Posted: 02 March 2010 at 13:58 | IP Logged

 This is about the M-77 I bought from my hunting buddy that was ready to throw off the bridge. LOL

 I took it to the range with 4 different loads 2 that worked well in my Mod 70,and 2 I know are good 06' loads. These are both at 100 yards clean guns,cool barrels.  And this was the best the Ruger did.  I brought the gun home cleaned it and started checking things,bedding,crown,trigger,then I remembered my M77 in 7x57 I had at one time,the throut (sp?) was really long. When I checked the 06' Ruger I have to seat the bullet way out to 3.365" to touch the lans. I looked in Hornadys book and for that bullet ,they say OAL should be 3.198". If I load this bullet at 3.345" I don't even make to my crimp.The picture is of one at that lenth.

 What do ya think where should I go from this point? I know that was me on the Winy flyer. This Ryger I would expect to shoot as good as the Winy,shouldn't it ?

Posted: 02 March 2010 at 14:05 | IP Logged

seat the bullets long.

almost every one of my rifles has the crimp groove way out of the case, as per your picture.

also, rugers often times have a bedding issue that doesn't show up because of the non-floating barrels. the rifle will rock back and forth in the stock with the pivot point being around the recoil lug.

be sure you do not have any bedding issues. the forearm pressure makes it difficult to diagnose this, but if it is there, forearm pressure or not, you a stressed stock/receiver.

Posted: 02 March 2010 at 16:14 | IP Logged

Yup.

Foo

Posted: 02 March 2010 at 17:55 | IP Logged

yeah, i do.

if it were my rifle, i'd start by floating the barrel, then check the stock to rifle fit. if it is good, i'd glass it. if not, fix the problem, and then glass it.

...and i'd load the bullets as long as i could - restricted by proper mag feeding or lands and grooves.

many people think rugers won't shoot - and they are partially right. they won't shoot out of the box, but w/ a little effort, they'll run w/ most anything else.

Posted: 02 March 2010 at 18:10 | IP Logged

 Thanks

 I had one just like this 77  in .270 that would shoot little bitty groups my son in Kaly has that one and the 25-06 varmint rig would drive tacks. But the standard MKII's that I've had  .243,25-06 and 300 wsm were needing help.

 So I'll work on this one some before I decide if it's goona be a 338-06 or not,that was the reason for the buy in the first place.Who knows.

Posted: 03 March 2010 at 03:20 | IP Logged

agree.  seat WAY out.  Mine often end up being single shot  rifles as they can't function thru the magazine.  One requires the bolt be removed to get the unfired case out of the action.

On one gun, I'm thinking of getting the barrel cut at breecha dn set back one thread to get a better throat.

Most of the Ruger built prior to 1985 are just bad, ruger admitted poor barrel quality, and fixed that on the MK-2 guns.

Bill Ruger wanted his guns to be different and have saleable features, also patentable features.  I think his action /bedding (angled screw) is intrinsicly poor and results in reduced accuracy.  That is really unfixable.

Glassing a Ruger might not help at all, but it really can't hurt.  I assume you have seen the credit card shim techniques that folks use to bed and float Rugers?  I've tried many of these without any really good results.

Posted: 16 March 2010 at 10:29 | IP Logged

We alwayus recommend to seat way out to get the best accuracy, me included. But I wonder if that is really right? How does it happen that short light bullet's in different cartridges can shoot unbelieveably well and yet not even get close to the lans? I tried some 55gr 243 bullet's in a 6mm once and the bullet needed to stop for coffee between the actual fireing and reachingthe lans yet it shot very well. Have read the same thing years ado in Varmit Hunter magazine. My old 7mm Rem mag absolutely loved 115gr Speer bullet's, they needed a map to find the lans!

I think I would first look at bedding. Even if it doesn't work, it'll probably make an improvement. My idea is that your not gonna know what you really have till the bedding is good. BTW, I absolutely hate that up lift in any rifle. Have always improved the accuracy by simply removing it!

Posted: 16 March 2010 at 10:48 | IP Logged

Don, I had a 308 that only shot 10 shot 1" groups with the 125 grain.308 bullets.  these were by necessity away from the lands?  the 150,265,180 and 200 grainers were 3".

go figure

Posted: 03 September 2010 at 06:55 | IP Logged

Tikka, If you bed the 77 pay attention to the little 'feet' on either side of the feed rails and just in front of the rear action screw. They're the high spots that touch the stock back there. Most of the stock contact is on the big flat behind the tiny little lug. Not much at all behind there tho except those little tabs. If they don't bear nicely then the tang with the saftey and trigger is all that's holding the back of the action steady, and that is all behind the action screw. I like to see nothing at all touching behind that rear screw and the sides of the action bedded tight too. It's a tough design. Pretty tho.

I don't think that's a bad group out of an average 77 tho. Some of those barrels were stinkers.

Posted: 03 September 2010 at 09:03 | IP Logged

Welcome Book burn.

Love the 375, I "need" one.  How is it shooting?  I have a bunch of those vx2 2-7x really a very nice scope.  Good field of view on 2x and good definition on 7x.  also light.  Got one on my double barrel rifle.

Do those QD mounts fit the standard Ruger integral bases?  I've got a 2x7 leupold on a single shot #1.  that rifle has a quarter-rib and some great sights.  But I've never used them as they never made a QD rings set for Ruger bases.

keep posting and welcome to the gang

BEAR