257

[Longrangers]

The only other thing I can add is my .257 Weatherby Mag doesn't like boat tail bullets. She was a finicky b**ch to get to shoot a tight group with. She only likes flat base bullets. IF everything you have tried are boat tails try a flat base & see if it makes a difference. Mine likes the Barnes TSX 115 gr. flat base (they make boats also) Best of luck to you.

Did you check for group size at longer distances?
Some won't shoot very well at 100 but start to settle down at 300.

 

[Hard rock]

Did you check for group size at longer distances?
Some won't shoot very well at 100 but start to settle down at 300.

Great idea. I was going to use paper. I will check everything and reclean barrel. I will use the bracelet and try the hammer bullet

Is your 77 the older version with the tang safety ,if so my understanding is they have a longer freebore than the standard freebore for the 257 rob that could be a issue with bullet sensitive too seating depth but the Hammers are less sensitive I am not discounting the other possible issues curious if you have the tang safety mod 77 Ruger hope that helps

 

[dogz]

The Ruger RL is a neat svelte little rifle. I've been around a handful of them and to date...........no matter what trick of the trade we tried they just wouldn't perk. I've never heard of one that was accurate. Try the tricks mentioned and then either ditch it or prepare yourself to rebarrel it. And if you rebarrel it go with a 8 twist and with a barrel that will mic .6" or so at the muzzle. Then, you'll have something

 

[greenejc]

Trying to load a Ruger 77 with 20 inch ultralight barrel. Will not group with any bullets I have tried so far(many)

going to try hammer hunter 92 gr. Will be shooting deer and hogs under 200 yards. Will it kill them fast or should I use my 280ai

what hints for load data
Ps. I am a long time hunter/loader with lots of kills with many different calibers

just trying to get my wife's gun working right so we can log more kills with it

Does this fifle have a continental stock? Rugers with continental stocks present a special challenge because of the stock contact at the end of the barrel(the barrel cap). You will need to bed the end cap and seal the stock because the stock will flex at the end of the barrel and cause it to fail to group. If it is a standard stock, it will be the bedding most of the time, too.

 

[Siggy32]

Did you check for group size at longer distances?
Some won't shoot very well at 100 but start to settle down at 300.

No I never tried at long distance, didn't think that if it didn't shoot at 100 it would at long distance. I guess even shooting poorly 2' to 3" at 100 yds would still be deer deadly but it is more likely that I would be shooting closer than 300 yds. in my deer hunting. Just figured If it shoots good close it should also shoot good at long.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

Just a suggestion to carefully ladder your load charges. My 722 in 257bob can get a bit squirrelly with velocity using 100gn class bullets.

 

[greenejc]

Just my two cents here. I have a Rem Model Seven in .243win that I could not get to shoot a group with any bullet I had. Put my problems on this forum and someone said to take any of my bullets, load with 35gr of IMR4350 and I would see a dramatic improvement. I did see a dramatic difference. That same load with 5 different mfg 100gr bullets gave me half dollar to dime sized groups consistently at 100 yds. The powder made all the difference. Tweeking the powder and seating depth improved groups even more. Thanks to the advice of a group member here I didn't get rid of a perfectly good rifle.

IMR 4350 is my go to powder for the .308, 30-06 and 300 winmag. I generally get less than 1" groups from it at 100 yards.

 

[greenejc]

Yep. Early 80s and think it was a red pad

Some of them were. I have a tang safety 6mm Remington. I shoots very well indeed.

 

[rob257]

It is a tang safety not not continental stock. Very nice feel to it and it has sentimental value because I bought it for my wife many years ago. Otherwise I would have sold it

my tang safety 77 6mm vamiter is a great gun as is another 77 257rob. As is the one in 17hmr.

I am going to try all these hints including free bore. Seems like a lot of people like imr 4350. I use it in several other calibers and like it too. Next is h4895.

if everything fails who is a really gunsmith. Hammer bullets has one they like

 

[greenejc]

Is your rifle a carbine or an international version?

 

[greenejc]

It is a tang safety not not continental stock. Very nice feel to it and it has sentimental value because I bought it for my wife many years ago. Otherwise I would have sold it

my tang safety 77 6mm vamiter is a great gun as is another 77 257rob. As is the one in 17hmr.

I am going to try all these hints including free bore. Seems like a lot of people like imr 4350. I use it in several other calibers and like it too. Next is h4895.

if everything fails who is a really gunsmith. Hammer bullets has one they like

I think IMR4895 is too fast for the Roberts. I know its too fast for the 6mm Remington.

 

[Hard rock]

I think IMR4895 is too fast for the Roberts. I know its too fast for the 6mm Remington.

I read that Bill Ruger was determined no one would blow one of his action up and so for some reason he put a long freebore inthe early 257 roberts that could be the problem jumping those short 25 cal bullets before hitting the rifling Hammers are longer and might solve the problem good luck that is the tang safety mods I'm referring too

 

[Longrangers]

I think IMR4895 is too fast for the Roberts. I know its too fast for the 6mm Remington.

Worked well in a 25-06

 

[jhowa1]

Like everyone else, check the fitting issues with barrel to stock. I have four older Ruger 77's, and only one had stock fitting issues. I had all the triggers worked on and that made a huge improvement. My 7MM trigger was terrible and strung bullets vertically until the trigger pull was adjusted. My favorite deer load for my 257 Roberts is H 4831, 44 gr. pushing a 117 Sierra BT. I've taken well over four hundred deer with that load combination and no complaints.