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.

Sure you can, just have to drill 4 holes. I have a 20MOA rail on my 6.5CM target rifle.

Yep, Ken Farrel makes them..

If you can rebarrel a rifle then you can at least recut the crown on that one.

Besides the 30-06 is a better cartridge. If you needed 280 ammo while in the sticks you won't find it in a general store.

The fastest and least expensive way to get what you want is to sell that one and buy another!

I didn't know this. Now the question is, who has a jig to drill out a Ruger action?

The other problem i see is, if you attach a rail on top where the integral ring used to sit, now you have a scope sitting a foot off the gun.

I have the twin to that rifle also in 30-06. I called Ruger and they had a bad batch of barrels that mine is part of. They told me to send it in but they would replace my Timney with a factory trigger. If your still using a factory trigger it might be worth calling them.

If mine had not been a gift I would chuck it in a lake.

Dink

Every gun is different so what is possible with yours is pure speculation based on experience. Based on my experience, floating the barrel, proper tightening of the action screws (see posts by others here) and tuning the trigger if needed will do wonders.

One could do worse than a McMillan stock. As to Ruger's ring system, I prefer it to any other for my purposes. A mule, a log and two broken ribs conspired to show me just how strong the Ruger system is. No itty-bitty screws to snap off. Shooting at distance (out to 600 yards) I use BDC reticles so I don't have to fiddle with knobs. At longer ranges I can see where a sloped rail would be advantageous or even necessary but for 99.9% of hunters, and probably more, such accoutrements aren't necessary or even desirable.


You've probably seen some of my 100-yard targets before so I won't bother posting them again, but sub-MOA is common for 3-shot targets and it is not uncommon for two-shot scope checks to have two holes touching or within caliber distance of each other.

Good post CH. You and I must be the luckiest bastids here. I've never had a problem getting a Ruger to shoot well. We even go about it differently and get the same results. Dogcatcher has bad mouthed Ruger m77's for poor accuracy a lot in the past, now he's playing the not enough aftermarket parts card. Pretty much bullchit either way, but to each their own. I'm like you on the factory integral ring mounting system and find it tough as nails and extremely useful. Brown precision used to make the "pounder" stock for the Ruger m77 and Mcmillan still makes them, the factory trigger can easily be tuned. What other aftermarket part does a guy need for these rifles??? The OP says he can re-barrel the rifle himself, that's what I'd do if unhappy with it. Another option would be to send it back to Sturm/Ruger for them to re-barrel..

I've had very good luck with Mark II's and Hawkeyes, partly because Rugers own hammer-forged barrels are among the best factory barrels on American production rifles. Usually the rifles will shoot very well with some simple accurizing tricks.

That said, sometimes stuff happens. I'd be tempted to send it back to Ruger for a new factory barrel, since they might even do it for free, and even what they charge for a replacement is pretty darn cheap.

Exactly, and they have damn good customer service. Guys like CH can attest to that. I've only had to send one (a new 338 stainless laminate) back in for repair, and they were great to deal with.

Please describe the mag box binding you talk about. Is it touching the stock somewhere?

Thanks.

Ditto on sending it back to Ruger. Love their customer service and in my experience they'll always make it right for either free or very cheap.

Last I heard Ruger would only rebarrel to the same caliber it came from the factory with. Since they started making their own barrels, the accuracy has been fine. When they bought their barrels, the accuracy was greatly variable. I have a #1V in .22-250 that must have the Wilson long throated barrel. I cannot get closet to the lands with any bullet that will stabilize. It still shoots 5/8 inch groups with hand loads it likes.

While, since a sloped rail is important to you, the Ruger mounts may not meet your requirements, they most certainly do not "suck". They are, in fact, one of the best features of the action, being solid, easily removable, and included at no extra charge. They are excellent mounts for a hunting rifle, if a little heavy. Most folks wanting an action for long range or serious target work aren't going to use a CRF of any sort, except for some old timers hanging onto pre-64s for match shooting.

LeonHitchcock,

You're absolutely right about Ruger not rebarreling to anything except the original chambering. In fact, I don't know of any major rifle manufacturer who will rebarrel to a different cartridge, because otherwise rifle loonies would be sending their rifles in once or twice a year because they suddenly have a whim for a B-29 Ackley Improved.

But what we have in this instance is a .30-06 that will only shoot into 2". If the guy doesn't want another .30-06 barrel, fine, he can pay $500 or more for a custom barrel installation. But if he wants an accurate .30-06, my bet is that a new Ruger barrel will shoot into an inch or less.

I'd also bet it would do the same for your .22-250, and at much less cost than a custom barrel.

Oh my God! A B-29 Ackley Improved! I have to check my bank balance! Thanks for the inspiration John!

Ruger integral rings are comparable in weight to Leupold STD/Redfield-type rings and bases. Moron candyasses, like dogcatcher223, perpetuate some of the most idiotic bullshit with incredibly articulate descriptions, such as "they suck," without having a single clue about the actual subject.

CLICK D LINK

Bear,

Glad I could inspire you!

The B-29 AI also has the throat angle changed, in order to accommodate all the new super-high-BC bullets in .29 caliber, which will soon be kicking the collective asses of all the antique long-range calibers like 6.5mm.

Before you do anything drastic shoot some 220gr ammo through it. Then just go hunting!

Well, they LOOK heavy!

Thanks for D link.

John I had no idea new high BC bullets were coming out in 29 caliber that is excellent news.man, now you're really got me going :-)

That is the plan for next year. I like the accuracy I have seen from Ruger barrels that they have produced themselves.

Do this first
Yes its worth it....But won't shoot any better if above list is not first checked out..

Mathman pretty much nailed it..