Ruger M77 Rifle

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pmsmith2032

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I have a 1988 Ruger M77 with the tang safety and a factory laminate stock that I have some questions about:

1. I free floated the barrel a year or so ago but have noticed accuracy hasn't improved. Rather, it seems it has gotten worse. I haven't been able to shoot much since I did it (a couple of times), but I truly believe it is being affected adversely. When I was out shooting this past week I was getting a couple of shots that would group together and then a couple of shots would be 4 inches or so higher (left to right seemed fine). Then the next few would be lower again. I took a piece of cardboard and slid it between the forearm (at the end and the barrel) and barrel and accuracy definitely seemed to increase. The cardboard was snug. Is this typical?

2. Is this a good rifle to build on/modify or should I consider buying something new?

3. The trigger on the rifle is stock. Is it best to to take it to a gunsmith and have them adjust it or buy a new trigger? If I buy a new trigger, what type/brand is best and do I need to have a gunsmith install it?

4. I am also thinking about bedding the action. I've seen a "how to" on other sites. Is this something I can do my self (I am pretty handy and have plenty of tools etc)?

5. I would like to add a better recoil bad...any suggestions on the best brand/type? I want something that fits well so I'm thinking a grind-to-fit. Maybe a limbsaver or pachmayr? Any other tips on reducing recoil?

6. Should I keep the laminate stock or consider a synthetic?

6. Any other suggestions on how to improve the rifle? It was a graduation gift years ago so has a lot of sentimental value and I would prefer to keep it if possible.

Thanks!
 
My experience with Ruger 77's was similar- they seem to need some fore end pressure, or full length bedding.

Meh- they are pretty basic bolt guns. I own two, and I'm happy with them, but they're not show pieces.

Stock trigger can be modified fairly easily. Let me see if I can find a link...

Bedding- yes. Fore end pressure. Yes.

Recoil pad- I like the Pachmayer Sporting Clays pad.

I wouldn't spend any money on the stock.

Better glass. My attachment to mine is strictly sentimental as well.
 
Thanks Slopemeno. This is strictly a deer hunting rifle so I'm not super concerned with how it looks. Is the bedding something I can do myself and if so, is there a kit you recommend? I already have a Leupold scope on it (not sure on the model)....do I need to upgrade?
 
Some of the older Ruger rifles has barrels made by Wilson which can be all over the place in their accuracy. Some were super accurate and some were not very accurate at all.
Most will respond well to lapping but that is a lot of work. You can also try fire-lapping it is also usually helpful.
See this link.

http://www.neconos.com/details2.htm

I would start by glass bedding and maybe adjusting the trigger.

If you handload your own ammo you can try a few different powders and bullets too.

I would not change the stock. The ones Ruger used are as good as any and better than most.
 
I looked for synthetic stocks for my 77 Hawkeye; there really aren't as many options out there as one might think for such a popular big name firearm. I don't know about you, but I won't spend $700.00 on a synthetic stock when the whole rifle sells for less than $800.00.

I bought a Bell & Carlson medalist for a Weatherby Vanguard a while back and found it to be top quality and bargain priced compared to other brands in its class. Sadly they don't make it for a Ruger 77 ( unless something happened very recently that I don't know of ). I'm not sure why but perhaps the action with its unique angled recoil lug system presents some sort of challenge... just guessing there.

I also learned that some of the camo stocked Rugers available are not synthetic as I had assumed, but wood laminates with a camo patterned screened on.
 
Yes, I have the laminated stock. When I got the rifle I thought I remember it being better than wood but not as good as laminate.
 

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Ruger bought barrels from outside vendors for those rifles. Some were Wilson, others from who knows where. Some shot great, some horrible.

Because of the angled action screw most of them shoot better full length bedded. I've seen some guys have success free floating them, but as a rule it doesn't help.

Full length bedding of the barrel may help. Or it may just be trade bait.
 
After having a new barrel installed on my M77 Mark II, and installing a Timney trigger and new Hogue full length bed block stock, I could not get the rifle to shoot less than 2 MOA with anything I put through it. After playing around shimming the action with mixed results I finally skim bedded and the gun now shoots sub MOA. There are plenty of videos on YouTube on how to do it and now that I've done a couple I'm not sure why I was so nervous about doing it to begin with. It is as easy as they make it look, just make sure you don't forget to lube/tape everywhere the bedding agent is going to touch that you don't what it to remain.
 
Yes, I would try skim bedding the action to begin with and if that does not produce the desired results try adding pressure points in the barrel channel. I would not full length bed until I exhausted all other options since it may not be needed.

Midway and Brownell's both sell bedding agents but I just used JB Weld. It is almost as strong and both cheaper and available locally.
 
You are not alone. I have an '82 M77 in 7mm Mag that is at the smith getting a trigger job now - the trigger pull was so stiff you'd swear the safety was on. I'm also having him try to get the copper fouling out - I just wasn't able to get it done.

My groups were softball sized at 100 yards from a rest but the shots were all over the place. If you are getting "strings" where they group laterally but not vertically it could be a bedding problem - or so I've heard.

Good luck.
 
Free floating any barrel guarantees' nothing. Pretty much does nothing at all if you don't also bed the action as well.
Every rifle is different. Some like a floated barrel, some do not. Your's appears not to. Putting a pressure point back in is not difficult nor expensive. Takes a dab of bedding material(epoxy, et al) about 1 to 2 inches from the end of the forestock. Where the bit of cardboard is will do nicely.
JB Weld is epoxy with metal powder in it. Vs Acraglas that is epoxy with powdered fibreglass in it. Both do the same thing. Makes the action and stock one piece. Pillar bedding is the action sitting on steel tubes that keep the action and stock separate. Either one will do.
Barrel channels are NEVER bedded over the full length.
Remember that sub MOA groups are not necessary for any hunting rifle. Consistent groups are what's important.
 
Ruger

As noted, many rifles like a bit of up pressure at the forend tip to shot better. If your rifle continues to respond to a temporary shim, you can epoxy same, or similar arrangement tactfully in place. Several of my rifles have a strip of credit card tucked in the barrel channel up front.

The tang safety M77's had a small hex screw at the trigger (just ahead or behind the blade) that allowed a slight owner adjustment for pull weight. You might check yours and be satisfied with results w/o a 'smith.

I can't say about builds or mods, but conventional/screw in barreled sporters are pretty much a gunsmith/skill project to rebarrel or rechamber. You can swap stocks as noted. Sombody likely makes an after market trigger. The M77 are intended as a no frills hunting rifle and are pretty good at that as delivered. Seems as if you don't see a Ruger action, especially a tang safety model, much on custom rifles. The diagonal bedding screw is oft criticized as not the best arrangement, despite what Bill Ruger thought.

I'm a Kick-eeze pad fan, but they are not the most durable and can sometimes tear, but the space rubber stuff, like the Limbsaver, does help. I've got friends who run a stock fitting/ pad service, and can arrange for a new one if I booger one badly enough.

I'd like a laminate over a full synthetic, unless I was absolutely set on reducing weight. Laminate tends to be heavy, which might help some with recoil. Most synthetics trend on the light side. Lighter equals more recoil.
Curious, what caliber is your rifle?

I'd not part with a gift rifle. My own stance....I see it as disrespectful, but not everybody sees it that way. Plus, you'll only have one rifle that was a grad gift. There are lots of others you can buy to experiment with, but you let the gift rifle go, you'll likely never get it back.
 
I've had 5 Ruger 77's of various models. All shot real well, but shot better with Timney triggers. Barrel quality was never an issue with the rifles we had. Only the newest Hawkeye and the oldest (77V) have been bedded.

The most surprising of the 77's was Dad's Ultralight in 270, which we kids gave him back in the 1980's. Till Dad passed away, it was never shot for groups. The trigger, after years of rain and mud, was gritty - to put it mildly. So, a new trigger and a good cleaning and some reloads and that old rifle shot cloverleaf groups. I was stunned and pleased, and I passed it along to Dad's favorite great grandson.

As for the factory trigger, a new and lighter spring (which is extremely easy to install) can take you from 4 pounds to 2 pounds. The first time I had that done, I took the rifle to a gunsmith. I watched him do it. I think he was embarrassed to charge me, since it was so easy.

If it was my rifle, I'd just go ahead and put a Timney trigger in, and do it myself. I'd freefloat the barrel, which I guess has been done. Then I'd work up reloads. If that didn't give me what I wanted, I'd go for a basic bedding job and have a gunsmith square up the action and lugs. Personally, I'd expect the trigger job, free float, and reloads to give me the accuracy I sought, unless I was expecting benchrest accuracy.
 
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I haven't seen anyone mention it but have you made absolutely certain your bore is clean and free of copper fouling? I loaded 40 rounds for my buddy because his loading bench was full of homebuilt airplane parts. He gave me a dummy round and the brass, powder and primers with his bullets and when he shot a couple to check zero the group was a little over 2". He asked what I did wrong. I asked if he had cleaned his gun in the last year since cleaning guns is low on his to do list.

So we cleaned the barrel with some Barnes CR-10 and got several bright blue patches. After a good cleaning the rounds I loaded went back to 1/2" to 3/4" groups.
 
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