While not the most beautiful species, I can’t find a more suitable hard conditions rifle for someone like me that doesn’t fuss over maintenance.

I’ve got one in 308. It’s my bad weather / tree stand / beater rifle. It fits that role perfectly.

My only complaint with them is there are a lot of them in circulation that came from the factory missing about 2" of barrel.

I can't tell you how many times I've come across a .280 or something and it had a 22" tube. And I didn't buy it. Seen a lot of .30-06 with 20" barrels, etc.

That's my only complaint. Got one in 7 Mag that has never failed me. It was my beater for years and I got it back out a year or two ago and I'm beating on it some more. Been a good one.

I’m confused. The all weather versions with the 20” barrel are ultralights and 22” is standard barrel profile. There was a 20” 30-06 allweather with a 20” standard barrel and also the guide gun hawkeye has a 20”.

You are confused. The standard barrel on a long action caliber should be 24 not 22. When you are hand loading you can't get the velocity out of it. Same gun in a magnum caliber is 24" so it doesn't make any sense to me why they put so many out with 22" barrels. 280 is good example: Can't get over 3k fps hardly with a 22 inch tube so that gun is completely useless to me and no better than a 7mm-08. Actually worse since the 7-08 is short action. That's why you see them (270 as well) on closeout deals all the time.

We have two things going on here, I’m talking about barrel thickness and profile. The length is all subjective. My longest 77 is 20”.

My velocity criteria is between 2200 and 2700fps to wax anything on earth out to 300 yards. I wouldn’t tote a 24” barrel myself except for a single shot but to each his/her own.

I do have a 24” Stainless Handi Rifle 444 that kills everything much better than anything else seems to and its only 2400fps. Out to 300 yards it just hammers everything. Like I said in other threads, I ain’t into Sectional Density.

My M77 MKii has a 24” tube on it. Did they change barrel lengths with the Hawkeye? I absolutely love my 25-06 and in particular the ruger action

My stainless .30-06 is a classic

As a 30-06 rightly is

They are all over the board depending on caliber and year. I think all the .25-06 had a 24" barrel. .204's are 24" maybe .22-250, etc. One think I have always liked about Ruger is they put out all the special guns or distributor exclusives is what they call them nowadays in some good calibers. Among other rifles I am starting to look at more closely cruising the gun shows are Mannlicher M77's. I'd like to pick up one or two I'd really like a shooter in something simple like 7-08 and another in something like 7x57 or some kinda oddball. Hard to come across a reasonable priced mannlicher otherwise.

All the M77s & Hawkeye models I've seen in .25-06 are 24" with mag contour barrels.

I’ve been eyeing the Ruger Mannlicher as well. The last run they produced was in 6.5 creedmoor which is an ODD cartridge for that style rifle. Would love to have one in 35 Whelen

The No. 1 mannlichers are cool guns. I agree with the 6.5 and the Mann. Seems like two completely different crowds, but I guess that was their point. I really wanted that one they recently had stamped .275 Rigby. My uncle has an interams mannlicher in 270 Win, complete with butter knife handle his wife bought him as an anniversary present in the 1970s. Really cool gun but it weighs about 11 pounds.

..... or a 9.3x62

If you push enough, Ruger seems to comply.

I’ll drink to the 9.3x62. Another fantastic cartridge that has a cult like following in the US, for good reason. And I’m sure as said if Ruger knows they can sell them in a limited run, they’ll do it

One thing about mannlicher stocks is that they can be VERY sensitive to stock pressures and they heat up very quickly due to the pencil profile barrel. Now there are some dingbats out there that offer "accurizers" for these barrels, but I don't buy it. Just know that if you're working up a load and want to shoot a 3 shot group, you better let it cool off between shots or they'll start stringing.

For me, the sexiness of the rifle far outweighed these characteristics, (I refuse to call them problems/defects, as if Bill Ruger didn't know WTF he was doing) just make sure your first shot is a bang-flop if range is an issue.

Here's my 7x57 RSI as I bought it...

[img]https://imgur.com/stgOtPc[/img]

Beautiful rifle. Thanks for sharing

Those No 1 internationals are as sexy as it comes. Dang nice rifle.

My M77 stainless 308 is my favorite deer rifle.