Ruger M77 Mark II Accuracy

Teri Anne said:

If that was the case wouldn't simply replacing the crap barrel cure the issue? Seems to work with most other rifles that have crappy accuracy after the barrel has been floated and a new trigger installed.

Click to expand...

Might have. I went further than I wanted with the other work (mine were new). Dumped them and never touched another Ruger in any shape or form. Even got rid of my 10-22 and had no regrets. "Fool me once"

Best fix is to rebarreled. Played the bedding,trigger, reloading game with a 280 never did improve it. Had it rebarreled with a PacNor. Done deal

Mike Matteson said:

I have a Ruger Mark 11 in 338 WM. It's been a tack driver, and has been my go to rifle for larger game animuals. I did have a trigger placed into the rifle. I hated the 8lbs trigger pull that came stock. I didn't bed the action. It didn't need it. The rifle was built in the late 1990's. I did place a muzzel brake on it. What a different too. Hand loads only. I don't use manufactor ammo.

Click to expand...

The OP didn't mention the stock type on his Mark Ii Ruger but I did review a couple during the mid 90's.

The first was a .338 which dropped 5 shots into about .8" consistently. So consistently in fact, that I asked for a 2nd rifle to see if I had a freak.

The 2nd was equal to the first so that's the way I wrote it up. Triggers were fine as set. Did another a while later in .223 with similar/same accuracy so my impression of these synthetic, all with the what is now termed (boat paddle stocks) was impressive. I bought one of the .338's and no writer buys every rifle he reviews, only the standouts.

Because these rifles were imported, we tended to get them in similar styles/batches/configurations meaning no wood stocked versions that I saw. Some may have appeared in later import batches.

Only handloads were used in the reviews. Writers were seldom supported with factory ammunition.

MagnumManiac said:

I can tell you how to accursed your Ruger.
For it to work, you must do it exactly like this. I did this full time turning many Rugers into phenomenal shooters. Including my own 25-06.
First, open the barrel channel and remove the pressure point, if a wooden stock.
Change the trigger, I used Timney, but any good quality trigger will do.
If the stock is wood, buy the Brownell's pillar bedding kit, you bed this TIGHT with no reliefs, use all thread rods, turned aluminium cones to centre everything and bed the front pillar first, then the tang after the front one has cured. I did them together, but I had fixtures to keep everything level.
After this, bed the ENTIRE action in the stock, remove the trigger assembly, fill all voids and make dams where you don't want the epoxy to go. Bed EVERYTHING!
Make sure the action sits level in the stock.
Lastly, bed under the chamber on the barrel, this can be done while bedding the rest, but often gets better results doing it last.
You want a completely stress free bedding, DO NOT tighten ANY screws while bedding, use screws as guides, then strap the action onto the stock with surgical tubing.
Follow normal bedding directions using release agent and all bedding instruction.
If successful, the action will be tight in the stock, but not so much that it is difficult to remove.
The reason wooden stocked Rugers behave inaccurate is because the 60° angle of the front screw allows the wood to compress under recoil, bedding, and aluminium pillars stop this DEAD.

Cheers.

Click to expand...

Interesting!!!

They always seem to shoot well.
The digest complaint was the trigger on the Mark 2. Ruger did away with the adjustable one on them

AussieWriter said:

The OP didn't mention the stock type on his Mark Ii Ruger but I did review a couple during the mid 90's.

The first was a .338 which droped 5 shots into about .8" consistently. So consistently in fact that I asked for a 2nd rifle to see if I had a freak.

The 2ns was equal to the first so thats the wah I wrote it up. Triggers were fine as set. Did another a while later in .223 with similar same accuracy so my impression of these synthetic, all with the what is now termed (boat paddle stocks) wwas impressive. I bought one of the .338's and no writer buys every rifle he reviews, only the standouts.

Because these rifles were imported, we tended to get them in similar styles/batches/configurations meaning no wood stocked versions that I saw. Some may have appeared in later import batches.

Only handloads were used the the reviews. Writers were seldom supported with factory ammunition.

Click to expand...

I use 200gr Nosler BT or AB bullets @ about 3200fps. 24" barrel. Heavy, but that's okay. With the muzzel brake on it, it's a puppy dog to shoot.

What are you doing with a Ruger anyway? The woke anti Constitution Bill Ruger company doesn't deserve to sell guns to anyone. We still remember that Bill Ruger wanted gun control! Instead of promoting the rights and freedoms of the American citizen guaranteed by the Constitution he chose to go the communist way. Here are some of his ideals- "The best way to address the firepower concern is therefore not to try to outlaw or license many millions of older and perfectly legitimate firearms (which would be a licensing effort of staggering proportions) but to prohibit the possession of high capacity magazines. By a simple, complete, and unequivocal ban on large capacity magazines, all the difficulty of defining 'assault rifles' and 'semi-automatic rifles' is eliminated. The large capacity magazine itself, separate or attached to the firearm, becomes the prohibited item. A single amendment to Federal firearms laws could prohibit their possession or sale and would effectively implement these objectives." "Firearms safety education can and has demonstrably reduced needless accidents with firearms, particularly among younger persons. Yet, any suggestion of such a widespread educational program is immediately met with the response that it is actually 'promoting guns.' If we took this attitude toward sex and drug education programs, we would be accused of being naïve and immature." (He promoted this and espoused that if a person did not pass a safety education program they would not be able to purchase a gun or a hunting license, sound familiar?)
"The fact is that neither the proponents of nor those against additional firearms regulation are the enemy – the violent criminal is the enemy of civilization." (Violent criminals should be incarcerated and kept away form guns not people walking around not incarcerated. Every citizen needs to have the rights of the Constitution upheld for them and the current police state that we live in abolished.)

"Nothing outrages those who comply with 20,000 gun laws and regulations already in effect than the reckless misuse of guns by individuals with no values who shouldn't be within miles of them." (So then he is promoting the restriction of guns without any consideration of the rights given to us by the Constitution.)

"If it were within our power to sweep the streets of illegal guns, we would gladly do so. What we will not do is sacrifice the rights of decent people to own guns in an attempt to disarm illegally armed criminals. Promotion of the values of character and conscience that prevent us from harming one another will be the only effective change to this senseless cycle of violence." ( So Bill Ruger was at the time judging whether a person is a decent person according to his idea of what a decent person was or not and wanting to effect the laws that are supposed to be unalienable. This is the same mentality that gave us the 68 Gun Right Act. (actually the 68 revocation of gun rights) People seem to always want to give up rights and freedoms for a solution to fake, faux, made up threats that if logic were the norm the citizens of the U.S. would protest against.)

Americans still remember the traitor to the Constitution and will never own a Ruger.
Done with my rant now, Happy shooting.

First issue I see is "factory ammo".

Second, get another trigger, or IF you're comfortable with it, a set of Wolff Springs and minor honing.
I could almost pick my 25-06 up by the trigger without it going off when I first got it.

Third,
If you're not replacing the stock, leave the barrel channel alone.
Ruger does have an accuracy warranty, but is void if you remove the pressure point.

I have never owned a Ruger. However, this has been a very interesting thread. Thanks to all who have contributed.

I have to say to all of those mentioning the tang safety model, those models are very different to a MK II or Hawkeye…
They had barrel problems, the MK II had a completely different barrel maker for a start. The triggers are very different, as are the actions if you look close enough.
With either, the MIDDLE screw must only be nipped up from finger tight to stop it coming loose, torquing it more than this will bend the action in the middle, even after bedding it.

Cheers.

MagnumManiac said:

I have to say to all of those mentioning the tang safety model, those models are very different to a MK II or Hawkeye…
They had barrel problems, the MK II had a completely different barrel maker for a start. The triggers are very different, as are the actions if you look close enough.
With either, the MIDDLE screw must only be nipped up from finger tight to stop it coming loose, torquing it more than this will bend the action in the middle, even after bedding it.

Cheers.

Click to expand...

In all the years I have had this MK II never had any problem with it. Shoots straight too. (very straight) I check the rifle before season and it on. I use it. I don't spend a lot of time just shooting the rifle or any other of mind once I have develop a load for it. Why burn ammo when you know where it's going too go, hitting the target. I do recheck my rifle to see they are on target, and hitting where I want them too.

Anytime I get a Ruger 77 I start with this process and I have yet to have a mark 2 or Hawkeye to not shoot 1" at 100 yards with handloaded ammunition.
-First thing I do is float the barrel channel.
-Next I file the mag box until it floats and doesn't bind in the action
- I stone the trigger to break under 2 pounds NOTE:when doing this make sure you're confident you know what you're doing if not just replace the trigger as there are plenty of good replacement triggers on the market.
- lap scope rings until 80% or greater contact is achieved
- when tightening the action screws make sure the front screw is tight tight, the rear is snugged tight and the middle is barely snug.
Typically I can achieve 3/4" groups at 100 yards when using this set of steps. Many rugers I've owned including my current 25-06 have done 1/2" with preferred loads.
It sounds to me like you'll have a shooter once this is performed and some handloading is done. Ruger m77s are great rifles but they are a tinkerers pet for sure.

WMDM said:

Might have. I went further than I wanted with the other work (mine were new). Dumped them and never touched another Ruger in any shape or form. Even got rid of my 10-22 and had no regrets. "Fool me once"

Click to expand...

Well I certainly can't argue with the exception of the 10-22. Have never heard of one not shooting good nor being unreliable? What was the problem experienced with the 10-22? Inquiring minds (at least mine) want to know.

Teri Anne said:

Well I certainly can't argue with the exception of the 10-22. Have never heard of one not shooting good nor being unreliable? What was the problem experienced with the 10-22? Inquiring minds (at least mine) want to know.

Click to expand...

It was a Ruger.