Building a Ruger M77 into a long range elk killer...what chambering??

[codyadams]

So I have a Ruger M77 All Weather rifle, long action, chambered in 300 win mag. We can only load to 3.430", and this prohibits the use of the best long range bullets for this chambering, so we want to rebarrel to something with similar power and long range ability as a 300 win mag with a 215 Berger, but will work in this rifle.

We want this to be a long range elk killer, and here are some of the chamberings we have thrown around that could load a heavy for caliber bullet and still fit in this magazine.

7MM WSM
300 WSM
7MM Sherman Shortmag
300 Sherman Shortmag
338 Sherman Shortmag
7mm SAUM
300 SAUM

With all these, we could load heavy for caliber bullets in a long throated chamber and still have plenty of room in the magazine, and I think they would all perform well. I don't mind doing a little extra work for brass, this won't be a high volume shooter, after a good load is developed it will be used from time to time for practice and then hunting, my high volume shooter is my .260 AI.

Any suggestions for any of these? I have never worked with any short magnum calibers, and want the most performance we can get out of it. If we went 7mm, we would shoot either 180 or 195 grain Bergers and probably run a 1 in 8 twist, 30 cal would be a 215 Berger, with 1 in 10 or 1 in 9.5 twist, .338 Sherman shortmag would most likely be the 250 Berger. It will be outfitted with a 26" tube. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks all.

 

[AZShooter]

I suggest you try 215s without any other changes. Seat the bullet to fit and feed and work up a load. Hybrid bullets tend to shoot well regardless of the distance of jump to the lands. Who knows you may be pleasantly surprised.

If you do change to another chambering be sure to order a reamer to your specifications so it will work best in your Ruger.

 

[codyadams]

I tried, and if I seat them to mag length, the ogive of the 215 is below the case mouth. Then I thought I would try them single shot...if I seat the bullets to where the ogive is EVEN with the case mouth, they are too long and won't even eject the loaded round out of the action. Then you have to push the loaded round down out of the bolt, partially into the magazine, remove the bolt, then either pop the loaded round out of the mag and shake it out of the rear of the action or open the floor plate and dump it out there. It's a major PITA....

 

[codyadams]

I have also tried the 212 eldx and 200 eldx, and the 212 is a no go, and the 200 gives me about .050" or so to work with seating depth, the closest I can get to the lands is about .130"....its just not working in this action with this chambering, and I have no problem rebarreling to something that will.

 

[can1010]

if you don't mind a wildcat and doing brass work a case to look at might be the 33 Nosler necked down length 2.460. nose on 215 .872 = 3.332 add some freebore would be well within mag limit. maybe talk to Rich and give it the SS treatment. that would be a hammer. something I have been looking at but the funds aint there right now

 

[codyadams]

I have thought hard about the 338 Sherman shortmag, that would be an elk thumper. I saw they had the standard 338 Sherman pushing the 250 Berger over 2800, but the SS version has about 4 grains less case capacity and I haven't found any data on that. A 250 Berger going 2850 has nearly the same trajectory as my .260 AI pushing a 140 Berger at 3060, with less wind drift and **** gobs more energy....I just don't know what the SS is capable of with the 250. I posted on Rich's thread about the 338 Sherman and ss, hopefully he responds.

 

[NEMTHunter]

Quick question. What do you call long range?

 

[codyadams]

Last year our two big game kills were a pronghorn at 876 and deer at 925

 

[codyadams]

The area I elk hunt I regularly see elk out to and over 1000 yards

 

[NEMTHunter]

Have you checked with a Gunsmith to see if they can open up the mag well any for seating the bullets out farther?

 

[Idaho Trecker]

Nobody has made the 338 SS yet. I know Rich has dies for it already but nobody has actually chambered it. I have both 270 sherman and Sherman shortmag both shooting 165 matrix and the 24" SS shoots 10 fps faster than Sherman that has 27" barrel. Both loads were same charge also. This being said the efficiency of as makes up for a lot. Going to the larger 338 bore I'll bet the Sherman will be better than SS for speed but somebody needs to make one to find out for sure. My 300SS has been a real hammer and the 225 eld m has taken over for my bullet choice in it.

 

[chirodr1]

I have a 300wsm built on a Remington 700 LA with a 26" Brux barrel. It's throated long for 215 Bergers and it shoots them 2960fps with R-26. I built my buddy a 300wm at the same time and his gun shoots the same speed with H-1000. My OAL is just under 3.2" jumping .015". I'm not sure why your stuck on using a Ruger but if I just had to use one I would go with a 300WSM.

 

[NEMTHunter]

I have a 300wsm built on a Remington 700 LA with a 26" Brux barrel. It's throated long for 215 Bergers and it shoots them 2960fps with R-26. I built my buddy a 300wm at the same time and his gun shoots the same speed with H-1000. My OAL is just under 3.2" jumping .015". I'm not sure why your stuck on using a Ruger but if I just had to use one I would go with a 300WSM.

The 300 WSM is a sweet round thats for sure. What wrong with a ruger?

To the Op: I would check with a smith to see if they can get you more room. Then go from there.

 

[codyadams]

I have a 300wsm built on a Remington 700 LA with a 26" Brux barrel. It's throated long for 215 Bergers and it shoots them 2960fps with R-26. I built my buddy a 300wm at the same time and his gun shoots the same speed with H-1000. My OAL is just under 3.2" jumping .015". I'm not sure why your stuck on using a Ruger but if I just had to use one I would go with a 300WSM.

As stated in my initial post, I'm using a Ruger because I already have it, and I want to make THIS rifle into a long range Rifle. No, its not the conventional rifle action for long range, but they are still good strong actions. They may be a little more work, but they are just as capable as any other action. This was my Fathers first elk rifle, and we want to build it into something nice for long range.

Eventually it will be outfitted with a McMillan stock and Krieger barrel. I have pillar bedded a couple other Rugers, and it's not any harder, it just takes more steps. All the M77's I have worked on ended up half MOA or better, so that gives me confidence in these actions, when they are properly bedded.

That performance is encouraging for the WSM, that is about what they are getting with the 300 SS. and at 3.2" OAL, that would be perfect in this action.