Pillar bedding Ruger M77 Mark II

[gmoney_2]

Recently got a Ruger m77 Mark II in 30-06. All factory with wood stock. Got into guns and reloading in the last couple years and enjoy tinkering. I'm interested in pillar and glass bedding this rifle although I have zero smithing experience. I've watched lots of videos and read some articles. I've gone so far as buying the pillars and epoxy and a piloted drill bit for the pillars. Just having some second thoughts about doing this for the first time particularly with the front action screw angle on the Ruger M77. Any advice or words of caution?

 

[Danny1788]

my advice is to glue the pillar in place with minimal bedding compound to set the front pillar first, then bed the action.

 

[MagnumManiac]

This was my specialty on Rugers'.
Buy the correct kit from Brownell's, unless you are a machinist and can turn up and mill your own pillar with the 60° relief cut for the front pillar.
When I did these, I did both pillars at the same time, then once set after 48 hours, I did the entire action into the stock and also put a brass screw through the wrist of the stock and another between the magazine cutout and trigger well cutout.
I am yet to see a factory wood stock from Ruger that DIDN'T crack there.
Whether it's 77 with tang safety or a MKII, when you relieve the pressure point in fore end, the entire stock will drop about .040"-.050", this clearance needs to be filled to level the stock again. If you don't do this, it will not sit square in the stock or level and will bind the magazine box.
By levelling the action to the stock by placing electrical tape under the barrel and under the action in strategic spots, the pillars will sit just right as they cure and no binding will take place.

Cheers.

 

[huntforfood]

I just did my mark 2 in a boyds stock with brownells pillars and bedded the action, trigger guard and mag/recoil lug screw area. first time doing bedding so i went with most difficult action, lol. I am an engineer, no machinst, and only had a drill press with small vice and angle adjustment. u will be lomoted by ur tools and planning. I used new drill bits, no pilot for the pillars. I was able to control the drill press and witha small vise to get 60 deg hole for front pillar. You have more room for error as you can fill in with epoxy and can oversoeze hole, i went to 9/16. I over sized front hole so I could drop in action with pillars attached, o set pillars woth action in place. Like Magnum Mamic said its a 2 to 3 part job. set pillars ,set action, do trigger guard and mag well screw. You have to plan your work and it takes time but is doable. If you have ADD dont do it hahaha. I used marine tex gray epoxy. and it turned out good, i am doing 5 different rifles so still have to reassemble everything.

 

[huntforfood]

Also, the tang hole is actual most difficult part as you have to drill out the existing hole but not breakout out the top edge of action well or trigger guard well cutouts. This requires 3 inches of travel to drill straight and not wander. many say drill trigger guard to action, which is true, but dont go all the way. stop about .5 to 1 inch short of top of action Then flip stock over and drill from action side and meet up with previois hole. use prexeisting holes to guide drill from each side. the pilot drill may assist and I should have bought one but u could still drift off to the side either way amd ruin the stock by trying to go all the way thru, luckily i stopped short and realized this before i fiinished.

 

[gmoney_2]

Thank you for your advice! I just got a Boyd's stock for a Winchester model 70. I ordered it with pillars already in place. So I'll bed this one first for some practice since it should be a little more strait forward.

 

[huntforfood]

Ur welcome, if I ever buy another Boyds it will have pillars from the factory. Makes bedding so much easier and probably less cost than dooog yoirself unless i already have tools.

 

[TomBruto]

I agree with Magnum and huntforfood, when i did mine, it was at least a two step process. I am fixing to do another M77 in 243, and will have to remember what i did the first time. I know i did the pillars first and then bedded the action. I plan on doing that this time, but will probably wait until after the pillars are bedded to inlet for the action bedding. I cant remember if i did that the first time, but it would help keep things lined up while doing the pillars. Will still need to use electric tape on the barrel to align it in the barrel channel though. I havent seen the splitting of the stock at the wrist or between the mag and trigger, but that would definately strengthen the area. I need to look into it some more, but i dont think that happened on my 7mm mag.

 

[MagnumManiac]

I agree with Magnum and huntforfood, when i did mine, it was at least a two step process. I am fixing to do another M77 in 243, and will have to remember what i did the first time. I know i did the pillars first and then bedded the action. I plan on doing that this time, but will probably wait until after the pillars are bedded to inlet for the action bedding. I cant remember if i did that the first time, but it would help keep things lined up while doing the pillars. Will still need to use electric tape on the barrel to align it in the barrel channel though. I havent seen the splitting of the stock at the wrist or between the mag and trigger, but that would definately strengthen the area. I need to look into it some more, but i dont think that happened on my 7mm mag.

The split between the mag well and trigger aren't normally visible until you pull that area apart slightly….have even seen small cartridges like 223 and 22-250 split in that area.
So, the procedure should be pillars first, screws through wrist and between mag/trigger wells, then the entire action, not just the recoil lug and tang area. As I stated, Ruger's are notorious for bending when the middle screw is tightened, to avoid this, bed the ENTIRE action into the stock and only ever put 15inch/pounds onto that screw, snug enough that it won't rattle loose.

Cheers.

 

[HSmithTX]

MagnumMania, do you happen to have a picture of the screws through the wrist and mag/trigger wells. I have a couple of the old tang safety guns and enjoy 'working' on stuff, might be a good project. One is fully bedded already and the other has only had the stock sealed up completely to prevent moisture changes, I've been thinking I should go ahead and bed that one......

 

[MagnumManiac]

MagnumMania, do you happen to have a picture of the screws through the wrist and mag/trigger wells. I have a couple of the old tang safety guns and enjoy 'working' on stuff, might be a good project. One is fully bedded already and the other has only had the stock sealed up completely to prevent moisture changes, I've been thinking I should go ahead and bed that one......

Sorry I do not have any pictures of the screws, but they are brass, the one through the wrist is 1/8" and the one through the trigger well is smaller.
I put them in so the head sticks out above the timber so I can cut the heads of flush with the timber, then it is covered by the bedding.

Cheers.

 

[HSmithTX]

I appreciate the reply, I can picture the screw through the wrist but the mag/trigger well one isn't clear in my mind yet. Guess it's time to pull one apart and look at it. Thank you!