Cold gun issues

WildRose said:

There's no reason at this point to believe he has a problem with the barrel. Everything indicates a problem with torque or the scope/mounts.

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He changed scopes. Problem remained.

He also changed stocks. The problem followed the barrelled action.

Rifles that react much to action screw torque are indicating poor bedding. His problem followed him through both stocks.

Azrael said:

He changed scopes. Problem remained.

He also changed stocks. The problem followed the barrelled action.

Rifles that react much to action screw torque are indicating poor bedding. His problem followed him through both stocks.

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His torque problem remains as do the same rings that have not been lapped.

WildRose said:

His torque problem remains as do the same rings that have not been lapped.

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What part indicates a torque problem? (beyond the 90 inch pound thing)

The problem showed up with the new barrel.

Azrael said:

What part indicates a torque problem? (beyond the 90 inch pound thing)

The problem showed up with the new barrel.

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The cold to warm bore shift is a classic indicator of something being out of sorts with the torque or floating.

WildRose said:

The cold to warm bore shift is a classic indicator of something being out of sorts with the torque or floating.

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Or poor stress relieving.

Azrael said:

Or poor stress relieving.

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Doubtful at best.

If anything theres a stress issue relating to the action and it's torquing causing stress on it thus the inconsistency.

You've never had a barrel that shifted or walked?

Azrael said:

You've never had a barrel that shifted or walked?

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In every case where I have the problem proved to be with the bedding, torque, floating, or a bad scope.

This weekend i tried a completely different mount/scope setup. i installed a pica-tinny rail with seekins rings and the scope i use on my long range rig. I shoot this scope a lot and know it is accurate and repeatable and never had an issue with it.

same problem of cold gun = first shot 1.5" low. I didn't feel like walking 100 yards this morning to take a picture to post it.

Get rid of it. I have had 2 rifles in my life that just wouldn't shoot like I wanted them to even after rebarrel/action truing. They did not have the exact same symptoms as your rifle but they never got any better no matter what I did. Most want to shoot. Some just don't. Don't waste your time and money.

GPR, I know that you are pretty frustrated with this rifle. The following is just my experience!

I have had several Ruger M77 both mkI and mkII and after experimenting with torque levels, I have settled on a routine that seams to work. I will set the action in the stock and snug up the rear screw, not tight, than tighten the front screw as tight as I can get it, than go back to the rear and tighten it but not as tight, the middle screw just tight enough to keep it from coming loose. I have also replace the flat head screws that came in them with Allen head screws from brownells, to me they should have never come with flat head screws. All of these stocks have been bedded one of which is a boyds lightweight thumbhole that I have pillar bedded, it also has a sendero contour barrel that I had to inlet.

It's a factory Ruger action with a McGowan barrel. Get rid of it. By now you have already wasted enough money trying to figure out your problem that you probably could have afforded a new rifle and less gray hairs.

Pawn shop it or something. Don't leave it in your gun safe to look at each time you open it. That's like dumping an ugly, mean, good for nothing wife for a hot, rich super model and letting your ugly, mean, good for nothing wife still live in your house so you have to see her everytime you come home.

That goes for ugly, mean good for nothing husbands too if any women are reading this haha.

WildRose said:

In every case where I have the problem proved to be with the bedding, torque, floating, or a bad scope.

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Unfortunately, every Barrel maker makes mistakes.

Ask the Benchrest competition folks, this is with what they call a BAD barrel.

Having owned 3 Ruger MkII rifles in Various calibers, I agree that torque of action screws is very important.

BUT A good Barrel has always been more important.

BTW-- Ditch the Ruger rings(especially if they are not brand new built in the last 2ish years) and Get Leupold.

GPR23 said:

This weekend i tried a completely different mount/scope setup. i installed a pica-tinny rail with seekins rings and the scope i use on my long range rig. I shoot this scope a lot and know it is accurate and repeatable and never had an issue with it.

same problem of cold gun = first shot 1.5" low. I didn't feel like walking 100 yards this morning to take a picture to post it.

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If you can slip four or five $1 bills between the stock and barrel (not one bill that so many suggest), you are truly free-floating. If that's good, then I would bed the rifle and torque tune the action to the stock in increments as I mentioned earlier.