Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger Hawkeye .223

I've had 2, one synthetic SS, one blue wood.

Both long gone.

Replaced with, CZ American, Rem 799 and a Stevens 200. All 3 more accurate with less fuss.

Thanks, guess I'll leave it alone. It's a good rifle but at 8 lbs 5 oz with a 2.5-8 scope it seems heavy for a 223 sporter. I'd like to take some weight off of it but so far can't find anyone that makes a ltwt. stock for these.

I think Bansner makes a lightweight stock for Ruger rifles.

Thanks for the info. Just checked their website and it indicates they've got them for a long action Ruger, 23 oz. I'll call them tomorrow and find out if they can do the short action.

I wouldn't trade mine for the world. OOPS!!! I just traded my 223 hawkey off to my long time friend. He used to take me out hunting with him when I was 10 years old (he was 14) so I guess I owed it to him . I've always wanted a target/varmint model and he really wanted my Hawkeye so we traded. Still trying to figure out who got the short end of the stick.... As far as accuracy goes, these are top contenders (sub moa) and very consistent with some work that is....My friend that now has my hawkeye is replacing his stevens 200 with it...

Bansner says no stocks for short action Rugers.

If you have the wood version, you can drill out the butt and put a flip-flop pad on it--it will totally change the balance and feel. As to weight, on the two Rugers I had, the synthetic weighed about 8 ounces less than the wood. A nice change is to find an Ultralight wood stock to swap in if you like more svelte lines.

The Hawkeye is a 9 twist, so should do pretty well with deer bullets.

Thanks for the ideas. If I do anything I'll probably try drilling it out. I was considering that but it doesn't seem like I'd lose more than an ounce or two. Won't hurt to try though.

Went ahead and bought it today. Got it home and started measuring. Magazine length is 3.050". Got some room to the lands too. Looks like I'll be able to load some longer, heavier bullets where they need to be. Probably going to scope it with a Leupold Ultralight 3-9 or a VXII 2-7. I'll weigh it once it's scoped up. It's going to get a trigger job from lastround first. Can't wait to send some down the tube!

I found a Hawkeye in 22-250 with a 3-9x40 vxi for $550, excellent shape. Waiting for it to warm up a bit up here so I can see what it will do. Only had it out once, first trial load put 5 shots right at an inch, so it shows potential.

Well,we went to the range today...it was good and bad..
I put together some rounds with Benchmark and very disappointed,1"-1.5" groups,then I tried a factory box of Remington 55gr CL and it did .5...This was at 100 yards with a 15x Weaver,which I don't care for,eye releif is not good for me. Also found the forearm needs floating,touches too hard at the tip.
Oh well,that's what makes this fun!!

I don't even bother taking rifles to the range until after they are floated - Ruger, Remington, whatever. Never had to bed a Ruger to get it to shoot.

That should tell you something about your handloads....back to the drawing board. You should be duplicating or even surpassing factory load accuracy....

About a year ago,I bought RL15,Varget and the Benchmak.The first two work great in everything I tried,but BM is out for me...
Been handloading way too long for that kind of crap..
Also had the 6.5 Creedmoor out,it's smoking with everything going down the tube...Thanks JB!

Smart decision. If it doesn't cooperate then it goes down the road for me too. Rifle, powder, bullet, whatever the problem is it needs to be removed from the equation. However, generally I can get the ol 223 to shoot with just about any kind of powder that is meant for that cartridge. I do notice that it is finicky about powder charge weight and sometimes even 1/2 a grain in the little case makes a big difference. You could keep the factory pressure point in the stock and mess around with your loads and see if you can duplicate the factory loadings accuracy. Nothing wrong with .5" groups in my book. Especially from a non bedded rifle...Looks like you've got a keeper to me...

So THAT'S where all my money goes... was wondering...

Benchmark seems to work best with 50 grainers on down.

Benchmark at 25.5 gr. with 50 gr. Nosler BT and WSR primer is a .50'er at 100 yds. That is pretty much max in my Ruger SS All Weather Mk II. Of course, it has 1 in 12" twist. That makes a difference. Velocity a little over 3300 fps. Never had a 9" twist. Varget is accurate too, but slow. (3150 fps). I think DakotaDeer is right about BM liking lighter bullets. Mine likes BM and the 40 gr. Nosler Varmageddon about as well.

I will be looking at 60-69 grain,once I swap out the scope,this will be a walking Varmint/Deer rifle,Getting a lot of 'yotes on my deer lease.

Do any know if the old 77 aluminum floor plate assembly will fit the Hawkeye. The one on the .223 Hawkeye I have is a toad. The weight of Ruger rings also does not do it any favors. Heavy rifle in proportion to its size.

Mine shoots well enough for Deer and especially likes the 55gr TSX. Just under and over an inch at 100 is pretty much the norm. However it needed free floated to get there.