XP,
What do you mean longer range shooting? Talking to you I would take that as some pretty serious range but for someone just starting to get into LRH like your friend I suspect 500-600 yards. Just wondering what he is looking to be able to reach out to.
I have had three Ruger M77 rifles. One old style M77 and two M77 MkII rifles. The old M77 was not around long enough to tell you much about but it was a solid 1" or slightly less grouper at 100 yards with a 140 gr Ballistic Tip.
The first MkII I ever got was the 7mm Rem Mag, standard sporter, wood stock, blued steel. Spent well over $500 in loading componants to try to get that rifle to shoot and it never would break 1.5" at 100 yards. Bedded, trigger job and all. This was before I was building rifles.
Passed her off as I had trouble staying "in love" with a 1.5" rifle. I will admit I used that rifle on several deer hunts and never found its accuracy a limiting factor in taking game out to 350 yards.
Still I let her go after a couple hunting seasons.
The last MkII M77 I owned and still own in fact was one of the Laminated wood Stainless steel versions. I have had nothing but great results with this rifle. For a sporter of this weight in the 7mm Rem Mag is has always performed well. Right around 3/4" at 100 yards for three shot groups and it is also one of the fastest 7mm Rem Mags I have ever worked with.
She will easily top 3400 fps with a 140 gr Accubond with no pressure signs at all but I know there is considerable pressure with that load so I tone her back to 3350 fps /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif!! Lets me sleep a little better at night!!!
I have shot several different bullets through that rifle ranging from the 120 gr Ballistic Tip up to and including the 175 gr SGK(not matchking). All have averged around that 3/4 moa level with several playing with 1/2 moa. It is not unusual to break 1/2" groups at 100 yards with all the bullets it shoots but 3/4 moa is a more realitic "Average" group size.
If I were you and depending on what ranges he wants to shoot to I would try one of the following bullets.
500 yards and less, the 140 gr Accubond would be very hard to beat. Very good for closer range shots and will carry very well out to 500 yards.
FOr longer ranges I would look at the 150 gr Ballistic tip, 160 gr Accubond, 154 gr SST, 154 Interbond or the 162 gr SST. While there is nothing wrong at all with the 175 gr in the 7mm Rem Mag, the Ruger rifles generally have 24" pipes and this will take some legs out of the 175 gr pill and velocity will not be there with the lighter bullets.
With the BC of the tipped 7mm bullets and the velocity potential of the 7mm Rem Mag, you will be better served with a bullet in the 150 to 162 gr range for shots out to half mile or so.
That rifle should have a 1-9.5" twist and if it does it should easily handle all of these bullets stability wise. Accuracy wise, well, Rugers can be finicky little rifles so thats hard to say. A quality bedding job can work wonders on a Ruger rifle.
Good Shooting!!
Kirby Allen(50)
