Rather than hijack Gary's Ruger thread below...
...I thought I'd start a new one.
I have never been able to determine what the differance is between the M77 and the M77 Hawkeye rifles?
Josh.
Slightly slimmer trimmer better trigger
by Rob Leahy 
, Prescott, Arizona, Tuesday, February 24, 2015, 20:09 (3564 days ago) @ Josh Maloley
edited by Rob Leahy, Tuesday, February 24, 2015, 20:34
cool rifles... Just caught the changing tide of manufacturing...
--
Of the Troops & For the Troops
What Rob said.
by Hoot , Diversityville, Liberal-sota, Wednesday, February 25, 2015, 05:44 (3564 days ago) @ Josh Maloley
My Hawkeye is synthetic/matte stainless. The only other M-77 I've hunted with is a synthetic/stainless Mark II in .350 Rem Mag (also kills hogs DRT). I have noticed little difference in a hunting situation really.
I have a couple of tang safety M-77's that need to be taken afield. We'll get there....eventually.
As good or better?
So the Hawkeyes aren't a cheaper version of the M77?
I typically find that I prefer the quality of a good used classic firearm to most manufactures updated versions. ie - S&W.
Owning both, do you feel that the hawkeye is up to the quality of your older M77s?
Not just how it shoots, but also build quality?
Yes, no, maybe...
by Hoot , Diversityville, Liberal-sota, Wednesday, February 25, 2015, 10:52 (3564 days ago) @ Josh Maloley
edited by Hoot, Wednesday, February 25, 2015, 11:00
Josh, I went and pulled them out to compare and measure in order to have some data which will be followed by purely subjective comments.
Hawkeye, .358 Winchester, 3-9 Burris FullField II, short action, synthetic, matte stainless
8.25#, 22" barrel, 41.75" OAL
M-77 Mk II, .350 Remington Magnum, Leupold 2-7 VX-I, short action, synthetic, polished stainless
8.25#, 22" barrel, 42.00" OAL
M-77, tang safety, .25-06 heavy barrel, Leupold 4x M8, long action, walnut and bued
8.90#, 24" barrel 44.62" OAL
M-77, tang safety, ..338 Winchester Magnum, 3-9 Burris Fullfield II, long action, walnut and blued
8.55#, 24" barrel 44.62" OAL
Here's the subjective bit...
The polished stainless is, of course, better polished than the matte but it is not as highly polished as the blued rifles. It's more of a satin finish. I do not see anything objectionable on any of them, finish-wise.
There is no appreciable difference in internal polishing between the four. Bolts cycle more or less the same with maybe, just maybe, the two walnut and blued versions being smoother...through use?
The two synthetic stocks appear to be identical but I did not try to swap them. The bolts will fit and cycle with about the same feel in either action.
The Hawkeye has the best of the stock triggers. The .25 sports a Timney so that's not a fair comparison. The .338 is next but it's an older, adjustable model. The Mark II comes in last but I have to note none of them are bad. The Mk II has a bit more creep. Sorry, I do not have a trigger scale for hard data.
If there is something specific you'd like me to address, holler back and I'll do my best.
Edited to add: Sorry, I never addressed the core question. I would put them as equals in overall quality. The choice would boil down to caliber, availability, individual prejudice (e.g., wood vs. synthetic) and the quality of any one rifle, as all companies lay an egg now and then.
Crap!! Missed one.
by Hoot , Diversityville, Liberal-sota, Wednesday, February 25, 2015, 11:11 (3564 days ago) @ Hoot
M-77 Mk II, 6.5x55, Leupold 2-7 VX-II, long action, walnut and bued
8.20#, 22" barrel 42.62" OAL
Polish is the equal of the older tang safety models. Trigger is right in with the rest of them. I will note this one is an absolute laser beam; 200 yard gongs are boringly easy.
as far as polish goes...
I don't think you'd WANT high polish stainless on a hunting weapon. Be like waving a long signal mirror around in the woods.
Big 10-4 Mark.
by Hoot , Diversityville, Liberal-sota, Monday, March 02, 2015, 07:27 (3559 days ago) @ mcassill
In fact, I was considering 'burnishing' mine a bit for that very reason. Maybe a bit of ScotchBrite... I do like the Target Grey finish of the .358W. At least, I think that's what it was called...it doesn't appear in the listings anymore.