as windage is concerned. I bought some medium 1" rings that I've yet to mount. I'm still deciding on whether or not to rob a scope from a gun in my safe, or to just buy a new scope. Either way, it will be a Leupold VX3 1-5×20. I'll post the results once it all comes together.

 

[TOBY458]

As for the barrel band. If you measure the barrel where the band will go, you buy a band a couple thousandths of an inch smaller in inside diameter. You then put Red locktight on the inside of the band and exterior of the barrel. Then you take a wooden mallet and drive it on the barrel until it can't go down any further. The problem with these rifles, is the front sight would have to be removed first, and with it being a somewhat permanent barrel band arrangement itself, I'm not sure it would be worth the trouble.

 

[John Camp]

worth the trouble

Yep. SAeems the way to do it would be to grind relief cuts into the front site band. The use a cold chisel to split it off. Polish the barrel. Then install the sling band. The method I have been presented is to heat the band and then drive it in place with a mallet or block of wood. Then I would have to install a new front site. Sounds impractical. But, I will probably eventually do it because I cant resist a good challenge.

 

[John Camp]

Toby,

What is your opinion/experience on/with ammo?

 

[ldmay375]

I don’t reload so I am stuck shooting factory shells.

View attachment 264606

Thanks for the picture clarification. I would not feel too short-changed on the factory loads, other than the cost part.
The 375 Ruger cartridge is what got me back to handloading. Due to the not being able to mail order the ammo that I wanted. No problem finding it, just the shipping to Alaska part.
I still have several boxes of various Hornady loads, that I purchased locally. I was hoping their 250 GMX would shoot well in one rifle. Though it certainly did not shoot terribly, I still got better groups with the 270 grain TSX.

 

[John Camp]

a local gun store

These are dangerous places. I try to stay away. Now if I could just block outdoor trader and all of the forum classifieds that pop up on my screen.

 

[TOBY458]

Yep. SAeems the way to do it would be to grind relief cuts into the front site band. The use a cold chisel to split it off. Polish the barrel. Then install the sling band. The method I have been presented is to heat the band and then drive it in place with a mallet or block of wood. Then I would have to install a new front site. Sounds impractical. But, I will probably eventually do it because I cant resist a good challenge.

If you were to go back with a regular front sight with a screw arrangement instead of a barrel band, it might be ok. But, unless you plan to install the barrel band front sight yourself, it costs about $400 to get NECG to install one. I know, because I had one installed on a Weatherby 375 once. It looked very nice, but a hard pill to swallow!

 

[TOBY458]

Toby,

What is your opinion/experience on/with ammo?

I hand load, so I just bought 100 cases and a set of dies. I already had a bunch of 416 bullets. I use 400 grain Swift A frame for buffalo in the 416 RM, and will probably use the same bullet in the Ruger. I do have some 350 grain Barnes TSX I've been wanting to load and try, but haven't as of yet. They say they're pure poison for buffalo and big bears.

 

[John Camp]

$400

Yikes. Not doing that on that on this gun. I have researched installing a barrel band site before and it was not nearly as intimidating as the sling band. I will take another look. I am not familiar with any clamp/screw sites that would do the job/have the right look. I will lokk into that. Also, it seems there should be a two piece band I could install for the sling.