New Ruger 77/357

Will there be an authentic TTAG review?

But will it shoot .38 Special to make plinking more affordable?

I haven’t seen anything on Rugers site that mentioned .38 Special either way… That’s why I’m wondering.

I wouldn’t even bother with a .357 firearm that couldn’t chamber .38 Special, I’d barely be able to shoot it. In my area it’s hard to find any .357 ammo that isn’t a high priced defensive round, I guess the stores generally assume if you’re plinking/practicing with a .357 you want to shoot .38s to save money (And I do!).

But I guess if this is meant to be a niche hunting gun, it really doesn’t matter.

Wile it could be used as a defensive carbine, the capacity and bolt action
would hold it back.

It would make a nice camp carbine or truck gun, though.

All in all, I think I’d prefer a lever action with a capacity closer to ten.

You all know I’m a geek for pistol-caliber carbines, and I’ve got my geek on for this one too. The 5+1 magazine capacity is awfully small for a defensive long gun, but it’s just small enough to be legal for big-game hunting in states that restrict hunters’ magazine capacity. Since it’s a rotary magazine, it will also safely feed and fire pointed bullets.

Ruger’s MSRP hasn’t been announced; I hope it’s not priced out of proportion to its utility and cool factor.

I will be very interested in the ballistics you get out of this rifle.

The list price is $793.00. I’ll have to pass.

Ruger already had a .44mag bolt gun. I saw a suppressed example of that at Forest & Field in Norwalk, CT a while back (before it changed owners).

Two bolties in one day? What’s next? Comparison of best Packards?

For that MSRP I’d really rather have a Henry Big Boy. Faster handling, just as much range, likely equivalent accuracy and, even with the front-loading magazine tube, quicker to reload.

And five more rounds before you have to reload, should you need them.

Of course it will chamber and shoot .38 special, .38 long and short colt as well. The real issue is will that rotary mag reliably feed the shorter rounds. And that’s what gun tests are for isn’t it.
And for those commenting on the high price and availability of .357 y’all really need to give serious thought to a basic single stage reloading setup. Essential equipment can still be had for around $100, at least enough to start with. Assuming you already own some fired cases, .38 or .357 can be reloaded for 15 cents a round. Even less with cast bullets.
Struck me that the new Ruger might just be the hot ticket for those alligator hunters down in Louisiana. Certainly a step up from the bolt action .22lr and magnums they mostly use now.

Build one in .45 Colt!!!! And bring the price down. I recedntly bought a Marlin 1894 Cowboy lever gun in .45 Colt, and I doubt the Ruger will be able to match it for handiness, capacity, and knockdown power. As a long-time handloader, I can safely get more out of the venerable .45 Colt than I can out of a .44 mag, and surely a .357.

This caliber makes more sense in a lever action. Didn’t Ruger have a modern lever gun with a strong hint of Savage 99 design influence in it already? I think it was a 44 Mag. Bolt gun in 357 Mag is a great big “Huhhh?” to me.

Running a .357 through an 18″ rifle barrel really cranks up the velocity – I haven’t put my Marlin 1894 on a chronograph, but an expert gun writer I know (who also lives in Idaho) told me that it will be up around 2000fps for a 158gr jacketed bullet. Put a pointed LeveRevolution bullet on that and you will have a pretty effective whitetail gun to go with your handgun. And bolt actions tend to be more accurate than lever guns, because the receiver/stock/barrel setup tends to be more rigid. Ruger is coming out with some fun stuff – the .308 Scout Rifle, the 1911, etc. Maybe they don’t appeal to every marksman, but how many of us buy one of everything offered for sale in the supermarket? I’m all in favor of freedom to choose – if the manufacturer wants to try out a new product, more power to ’em. It’s their money, their time, and their risk. If enough people buy it, they are successful. If people don’t want it, the maker stops selling it. Gee, too bad the gummint won’t give us the same option when it comes to “programs that are good for you”.

semi auto yes

bolt, no.

but then, why not just make it .44 mag…

I’m with the others on this one. The .357 makes most sense in a lever action similar to the Marlin/Remington 1894. The lever action has the cool factor of classic appearance plus being a blue steel and walnut gun (so rare these days). I’ll put my money there, thanks.
The 1894 I own in .44 mag has surprisingly low recoil. Even with full charge factory ammunition, it’s hardly objectionable, and should be no problem for anyone. So, why have a .357??? If I were hunting anything larger than a jackrabbit, the .44 would be the ticket. Around here the ammunition is essentially the same price as .357.

Just my two cents worth.
Hoss in New England

Regarding shooting 38spl in the 77/357, Ruger says:
“The 77/357 will usually function well when loaded with .38 Special. However, the left over space in the magazine allows .38 Special cartridges room to migrate, occasionally to where the rim of the top round gets caught behind the rim of the round below, causing a “rim lock” jam. The incidence rate of this malfunction is fairly low, and varies by ammunition type. If you want to shoot .38 Special in your 77/357 you are welcome to do so, but you can’t blame your gun if it does not function perfectly. The gun was designed to shoot, and will shoot best, with 357 Magnum ammunition.”

My guess is it will work just fine. Anyway, I plan to find out just as soon as I can find one!

I already own two 357 lever actions. My wife has a bit of trouble with the whole lever action thing, but she does fine with a bolt. Definitely going to look at one. Seems like a dandy idea to me.

best turkey setup i ever heard of

I think it will make for a very handy truck gun especially if it will handle 38 reliably. I just bought a Savage edge in 223 but it has no open sights, and even though a small cartridge this gun has a long bolt throw. The 77/357 would have fit the bill for me much better. Only downfall to me would be the nearly double the cost.
I still may consider adding one of these to the collection.

The reason a .357 makes sense if you have .357 revolvers and reload .357 ammo. A bolt action makes sense because they can be more accurate with their floating barrels and stiffer receivers. Although I do have friends which successfully reload the brass from their lever action, several reloading manuals advise against it due to the flex in the way the bolt on a level action is held in place, which causes stretch in the case around the base which could cause a case rupture if reloaded enough. A bolt action does not have this problem.
I am interested in this rifle because if you can get close to 2000 ft/sec with ammo optimized for a revolver, what could you get with a slower burning powder designed for a longer barrel? It would still work in a revolver, but with more flash.

Those of you complaining that 6 (5+1) rounds is not enough for defensive purposes need to do 2 things: 1. Learn to shoot and 2. Understand that this has a removable magazine so reloading a second batch of 5 rounds is easy. If you think you will be involved in a fire fight when you are defending your life I think you have been watching too much television. A point to consider is that someone well practiced with a bolt action can cycle it easily as fast as a lever gun or a semi-auto rifle. There is a comparison of bolt action vs lever gun vs semi-auto rifles that can be found on the “net” and you might be surprised that the bolt action rifle won based on time and accuracy. One thing to consider is that bolt action weapons are inherently more accurate/dependable than self loaders and lever guns although I have never had my Marlin 30-30 fail me. It is just the nature of the beast. Were I to consider plunking down such a huge pile of cash for a multi-purpose carbine my choices are only two. The Ruger 77-357 or a Marlin 1894 -357. The difference in price will lead me to the Ruger because the Marlin 1894-357’s are both very hard to find and way over priced due to the demand. Remember that if it is very dark like late at night and your life is in serious danger close your eyes as you squeeze the trigger so the flash doesn’t leave you temporarily blind. Whatever your choice of weapon, it is important to practice with it and practice often enough to make using it second nature. When I was younger and shooting often I could cycle 50 rounds through my Springfield 1911 so fast it sounded like I had a 50 round mag but it took lots of practice to achieve that speed. Aiming is more important than having a large capacity magazine. Even a single shot H&R 357 or even better 20 Ga. can be reloaded very very fast if you practice. I know because my primary home defense weapon is a 20 ga H&R single shot shotgun called the Tamer. My secondary defense weapon is a 357 Mag wheel gun. There is no need for big capacity mags in a defensive situation if you are prepared by giving it thought and then practicing.

Well said MagicDave.

MagicDave, you sure as sh!t shut me up about the 5 round mag. I was thinking lots about it and THAT of all things sounded like the ONLY downfall! I’m getting a new one in the box for 500, which I think is a steal. Since its so cheep I’ll just spend a couple more on another mag. Thanks MagicDave!

Im a 357 guy. I have shot them for years in revolvers and contender! This looks like a fun little rifle to have around! If you look at the prices of new rifles and pistols today the prices are up up up! I will admit it does have its distance limitations! Its still a straight wall pistol case! So i would say a guy has to know what his intentions are for the little rifle!!! It has to be less expensive and more fun to shoot than the bigger bores like the 30-06. I reload with a single stage press! But even the prices there are up considerabley from what they were!! Bottom line i want one of these little guys!! FUN FUN!!!

I get the concept but the magazine worries me. Rotary magazines are too complicated and have limited capacity. Now if it had a standard magazine and 10 round clips. I would buy it in a heart beat. the 357 is probably the best value for money round out there and out of a rifle it’s a seriously different animal.