OpticsTalk by SWFA, Inc. Homepage SWFA     SampleList.com
Forum Home Forum Home > Firearms, Bows, and Ammunition > Firearms
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Ruger Hawkeye & Bushnell Elite 4200 scope...
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Visit the SWFA.com site to check out our current specials.

Ruger Hawkeye & Bushnell Elite 4200 scope...

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
The Apostle View Drop Down
Optics Journeyman
Optics Journeyman
Avatar

Joined: August/20/2009
Location: Adelaide, S.A.
Status: Offline
Points: 409
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Apostle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Ruger Hawkeye & Bushnell Elite 4200 scope...
    Posted: December/24/2009 at 01:13

Hi all!

It's Xmas Eve right now in Australia as I post and if anyone remembers me, I had a Ruger M77 Hawkeye on order (as well as a Bushnell Elite 4200 scope) as my first scoped centrefire rifle...
 
Well, i'm now the proud owner of both of them as i've just picked them up from the shop!!!
 
The version of Ruger M77 Hawkeye rifle i've got is the standard left-handed version (matt blued/walnut) chambered in .308 Win. I've topped the rifle with a Bushnell Elite 4200 2.5-10x40mm scope. I bought the rifle for $1150 and the scope for $690 (Australian Dollars). I'm blown away by both of them!
 
Since this is my first scoped centrefire, I decided to splash out a bit and get a Allen Ruger Phoenix gun bag (which looks to be no longer available) and a padded cobra sling made by Australian company Dingo Gun Products.
 
I like to also add that the scope was mounted by using the Ruger factory rings that came with the rifle.
 
Even though I haven't shot it yet i'll give it a quick review:
 
Stock: One nice bit of walnut. Wood to metal finish is good with only the occasional area where they could of done better.
 
Action: Finished in matt blue. Finish is very good. Only negatives are that the bolt flops around too much when its fully pulled back and i've got big hands and the knob on the bolt handle comes too close to the eyepiece of the scope for my liking. Also, slidding the bolt backwards and forwards, its a bit rough (but it should smooth out). 
 
Trigger: This is the part of the rifle i'm most impressed with! I've used some pretty hard triggers in my time (my 3 Winchester 94s from the 60s & 70s i own) and some guns where the trigger was so soft that you didn't know when it would go off but straight out of the box the trigger on this Hawkeye feels pretty damn good. You don't need to squeeze too hard and it's not too soft either. I won't be replacing it with a Timney.
 
Scope: Having used just cheap Nikko Sterling scopes on my .22s that i've owned at various stages, having looked through the Nikkos and now looking through the 4200 scope on my new rifle, it's like looking through a dirty window then looking through that same window after its been properly cleaned. One word: WOW!!! One nice bit of glass. Only negative is that the scope doesn't have enough eye relief. If I shoulder the rifle naturally I have to bend my head a fraction forward more.
 
I'll hopefully soon post some pictures on here for you all.
 
Cheers for now!


Edited by The Apostle - March/28/2010 at 10:56
John Howard: "We will find any means we can to further restrict them because I hate guns...ordinary citizens should not have weapons. We do not want the American disease imported into Australia"...
Back to Top
bugsNbows View Drop Down
Optics God
Optics God
Avatar
bowsNbugs

Joined: March/10/2008
Location: North Georgia
Status: Offline
Points: 11200
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bugsNbows Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/24/2009 at 09:20
Congrats on the new toy. It sounds great. I've long been a Ruger fan. Hope she's a shooter for you. Merry Christmas! ExcellentExcellentExcellent
If we're not suppose to eat animals...how come they're made of meat?
               Anomymous
Back to Top
Sandracer View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
Optics Apprentice


Joined: January/11/2009
Location: Eastern Oregon
Status: Offline
Points: 141
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sandracer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/24/2009 at 10:37
Aposle,  Move that scope foreward to get the proper eye relief! I use a 4200 on my 300 Weatherby with no problems with eye relief, so I can't imagine a .308 win having a problem. With a little tweaking and tuning you should have a very sweet package! Merry Christmas!
Back to Top
pyro6999 View Drop Down
Optics Retard
Optics Retard
Avatar
OT TITAN

Joined: December/22/2006
Location: North Dakota
Status: Offline
Points: 22034
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/24/2009 at 10:43
i had one on my .375H&H no scope smack here either. the relief is a little shorter than i like but its such a good scope you cant have it all i guess.
They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
"good ride cowboy"
Back to Top
martin3175 View Drop Down
Optics Master Extraordinaire
Optics Master Extraordinaire
Avatar

Joined: January/19/2005
Location: Maryland
Status: Offline
Points: 3773
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote martin3175 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/24/2009 at 10:45
Adjust that scope and the Ruger
Back to Top
The Apostle View Drop Down
Optics Journeyman
Optics Journeyman
Avatar

Joined: August/20/2009
Location: Adelaide, S.A.
Status: Offline
Points: 409
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Apostle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/25/2009 at 01:29
 
 


Edited by The Apostle - March/17/2010 at 08:42
John Howard: "We will find any means we can to further restrict them because I hate guns...ordinary citizens should not have weapons. We do not want the American disease imported into Australia"...
Back to Top
The Apostle View Drop Down
Optics Journeyman
Optics Journeyman
Avatar

Joined: August/20/2009
Location: Adelaide, S.A.
Status: Offline
Points: 409
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Apostle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/02/2010 at 17:38
I fired it for the first time last Friday...
 
I've changed my mind on the trigger...it's got to go! 1 Timney please!
 
I only fired 50 rounds but at the end of the day I was shooting 2.5 inch groups at 50 metres, which was way better that what I was shooting at around round 15 to 30 as I was shooting 6 to 8 inch groups !!!  ShockedShockedShocked
 
I'll be changing the trigger and possibly getting the barrel free-floated.
Back to Top
lucytuma View Drop Down
Optics Jedi Knight
Optics Jedi Knight
Avatar

Joined: November/25/2007
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline
Points: 5389
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lucytuma Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/02/2010 at 21:26
What kinda of ammo you shooting?  I believe the setup you have should give you at least 1.5" groups.
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." - Thomas Jefferson
Back to Top
The Apostle View Drop Down
Optics Journeyman
Optics Journeyman
Avatar

Joined: August/20/2009
Location: Adelaide, S.A.
Status: Offline
Points: 409
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Apostle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/02/2010 at 22:19
I used 30 rnds of Federal PowerShok 150Gr and then 20 rnds of Federal T.R.U. 168 Grainers. The last 20 rnds seemed to have way better accuracy.
 
* I shot 5 @ 50m then cleaned the barrel (1st shot a flyer, next 4 were grouped at an inch).
 
* Then shot 10 @ 100m and cleaned. Prior to this I noticed the shots were going all over the place (around 6-8 inches). I wetted the patch with Hoppes (as usual) and then ran the patch thru the barrel...came out BLACK AS! So I gave it another clean and then ran patches thru it till they were totally clean.
 
* Shot another 10 @ 50m and then cleaned and the patch was hardly dirty, groups were getting smaller (about 4-6 inches).
 
* Shot another 5 rounds and then switched to the T.R.U.'s. From then on groups were 2-4 inches.
 
By the 50 rounds mark my shoulder was hurting so I stopped.
 
I think what made the gun shoot so bad was:
 
1. Barrel being severely fouled up between round 5 and 15.
2. Trigger. I thought it was alright dry firing it in my lounge room but once on the range it's definitely too heavy. 1 Timney please!
3. Barrel heated up pretty quick. Last Friday where I live was in the mid 30'Cs (about 90'C Fahrenheit to you lot). After round 15 instead of shooting a shot every minute I decided to shoot 1 after 2-3 minutes.
Back to Top
martin3175 View Drop Down
Optics Master Extraordinaire
Optics Master Extraordinaire
Avatar

Joined: January/19/2005
Location: Maryland
Status: Offline
Points: 3773
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote martin3175 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/03/2010 at 22:02
double check all your mount and base screws .. check for copper fouling and clean if necessary - may require something more aggressive than Hoppe's #9 on  patches ..let someones else fire it also to confirm accuracy ...Are you letting the barrel cool between groups ( 2-3 minutes most likely not long enough between groups) ?  Let us know how it progresses
Back to Top
George63 View Drop Down
Optics GrassHopper
Optics GrassHopper


Joined: December/27/2009
Location: Joliet il
Status: Offline
Points: 3
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote George63 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/04/2010 at 09:15
That barrel is 1 in 10 twist so 175 gr may do better than the 168, for ammo testing I would take groups from the middle of a string of shots in 5 min intervals so the barrel is always the same temp, now that it has 50 rounds through it the groups can be better evaluated, before that to much of the variation could be from barrel break in. Free floating the barrel would help for smaller groups but not for first shot accuracy, if this is to be a hunting rifle it is better to leave a thin taper barrel supported. I have had times doing ammo testing of factory ammo that it was the 6th or 7th variety that took the groups from 4-5 in down to 1 1/4 in so do not blame the gun yet
Back to Top
SVT_Tactical View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar
Chief Sackscratch

Joined: December/17/2009
Location: NorthCackalacky
Status: Offline
Points: 31233
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/04/2010 at 09:50
I'd say a good cleaning and better trigger would definately help shrink the groups.  Only time will tell what bullet that gun likes best and when you find it you should be fine getting less than 2MOA with it at max.  Should be a 1MOA gun easy with that scope and a shooter.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.01
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.182 seconds.