Ruger Frontier rifle has been discontinued
While browsing the Ruger website I noticed that the Ruger M77 Mark II Frontier rifle has been discontinued.
The Frontier rifle featured a forward scout-style scope mount and a very short 16.5″ barrel. Sixteen inches in barrel length may be considered normal for rimfire or intermediate cartridges, but the Frontier was chambered in full power cartridge such as .308 Winchester and .300 Winchester Short Magnum.
The short barrel would certainty have had quite an impact on performance. These cartridges are usually fired in 20+ inches of barrel length, and this may have contributed to its demise.
The advantage of a short barrel is less weight and easier maneuverability in a tight space, such as shooting varmints from a vehicle, or when traversing heavy bush.
I was really hoping this concept would take off and am saddened that it did not catch on. Once you have fired, or owned, a short barrel (SBR) rifle, everything over 14″ seems much too long!
Does anyone own one of these rifles? I would really like to get my hands on the ballistic data for the cartridges the rifle fired. Ruger have not responded to my requests.
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Like the one that originally comes on the rifle
All I can say is WOW!. I love my Frontier .300wsm. I topped it with a Zeiss Victory 10x42 with traditional rings (not the forward mount). I know the scope is probably overkill but there is nothing better than good glass when you are on the sided of a mountain. Ruger also sent me the over sized rings for the Zeiss at no charge. I also added a Limb Saver recoil pad that eats the punch from the recoil. The package has dropped two bull elk and two nice whitetail bucks for me. I purchased it for hunting Montana where you never know what your range may be. As you know spot and stalk is the way we do it out west so the Frontier works perfect for creeping through dead falls and going up and down the steep grades My first bull was a 5x5 at a dead run coming out of a ravine and I had to swing fast on him. I rocked him twice and he went down hard. The second was heading up the mountain to bed down. He dropped in his tracks at 288 yards. (I shoot Federal Premium 180 grain Barnes TSX) This year my buck was at 207 yards and thats were he died.
This little bugger does it all and it is LOUD. My buddies are amazed at the bark it has at the range and tell me they know its me when they hear the shot.
I have two M77 MarkII's in synthetic stainless (.308 & .300wsm) They are also great rifles but don't get the field time my Frontier gets. I am hoping to find one in .243 for my daughter.