I can hardly bring myself to say it! Ruger?

[msalm]

I'm just finished rebarreling one of those 'not so great' Rugers. This was an older tang safety 7mm Mag, wood stock, blued metal. I first had it in the shop with reports of 3.25-4" groups, so I took a look over it. I didn't see anything seriously wrong with it, a little binding in the mag box with the bottom metal, a good bedding job, aftermarket recoil pad, tuned trigger. So after fixing what little I saw, I re-assembled and took it to the range. Still showed 2-3" groups. I was going to take the barrel off and re-lap in case there were problems there, and when I had the barrel in the vise, and the action wrench on it, I slapped the action wrench handle with my hand (quite softly I might add) and the action popped loose. I thought 'BINGO'. After torqueing the barrel on tight (not super, slam it with a hammer tight, just tight) the barrel indexed over 1/8" further so the stock line was now in the middle of the caliber markings. That didn't work either as it still shot poorly. The barrel tenon was machined very undersize also as it wobbled side to side looser then ANY barrel I've removed.

So long story short, I ended up with that rifle back as the owner just couldn't bring himself to pawn it off on some other fellow and decided he'd like a new barrel. When I took it back apart, I ran a piloted .010" tap through the action and set it up to face the receiver. The receiver face was WAY out of square with the threads/bolt bore. It took over .005" to clean up. It now has a stainless shilen on it, and I have yet to get to the range to see how it all shakes out. Hopefully it will be a rifle he won't want to get rid of after all this.

 

[Tarheelpwr]

I know this is an OLD thread, but it was exactly what I was after. I'm just about to get an old .243 (my first rifle) out and see how she does with 95 VLD classics. Hopefully she'll shoot well and I can make it into a nice mountain rifle.

If any of you still watch this thread, did any of you have the boat paddle stocks? Is there anything about them inherently bad? I like the fit and looks, call me crazy. Is it worth bedding the factory boat paddle and floating the barrel? I'd like to use the factory stock, but if not, what are some good aftermarket offerings? I know of Boyds and Richards MF, but I'm more of a Savage guy.

I know a new trigger is in order. I'm leaning towards the JARD 2#.

 

[Nomosendero]

You would have no choice anyway, that's why I went with a Rem 700 for 300WM, well among others.

 

[Tarheelpwr]

You would have no choice anyway, that's why I went with a Rem 700 for 300WM, well among others.

I'm not looking to drop big money on a McMillian, but I was hoping there were other options than Hogue or a laminate. Hopefully the boat paddle shoots and I don't have to mess with it. Worst case I can get a laminate and remove wood from non-essential places to shave weight.

 

[Trickymissfit]

years back I had two of the M77's with the tang safety. Got one new in the box and picked up the second on used. Both were 6mm Remington chambers. The new one was a heavy barreled version while the used one had the standard barrel. Oddly both chambers were within one thousandth of each other, and really close enough to switch barrels (other than bedding). Looked like Ruger only owned one 6mm reamer!
Oddly the used rifle shot 1.25" five shot groups with a bedding issue. While the newer rifle shot 3.75" five shot groups! The newer rifle had several issues from the factory, but the worst was a crooked chamber, and a horrible crown. I called in a marker and got a guy to rebuild it. He also reworked the scope mounts as they were not machined right. He did a trigger job like I'd never thought could have been done (2lb. with zero creep & over travel). Felt like glass breaking! First group out was 3/4" using 87 grain Hornady bullets over H414. He called and asked me how it shot, and I told him 3/4". The following week I was shooting .38" groups (five shot) with the same bullets. With a die switch, I got down into the low threes. Then I started working with the other rifle (no load development at all). I rebedded the bad area (it wasn't Ruger's fault), and lapped the crown. It shot 3/4" groups.

While this was going on my brother developed a serious .257 Roberts "jones". He had three M77's, a #1, and a Remington 700 Mountain Rifle. He later comes into another #1. All shot 3/4" or better. Even later he rechambers one of the #1's and a M77 to .257AI. Still shot .75" groups. Now that's seven rifles shooting .75" or less! That's coming from a non Ruger fan, I might add here.

gary

 

[FEENIX]

I know this is an OLD thread, but it was exactly what I was after. I'm just about to get an old .243 (my first rifle) out and see how she does with 95 VLD classics. Hopefully she'll shoot well and I can make it into a nice mountain rifle.

If any of you still watch this thread, did any of you have the boat paddle stocks? Is there anything about them inherently bad? I like the fit and looks, call me crazy. Is it worth bedding the factory boat paddle and floating the barrel? I'd like to use the factory stock, but if not, what are some good aftermarket offerings? I know of Boyds and Richards MF, but I'm more of a Savage guy.

I know a new trigger is in order. I'm leaning towards the JARD 2#.

I have one in .338 Win Mag and changed the paddle stock to B&C and spec-tech trigger >>> http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f22/ruger-m77-mkii-facelift-range-report-40952/

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

One thing that helped my 6.5 Creedmoor more than anything to eliminate fliers was to take a little metal off the mortices in the bottom of the mag box where the bottom metal holds it in place. . Trigger guard and front hanger/ escutcheon. . I used a 3 corner and took less than 1/16" off so the mag box is slightly loose and it has a little wiggle ito it. . Just that alone dropped my groups from 5/8" down into the. .3" .
I snipped 1 1/4 turns off the trigger spring and that fixed the trigger. Put it in a Boyd's laminate stock. Seriously openeb up the barrel channel. Epoxy bedded it. Its my go to rifle now. . I'm getting 3/4-1" groups at 300 with it now with 43 gr of H4350 and 140 gr Berger Hunting VLD. Of the over 30 Ruger M77 mk2s I've had some shot better than others. But none shot bad.

 

[Tarheelpwr]

One thing that helped my 6.5 Creedmoor more than anything to eliminate fliers was to take a little metal off the mortices in the bottom of the mag box where the bottom metal holds it in place. . Trigger guard and front hanger/ escutcheon. . I used a 3 corner and took less than 1/16" off so the mag box is slightly loose and it has a little wiggle ito it. . Just that alone dropped my groups from 5/8" down into the. .3" .
I snipped 1 1/4 turns off the trigger spring and that fixed the trigger. Put it in a Boyd's laminate stock. Seriously openeb up the barrel channel. Epoxy bedded it. Its my go to rifle now. . I'm getting 3/4-1" groups at 300 with it now with 43 gr of H4350 and 140 gr Berger Hunting VLD. Of the over 30 Ruger M77 mk2s I've had some shot better than others. But none shot bad.

That's promising. If mine starts out shooting 5/8, I'll be thrilled and call it a day for the purposes of this gun.