Anybody got one? My thoughts are a lite walker varmint/deer rifle...I know that will cause stir,but the deer are small here and I have killed them with a .222,so this is more about the rifle...

Buy it!

I did,picking it up this afternoon...

When in doubt, buy.


Travis

Chit...dat was easy

Blue/wood or SS/Syn?

No matter- both, as you know are 1 in 9 twist, giving you lots of options...and they are excellent shooters and an excellent product..

I've got a ss/syn MKII. Last group I shot @300 yards measured 1.75" or a little less. Killed a bunch of coyotes with it.

I got blue with wood..I'm an old fart,can't help it.

I've been considering another 223 as well. I found a NIB Ruger Hawkeye SS Ultralight that needs to become part of my 223 family. I guess I'll be forced to bring it home....

Ha! I love it�. perfect answer T

I have one. Blue/Walnut. Picked it up NIB off gunbroker for $430. I wanted to load 55 gr. bullets with RL-15 powder since I also use this powder in my .375 H&H. I tried quite a few different bullets/seating depth/charge weight etc. and was never satisfied with the accuracy of any of these loads. The best were about 1 - 1 1/4 inch @ 100 yds. Then I tried the Berger 52 Gr. Varmit bullet. What a difference. Half inch of less groups if I do my part. I recently tried some reduced loads with Blue Dot powder and 55 Gr. Hornady SP bullets. Four shots were touching at 100 yds. and the fifth was about .75 off the other four. I attribute the flyer to the nut behind the trigger.

I wasn't really happy with the trigger on my gun, so I replaced the trigger spring with a reduced power spring from Wolff gunsprings. This helped alot. I only wish Ruger triggers were adjustable.

I've had one for around two years. The matte metal finish is thin and to me it's not all that light for a 223 sporter. The slimmed down walnut Hawkeye stock is an improvement and you can get the trigger the way you want it without much trouble. Overall I like it.

New ones have gone back to polished blue. People spoke, and Ruger listened.

Thanks for the info, good move by Ruger. IMO their old blue quality was good and held up.

I've had four Hawkeyes in stainless and two in blue. The triggers need a little work. My latest, a .270, actually has a decent trigger. The blue one; I'm thinking about taking the Ruger blue off, working the metal with 0000 steel wool and then slow rust bluing it.

They are...with an Arkansas stone.

I loved my ruger hawkeye sporter that I swaped into an allweather stock, but traded my friend for his varmint model 77 MKII. I hope it shoots better than the hawkeye . The hawkeye 223 shot great, here's what it looks like with painted up stock and some targets I shot with it:



After bedding:


Here's what they look like without any bedding and bone stock:


Here's 11 shots with the 10 shot group circled. These were mixed brass (7 R-P and 3 LC with the same load):



[img]http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x401/chiefbsa/021-1.jpg[/img]

Like I always say, these are a "diamond in the rough". Just takes a little polishing to make them shine...... .

SIDE NOTE: The wood stock was just too pretty so I put it on my hawkeye stainless 308 (Did I mention that one is a shooter too?)

Of course after the bedding work:
[img]http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x401/chiefbsa/004-46.jpg[/img]
Freefloated and barrel channel sealed up with tru-oil...

Well,it's home....
decent wood,a little dull,but with nice bright blue. I may buff the wood up a bit with Linspeed oil,then good coat of wax. I''ll be looking for a 60-69 grain bullet load and a couple of new powders( 4 Me).Ramble thru the spare scopes now...

Sounds like fun. Let us know how the little ruger does for you..

Nice work. Is there much weight difference in the Hawkeye all weather stock and the walnut one or does it feel about the same?

They are pretty damn close in weight (just going off of feel though). Haven't weighed either one...Just checked the Ruger site and they say they are the same weight.....

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.

know what you mean,I think a MKII would fit with no problems..
I'm glad it doesn't have Cabelas stamped on the bottom like a lot of their trashy stuff...LOL

Sounds like a great day! Question: Shooting 1/2" groups, what makes you say the forearm needs floating?

Prepare for your POI to change; hopefully it won't open up your groups too much if you remove the pressure point.

He'll learn. Maybe.....

Found the load for hogs and yote's..60 gr VMax and case full of Varget... .5 to .75 groups!!
now to work on the trigger and then order some 60 gr Partions....

i've had lousy luck getting the 60 gr. NPTs to shoot in anything. i'd give a thunk to the 64 gr. Win Power Points.

Hmmmm. I'm going to have to try that. I'm glad you found a shooter. . My hawkeye was such a good shooter, I hated trading it for the target/varmint 223 my friend had....It's all working out good though as it seems the target model M77 MKII is a shooter too....

Oh, by the way Rifle: You didn't touch that pressure point did you??? Let us know..

No, the stock has not been touched..I think with the change out of the scope and then finding this load,I'm good.I do hope the next load to the 60 Partions with be easy.It really responded to the Varget powder and .010 off the rifling.I also plan for a little deer hunting with this rig and will switch to a 2-7 or 2.5-8 when Fall gets here.

I'd leave the forend pressure in there. It's part of their design and some like it better that way. I've learned the hard way a couple different times and had to put the pressure back.... . Not "ALL" rifles like to be freefloated, especially the ruger m77's....It's still a good idea to get it bedded in the recoil lug area though...