NRA Gun of the Week: Ruger Hawkeye FTW Hunter Rifle

by
posted on December 23, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

Ruger’s Model 77 laid the groundwork for the company’s bolt-action rifle designs, first entering production in about 1968. The M77 design features a bolt similar to that of a German Mauser—two locking lugs and a long, external claw extractor—but the action was investment cast, rather than forged, a process Ruger really perfected for firearm manufacture. In 2006, Ruger released the Hawkeye variant of the M77—a model with an improved trigger and a stock that saw a slight redesign. The Hawkeye is still very much in production today and American Rifleman’s Joe Kurtenbach happens to have a Hawkeye chambered for 6.5 mm Creedmoor for review. To learn more about this Hawkeye FTW Hunter Rifle, you’ll have to watch our feature video or stop by Ruger.com

Specifications:
Model: Hawkeye FTW Hunter Rifle
Manufacturer: Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.
Chambering: 6.5 mm Creedmoor
Action Type: bolt-action center-fire rifle
Barrel: 24”; cold-hammer-forged stainless steel
Finish: matte
Stock: laminate; Natural Gear camouflage finish
Sights: none; machined receiver for Ruger-style rings
Magazine: internal; hinged-steel floorplate
Trigger: 4-lb., 6-oz. pull
Weight: 7 lbs., 9 ozs.
MSRP: $1,269

Additional Reading:
Looking at the Ruger American Rifle   
Tested: Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor 
Ruger M77 Rifle: Exploded View 
A Look Back a the Ruger Model 77 Rifle  
Ruger Hawkeye Predator FTW Rifle 



 


  

 





 

Latest

HK VP9CC 01
HK VP9CC 01

Heckler & Koch VP9CC: The VP9 Goes Micro-Compact

Based on the company's popular striker-fired VP9 platform, the new Heckler & Koch VP9CC takes the features of the full-size original and shrinks them into a micro-compact package for concealed-carry use.

The "Frenchified" BAR: France's FM 24/29 LMG

Following World War I, the French military considered adopting the Browning Automatic Rifle, but cost considerations and national pride forced the development of a domestic design: the FM 24/29 LMG.

How Money Turned the Mainstream Media Against Our Freedom

Major changes in the American media landscape have thus far, and in general, contributed to a more partisan treatment of the Second Amendment.

I Carry: Springfield Armory SA-35 in a Galco Combat Master Holster

See the Springfield Armory SA-35 4" High Power pistol paired with a classically styled Galco leather OWB holster and a Buck 110 Auto knife our latest "I Carry" EDC kit.

How the Mainstream Media Turned Against Armed Citizens

Why is so much of the mainstream, legacy or corporate media opposed to our right to keep and bear arms? There are real answers to this question.

The Armed Citizen® April 10, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.