Ruger M77 as a Long Range Rifle?

[MtPockets]

A couple of years ago, I came across a used .270 Ruger M77 for dirt cheap. It's an older model with a wood stock, the tang safety, and blued barrel/action.
Now, I realize that 99.5% of long range shooters choose the model 700, but what I'd like to know is- why? Can this old Ruger be made to shoot with the 700's? What kind of obsticles am I looking at, compared to reworking something more common?
I've always kind of liked doing things a bit different, and I guess this is no exception.
Any ideas?

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I won't diss rugers as I have a couple they will shoot rather well. Most rugers will not hold quite the accuracy that the rems, savages, etc. will. The trued up remmies and custom actions will be under an inch for ten shots at 100 with a good load. The rugers I've seen will do about two inches for ten shots at 100. They are good hunting guns to 1/4 mile or so with pet loads, but that's about it. I have used my #1 in 338 on a deer at 550 yards though. Put him down on the spot. I'm sure you could have one trued up and put a match grade barrel on it, and it would run with a custom grade m70 win.. It's harder to find parts/accesories for rugers too.

 

[Joe King]

Yes it can. It's all in how well it's tuned up. My 7mag is a tang safety m77. When I still had the factory tube on it I could put 5 into a 3" puck at 500yrds day in day out. That was just with a good bedding job and the trigger adjusted to 2.5lbs. Now it's wearing a #6 contour match barrel, and the action has been completely gone through It's very very accurate now.

 

[FEENIX]

I agree with above posts.

My all factory stock (except for MB) M77 MKII in .338 Win Mag as shown ...

... shoots Hornady 225gr SST factory ammo ...

I have since changed the stock, trigger, and developed loads using 225gr NABs and stretched it to 600 yards.

Good luck!

BTW, nice screen name!

 

[huffmanite]

Bought a used featherweight 270win Ruger 77 tang safety a few years ago. Price was very reasonable, $210 and other than being obviously used, in good condition. Would have been a nice carry rifle if I hunted. Accuracy of it left a lot to be desired when shooting from benchrest.

Will have an inexpensive ($80) heavy contour Midway A&B barrel installed chambered in 7x57 mauser. Will replace the factory trigger sear with one made by Rifle Basix ($45). This is not a complete Basix trigger assembly and only available for the 77 tang safety Ruger. Did some other minor tinkering with trigger, mostly just polishing. May have lightened up the trigger spring, not sure. Results: trigger pull around 1 lb. or less. First time I tried the trigger was shocked at how light the trigger pull was. Needless to say, slammed the bolt hard numberous times and banged the butt of stock on concrete to get it to release, but it never did. But, I learned to keep my finger off the trigger until I was ready to shoot. LOL. Only my Martini BSA Model 12 target 22 has a trigger to match it.

Bought a clearance Boyd Unifit stock ($20) which I inletted for the Ruger, since the factory stock looked kinda odd on the rebarreled rifle and sucked using with a shooting rest. Stock is hardly lovely, but I shaped it to suit me.

Put a decent Nitrex TR2 6-20x50 scope on it.

If I go down to our 600 yd range to shoot, the Ruger is the one I'll take first. Rather good accuracy with it. Day we had grand opening of our 400 & 600 ranges, this resurrected Ruger held its own against rifles costing a heck of a lot more and designed for long range shooting.

So, in my humble opinion, yea, your Ruger can be made to shoot.

 

[MachV]

The Ruger can be made to shoot ok but dont expect to win many competitions with it.
I've got three Rugers currently thet shoot good but had a 308VLE that was a dog that wouldnt hunt.....A new barrel was the last resort but traded it off to another Ruger fan that thought he could get it to shoot=He failed to get it shooting too.
#1The old tang 7mag has trouble going much under an inch @ 100 but is stays minute of goat/deer/elk to 600 consistantly and has become my go to carry rig.
#2The old sporter tang 243 got rebarreled with an 8 twist 22-250. Kinda fussy about what it likes but does well with 75 grain amaxes and H414 powder.
#3 The old tang was pickt up used in 308Baer with a few modification but has since ben rebarreled to 338 edge and a Sightron 20x scope with 150moa of travel.
#4 bought the 223 V for doggin with back when they first came out, had it rechambered with a shorter throat for 40 grain vmaxes when it was still new. With 6450 rounds threw it I sold it to my shooting partner that still hits more dogs than he misses.
The biggest downside to the Rugers has been the scope bases. It can be difficult to get a 34mm scope mounted and you have to use a scope with a lot of travel as the bases dont allow much adjustment.

 

[Joe King]

The biggest downside to the Rugers has been the scope bases. It can be difficult to get a 34mm scope mounted and you have to use a scope with a lot of travel as the bases dont allow much adjustment.

Yea those integral scope bases only thing I can complain about with mine. crappy thing to do to a customer if you ask me.

Sexy line up you got there

 

[Rugerdiggs]

The Ruger can be made to shoot ok but dont expect to win many competitions with it.
I've got three Rugers currently thet shoot good but had a 308VLE that was a dog that wouldnt hunt.....A new barrel was the last resort but traded it off to another Ruger fan that thought he could get it to shoot=He failed to get it shooting too.
#1The old tang 7mag has trouble going much under an inch @ 100 but is stays minute of goat/deer/elk to 600 consistantly and has become my go to carry rig.
#2The old sporter tang 243 got rebarreled with an 8 twist 22-250. Kinda fussy about what it likes but does well with 75 grain amaxes and H414 powder.
#3 The old tang was pickt up used in 308Baer with a few modification but has since ben rebarreled to 338 edge and a Sightron 20x scope with 150moa of travel.
#4 bought the 223 V for doggin with back when they first came out, had it rechambered with a shorter throat for 40 grain vmaxes when it was still new. With 6450 rounds threw it I sold it to my shooting partner that still hits more dogs than he misses.
The biggest downside to the Rugers has been the scope bases. It can be difficult to get a 34mm scope mounted and you have to use a scope with a lot of travel as the bases dont allow much adjustment.

I just picked up a rear tang safety 7mag as well, stock has a few places where the leather has worn the finish but action is smooth as silk, i have been looking for one at a good price for a while and came across a few but decided to hold off till i found one without the ring system and i did. I havnt looked for any 20moa bases yet but sure there out there. Its going to be my next build but will leave the iron sights on it and use that way for a while. Not sure on caliber yet, was thinking on the 7mag but really want an edge as well, please share how you like your ruger 338 edge, and the components you have used if you dont mind.

I love all my ruger handguns, long guns, and shotgun. I have only had one to date that wouldnt shoot under a minute and it was a hornet in the target setup but with 24" barrel instead of the 26, i sent it back to ruger and 2 wks later i got it back and it shot 3/4moa. Headspace issues.

 

[FEENIX]

If you noticed on post #4 I used a Ruger-to-Weaver adapter on mine to give me a little more flexibility ...

 

[Joe King]

If you noticed on post #4 I used a Ruger-to-Weaver adapter on mine to give me a little more flexibility ...

Where did you get that? 1st I ever seen.

 

[MachV]

I've gone through 2 sets of bases trying to keep the scope on the Ruger Edge. One set was Ruger 30mm and the other a set of Leupolds 30mm. In all fairness these rings had some age on them and had ben swapped around a few times. The 338 Edge with a good brake is hard on one screw scope mounts and as tuff as Rugers are the the weak link is the one little screw that holds the bases to the action! Burris use to make a 2 screw base that would give you a little windage adjustment but have not made them in years.
Murphy Precision MurphyPrecision.com - Scope Bases, Rings, and Assorted Shooting Accessories. makes the best solution to the base issue but you have to drill and tap your action.....If the set of bases on the Edge fails again I'm going to go this route. If your not carefull you can easily spend more $$$, time and agrivation on the bases than you paid for the Ruger in the first place.
The 338Edge I built used an action that had been modified a little. You can see in the pic the Ruger front lug was shaved and a Remington/Savage style recoil lug was used. The original trigger has been replaced. It also was set up as a single shot because there is no reasonable way a Ruger long action will cycle anything much longer than 7mag or 300WM. I have to pull the bolt to get an unfired 308 Baer or 338 Edge out of the action.

Personaly I would never put this kind of work into a Ruger. IMHO They make great hunting rifles but are a poor platform for long range /target units.
The last ½ dozen rifles I've aquired have all been Savages.....Much easier for me to work on and a whole lot cheaper.......Depending on how you do it!

 

[Rugerdiggs]

What kind of accuracy you get out of your ruger edge?




Here is a good looking base for the 77 with the built in bases.

Leatherwood Hi-Lux 1-Piece Tactical Picatinny-Style Scope Base Ruger


Here is one that fits the ones without built in bases Ruger M-77 Picatinny Rail Mount: Evolution Gun Works Inc.

 

[FEENIX]

Where did you get that? 1st I ever seen.

Burris Ruger to Weaver Redhawk Gloss Black Base Adapters (use with Zee Rings) FREE S&H 410990, 410991, 410992. Burris Riflescope Mounts, Rings & Bases.

 

[Don A Parsons]

Up-date on Ruger M-77 Mark II.

Just came across a frugal priced Ruger chambered in 30-06 with 20 rounds down the pipe, comes with Leopold 3X9 gold ring below the $400 Canadian funds.

The owner of this rifle bought it as a fill in unit as his 308 Remington was getting a work over, it sighted in with 3 shots and has held 0 at 200 yards over the last 5 years when he bought it new.
This rifle has gone on 4 Northern Canadian Moose harvest by pick-up truck, OHV scavart and bumped and banged in rain snow and rocks on foot hikes too, the reason the scope has stayed put is the mount bases are built into the action, another plus is the quality Red Field Rings ordered in from Washington state,,, these rings have worked well for all our Magnum rifles that shot 200 and higher grain bullets since the increase recoil is very noticeable too all size shooters, 250 and 300gr's defiantly put a whelop of kick back on scopes, stocks and shooter.

Any-who, this M-77 is the new beginning of Strum Ruger as they took over barrel operation on there own after receiving feed back on some issues that arised a few years back this might be why the Hawk-eye is now gaining grounds along with America Ruger in a different category of the frugal market.

The Old school M 77 Mark II is a heavy rifle, this unit is 8.9 lbs of solid iron and laminated wood stock, action as many of us know are based on the Muaser that has been improved greatly by 1964/67 ish,,, Don't recall the year specific too be honest.

The actions on these rifles are very solid, and make a good plate-form too start with here in Canada, the laminated wood stock gives this rifle the feel of years gone by.

Glass or epoxy bedding along with after market triggers are are where most firearm folk start, There are lots of after market barrels too choose from too.

The real plus of the M-77 is they are frugal too purchase, solid plate form too begin a build, and this too most of us is a great place to start.

From Western Canada Don