Building my last deer hunting rifle ruger 77 260

[dgr416]

I am building my last deer hunting rifle a tang safety ruger 77 in 260 rem .I want a stainless 24 inch spotter barrel .I am going to use 155 grain lapula and 156 grain Berger bullets. I am pretty sure 1 in 8 twist .I have two stocks the original and a boyds laminated stock .Here are my questions should I get a fluted barrel and what kind of barrel is best in sporter barrels .Should I keep the factory trigger which is adjustable or change it .i like the ruger tang safety best to get it off fast .I think my longest shots will be 600 yards but they could be 5 yards where I hunt .I am thinking a 4x16 x50 mm scope maybe an mrad nikom illuminated .I have kriger barrels on my 338-378 weatherby accumark rifles like their fluted barrels. Hope y'all have an aweome 2020 hunting and shooting

 

[idcwby]

Don't be afraid to go to a 1-7.5/1-7 twist with all the heavier bullets starting to be made for the .264 cal. Flutes are just for looks, if you like the looks of them do it. Have you tried the trigger yet? Do you like it the way it is? Can it be adjusted to what you want? There was a rumor going around that Nikon is getting out of the scope business, may want to look into something else. If your going to have a lot of close 5 yard shots you may want to look for a lower power on the bottom.

idcwby

 

[Frog4aday]

The factory trigger on those "old" M77s (tang safety) models are adjustable, so try adjusting it before dumping it and I think you'll find it is pretty good 'as is'. (See attached file for instructions.)

As for barrel fluting, it looks nice and can take some weight off, but some feel the fluting process induces stresses into the metal. Is that an issue on a hunting rifle? Probably not. So if it looks good to you and you want that, then go for it.

Nikon scopes are a good value for the money, so you should be fine with your listed choice. If not them, perhaps consider a Leupold since their lifetime warranty is for real and they make quality products, too.

Since you already use and like Krieger barrels, nothing wrong with using them again. I'm sure others will chime in with their favorite barrel maker. Lots of choices. Probably all will be good enough for a 600 yard hunting tool. As for the stock, the laminated item would be more stable for hunting in all weather conditions, but the original stock with that red recoil pad just looks classy and "right" to my eyes. Your call. Both good.

Berger shows a 1:8 twist "minimum" for their 156 grain bullet. I like @idcwby 's idea of going to a 1:7.5 twist if that's the end of the bullet weight spectrum you are looking to 'play' in most of the time as it will give you a bit more stability with those long, heavy projectiles.

Looking forward to seeing your final, completed rifle project. Keep us posted.

 

[RT2506]

I would also go with a 7.5" twist. It will shoot great even with 120s. I have a sported Mauser 96 6.5x55 and their twist is metric but it is about 7.5" and it will shoot 100 gr Sierra HPs but really shoots 120s through 160 great. The 260 Rem is a good caliber. My hunting buddy got one of the first ones that Remington came out with. It was a stainless with a 24" barrel. You could not even get a hold of factory ammo nor any cases and there was no load data out yet for it. We approached it like a wildcat. We tried necking down 308s but found that necked up 243s worked best. We found H4350 was THE powder. We were shooting 120 Sierra Pro Hunter and 140 Game King bullets. We were doing crop damage control at that time and between us we took 50 deer that year from on top of us to about 550 yards using both bullets and only had one deer take a step after taking one to the shoulder and it took three jumps. My buddy sold that rifle to a friend for his grandson and now many years latter the boy is a man and two years ago I saw him and asked if he still had the rifle. He said yes and it still is filling the freezer every year.

As for fluting I personally never saw any benefit. Those old Ruger actions are pretty good. I picked up a rifle from an estate sale of an old benchrest shooter that liked to build odd stuff and play with wildcats. From his notes that I got with the rifle, a Ruger 77, blue, tang safety in the original stock but has been set in bisinight (SP?) a type of glass bedding. This rifle started out as a 220 swift varmint barrel. Fellow had the barrel rebored to a 12" twist 30 cal chambered in 30x47, 300 Savage case with shoulder pushed back 10 thousands but left full over all length. This was the hottest caliber for hunter class bench rest back then 1980s. This fellow was going to shoot cast bullets. He had not shot but about 60 rounds through it when he up and has a heart attack and dies. His wife holds onto all his stuff for about 20 years before she decides to sale it. I got this rifle cheap because you had to be a hand loader to use it. It has a Canjar trigger on it that is supper and this rifle is so accurate when I tell people about it they think I am lying. I think you will turn out with a good hunting rifle if you use a good quality barrel. I have used a number of Shilen and Heart barrels but any of the top names will do you good. Old highly qualified gunsmith told me when I ask who made the best barrels said, "flip a coin, you might get a bad one now and then but they will make it right. The secrete to an accurate rifle with a good barrel is in the proper chambering and squaring of barrel to action."

As for Nikon scopes I read someplace that they were going out of the business also. I would say that it is true the way that Cabell's and others are marking them down to get rid of them. For the money Leupold would also be a good choice in a 3 or 4 to higher power 30mm tube scope. My long range rifles have Zeiss and Meopta but your talking $$$$. I have a couple older Leupold 3-9x50 and have never had a single problem with them either. Learned this lesson years ago. Always keep your scope set on the lowest power. You will always have time to increase the power but you will never have time to decrease the power if on high power when game pops out on top of you and is moving.

 

[dgr416]

I used the 260 this year for hunting and love it way better than the 243 I am going to make this rifle out of .I have two savage model 11. 260 rem and a ar10 260 .I have shot clover leafs at 100 yards with all these guns with the lapua bullets 155 grain mega tip .I started using it in my 264 win mag and it shot the same .I already have a Nikon 4×16×50 mm on my 338 win mag I could steal off it .I use to make 400 yard shots with that 338 win mag ruger all the time with a 3x9 Nikon but not these days 6.Its think this tang safety ruger 77 in 260 will be my last deer rifle I am 57 now if I add 33 years like the 338 I will be 90 .I probalky ought to get some real 260 brass it might make a one hole group then. The lapua 155 grain mega tip is grooved so lesd pressure. I have pushed it to the limits in my 264 win mag and the 260 . There is only 200 fps difference in the two just not worth the difference to me .I can't wait to get this gun made .I used the 243 a little while but lost two big bucks with it .I trust the 260 way more .i will try this gun on some hogs first then deer next year .

 

[hseII]

I am building my last deer hunting rifle a tang safety ruger 77 in 260 rem .I want a stainless 24 inch spotter barrel .I am going to use 155 grain lapula and 156 grain Berger bullets. I am pretty sure 1 in 8 twist .I have two stocks the original and a boyds laminated stock .Here are my questions should I get a fluted barrel and what kind of barrel is best in sporter barrels .Should I keep the factory trigger which is adjustable or change it .i like the ruger tang safety best to get it off fast .I think my longest shots will be 600 yards but they could be 5 yards where I hunt .I am thinking a 4x16 x50 mm scope maybe an mrad nikom illuminated .I have kriger barrels on my 338-378 weatherby accumark rifles like their fluted barrels. Hope y'all have an aweome 2020 hunting and shooting

Why the 155 & 156?

My .260 shoots the 140 Bergers & Accubonds well.

Why are you planning on the heavies out of the .260?

 

[zr600]

Have you thought about the 260ai? Would give you a little boost in performance. I think your headed on the right track. What's your budget for a scope?

 

[Savage 12BVSS]

My 260 savage is a super deer rifle, I used a L/W barrel that I thought was 1 in 8 twist but found the shipping receipt and its a 1 in 7 1/2" . Shoots 130 and 140gr accubonds great and they work well on deer, used it this year and was pleased. After load work ups it will last longer than me using it for deer hunting. I use a zeiss conquest mc 3.5x10-44 works well if you can find one used in good shape. Or meopta or cabellas euro scopes would be a thought, just get something that tracks and holds poi good. Good Luck on your build and talking it for long walks in the woods. Dave

 

[dgr416]

I already have three Nikon scopes to choose from probally the 4×16x50 mm with bdc is best .I have used the 155 grain mega tip for many years in my 264 win mag and I figured the 156 Berger should hit pretty close if I can make the loads the same .The lapua bullet is super accurate in both my 260 and 264 and hits super hard .I gave not tried the 156 grain bullet yet but it should be close to the same speed we will see .I bought two Nikon mrad illuminated 6x24 x50 30mm scopes but they will probalky go on my 338-378 weatherby .I am just sticking with the regular 260 so I can use the same ammo in all four 260 rifles makes life easier .My savage 260 rifles are super accurate and light but not near as smooth as a Old Ruger tang 77 .I hunted with my ruger 77 tang 339 win mag for 33 years I now want a smaller version of that rifle .Those 155 grain bulkets I shoot were designed for Sweden moose and they shoot through tiny holes in the brush at deer perfict .The 156 grain will be for clear cuts and shooting across pastures .