Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger M77

I've ran across several Ruger M77 rifles that caught my eye due to the calibers and condition. I know zilch about the M77 and wondered if anyone could tell me the virtues of this model. I know Model 700's and M70's but next to noting about this Ruger.

Pros:
Mauser 98 style CRF action
Accurate hammer-forged factory barrels
Simple trigger assembly is easy to adjust to reasonable weights
Comes with integral bases and rings, which are quite strong/durable
3-position wing safety (some may find this a con)
Built like tanks

Cons:
Investment cast receivers are heavy (see "built like tanks")
3-position wing safety is too small, can be hard to manipulate with gloves on
Actions can be rough when new (usually slick up with use though)
Less after market parts available (compared to Remington 700, etc)

That's my take on it anyway...

From an accuracy standpoint how are they?

I didn't catch the vintage, and these items vary accordingly.

Their reputation varies with vintage/cartridge.

I've loaded for and shot a MkII in 308 Win., and a Hawkeye in 270 Win. Both were good shooters, the 308 being the better of the two.

Edit: I forgot to mention the Ruger Gunsite Scout an acquaintance bought. I cleaned the barrel before we shot it, and cleaned it again after putting twenty or thirty rounds through it. Even on the shakedown cruise it didn't copper foul to any appreciable degree, and the powder fouling was easily removed.

Mine are all very accurate. They got a bad name in accuracy from the 70's, I think, when they were using different barrels. They make their own barrels now and accuracy from mine has been as good as all other makes I own.

According to the specs I read, this one is from 1980 and is a 7x57.

i have 4 of them, 300mag, 270,308, and 257. they are built strong for sure, but all good shooters.

That's the earlier tang safety version, not the three position, which is a plus for a lot of people.

It is not CRF, but it does have a big extractor.

As to the barrel, and chambering/throating for the 7x57, you're looking at a crapshoot.

There is one of these in my family and there are no flys with how it shoots. People have had issues with that combo. I'm just not one of them.

Crapshoot, see?

I think Mule Deer had one with the wonky throat one time.

Ruger has been known to replace barrels on such afflicted rifles.

From what I've read, at least some of the mid '70's sported Douglas barrels. I don't know where they got their barrels after that.

Wilson, blech.

I wouldn't mind one of their new tubes on a tang safety model, but would they do it without insisting they bring everything else about the rifle to factory original condition?

You speaking of the trigger in particular Math?

I've heard they do that.

I have a tang in 3006. Plain jane wood stocked rifle with a vx3 3.5-10x40 My favorite all purpose rifle in my battery of Rems,brownings ,weatherbys and marlins. Reasons are ease of handling ,action smoothness and accuracy. Shoots everyday factory loaded remington coreloks in 1-1.5 groups all day usually the first two hole touching or dang close. Never had a newer model.

Yeah, they can't abide a non-lawyered trigger.

I have heard of people putting them back to stock before sending them in.

Well, from what I've read here and elsewhere I'm going to chalk this one up. I thought I'd add a second 7x57 to my M70 but may look elsewhere.