Ruger M77 accuracy

southernboy2147

Senior Member
hey yall, well my daddy has a rifle (7mm-08) that he bought for my older brother when he was about 12 (10-15 years ago). bought it brand new with a el cheapo reinfield (SP?) scope. the thing was very inaccurate after 90-100 yards, you just simply would not know where the bullet was gonna hit after that distance. when i turned 12 it was given to me and when i was 14 i saved up and put another scope on it (simmons 8 point). but the gun was still very inaccurate after 90-100 yards.

my grandpa bought a 22-250 ruger M77 years ago. he told me that after 3 shots back to back, only giving about 10-15 seconds between shots the barrel would get violently hot and be very inaccurate then.

anybody else have these issue's or have any accuracy issues with the M77?
 
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Wiskey_33

Senior Member
I don't have that issue with my M77 .270.

I'm using a Leupold 2x7.

I also don't have the issue of my barrel becoming "violently hot" after shooting three rounds.
 

southernboy2147

Senior Member
I don't have that issue with my M77 .270.

I'm using a Leupold 2x7.

I also don't have the issue of my barrel becoming "violently hot" after shooting three rounds.

i might have exaggerated there... but to hot to touch for more than a half a second
 

Doc_Holliday23

Senior Member
My M77-Mk II shoots into an inch with a bone-stock trigger and a Simmons Aetec. Been doing it since I got it 13 years ago.
 

deast1988

Senior Member
What round you shooting? 7mm/08 tends to be accurate. Plus it's modest is your barrel super thin? My m77s all three shoot 1.5ins or smaller at 100yds. We've got a .22 hornet, and 2 .280s one is one of the original m77s from way back. It's the one that opens up with fliers after the first round. But still 1.5in to 2in groups.
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
I have an old M77 .300winmag that is completely stock, and probably the most accurate centerfire rifle I have ever owned. Shoots well under an inch at 100 with a Bushnell scope. Never noticed the barrel being any hotter than any other rifle.
 

southernboy2147

Senior Member
What round you shooting? 7mm/08 tends to be accurate. Plus it's modest is your barrel super thin? My m77s all three shoot 1.5ins or smaller at 100yds. We've got a .22 hornet, and 2 .280s one is one of the original m77s from way back. It's the one that opens up with fliers after the first round. But still 1.5in to 2in groups.

in my 7mm0-08 ive tried federals 120 grain i think.. and 140 grain. then the cheap winchester 140 grains.

and no sir the barrel is just as thick as all other m77 ive seen.
 

Wiskey_33

Senior Member
Clean the barrel lately?
 

B Man

Senior Member
Have you tried Remington core lokts or winchester ballistic silver tips? Every M77 I have shoot one of those two very well.
 

cpowel10

Senior Member
I love my M77 in 7 mag. It doesn't shoot any 140 grn bullet worth a flip, but it shoots 150 and 175 grn core lokts very well.
 

deast1988

Senior Member
Get it to a gun smith have them factory clean it spotless. Then get multiple stuff to run through it your gun could be picky. Try heavier like 150 or 160gr or copper like Barnes. You could try intermediate like 139gr stuff also.
 

southernboy2147

Senior Member
I love my M77 in 7 mag. It doesn't shoot any 140 grn bullet worth a flip, but it shoots 150 and 175 grn core lokts very well.

the 150s dont have dont to well out of my savage 7mm but this is a 7mm-08

Get it to a gun smith have them factory clean it spotless. Then get multiple stuff to run through it your gun could be picky. Try heavier like 150 or 160gr or copper like Barnes. You could try intermediate like 139gr stuff also.

i never been able to find any bigger than 140 in 7mm-08
 

southernboy2147

Senior Member
its not a gun that even gets shot anymore, i imagine i would shoot it more if it was accurate. just wondering if anybody has had these issues. i dont think having a gun smith clean it would make a difference as it has done this since it was brand new.
 

deast1988

Senior Member
Norma is factory loading 156gr oryx
Double tap does 160 nosler partitions

Federal did offer a 160 loaded partition those soft point bullets would still give expansion on whitetail. But would also be hogs bear elk capable rounds inside the effective range of the round.
 

SCDieselDawg

Senior Member
A few things come to mind.

Loose screws holding the action in the stock.
Loose screws in the scope mounts.
Copper fouling in the barrel
Bedding issues in the stock
Dent or Nick in the crown
 

Wiskey_33

Senior Member
I'd start looking at the scope/mount if the barrel is clean.
 

southernboy2147

Senior Member
A few things come to mind.

Loose screws holding the action in the stock.
Loose screws in the scope mounts.
Copper fouling in the barrel
Bedding issues in the stock
Dent or Nick in the crown

u know alot more about firearms than i do lol.. i dont know what none of this means but the 2nd one
 

SCDieselDawg

Senior Member
u know alot more about firearms than i do lol.. i dont know what none of this means but the 2nd one

Lol! I'm a gun nut! Check the bolts that hold the gun in the stock. Usually 2 or 3 of them. They need to be tight but not He-Man tight.

Copper fouling is often over looked. Most people clean the carbon build up out of the barrel. But some don't put the time in to clean the copper out. Usually a solvent such as butch's bore shine or sweets 7.62 and 15-20 minutes of elbow grease takes care of this. But if your gun has had this accuracy issue since day one then I don't believe copper is your problem.

"Bedded" often times the action doesn't fit in the stock properly. Bedding the action into the stock offers a uniform contact point between the action and the stock. Thus removing any conflict between the action and the stock. This process is recommended to be the last performed to increase accuracy.

The crown is the exit end of the barrel. If a dent or nick is present near the edge of the bore, gasses escape around the bullet as it exits therefore causing the bullet to loose its balance.
 

NE GA Pappy

Mr. Pappy
A few things come to mind.

Loose screws holding the action in the stock.
Loose screws in the scope mounts.
Copper fouling in the barrel
Bedding issues in the stock
Dent or Nick in the crown

Here is your answer.... I would check the action screws first, the scope mounting. 3) check the crown on muzzle, 4) check the bedding. I would bet you are gonna find a bedding issue.

Doesn't sound like it has been shot enough to create a big copper fouling problem.
 
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