I have my eye on a couple real good looking tang safety Rugers right now. Before I buy one, I wanted to ask what you think about them as compared to other Ruger offerings. Tell me how yours shoots, etc. Is there aftermarket triggers available?

Anything you could tell me from experience would be great.

CLB

I purchased my 77 in 1975. I really like the tang safety from a convenience standpoint. Mine is chambered for 30-06 and will put a load of a 180gr Sierra and RL22 into just under an inch all day long.

The one known potential problem is that there was a period of time where tang safety rifles had a reputation for poor barrels.

This being said, I have more absolute confidence in this 77 than any other rifle I own. It feeds perfectly, goes bang every time, and will put that Sierra where I want it every time.

I have six tang Rugers. The early barrels were made by Douglas and were very good. But most of the tang Rugers wore Wilson barrels, and the accuracy could be a crap shoot.

IMO, the tang Ruger is a handsome rifle and a pleasure to carry. They function superbly, too. Next week, I'm leaving for Quebec and will be taking my tang Ruger in .30-06 for caribou.

There are enough tang Rugers floating around gun shows, so if you like the rifle and caliber--and price--buy one. If it is also accurate, you'll not regret it. If it doesn't shoot, swap it for one that does.

I've owned and carried three tang-safety Ruger 77's. One .338 that killed moose, blacktail deer and caribou, and two .308's, both have killed caribou, deer, and coyotes as well as small game.
I only have one of the .308's now. It was an early rifle with the Wilson barrel and would shoot patterns, not groups, so I had Dennis Hooper in Eagle River, AK spin the barrel off and send the action back to Ruger. They, for a VERY reasonable price, put one of the new, hammer-forged, barrels on it and now it shoots great.
Yes, there are after-market triggers avaialble. I put a Timney on my .338 and my first .308 and loved them both. The .308 I have now has a great trigger so I have not replaced it.
I would recommend them to anyone, especially since you can find them at reasonable prices.

Happy Hunting!

Ed

Thanks for the input gents.

So far, the one's I have seen have been priced very fairly. A few have very good looking wood too. I can't wait to get one, bed the action and go shooting.

Has anyone shot or owned one in 257 Roberts or 25-06?

How early and how do you find out who made your barrel??

Sorry about the jack...

I have a tang 270win.. I can't argue with Bang/Flops...

My very first rifle, bought just for me by my father was a 77 tang safety 25-06. I have had a couple of them since, had problems with just one that was sent on down the road. I don't currently own any Rugers, BUT I HAVE NEVER GONE WITHOUT A 25-06 SINCE!! Its probably my favorite caliber, I wanna AI one in the future.

i have one in 257 roberts, 30-06 and 25-06. both the 25's are excellent shooters. the roberts is my match rifle for sporting rifle competitions (finished 4th in the state championships w/ that tang safety ruger this year) as well as a hunting rifle. the rifle has been rode hard, hunted hard, and shot a whole lot, and is still very accurate. i also picked it up used about 4-5 years ago, so i couldn't fathom a round count. it was built in the early 70's.

the 25-06 is a mid-70's build, and it runs well, and will shoot as well as the roberts.

i have a 1976 production 30-06 (200th year of liberty gun) that shoots ok. adequate for hunting, i suppose, but won't impress anybody w/ its accuracy.

the tang safety ruger is second only to the remington 700 for my favored rifle builds.

There's no way to tell which manufactures barrel is on the rifle. They only had a Ruger rollmark on them & were never stamped otherwise.

The Douglas barrels were from the M77 introduction in 1968 to 1973, then they switched to Wilson barrels. The changeover was gradual as Douglas barrel stock was depleted. Wilson barrels were used up to 1991, when Ruger began making their own hammer forged barrels.

The Wilson barrel quality issue is overblown I.M.O. The few bad barrels that did get passed QC unfortunatly tainted the reputation for all Ruger M77's barrels of that period. The vast majority of Wilson barrels are of good quality; I currently own 2 & there shooters. It's only a minor crap shoot.

CLB,

Sir,

I have a 77RS in .35 Whelen. It took me a while to acquire one in that chambering but I finally found a very nice one. A couple of things you probably already know: RIFLE IS NOT A TRUE CONTROL ROUND FEED RIFLE. (Model 70 type extractor only)

Secondly, although there is a trigger spring adjustment screw on the trigger, it is pretty much useless in changing trigger pull weight. At this point you have 3 options: 1. DO NOTHING, LEAVE RIFLE WITH HEAVY FACTORY TRIGGER PULL, 2. BUY A COMPLETELY NEW TRIGGER UNIT(Timney, etc.) 3. DO AS I DID, (see below)

Go to www.riflebasix.com. I purchased a Basix RU-T sear and a lighter trigger spring. Installation is simple and results are amazing. You may like a heavy trigger pull, and that's your call. I don't, and am glad I made the purchase and installed the parts I mentioned.

IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE THE CHANGES: READ INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY! IF YOU ARE NOT CONFIDENT THAT YOU CAN DO THE JOB, BY ALL MEANS HAVE A GUNSMITH DO THE WORK.

When the job is finished, SLAM THE BOLT HOME HARD SEVERAL TIMES MAKING SURE THAT SEAR IS WORKING PROPERLY, SECOND, WITH SAFETY IN FIRE POSITION BOUNCE RIFLE (RECOIL PAD) ON THE FLOOR SEVERAL TIMES, AGAIN MAKING SURE THAT BOLT DOES NOT FALL. USE TRIGGER SPRING ADJUSTMENT SCREW TO SET WEIGHT OF PULL TO YOUR LIKING.

ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO USE METHODS DESCRIBED ABOVE TO INSURE SAFETY!

You should now have a 77 that has little if any creep, a crisp (2 to 4 lb) trigger, with little or no overtravel, at a price considerably less than a whole new trigger mechanism.

Good luck with whatever you decide,

G2

I really like the design of the tang safety Rugers, but have owned three (I believe) and all of mine had poor to medicore accuracy and fowled like crazy. I have a fourth on the way, so will see how it does in a couple of weeks.

I had a 7mm rem mag tang safety ruger that I bought about 1986. The rifle handled great but it was one of those "shot patterns instead of groups" rifles. The wood to metal fit was pretty horrendous also. I killed a lot of deer with it and would probably still be using it if it hadn't been stolen in a break in. The rugers of that era weren't known for their accuracy, but I'm of the opinion that if it's what you want then you can make it shoot with a trip to a good gunsmith and a new barrel.

My 7mm Mag was built in 1984 and will shoot 154gr. Hornady Interlocks into MOA with a healthy dose of IMR4831. Fit and finish of the rifle is excellent and the trigger is very good. Guess I got one of the good ones.

I can't understand why tang safety's are not more common on rifles; is there a particular downside to them? Do the lock just the sear or do they block the firing pin as well?

M77 ,257 Rogerts...


M77 in 7mm RM and 40+mph crosswinds...

On a calmer day, with 160g North Forks, the 7mm RM turned in a 3-shot .262" group.



M77 .30-06, scope check...


The .30-06 was shooting like that, or darn close to it, again last week and today. Its definitely ready for antelope season.

My other Ruger .30-06, a stainless MKII I recenty married to a boat paddle stock, was shooting the same. It is also ready for antelope.

All I do is float the barrels and polish the triggers.

They just block the trigger, not the firing pin. To me the tang is the most natural place for a safety, I like the way they feel.

My 7 Mag was bought in 86 and has no accuracy problems. 160 Partition at a tick above 3000 fps is the go to. I even used mine with the 115 Speers for groundhogs a couple of seasons.

I have three, 257 Roy, 284 Win and 338 RCM. All have had their barrels replaced AND the stocks replaced with McMillans. I am lucky to have grabbed two ultralight stocks before they were discontinued.

Another somewhat unknown feature: the threads for the Ruger Tang safety and the Remington 700 are the same with the Ruger being a slightly smaller OD. Remington takeoffs can be installed/headspaced/rechambered by a competent gunsmith. The 284 win is on its third 7 rem mag barrel, shortened slightly and rechambered.

CLB,

This may have already been mentioned to you as I did not go through all reply's. There was a safety recall on the Model 77. Had to do with the trigger spring adjustment screw on trigger. All model 77's that were sent back due to recall and those 77's made after recall will have the letter T inscribed on the under side of the bolt handle. I am sorry that I did not think to include in my earlier reply.

G2

I had a tang safety Ruger in 7X57 from 1972 until 2000 when I restocked it with an McM, and rebarreled it to .280.
Never had a problem adjusting the trigger to as little as 2.5 lbs. It's is, or should be, fully adjustable and of the open design which makes it really easy to keep clean. Easy for a good trigger man to stone too. Had mine done and it has all that I've ever wanted in the way of a clean, 2.5 lb. break.
Had to be the most reliable wood stocked rifle I have ever owned. Would put everything from a 115 gr. HP's to 175 gr. RN loads into 3 inches at 100 yds. My hunting loads, depending on the bullet and powder charge went 1-1.5 inches @ 100 yds. Never, and I mean never, needed to be rezeroed. E

CLB, I prefer the tang safety M77s to the later Rugers for a few reasons.

1) Convenience of the tang safety.
2) Barrel and action finish...love that deep blue.
3) Great looking wood and finish.
4) Un-common cartridges

Owned 23 M77s.

Have the rifles required tweaking for accuracy? Yes, but not all.
Have some of the rifles been sent to Ruger for inspection and rework? Yes, one.
Did I have a rifle with a lousy barrel? No.
Were some of the hunting rifles exceptionaly accurate. Yes, five.

Currently own 7 tang safety M77s. Are they for sale? No.

I have 3 tang safety Rugers in 257 Roberts
2 Ultra Lights, and a regular M77R, they all shoot great.
I shoot 100 grain Partitions in Ultra Lights, and 115 grain Ballistic Tips in the M-77R.

I have owned a number of tang-safety Rugers 77's, and even though the Mark II's are good rifles, a little more consistently and consistently light, I still tend to prefer the original.

Only one of them had a bad barrel. This was a 7x57 that really sucked, to put it mildly. It would shoot into 1-1/2" or so for the first few shots, then would spray them. I finally slugged the barrel and found that the TIGHT spots measured .287"--and there were several loose spots. I had it rebarreled.

The others have all shot pretty darn well. Right now I have a .220 Swift sporter that will shoot five shots of about any 50-55 grain bullet into 3/4" or less. My first tang-safety was a .30-06 that would be three of just about any bullet into an inch, and some loads around 1/2".

One of the the things that ruined the accuracy of many tang safety Rugers is the magazine box pushing up on the center of the action. Free float the magazine box and only have the center screw fingernail tight.

I always managed to get the triggers down to a very light weight(1 lb) on the tang safety Rugers.

If you got your ruger tang safety to shoot less than 1/2" groups day in and day out with out freefloating the mag box and having a loose center screw, consider it an act of God.

First centerfire was a tang in .270, shot patterns of 3-4 inches but it managed to kill alot of stuff for me. I got an itch for elk and was convinced they were bullet proof so I Pacnor rebarreled to a .35 whelen. Super smooth action and a great trigger that is easy to adjust. I have kick myself I did not just rebarrel to another .270.

With the lug in the action I have seriously considered making it a switch barrel, .270 and a .35Whelen would cover a lot of ground.

Thanks for the information so far guys. I'll be adding one or two tangs to the mix soon. I really want one in 257 Roberts and I have my eye on a fine looking Tang in .270 win also.

I'm keeping my eye out for some good looking wood patterns as I'd like to keep them in the original stocks and simply float the barrel and do a bedding and trigger job.

There is still one Ultralight stock left for a short-action tang-safety Ruger (http://www.mcmillanusa.com/mcmillan-specials-ruger.php). I just received my Ruger 284Win back from McMillan with the next-to-last ultralight stock.

I'm curious as to the type of bedding pillar used in your Ultralight stock. Did you install the notched Brownells bedding pillar (http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=357/Product/RUGER_reg__77_M77_reg__MARK_II_BEDDING_PILLARS) on the angled action screw?

I have one in 25-06. Bought it brand new when I was a sophmore in high school, w/ money made cutting firewood. It's got the heavier taper barrel on it, so it tends to not go on longer hunts w/ me, but I did pack it into the high country one year when my dad got his Bighorn tag. Shoots just about everything I've tried in it under an inch, and will stack 100gr NBT's into 3/8", according to the old target I have here in my notebook.
I also have an older 22-250 that has seen who know's how many owners, but it still shoots good and spends a lot of time bumping around in my truck waiting for a stupid coyote to cross my path.

PJF,

I talked to McMillan several years ago and they said they quit making the ultralight. Wonder where that one came from?

The first ultralight I bought was custom inletted to my 284. I dropped off the rifle and later picked up the package. They recommended that I wouldn't need to bed the rifle. It has been 16 yrs now and it still shoots great without any bedding.

The second ultralight ( 338 RCM) was bedded with 1 1/2" of barrel shank included in bedding but no pillars were used.

I just talked with McMillan, and they found the stock in inventory.
You're correct they no longer make that stock.
It's on it's way to my home as we speak. :-)
Thanks for the heads up on it PJF.

Wildcat composites also offer stocks for the tang safetys and will go as light as the Mcmillan edge.

Just looked at Wildcat Composites website. No mention of tang safety versions only Mark I.

http://www.wildcatcomposites.com/ruger.html

the bottom rifle in that link is a tang safety.

The .30-06 I bought in 1980 was a 4 MOA rifle. My friends .243 was about the same.

While McMillan discontinued production of the Ruger M77 Ultralight stock years ago, they continued to keep an inventory of them. I purchased my Ultralight last year and apparently �Bitman� just purchased the last one yesterday.

How many inch-pounds of torque do you apply to the action screws of your Ruger Winchester 284 in McMillan Ultralight stock?

I'm planning to take off the stock to see how well the action and pillars were glass-bedded. I need to know the torque values to replace the stock. Do you use the Ruger-recommended 95 inch-pounds of torque for the diagonal screw?

I currently own 3 tang-safety M77s: M77R in 7x57, M77ST in 7x57, and M77RS in 35 Whelen. I have owned many others in other calibers. I also currently own M77MkIIs in 7x57 and 6.5x55. The most accurate rifle I ever shot was a box stock M77R in 243. They are excellent rifles, but there are a few things I would have done differently were I making the decisions at Ruger. These are:

- One-piece bottom metal instead of two-piece;
- Two action screws instead of three;
- Better trigger release;
- Better forend-barrel bedding.

For many years Ruger M77 rifles were less expensive to buy than Remington, Winchester, and some others. They were and are a lot of rifle for the money. I was the first in my neighborhood to own and shoot Rugers. Some guys don't like the idea of a cast receiver and other parts, thinking they can't possibly be as strong as forged parts, but the Ruger rifles have been proven to be rock-solid.

Have they?

I've certianly never had any strength or reliability problems with the Ruger rifles I own, and I don't recall hearing anything either except for accuracy issues.

I bought my Ruger M77 Ultralight .30-06 new in the mid-80's. I always took it on my Colorado elk hunting trips, and it produced six elk kills and the same number of mule deer without ever losing an animal. Every year, however, in pre-season shooting practice the groups would get bigger and bigger, out to about 4", and I was losing confidence in the rifle. I even swapped it for a heavy, much longer Sako one year, and was totally dissatisfied with its carrying qualities. After missing the last two Colorado hunting seasons due to knee problems and subsequently having both knees replaced, I decided to use or dispose of the Ruger this year. To start, I had the gunsmith lighten the trigger and install a Limbsaver recoil pad. Next, I purchased some of the new Wipeout barrel cleaning foam, and following the directions, found that the rifle had a tremendous amount of copper fouling which I eliminated. I purchased some of the Federal Fusion 165 gr.loads which had gotten excellent reviews and shot them this week along with my handloads. Eureka!!, the first sub MOA groups, and these with the Federal factory loads. I figure I'm now ready to go to Colorado four weeks from today with renewed confidence in my old rifle friend.

Good luck charlieh!

Do you read about Rugers blowing up, 2-3 times a week, also?