I bought one of these in 22-250 in the early '90's at a gun show and it remains my favorite gun ever. I did some shooting with it yesterday and that gun amazes me every time.

Anybody else have "gun love" for these rifles?


See the link I posted below if you didn't know about the safety recall

Hi Rooster7 - purchased one in .22/250 late 70's and still have it. Liked its classic looks in the day of poly finishes, white line spacers etc. It would be considered a "walking varminter" today. Doesn't produce one hole groups but does well enough w/ factory 1:14 twist & 50-60 gr bullets. My son had a blast hitting old watermelons and watching their destruction when he was younger. You'll find it a keeper. Homesteader

I have one in 250 Savage 1-10 twist I likey

I love tang safety Rugers. I've have a .30-06, and a .270 Winchester. Most recently I built myself a 7x64 Brenneke on one.

I bought a tang safety 77 in 1972 when a limited run of 7X57's came out. It was my primary big game rifle for almost 30 yrs. Killed my heaviest buck with it as well as a B&C Pronghorn.
It was an amazing rifle. It would put any load from a 115 gr. HP to a 175 gr. RN into the same 3 inch group at 100 yds. Never changed zero with one exception. I fell on the rifle while carrying it with the scope pointed down. Shot 3 inches left at 100 yds after that. Turned out that the front scope ring was knocked loose.
I found out the hard way that even if you blow a primer out of the case, the action would open and eject the empty w/o undue effort. Try that with a Remington.
Today it's a 280 Remington in a McMillian stock with a Pac-Nor Super Match barrel. I will never sell it. E

Huh...did not know there was a safety recall on the M77's...

I found this on another site:

http://www.ruger.com/pdf/m77.pdf

Hi Homesteader.

I never sell guns but if I did this one would not be one of them.

I have two - an '06 with a 17 inch shortened barrel (had to remove that ugly muzzle bulge after I purchased it used for $80. After bedding/free-floating, trigger job it shoots 1.25 MOA, sometimes less, seldom more, all day long with most anything. First animal killed with it was a ram at @330 yards and factory ammo, and has taken several caribou over 300 yards. Not to mention a half-dozen or so moose under 100 yards. The stock has been slimmed and shortened fore and aft to make it a "carbine" that better fits the wife. I just slip a 1" recoil pad over the secured one to better fit me when I use it. One of my two most carried walk and/or hunting rifles.

The .338WM is factory standard except for bedding/free-float/ trigger job, and Mag-Na-Port. MOA or less with several different loads.

I'll have to look when I get them out of storage in 3 weeks, but I don't think either has a T under the bolt handle. I THINK I put nail polish on all the trigger screws quite a few year ago...

Never had a problem with either, tho.

I have two - an '06 with a 17 inch shortened barrel (had to remove that ugly muzzle bulge after I purchased it used for $80). After bedding/free-floating, trigger job it shoots 1.25 MOA, all day long with most anything. First animal killed with it was a ram at @330 yards and factory ammo, and has taken several caribou over 300 yards. Not to mention a half-dozen or so moose under 100 yards. The stock has been slimmed and shortened fore and aft to make it a "carbine" that better fits the wife. I just slip a 1" recoil pad over the secured one to better fit me when I use it. One of my two most carried walk and/or hunting rifles.

The .338WM is factory standard except for bedding/free-float/ trigger job, and Mag-Na-Port. MOA or less with several different hand loads. Can't remember anything in excess of 1.75 or so, and that was before the bed/free-float/trigger job. Excellent firearms, with a little tweaking.

I'll have to look when I get them out of storage in 3 weeks, but I don't think either has a T under the bolt handle. I THINK I put nail polish on all the trigger screws quite a few years ago, after the trigger jobs...

Never had a problem with either, tho.

I checked mine out and there is "sorta" what resembles a T scratched in under the bolt handle. I'm guessing the previous owner replaced the screw himself and then tried to scratch that in there??

How old is this recall notice?


Casey

One of my new guides was looking for a bear rifle and I had a 375 Ruger barrel I had purchased from a friend who re-barreled his to 416. So I found an early M-77 in 7 Rem mag and replace the barrel with the newer 375 barrel . The stock already showed a crack in the recoil lug area I installed a crossbolt and glass bedded it. Now to see how it shoots !

I don't think it matters. It's just replacing a screw.

Cool. Report back after you shoot it.

I bought a 77R in .358 Win. in late 1979. Got the recall notice by mail in the early '90s. Simple change out.

I received the screw in the mail after I purchased a "200th Year" model so it goes back a long way.

I own a M77 in 270 WIN my wife bought me in early 1978; didn't know about the recall until a couple of weeks ago. I e-mailed Ruger last Wednesday with the required information and got notice on Friday that my screw had shipped. I will get it changed out later this week.

Hadn't heard of this recall. I have a .257 Roberts, 7mm RM and .30-06 manufactured in the time frame referenced by the recall notice. Guess I'll give Ruger a call.

Coyote Hunter,

If you bought these used, look under the bolt and see if there is a "T". If so, the screw has already been changed.

Too late. Ruger has the parts on the way.

I know my 7mm RM won't need it (purchased new in '82) and the .257 Roberts probably will as the previous owner purchased it new for his kids who immediately decided they wanted something bigger. Although an '89, he said they probably hadn't put a box of ammo through it. In any case, the bluing under the slide safety looked like new, something I 'fixed' in the first couple sessions at the range. My -06 is an '84 and I don't know about it. Will have to check them when I get home from work.

My favorite centerfire is also a tang-safety. It was my first centerfire and I bought it at the same time I bought my first reloading kit.

It's a round top in 25-06.

Last hunt with it before it was re-bored to 9.3X62. It's laying in the front but you can barely make it out.



This is how it sits today. I rarely hunt it anymore.



I have a McMillan S/A waiting for just the right tang safety build. Will probably give it to my daughter when it's done.



Travis

Sweet rifle Travis

I like to put my pinky in its chamber.




Dave

Do you lube it first?

I traded a used Rem 760 for a second hand NIB 77R in .280 in 1980 straight up. Best trade I ever made. After bedding it and free-floating the barrel it turned into a real shooter. I shot a number of deer with it but it rode the safe for many years after I had purchased a pair of M70 Featherweights (308 and 6.5 Swede), but decided to use it this past deer season. It was right on the money when I sighted it in and I shot a nice 8 pointer with it on opening day.

ps, I heard about the recall years ago and switched out the screw. Never marked the bolt though.

Nice looking Ruger Travis. My screw, allen wrench and instructions came in today's mail, looks like a fairly simple job.

Had a 22-250. Most accurate rifle I have ever owned but I stupidly sold it. I now own a 250 Savage. Not as accurate but good enough. My oldest son has a 7x57 and it is a thumper. Nice rifles.

Bravo! Great choice.




Another great choice.

My Ruger 77 story is sad.

Bought one in '77 in 220 Swift. The gun put 10 rounds into one ragged hole at 100 yards with 50 gr Norma ammo. The round was a lightning bolt on Whitetails.

Have no idea why I was so stupid to have traded it away.

Bought alot of rifles over the years but my Swift has been the most accurate out of the box..did some trigger work but it has stayed as is even with the vintage Redfield glass.When something works and works well I don't mess with its mojo.

Nah.

It's a Ruger.




Dave

I have had mine since the late 80s best I can remember. Bought it from my brother basically new for $100 so he could take his new girlfriend out on a date. My first bolt action centerfire rifle. I hunted with it killing much game as my only rifle and always tight groups at the range unitl the early 2000s when I discovered 30-06 was not a flat enough shooting caliber to be of much use and that rugers were generally were not accurate and made of cast iron. Since then I spent thousands collecting more expensive but lesser rifles always comparing them the tanger. Im thinking about a mcmillan for it as well.
I recently put a m700 xcrii in an edge and it might be the one rifle I own that l enjoy as much as the old ruger.

Woody,

Nice rifle!

I put a new Redfield Revolution 3x9x40mm Accu-Range on mine a couple of years ago. I like it quite well. Since Leupold started making them, they are pretty nice scopes IMO.

That is a nice lookin girl too!

I've never seen a bad tang-safety Swift.




Travis