Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles is ruger mk II worth rebarreling

I have a ruger in 30-06 that's a 2" gun at best. I'm thinking about rebarreling to 280ai. Just wondering can I get it to be a under moa rifle. Ive heard from a few folks that they aren't worth rebsrreling. What is yall experience.

If you decide that you do not want it send it to me. I will make a nice home for it.

Never had one that would not shoot MOA or better. Check the crown first.

Bedding and crown OK? Good trigger? Magazine box binding? Scope rings in good alignment? Scope itself proven good on another rifle?

The last ones I had in my hands, a MkII in 308 and a Hawkeye in 270 were pretty accurate, especially with my handloads.

I've owned my share of Ruger centerfires. Some needed a little work but none required rebarreling to shoot under two inches.. IMO rebarreling's worth it if you like the rifle and want a 280AI but I'd be sure I tried what mathman said first. If that doesn't work rebarreling might still be cheaper than a new one when you consider what they're going for now plus tax & registration.

Its bedded, trigger tuned, different scopes, different handloads, crown looks good. Ill rebarell it myself so cist would be minimum. Just wondering will it solve my problem.

My stainless .35 Whelen is a rebarreled .30-06 MKII. Shoots moa or better.

I'll give you $50 for it, sight unseen.

I'll give ya $52.50 sight unseen for it!

Mine is an honest 1/2 moa shooter consistently. I have whacked a truck load of vittles with it. The Mk II action is very strong.

I've owned several Rugers. All of them were OK shooters, nothing to write home about. I think an action truing and new barrel definitely will help. They are a solid gun, but not really good for much other than point or shoot. Few aftermarket accessories for them, and you are stuck with their zero MOA ring system.

I have owned several MK IIs and have yet to see one that the mag box was not binding the action or that leaving the middle screw light/tight didn't help. Front action screw tight as hell, rear screw pretty tight, middle just tight enough to hold it in place. Try the things mentioned on this thread before you abandon the barrel. Unless you just want a 280 AI; if so, yes the gun is worth putting on a new barrel. There is not a lot I don't like about the MK II..........

Rebarreled a Ruger 77 tang safety several years ago. Put a cheapo Midway A&B (now Green Mtn) heavy contour barrel on it. Consider it one of my more accurate rifles. Also own a Ruger Hawkeye in 257R. Not a tack driver, but shoots decent enough for me to keep the factory barrel on it.

$55.00, provided it's in good shape...

Just make sure it doesn't have epoxy on the threads....

I've only messed with two MKII's. I had a 223 way before I started handloading, with factory hollow points from Remington or Winchester it would consistently do sub 3/4" or better. With any soft points it was somewhere around 2". That was when they first came out before anybody made a trigger for them.

A few years ago a friend had one in 25/06. He changed the trigger and I bedded it for him before he ever fired it. With his handloads I witnessed sub 1" groups at 300 yards.

Rugers ain't my first choice but they can shoot, at least some of them.

Dave.

I'll see your $55 and raise you $100.

My first thought would be that if the best load in the rifle is 2" (and that implies others are worse) that there is something up with the rifle. We have already heard a good starting list, Bedding, screws not binding, screws properly torqued, trigger reasonable, both lugs bearing, rings correctly mounted and tight, scope good. Crown etc. If the issue is one of these items a new tube will be just as frustrating.

If its floated you might try some upward pressure for a laugh.

That said I have a number of rebarreled Rugers and with a good tube and no issues they are all capable of sub MOA type accuracy, but that seems to be true or nearly enough not to matter for factory MKII's and Hawkeyes. From the perspective of a sporter the Ruger action is really no better or worse a platform than most. Its not what I would build a precision target or LR rifle from ( nor a Lightweight rig), but if rugged CRF actions float your boat its not so bad a choice.

My opinion that as a sporter, what an aftermarket tube mostly buys isn't necessarily a leap forward in accuracy( unless your original tube was buggered), but your pick of chambering, throating, contour, length and lack of fouling/ease of cleaning.

Just curious. What aftermarket accessories do you need for them, that aren't available?

Well I never seen a MK-II Ruger M-77 not shoot well, some need a bedding job and some trigger work to get there, but its not the end of the world, I would do a bedding job first, then sub 2 inch groups is plenty accurate for big game shooting! Its worth the effort to do before deciding on a rebarrel, you will have to do a bedding job in any event anyway.

Hardly anyone makes a short action stock for them, other than McMillan. And their ring system sucks. You cannot run a picatinny sloped rail, so if you are into shooting distance you better have a scope with a lot of internal adjustment.