Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Tang Safety Rugers

I really think the barrel issue is overdone. I've owned a fair number of these rifles, at least 25, in calibers from 22-250 to 416. I still have six that I hunt and shoot regularly. None of them was a poor shooter. Most were 1 1/2 to 2 inch rifles with whatever ammo I had on hand and usually much better with a particular load. There are some calibers that have what I beleive to be twist issues. I've seen a couple 7x57's that would only shoot 175 grain bullets. The 257's I've owned did not shoot 117 and 120 grain bullets well. They were 2-3" groups with them, but less than an inch with 100 grain and lighter.
Ruger bedded these rifles with tip pressure. I've often thought that the vagueries of walnut and moisture and changes in that pressure might have something to do with poor shooting as well, because most 77's respond positively to free floating and/or glass bedding.
That said, every company makes a bad rifle once in a while and there is a reason that someone is selling a used rifle.
If I had the money and did't have one like it, I'd buy it.
Bfly

Does your mommy know you talk like that online. If she finds out you've been on her lap top she'll be upset. Can you post without making [bleep] up?

Current production M77s are accurate from what I hear. I may see if I can get one to test.

Trolling sack of schit you are Swampy, got a Howa on order yet?

Walk in with $350 cash, but if you want a nice blue/wood '06 with irons get in anyways if he won't jump on the cash!

Dad and brother have had Tang .300 WMs since mid-80s. Dad's with RS. BOTH shoot .5-.75 depending upon load.

I got a .338 WM not long after they got theirs'. It shot about 1.25 w/210 Noslers, which was WAY good enough. Sorry I sold it when times got tough in the early '90s.

My son recently got my brother's Tang .270 UL, which has rarely shot under 1.5, but killed a buttload of critters for my brother East and West...including a cow elk (wounded by another) going straight away at more than 400 yards. 130 NP dropped her on her nose.

My first bolt action was a Ruger 77 tang safety with open sights, in .270.
I installed a Timney trigger, bedded it well and installed Weaver Pivot Mount and Rings so I could use either iron or optics with a quick flip.
It shoots quite well and is my go to gun for the last 35 years. I have a couple other tang 77s that I just tweaked the factory trigger and bedded them. They shoot well also.
There will always be tang safety Rugers in my lineup.
jmho
Tim

Straight men don't shoot Howaguards.

And the legend of your dumbphuckitude continues...........

Yes you do.

I have owned and shot quite a few tang-safety 77's, and only one had a really bad barrel. The others all shot 1" or better with a little of the standard tweaking (free-float barrel, adjust trigger, maybe touch up the crown).

My first one was a .30-06 that eventually shot under 2"--at 300 yards. The latest one is a .220 Swift sporter that I traded for this year. It will put 5 shots into .5-.6" at 100 yards (it had already been tweaked).

The one really suck barrel was a 7x57. I could never get it to shoot under 1-1/2-2" at 100 yards, and finally I slugged the barrel. The TIGHT spots (there were some loose ones as well) measured .287". But that is the only bad barrel I've seen on a tang-safety 77.

I have yet to own a Mark II (and I've owned maybe a dozen) that won't group 3 shots into an inch at 100 yards, after some tweaking and handloading. Many will do considerably better.

If the rifle really looks like a safe queen and you like it make an offer. Make sure the receiver takes std Ruger rings. Some of the iron sight rifles are round top receivers. I'd be surprised if $400 or less wouldn't take it home. Look around at new rifles. Can you get anything at all like the wood & blue Ruger for $400?? We have two tang safety's. A 72 model 7x57 that shoots 1 1/4" or less and a later model red pad .270 that shot a couple of <1" groups sighting in with blue box Federals. Haven't shot it since then.

Agree with shootem, if you like it, buy it. For the price, they are usually great guns. Dad bought a 243 in the 70's and all five members of the family (Dad, me, Mom, and 2 sisters) have shot deer with it. The ladies don't practice with it, just a sighter when we get to camp and a dead deer when the opportunity arises. Has led to a number of them in the family, 270, 25-06, another 243 and Dad's go to 257 ultralite.

We're not target shooters, but all the Rugers are good, accurate hunting rifles. If it doesn't shoot the way you want it, there are easy tweaks (bedding, adjusting the trigger, etc.) that you can do with any brand. If it's not what you want, can't imagine you would take much of a hit if you re-sell it later.

Swampy your DUMPHUCkHERY knows no bounds. Definitely a terminal case of anal/cranial inversion.

Glad to see Swampturd is back...the entertainment value is just too good!

While I have only owned three,I know a small sample, I like the tang safety Ruger. I have owned them in 250 Sav. 22-250, and 270. The 22-250 was the most accurate factory rifle I have ever owned and I foolishly sold it. Both the 270 and the 250 are/were under 2 inch shooters with the 270 a little more accurate overall. I still own the 250.

My brother also has a 250 and it shoots a lot like my 22-250 did.

Wonder if he's figured out who Mule Deer is yet

Unlikely, one has to be 2% smarter then what one is doing...he rarely broaches that barrier.

I've owned 3. A .270 sporter back in the 70's shot very well, but was too heavy for me. I now have a .30-06 that shoots well, and wears a B&C stock, which took about 6 or 8 ounces off of it. A .243 heavy barrel was a little disappointing, and went away in the mid-80's.

My KM77 mkII is the most accurate '06 I own, but it didn't start out that way.

I love them and hope you can get the 30-06.
My brother and I have had good luck minus 1-7mm Rem Mag that he couldn't get to shoot tighter than 2-3" even with his hand loads. That bothered him a lot and he traded it for one of the MKII's in 300 win. He does have 3 other M77R's that shoot tight.
I have a 22-250 that makes them sting where they are aimed, but now needs a more powerful scope as in the last few years my eyesight is getting a little bit fuzzy looking through the old weaver k4 it has had since the early 80's.
Have had an M77R 243, and a another M77V in 25-06 and they were good ones.

425.00 is too much in my area. i'd take 400.00 with me, but only show him 350.00 at first, then go to 400.00 if you really wanted the gun.

i used a tang ruger in 270 win from 1973 or so until 1997. mine was quite accurate and never gave me an ounce of trouble. i used it for several years all over alasks with no issues. considering the problems with accuracy some have experienced, i'd ask to shoot it if possible. if not, you pays your money and you takes your chances!

Again, limited experience, as I've had only three over the years; 77s in 257 Robts and 250 Sav and an UL in 250 Sav. The first two shot were under an inch with handloads, but the UL is a tackdriver as it is more accurate than any other rifles I've owned (25+).