Ruger 77/357
BY Herschel Smith
3 years, 10 months ago
But getting back to Ruger and their bolt action .357. I knew the various manufacturers had other handgun cartridge chambered long guns like .44 magnum, I just didn’t know about the .357. Never though about it, I guess. It makes sense, though. In my experience, I’ve found that cartridge a good killer of medium-sized big game beyond 200 yards. When Sandi and I lived in Montana, where it was legal, I put several deer in the freezer with my .357 Ruger Blackhawk.
But back to the Ruger .357. I discovered, via an article in one of the gunzines, the Ruger bolt action. Interestingly enough, the article was written about using that particular rifle as part of a triad of firearms, all chambered for the .357. This imaginative gent who wrote the article combined the rifle with a holster gun, which was a .357 Ruger Blackhawk, (imagine that) and a .357 Ruger LCR, the Ruger LCR being a short barreled pup of a gun, designed for concealed carry.
To me, that would be good for scraping miscreants off your face in a dire situation. I really don’t know where that leaves it as a field gun? Especially since you’re already toting a .357 Blackhawk.
Perhaps that writer’s implication was that with those three firearms, one had a suitable firearm for any occasion, all chambered for the same cartridge? Regardless, this .357 Ruger bolt gun intrigues me. Light, handy and accurate, it’d be powerful enough for anything from badger to black bear. It makes an excellent light-duty, woods running gun and is nearly ideal for collection everything from rock-chuck to a grouse for your dinner or potting a coyote. It would also make an excellent trunk gun for your car, for emergency use, and, with a holster gun also chambered in .357 caliber, it just makes perfect sense for a woods companion.
Or even a traveling companion. Just saying.
I confess that I wasn’t aware of these rifles either. Immediately when I saw this article I wondered if like the Ruger 77/357, there was a Ruger 77/44. There is.
Hickok 45 has two reviews of this gun here and here. And if I had been the “buddy” who loaned him that gun, he would have given it back to me a long time ago.
On January 14, 2021 at 7:13 am, anonymous said:
I think a .357 Magnum rifle, (bolt, lever or even single shot) should be in everybody’s gun rack. A common round that is easy on the ears and shoulder when fired. A good step up when rimfire rifle training has been accomplished.
On January 14, 2021 at 9:00 am, Jeremiah said:
A friend of mine has a 77/357. His 12 year old son took his first whitetail with it this fall. He let my boys shoot it and they really enjoyed it. It looks and feels like a larger 10/22 (obviously different action), with which they are familiar, so it was an easy step up for them to shoot. Plus my friend reloads .38 and .357, so all the better for him.
On January 14, 2021 at 9:39 am, Levi Garrett said:
I didn’t realize Ruger made a .357 bolt gun. That would make a handy little woods or trunk rifle. Another trunk or ranch rifle that’s caught my eye is the CZ 527 carbine, specifically chambered in 7.62×39. Apparently it shoots the cheap steel-cased surplus ammo well.
On January 14, 2021 at 10:18 am, Paul B said:
I have one of those. It will chamber and fire 38 special as well. However the magazine is a little finicky. If you want to run the bolt with any speed you need to have 357 loaded as the 38 special will tip too much and jam. Run the bolt slow and it is less of a problem
It is more in my SHTF aresenal as i have the ability to reload on the lam.
It is a very good gun though.
On January 14, 2021 at 11:06 am, Stephen Arthur said:
Love my 77/44. Light, stainless steel, synthetic furniture. Feels like I’m carrying a 10/22.
On January 14, 2021 at 11:50 am, MTHead said:
We had both a 77/357, and a 77/44 mag. come thru the shop with internal suppressors on them. The owners returned to report these as “most favored” status. With proper loading one was described as a cat sneeze! Both reported nothing inside 200 yards as safe except one’s hearing. They certainly looked fun!
On January 15, 2021 at 12:48 pm, Noveskes Rock said:
I strongly encourage folks to purchase a Ruger 77/44 if you want a suppressed rifle. John’s Guns (and a couple other outfits) make a Ruger 77/44 fully suppressed the length of the barrel. If you fire a subsonic round (say a 44 Special) then your knockdown power past 125 yards is significantly reduced – regardless what caliber round you fire. Therefore it makes sense to send the largest chunk of lead downrange. A Leupold 4x fixed sight makes those shots a piece of cake. The combo doesn’t break the bank at well under 2k including tax stamps etc. Wish they made a folding stock but you can’t have everything . . .
On January 15, 2021 at 2:57 pm, =TW= said:
I looked long and hard at the Ruger 77/357 but decided my trusty .357 Trapper is still good to go.
Instead, I purchased a CZ 527M in 7.62 X 39 to share ammo with my semiautos.
I can vouch for the quality of this little carbine. Fit, finish and function are excellent as with all CZ products. Mags are steel, hold 5 rounds and are priced at about 30 bucks. They feed pointed FMJ, and roundnose and FP softpoint ammo. You will want several mags- grab ’em while you can.
The receiver is milled for proprietary CZ mounts, other options are available from Burris. Space between the mounts is limited due to the short action- this can make proper eye relief difficult, especially with a compact scope.
It is available in several barrel, stock and sight options. Those who anticipate mounting a scope may prefer the “American” model stock with straight comb and longer LOP.
Plenty of info in the web. As always, do your research before buying.
On January 16, 2021 at 10:44 am, TRX said:
Several states have “straight case cartridge” hunting seasons now. Apparently the people who drafted the regulations thought that meant “black powder centerfire”, and weren’t happy when hunteres hauled out their .357 and .44 leverguns, and then the AR guys got the .350 Legend.
And, of course, the .45-70 levergun guys were shouting “yee-HAW!”, entirely unaware that the .45-70 was declared obsolete back in the late 1800s. The falling-block guys knew, but they were already out in the woods…