Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires customized Ruger 77/22?

I am sure someone has done this,I sure am contemplating,new stock,trigger etc...I sure would appreciate pics & info.

thanks in advance

I'd start with the barrel or trigger before I spent $$ on a stock.

Go poke around on RFC http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=215

Buy an Anschutz out of the gate, and leave the Ruger alone. Keep an eye out for an old Model 54 Sporter, or get a newer Anschutz with a 54 action.

You will never regret the Anschutz. I doubt you will think the Ruger was worth the effort/cost if you go that route.

There are a lot of nice 22s out there but the Ruger rotary mag is a BIG plus IMO. If I didn't care about the Ruger mag, I'd save my $$ and just buy a Savage w/ an Accu-trigger.

Don't replace the factory trigger. The sear and springs are about the most easily worked design out there.

Blackie, years ago I reworked two of them. One was left with the factory barrel and simply "improved" with trigger job, glass bedding, and some rail polishing. The other was bought as parts and completely reworked into a heavy varmint mode with Green mountain barrel and replacement trigger parts and stock. I liked them, but the one fellow is right. With some good polishing materials the stock trigger can be made nice than at least the replacements I have used.

However, I gotta say the guys are right about the Anschutz for pure accuracy and economy. But...

There are things about the Ruger that you will find no where else. The magazine and safety are the best out there from a hunting perspective, and you will spend a bunch of money on custom metalsmithing to ever beat the ring mounting system. Hats off to Ruger for that. Also, with lots of elbow grease you can get the bolt travel as smooth as anything this side of a 52 Winchester and perhaps the CZs. And they shoot, everything. No matter what. Even the Anschutz can't do that.

I love my Anschutz, but because of its camming action bolt travel sucks and the safetys are the worst ever made for a hunter.

Do remember that the Ruger bolt is two piece and if the gods are not smiling headspace will vary and you will never get good accuracy out of it. Several shops offer bolt pinning work, its something to keep in mind. CPC maybe? Google them. I got lucky and with mine and the now gone Eley HV HPs shot 3/8" at 35 yds. Some Rugers won't do that, some will. My Green Mountain barrel shot better than that, its a solid value in low cost replacement.

Anyway, have fun. As long as you are comfortable with the limits of what you are building go for it. I sold both of mine to fund higher end rifles, but I miss the first one a bunch. It wouldn't shoot with my Coopers or Kimber, let alone the Annie or 52, but the squirrels never knew it. Man I killed a pile of critters with that thing. Lots of folks hate the flat belly of the ruger mag area, but it fits my hand perfectly from kneeling. Helped me make some good shots.

Have fun,

Rex

Had one that had been worked over by clark custom new heavy barrel 2 lb trigger the whole nine yards. Accuracy was on par with my kimber. Bolt travel etc was smoother on the ruger (possibly cause we shot the heck out of it) love the mags and safety not near as pretty as the kimber and not near the "cool kid gun" of an annie or cooper but I really liked it a lot. It walked off with a bunch of others I had and I havent gotten around to replacing it but have been thinking about it. The other one I had that walked off at the same time I never warmed up to much. It was the 22 mag version all stainless I bought used. Somebody had put a sporter contour lilja on it with a richards prone style laminated stock with enough lead and epoxy to bring the stock weight up to about 8 lbs. Why the sporter barrel and the lead shot stock I dont know but the price was right. It was a good gun but I liked the other one better. I still have the stock as I was working on it when everything was stolen. Maybe I should get another one to go with it.

I took my 77/22, used the same action, moyer adjustable trigger, shilen varmint barrel. Its a tack driver after I figured out which ammo it liked. Its got a 4x12-40 AO Bushnell scope. I had to do some stock work to get the barrel to fit.

Sit down and do the math before you invest.... When you start customizing a Ruger, in the end all you have left is the action. And with the price of the base rifle you can be into it for more than a grand before you realize it.

For what I just sold my Anschutz 54 for, I got a CZ 452 American, a CZ 453 Varmint, a mint used Leupold 4.5-14 for the American and Weaver T16 for the Varmint...and they both shoot great...

Ruger builds some great rifles...but their failure to SCREW the barrel to the receiver I think was a big mistake.

...do the math.

Bob

Last winter I built up a Ruger 77/22, mainly because I like Rugers. Yeah I could have bought something else for the same $$$ and had the same or better accuracy. BUT it would not have been a Ruger, it would not be Stainless-Steel, it would not have the Ruger Magazines etc.



I started out with a Ruger K77/22 Stainless-Synthetic. I sold the original scope rings, barrel and stock on the net. I then acquired a Clark Custom Guns 20" Stainless-Steel .22 LR Bull Barrel. Clark evidently makes their barrel shanks larger than Rugers as to get the barrel onto the action I had to put the barrel in the freezer and the action in the sun light on the window sill and that did the trick. No wiggle to this one.

I then set this barreled action in a Volquartsen Custom Laminated Wood Stock. I was not overly impressed with the shape of some areas of the Volquartsen Stock, so this summer after shooting it all winter & spring I set out to do some reshaping. The first thing I did was remove the roll over portion of the monte carlo on the right side of my buttstock, rasping it down flat and straight blending it into the side of the buttstock. I then rasped out a hollow area for the fatty portion of my thumb to sit in at the rear of the pistol grip on the right side. Lastly I lowered the top of the pistol grip and radiused it more. Once I had the shape I was after I then sanded everything super smooth and applied a new finish (actually my nephew did the finish for me).



Mine has all the factory Ruger Trigger parts & springs in it, I just reworked everything until I had the trigger breaking like an icecycle at 1 1/4 pounds. I then drilled & tapped the front of the strirup for an overtravel stop.

Lastly I used Ruger High 1" Stainless-Steel Scope Rings to mount my Weaver V-16 4x16x42mm AO Riflescope.

As I said at the onset I could have bought a totally different rifle that may or may not shoot as good or better for less $$$, but I would not have ended up with what I wanted. For me I wanted a Custom Rifle and since I shoot the .22 LR Cartridge the most at our Indoor Shooting Range every winter I just decided my Custom Rifle would be a .22 LR.

Larry

Larry ... that is a dandy!

Thanks

I have always been impressed with the Ruger 77/22's. I have had a half dozen of so of the VBZ versions (I did have one lemon out of the bunch) and always found that with a little tweaking I did myself I could get to the accuracy level I was satisfied with.

I have always wanted a Custom Bull Barrel Ruger 77/22 and finally bit the bullet and built one.

Larry

Those lil' varmint versions are nice. I have one in 22WMR that is a sweetie. My std 77/22 lr isn't so stellar, I believe one of those bolt shim modifications are in order. Just like with several of my rifles ... too many projects ... not enough time!

This 77 began life as a .22mag.

I added a 20" Green Mt blue heavy fluted .17 HMR barrel.
Simply sanded out the barrel channel to fit.
My smith worked the stock trigger and it breaks at less than #1.
Scope is a Nikon 4.5x14 side focus.

It's a terror on digger squirrels and sage rats.

I always wanted a 77/17HM2 in VBZ version, but they are
hard to come by. I've only seen one at a gunshow and it
wasnt cheap. I am currently thinking about the 77/22
VBZ in 22mag. They look alot heavier than they actually
are and I think it would make an excellent squirrel
rifle.

They do!

Good advice.

Look up CWG here (Claude Gatewood in Ohio). He did a trigger job on mine years ago (as well as a 10/22). Did a great job on it, if you're not feeling up to doing it yourself.

I also put a Shilen (slightly heavier contour, but nowhere near the .920" bull barrel) on it, and it absolutely SHOOTS!

I have two of the Lilja .920 barrels and love them both, find a guy that works on the 77/22 and let him fit and chamber for the ammo you like best and then mess with all the other stuff. You will see the biggest improvement from the barrel swap. Don't kid yourself about that, it takes a great barrel to make a great shooting rifle. It is the foundation of any great rifle.