Ruger M77 Mark 2 free floating job gone bad

[deaddog]

I recently free floated the barrel on a ruger M77 Mark 2 and it seems to have made it shoot way worse than before. Im having a hard time finding a factory replacement stock that isnt free floated like the original stock. Does anyone have any ideas on what might help restore the accuracy that it had?

 

[westcliffe01]

Action bedding job. Nothing wrong with free floating the barrel. How skinny is the barrel ? If you have a sporter, you may need to hand load to find the right vibration node. Are you shooting factory ammo ?

Your result could simply be from the difference in how you go about putting the action back in the stock. You did seat the recoil lug against the stock before you (fully) tightened the action screws, did you not ?

 

[deaddog]

It does have a sporter barrel and I have been hand loading for it. Its a 270 Win and I tried some berger 130 grain hybrid hunters and 130 grain sierra game kings. I can get them both to shoot a 3/4 to 7/8 inch group with a 3 shot group but the next day when I go back to the range to shoot a 5 shot group to make sure the load is good it will shoot a 3 inch group. I recently order a wheeler fat wrench for the action screws but it hasnt arrived yet. I have tried H4350 and H4831 with CCI Br-2 primers and both give me the same results.

 

[J E Custom]

One other thing you can try is to place a small bit of bedding where the tip pressure on the stock was
and install the barreled action and give it time to cure. It should end up being about the size of a
quarter.

What this does is dampen the light barrels with out placing upward pressure on the barrel.

It still allows the barrel to grow when heated and seems to work on some barrels and ammo.

I found out it really works on the Accumarks (Big calibers and small barrels.

For many years bench rest shooters have installed forearm screws to "Tune" there barrels.

Try this trick before you buy a new stock.

J E CUSTOM

 

[westcliffe01]

If you have not bedded the action, you need to do it. Lightweight barreled actions are hard on the bedding and need every bit of damping that they can get since the barrels are so whippy to begin with.

 

[Joe King]

I agree with westcliffe01

 

[westcliffe01]

Is the Ruger one of those with the flat action ? I'm trying to think which are similar ? I know my TC Icon is also flat on the bottom.

OK, found a picture

Based on the image above, it looks like a 3 pillar bedding job would be the best. The recoil lug does not look very big, so I would recommend either chopped fiberglass or carbon fiber as filler in that area. You want something really strong and hard.

 

[deaddog]

Thanks for all the ideas. I think I'll get me some bedding products and give it a try. If I bed out on the fore end do I need to take out an extra 3/16 so there is plenty of area for the bedding compound? I am new to the art of gun smithing so is bedding the action something I should try by myself or have a gun smith do? I have herd that rugers can be tricky. I have also looked into a limb savor for the gun do you think that would help with barrel harmonics? Westcliffe01 it does look very similar to that. The front action screw goes in on a angle due to the hinged floor plate. I also received my fat wrench today so if anyone has the specs on how tight the action screws need to be that would be helpful.

 

[westcliffe01]

Probably 90% of the trouble with an action like that is that it is "semi finished". Combine that with mass produced wood stocks and it should be no surprise that the bedding is not good.

Yes, I would remove about 1/8" of material behind the recoil lug to provide room for a really good strong piece of bedding in that area. Make sure that the recoil lug is not bottoming out ! If you go here Fiberglass Supply- Fillers and Modifiers and scroll past all the inappropriate fillers for bedding to the "cotton flock" and the milled fiberglass and carbon fiber, that is what you are looking for. Get the shorter fibers for bedding because you do need the stuff to "flow" a little. You mix the resin first, then mix in fibers until it starts stiffening up. Remember, the fiber gives it strength, resin on its own will crack easily ! It will take a lot of fiber and stir it good. I think the recoil lug is the most important area and remember not to torque down the action screws tight when waiting for it to set up.

Then I would go back afterwards and drill and measure for pillars and then install the pillars. The pillars should take the full compression of the action screws. Not sure if a pillar would be possible for the front action screw, I don't know how much wood you have in that position.