Building a Ruger M77 into a long range elk killer...what chambering??

[codyadams]

Cody,
I have had two of those Boyd stocks. I took one and cut out the "tactical notch" then laminated in a piece of wood so I could have a conventional rear stock and added a decelerator. Did you make the cutout for the adjustable cheek piece yourself?
My LA Ruger is a 257 weatherby with a barrel I installed myself. Stock is the McMillan hunter which is my favorite LR sporter stock.
Ross

No, the stock is just how I ordered it from boyds, with the adjistable cheek. All I did was pillar bed it and inlet/float the barrel channel

 

[AZShooter]

Nice to know Cody.

Surprised no one has commented on the warne rings.

 

[AZdangerclose]

So I have a Ruger M77 All Weather rifle, long action, chambered in 300 win mag. We can only load to 3.430", and this prohibits the use of the best long range bullets for this chambering, so we want to rebarrel to something with similar power and long range ability as a 300 win mag with a 215 Berger, but will work in this rifle.

We want this to be a long range elk killer, and here are some of the chamberings we have thrown around that could load a heavy for caliber bullet and still fit in this magazine.

7MM WSM
300 WSM
7MM Sherman Shortmag
300 Sherman Shortmag
338 Sherman Shortmag
7mm SAUM
300 SAUM

With all these, we could load heavy for caliber bullets in a long throated chamber and still have plenty of room in the magazine, and I think they would all perform well. I don't mind doing a little extra work for brass, this won't be a high volume shooter, after a good load is developed it will be used from time to time for practice and then hunting, my high volume shooter is my .260 AI.

Any suggestions for any of these? I have never worked with any short magnum calibers, and want the most performance we can get out of it. If we went 7mm, we would shoot either 180 or 195 grain Bergers and probably run a 1 in 8 twist, 30 cal would be a 215 Berger, with 1 in 10 or 1 in 9.5 twist, .338 Sherman shortmag would most likely be the 250 Berger. It will be outfitted with a 26" tube. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks all.

 

[AZdangerclose]

I would really take a look at the 6.5 by 284 shooting the Hornady 140 I have personally take an elk about 800 yards I've been shooting this for years in benchrest and Target and just moved into hunting with it very very impressive good luck

 

[clemens]

Looking at the pic of the rifle is that a new model 77? Had a old model 77 (tang safety) in 7rm wish I still had it. Very nice rifle you have built. Out of curiosity what does that stock weigh?

 

[codyadams]

Looking at the pic of the rifle is that a new model 77? Had a old model 77 (tang safety) in 7rm wish I still had it. Very nice rifle you have built. Out of curiosity what does that stock weigh?

It is an m77 mkII, so not the tang saftey but not the hawkeye. The stock is about 3 lbs, finished rifle wieght with harris bipod (14 oz), scope rings and bases (32.4 oz) is 12.8 lbs on bathroom scale.

 

[AZShooter]

Cody those are some heavy scope rings and bases! Amazing what a missing comma can do. Ha ha.

 

[codyadams]

Cody those are some heavy scope rings and bases! Amazing what a missing comma can do. Ha ha.

They are a new prototype, made of pure osmium. They seem nice, they are dang expensive though.... ;-)

 

[RevJim]

Excuse me if I'm "butting in" but I have a Question for the Mod 77 (Tang Safety) Burris Base/Zee ring method...will the combined height of the Burris set-up, say with Medium height rings, equal the same height as the Ruger Standard rings do? I like almost all rings with a Medium height for my scopes/long neck,etc ( 2.5x8, even 1.5x5) The standard Ruger Ring height works OK for me. I don't want too low or too high, of course. My rifle is a 338WM Tanger.

 

[clemens]

It is an m77 mkII, so not the tang saftey but not the hawkeye. The stock is about 3 lbs, finished rifle wieght with harris bipod (14 oz), scope rings and bases (32.4 oz) is 12.8 lbs on bathroom scale.

Thanks for the reply. Looking at those stocks just wish they had adjustable LOP.

 

[RevJim]

Will the "Medium" ZEE rings on the Burris 77 to Weaver bases be same height above the bore as the standard Ruger 77 rings? Maybe rewording this will help.

 

[codyadams]

Will the "Medium" ZEE rings on the Burris 77 to Weaver bases be same height above the bore as the standard Ruger 77 rings? Maybe rewording this will help.

Not sure if it is the same, but what you see in the picture on my rifle is the burris ruger to weaver bases and the medium burris signature zee rings, with a barrel contour slighly heavier than factory and a 50mm objective bell on a 30mm tube scope.

 

[codyadams]

So just finished up load developement with this rifle....the barrel has gotten a little faster with break in, and may continue to speed up. On rounds 25-35, with 69.5 grains Retumbo, HBN coated 147 eld-m seated .010" off, and 7mm rem mag brass sized down to .264 and being fireformed, velocities with magnetospeed were as follows:

1. 3239
2. 3240
3. 3243
4. 3243
5. 3241
6. 3246
7. 3240
8. 3244
9. 3240
10. 3245

With an e.s. of only 7 fps over 10 rounds, two 3 shot groups and one 4 shot group that all printed in the .2's, and no heavy bolt lift, cratered primers, or ejector relief marks, averaging over 3240 fps, this load is doing fantastic!! Next up is to stretch it's legs, and see what it can do!! Pretty excited for this one.

 

[NEMTHunter]

I believe you got a shooter there my friend!