Accurizing an m77 hawkeye?

H

HALLAUSTIN

New member
Anyone out there have one they've worked on? I'm wondering what to do to it. There's bedding, but bed the action or the action and barrel? Should I freefloat the barrel? I've got a .204 hawkeye that i just want to give the best chance possible of being a great rifle. Any help on this one?
 
I have a couple and have had several more over the years. Bed the action and float the barrel. To me, the best thing to do to the 77 to improve accuracy is to do a trigger job on the godawful trigger that Ruger uses.
 
I have 2 77's, one has a boyds stock and the other a laminate wood stock that came "stock", I have to agree, get a TIMNEY..now!!! My friend has a 77 that he changed the trigger spring and added a boyds thumbhole but he still doesnt get the accuracy I do because he is to "cheap" to spring for a timney..I love Ruger rifles but those stock triggers are the worse!!!!
 
Honestly, the most efficient use of money is to trade it for an accurate rifle. I'm a big Ruger fan, but accuracy isn't the 77's strong suit. They are one of the most rugged dependable rifles ever made and would probably be my 1st choice in a DG rifle. They are generally more than adequate for big game hunting, but I've never seen one that I'd call a tack driver. Also the angled recoil lug limits what can be done.
 
I love the green mountain laminate that comes on the predator models, can't seem to find one for sale though. Ive only shot it at 50 yards (my range has a 250 but its being rebuilt) and haven't had it in a propper rest. I'm going to buy the timney because I've had great sucess with their AR triggers but I'd really like to find the stock predator stock. From there I guess I'll get out to a 100 yard range, our 250 will be back online in February. I'd like to be able to shoot quarter or nickle sized groups at 100 yards. It that's not possible then I'd settle for up to golf ball sized groups. If I can't do that I'll take jmr40's advice.
 
I have a Hawkeye in 223. Stainless with a synthetic stock. Out of the box it was accurate, but I wanted more. A Timney was added and the barrel floated. It shot pretty darn well at that point, but I wanted more. I liked the stock, so I kept it on there. I had the action all trued up, stock bedded, and a new Benchmark barrel. Really shoots good now, but I probably could have not added the new barrel.

I suppose that a quest for accuracy depends on your view of what accuracy really is. A new Hawkeye with a sporter weight barrel should shoot under an inch with handloads or with storebought ammo it likes. Mine was better than that before I started rubbing money on it. It's really accurate now, unless I compare it to my Tikka T3 with the #4 contour Brux barrel, which is amazing.
 
Barrels never get bedded on any rifle.
Not all rifles like a floated barrel. The only way to find out of your's does is to try it. A floated barrel does not touch the stock from the chamber area forward.
If accuracy doesn't at least become consistent(there's no guarantee of better accuracy. And some rifles just will not shoot an MOA never mind less.) put a pressure point back in about 2" from the end of the forestock with a wee dab of bedding material. Don't forget the release agent.
 
I'm guessing the op and other posters are referring to the older 77's because the newer ones I have use a pretty good trigger and are quite accurate.

I know the older versions could be hit or miss in accuracy due mainly to outsourcing of barrels, or so I've heard.

Bed the action
Float the barrel
make sure the magizine is just a bit loose and not accidentally being torqued down
 
I have to agree with voodoo, my older 77 Hawkeye is a decent shooter with the right handloads, my MKII 243 seems to like just about anything I put thru it lighter than 100's I get dime size groups @ 100 yds, sad to say 100 yds is all I have at the range I belong to.
 
Voodoo, I am referring to the older and newer 77s. They all have triggers that feel like they were made out of worn out files. I actually think the old trigger was better because you could at least get the creep out of it pretty easily.
 
I've yet to shoot it far enough to tell or had it in a rest to help with accuracy yet. Not saying mine in inaccurate, just want to possibly make it more accurate. I'll get to a 100 yard range ASAP and give you guys more info
 
As I mentioned, I put a Timney in my Hawkeye. The stock trigger had been too heavy, so I got the spring replaced. It was fine like that. I just wanted to see what the Timney could do for me. It was better, but not by a lot.

The grandson's 308 tang safety has a wonderful trigger. Per his uncle, who gave him the rifle, the trigger is pure stock with no modifications at all.

My tang safety 220 Swift has the original trigger, though I had the pull lightened. It's great, but real light.

Dad's old tang safety Ultralight had an awful trigger. I guess 20 odd years of hunting in bad weather without ever cleaning any part of the rifle must have caused that. When new the trigger was fine.

Back to my 223 Hawkeye. It turned out that the basis of my accuracy problems was the Nikon Monarch 4-16 scope. I spent money to fix what a new scope would have fixed. The Nikon was also pretty new, but had a mildly wandering POI. About drove me crazy till I figured out what might be wrong. Oh, well...
 
Voodoo, my mention of the Timney trigger was in reference to the Hawkeyes and Mk IIs.

The best way to improve a tang-safety M77 is to trade it for a Mk II.
(Yes, I own one [a V/T]. No, they're not bad rifles. The Mk II and Hawkeye are just better.)
 
Haven't had enough range to test yet. Zeroed it and then put up the repair stickers from my shoot-n-see targets and it'll its those every time, but thats no feat at 50 yds
 
My experience with Ruger Rifles have always been positive. All of my Ruger rifles have been sub-Moa, some taking more load development than others. The key is to torque that front action screw down first and get it to 95 in/lbs.

As of right now I have about 6 or 7 Hawkeyes in everything from 17 hornet and 6.5 creedmoor to 300 win mag. They are all just as accurate as my other hunting rifles such as Tikka, Savage and Winchester. They are all capable of sub-Moa 3 shot groups with handloads I have worked up for each. I have not bedded or free floated any of my Rugers, The only thing I've done is have a gunsmith lighten up the triggers. However, I will say the two stage trigger that comes standard on the predator models are excellent triggers.

Edit: Changed 95 ft/lbs to 95 in/lbs.
 
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