Ruger African

tubabucknut

Does anyone have any experience with these?

http://ruger.com/products/HawkeyeAfrican/models.html

I am interested in the .300. I was wondering what I would be getting. Currently all of my bolt guns are Remingtons. How do the Rugers shoot? I am not pulling the trigger on one anytime soon. I'm just getting my research done.

Zee

I have an older M77 with tang safety in .280 Remington and a newer Ruger Alaskan in .375 Ruger. Both guns are 1/2" or less shooters with handloads.

The factory triggers are atrocious and require work or replacement if you want a good pull weight and no creep, slack, take-up, or over travel. But, the actions are solid.

Overall, good guns. Just require tinkering often to get the most out of them. This could be trigger work, stock work, hand loading, or all the above.

Personally, I like the previous version of the African. Can't stand that brake they've recently put on that rifle.

jaywapti

Don't have an African but a tang safety in .25-06 after piller beding, trigger work, and handloads, it will shoot 5 shot groups into 3/4 inch.

JAY

Razorbacker

What these guys are saying. You will need some trigger work and a butt pad. I'd keep my eye on the used market. Might find one with these things done already or get a deal that would at least defray your costs in having them done yourself.

Jermanator

What Zee said. I own a bunch of Ruger rifles. I like them. Those are controlled round feed which means that you have to strip the round from the magazine to chamber.

Johnny reb

The new guide guns are ugly as sin. I have a m77 in 375 Ruger 300 rcm and 416 rcm all are shooters. All 3 are capable of 1/2 in or better. The triggers are the only thing I can fault them with. On my 375 I did have too do a little work on the feeding. Using north fork and ceb solids with more traditional round nose solids they both fed like butter

orchidman

Ditto on the triggers................I have a M77 II in 204. The factory trigger sucks. .

tubabucknut

Hey thanks for all the replies everyone. I haven't bought a rifle yet I haven't tinkered with. I put timneys in all of my Remingtons, and will probably do the same or similar with this. It sounds like they tend to be shooters though.

Zee: What about the break do you not like? Form or function?

Razorback: I am definitely checking the used market.

Jerm: Do I understand correctly? I can not just toss a round in the breach and chamber like I do on my 700s.

Johnny: I agree completely about the guide gun. Whoever the designer was, he should be beat daily by every rifle that comes off the line, and all of his superiors that were involved in the approval of that design should be beat as well.

Zee

Not the greatest fan of 360 degree porting on a brake. I have a couple on Specialty Pistols and have shot a few more. They work O........K at reducing recoil but fall vastly short of muzzle rise control.

That particular one on the Ruger just looks horrid!!! The cut a huge corner putting "flats" on that brake for easy installation and removal. But, unfortunately succeeded in making what should be a fine looking bolt gun...........look like a cheap AR with an A2 Birdcage on the muzzle.

Laziness and and resulting low class appearance.

Yeah, the brake will reduce some recoil. And look like crap in the progress. Flats on a bolt gun brake?!! Seriously?

Gene L

That brake is going to hurt your ears. BAD. I've had several 77s and they're accurate enough to get the job done. One was a 7x57 that would shoot really good, wish I'd kept it. I've never seen a target rifle built on a 77 action, these are usually done on 700 actions.

Definitely get a trigger. The brake will transfer the pain from your shoulder to your ears. Under no circumstances shoot it without hearing protection. This from a guy with two hearing aids.

Rugers are or used to be controlled round feed, which means you have to first use the magazine to load the rifle. Can't throw them in like in a push feed. Mausers are also controlled round feed. Most other rifles are push feed.

Correction: I think the pre-72 Ruger 77s were push feed. I had two but never tested them.

Bigslug

The most accurate bone-stock factory gun I've ever shot was a Ruger, though that was their varmint model in .22-250 - nice two stage trigger on that one.

The muzzle break on the new African is a serious turn-off for me (I'd do the standard Hawkeye long before that). Of course, their intial concept of discontinuing their exceedingly cool, real-deal .375 H&H/.416 Rigby/.458 Lott length action and then badging a rifle built on their standard '06 action as an "African" sticks in my craw pretty hard too. . .

If you're pondering as a hunting gun, check out their All Weather Hawkeye.

Zee

cpj wrote: »

Wow. That brake is F U G L Y. Looks like something I would come up with.

Well said.

;-)

Jermanator

Remember that the brake IS removable. You can take it off and put on the nut, and I assume you can screw on another one to your liking.

Zee

Jermanator wrote: »

Remember that the brake IS removable. You can take it off and put on the nut, and I assume you can screw on another one to your liking.

The stupid thread protector it comes with has flats as well!!!! Asinine!!!

Zee

cpj wrote: »

But, good point none the less.

Hey.........you said it. Not me. I was just being a good friend and backing your statement.

tubabucknut

Well, a lot of break haters I see. I really don't care about the break. I wasn't planning on using it. I like the overall look of the rifle, and was mostly concerned about how they shoot. I have a loth of synthetic in the safe, and want to add some usable wood(that's for you seepeejay). I need some pretty guns for a change. I have a 700 in .300 win mag already, but this is a full pound lighter, and minus the bi-pod it will be a lighter rifle for hauling around all day.

Zee

On the contrary, I love brakes. Just not THAT brake.

:-)

tubabucknut

Sorry I should clarify. A lot of Ruger African break haters.

Jermanator

Ruger makes some damn good looking rifles. The African is going to have some pretty good wood on it for a factory rifle. Brake? Ugly. They will shoot just as good as any Savchesterington out there.

Razorbacker

tubabucknut wrote: »

Sorry I should clarify. A lot of Ruger African break haters.

I'm not prejudiced, I hate all brakes equally. But I would no more condemn them than I would an AR platform. They're just not for me. They have their place for sure. But one of those places is not next to me at a public range. I also would not want one on a rifle chambered in .375 and with a brand name that included the word African. Or H n H for that matter.
So rock on all you brake users and rock with me as I eschew brakes.

Bigslug

tubabucknut wrote: »

Sorry I should clarify. A lot of Ruger African break haters.

No. Were right the first time. I'm not brand-racist. I hate almost ALL brakes.

Bigslug

cpj wrote: »

I'm sure some Russian said "is gun. Supposed be loud"

I think it was "Is physics. Supposed to have recoil"