Ruger M77 Glass Bedding

Ruger/Brownell

Yeah, those two fellows collaborated on the original stock design, but I suspect that Len's input was mostly on the exterior/appearance. Ruger new what he wanted,and Brwonell came up with the stock, aesthetically.

Seems I've read the intention of the angled angled front action screw to draw the action down and back, and theoretically eliminate some of the bedding issues associated with vertical screws with down pressure only, and fitting of the recoil lug. I should add the a guy named Jim Sullivan was the lead engineer on the project....I dunno who's idea the angled bedding screw was of the three, but again, Brownell's was largely aesthetic. I'll go down to my Ruger book and check. Seems as I recall a Bill Ruger quote on this.

The Sullivan/ruger theory was good, but early versions of his rifle were sometimes compromised with barrels supplied by contractors. New rifles with Ruger barrels supposedly do much better overall.

I can rememeber another Bill Ruger comment to the effect that he wanted the rifle as sleek as possible...., then he went off on a business trip or hunting, and when he returned, the magazine capacity was higher,and the stock more beefy than he intended, but it was done, and he wanted to get it on the market, so slimming the M77 was left until the release of the MkII.
 
Perhaps every Ruger M77 has had the forward pressure point removed because the previous owner(s) learned that it caused the rifle to shoot inaccurately. The pressure point in the Ruger walnut stock certainly affected accuracy but the effects also depended on temperature and humidity. Eliminating the pressure point variable enabled shooters (including me) to shoot my M77 more accurately, although I believe my glass bedding was a more significant factor.
 
Ruger wood

My M77 I mentioned definitely has way more wood on the fore end that needs to be there (IMO), but it was my thought that that was probably part of the design with the angled lug and fore end tip pressure point for accuracy's sake. Interesting that you mentioned the extra wood deal. My old 10/22 (made in '66)) has lots of wood on the fore end, too; thought that that was just one of Ruger's trademarks. Again, I've never had to alter my old 6MM; a good hunting shooter, and no need to make any alterations. That rifle has near 1000 rds. through it (used to shoot prairie dogs with it), and the accuracy is still there (reload for it, too).

In the mid 80s, I had another M77 in .280 Rem. (tang safety, and wish I still had that one), and it had a very nicely figured piece of walnut, and a much sleeker fore end than my 6MM. I did have to remove the pressure point on that one (yes, it too had the barrel bump) to make it shoot. I did bed the action on that one (no pillars) to make it shoot; I did kill a couple of elk with it, but it never had the accuracy that my 6MM still does. Still, it was a good rifle. I used the 154 grn. Hornady spire point in my reloads for that rifle with good effect on elk.
 
Thanks all for the great feedback. I've been doing some more research and plan on doing the following:

1. Glass bed the front and back of the action. Are the two areas outlined in red in the picture below the two areas I need to bed?
2. File/grind down the magazine box (see picture below). I've been researching online and on another site I read how the magazine box provides pressure on the stock and should be ground down so that it is actually a little loose when the screws are tightened to spec. I checked mine and the magazine box is tight.
3. Buy a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad. Mine has the original factory pad and it kicks like a mule.
4. Take apart the trigger and polish and grease the sear and trigger (no grinding). I've adjusted the weight of pull screw and from my homemade scale I would estimate the weight of pull to be around 6 pounds. I would like to get it somewhere around 4 pounds. I contemplated buying a Rifle Basix RU-T Sear but I think I can get it close to the 4 pound mark.
5. Maybe order new receiver screws? Right now I have flat-head screws. Would allen screws be a better option?
6. Tighten the receiver screws to spec. From what I've read the front screw should be 95 inch pounds and the back two should tightened and then backed off 1/8th turn, correct?

I'll try shooting it after these mods are done. If accuracy is good, I'll call it a day. If not, I'll try adding a dab of bedding near the front of the fore-end.

Thanks again!
 

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Kicks like a mule...

pmsmith2032,

As to your point #3 in your last post, I too have a couple of '06s (actually 3), and I generally concur on the recoil regarding mules. I do have one of those Pac-decels as you mention, but I also have a pad I use frequently during range sessions. I got mine from Buffalo Arms, and it's a Rand Elite, a very good pad.

I used my old '68 vintage M700 ADL, '06, to tag my 4X4 Wyoming mulie just last week, and it's got the old original aluminum butt plate. At the range doing sighters, it's a sadist's delight, but not with a good pad. As I don't use a pad when hunting, I never feel the recoil at the shot; adrenaline and a shooter buck, I guess, explains that.

Check this out; a little spendy, but worth the bucks, IMO. This is the one I got, but there's more sizes.

www.buffaloarms.com/large-right-shield-rand-elite-recoil-shield-lrs
 
Ruger /Brownell/Sullivan

I just checked my Ruger book. Len Brownell and Jim Sullivan were hired about the same time. Sullivan claims he worked out a stock to satisfy the inletting aspect, and Brownell got a real chuckle out of it. Brownell was free to work on the appearance, exterior, within Ruger's guidelines.

Sullivan claimed that Ruger came up with the diagonal bedding screw "out of the blue" and went on to tout same as a solution to many of the bedding issues associated with vertical bedding screws. Remember, this is Sullivan/Ruger, not me. The bump for forend pressure is not discussed in the text one way or the other. I'd go look on my early 77V, but it is so deep in the safe, it's too much trouble. Seems like it does have a bump. It darn sure will shoot, I suspect the contract 77V barrels were first rate. I have never heard of anyone who had a bad shooting 77V.
 
I'd go look on my early 77V, but it is so deep in the safe, it's too much trouble. Seems like it does have a bump. It darn sure will shoot, I suspect the contract 77V barrels were first rate. I have never heard of anyone who had a bad shooting 77V.
Click to expand...
Same here.
Great shooters, and very long-lived, by nearly all accounts.

The worst decision I ever made with a Ruger was rebarreling my 77V/T .220 Swift to a 6mm Wildcat. -- I was tired of the annealing, case trimming, reaming, neck turning, etc. -- Great barrel. Even with over 3,200 rounds down the pipe, it looked pristine. A predator control guy in Montana bought it from me, to put on his own .220 Swift 77V that was shot out (he figured in excess of 12,000 rounds). Last I heard, "my" barrel was still Kickin' Nass and Takin' Manes.
 
Frankenmauser, as I said, if a rifle shoots better with a pressure point something is screwed up. In the instance of your illustration, the stress relief process on your barrel is what was screwed up.
 
For spot bedding they are the areas , a complete bed is 1" forward of the lug all the way back to the rear post , uses more bedding compound , harder cleanup . Is the barrel free floated ? What is the torque setting on your rifle. My stock was free floating HS precision stock , the torque setting is 65" lbs. on both stock screws , with the rifle in place I put electrical tape around the barrel about 3" in to level the barrel , also placed a register mark by using masking tape on the end of the stock to match up with the tape & mark on the lower part of the barrel , just to keep everything squared up when setting the barrel & action into the stock .
 
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