I'm looking at a Ruger M77 International Mark II in 308 caliber. I've heard that they can be finicky shooters. First of all, is this true? And if they are fussy, are there any tips & tricks I can do myself to get them to shoot better? Thanks, JP
Not gun writer but I own one. Mine was fussy because of bedding issues. I had the action glass bedded and the barrel free floated to the end cap. It shoots sub MOA with some loads and MOAish with others. Very accurate once the stock was properly bedded.
I have found that almost every rifle with a mannlicher-style full-length stock has been less accurate than if the same barreled action was installed in a "regular" stock. That said, most mannlicher-style stocked rifles are accurate enough for shooting game and reasonable ranges.
I have found that in nearly every situation, installing a neoprene O-ring around the barrel about 1/2" to the rear of the muzzle will provide enough cushion between the barrel and the stock or end cap to improve accuracy. I have found the Husqvarna and Sako mannlicher stocked rifles to be pretty accurate without any work. I have 16 mannlicher-stocked Rugers and have only had one lemon, a 243 that just wouldn't shoot. The thing that I dislike about the short action 77 RSIs is that they are butt-heavy and there isn't a practical way to improve that situation. The long action 77 RSIs have a much more neutral balance.
I have found that in nearly every situation, installing a neoprene O-ring around the barrel about 1/2" to the rear of the muzzle will provide enough cushion between the barrel and the stock or end cap to improve accuracy. I have found the Husqvarna and Sako mannlicher stocked rifles to be pretty accurate without any work. I have 16 mannlicher-stocked Rugers and have only had one lemon, a 243 that just wouldn't shoot. The thing that I dislike about the short action 77 RSIs is that they are butt-heavy and there isn't a practical way to improve that situation. The long action 77 RSIs have a much more neutral balance.
I owned one in .270 years back. It wasn't fussy at all. It simply refused to shoot anything well. I put in more work and range time in with that rifle trying to get it to shot than any other rifle I've ever owned. Different bullets, brass and primers, then bedding, mounts, scopes, action screw tension and crown work. Then I removed all the bedding again and relieved the inletting and bedded again.
At it's best it was a 3 MOA rifle. I thought it was a cool little rifle and I really wanted it to work but it refused and was sadly disposed of.
At it's best it was a 3 MOA rifle. I thought it was a cool little rifle and I really wanted it to work but it refused and was sadly disposed of.
I have three tang safety RSI rifles, all in .308 Win. Got into them on the cheap because their previous owners said they would not shoot anything accurately. They were not lying. The first one took two years to get a load I would accept. I decided if I could get 1.5" on a consistent basis, that would be good enough to hunt with. It took an oddball load of W760 and a 165 gr. Speer Hot Core to finally make the grade. Velocity was a whole rip snorting 2550 FPS from the 18.5" barrel. Same load worked in all three rifles. 
Later when I had noting to do and was bored as hell, I pulled the nose cap off one of the rifles and with a Cratex tip removed a very slight bit of metal from the cap and test fired the rifle. It now run about 1.25 consistently and has taken so big Mule Deer for one at six feet as it ran past me from being spooked by another hunter to one at 250 yards laser measured. Change to another 165 gr. bullet and accuracy goes all to hell again. I can't say that will work for you but it has made three Ruger RSI's into reasonably useful hunting rifles.
Years back I owned a very cherry Mannlicher-Schoenaur carbine in 6.5x54. Shot 160 gr. bullet fairly well but the 140 gr. load (Norma) were no better that 3.0". I figured the long throat had something to do with that. Still, when I shot it, deer died. I wish I still had it but some low life stole it from my truck back in 1975. Looked for a replacement that was as nice as mine was but found the RSI to be a reasonable clone. I always figure with a full stock accuracy would most likely not be MOA or less but that fact doesn't bother me at all. I just try to get a little closer, that's all.
Paul B.
Later when I had noting to do and was bored as hell, I pulled the nose cap off one of the rifles and with a Cratex tip removed a very slight bit of metal from the cap and test fired the rifle. It now run about 1.25 consistently and has taken so big Mule Deer for one at six feet as it ran past me from being spooked by another hunter to one at 250 yards laser measured. Change to another 165 gr. bullet and accuracy goes all to hell again. I can't say that will work for you but it has made three Ruger RSI's into reasonably useful hunting rifles.Years back I owned a very cherry Mannlicher-Schoenaur carbine in 6.5x54. Shot 160 gr. bullet fairly well but the 140 gr. load (Norma) were no better that 3.0". I figured the long throat had something to do with that. Still, when I shot it, deer died. I wish I still had it but some low life stole it from my truck back in 1975. Looked for a replacement that was as nice as mine was but found the RSI to be a reasonable clone. I always figure with a full stock accuracy would most likely not be MOA or less but that fact doesn't bother me at all. I just try to get a little closer, that's all.
Paul B.
I have had two of the original 77's in rsi configuration. Neither was fussy IMHO. I did not expect bug hole 5 shot groups but both would easily do 1-11/2 groups witha variety of loads.for 3 shots out of the box.
The Sako`s shoot so well because they have a two piece fore arm.I have had quite a few and they all shot good.
mt sako mannlicher shoots great,
I've never owned one, but 3 friends have, all in .308, and each of the 3 would print cloverleafs for the 1st 3 shots, but 5 would open up to about MOA or a little over. They did this for years, and one by one, each of them went squirrelly, and groups opened to 3"+ or sometimes worse, depending on load, and that's for 3 shots. Groups like that don't warrant 5.
It's always seemed to me that the logical explanation was the forends finally warped, from whatever cause, but that's just a guess, of course. Those long stocks are exquisite in appearance, but if you HAVE to have a real tack driver, the skinny, short barrels and full length stocks probably aren't for you. If I had one, I'd be VERY sure to seal the entire stock to the very best of my ability, and I'd check the contact at the muzzle cap. If you're not into amateur gunsmithing, and demand a tack driver, they're likely not for you. If you're a real hunter, though, and love a nice, light, quick as a thought hunting companion, they're very hard to beat. They'll never likely be target rifles, though each of my 3 buddies thought they were for the 1st 3 shots for a number of years. They just couldn't hold up over time.
That's been my experience, anyway. YMMV.
It's always seemed to me that the logical explanation was the forends finally warped, from whatever cause, but that's just a guess, of course. Those long stocks are exquisite in appearance, but if you HAVE to have a real tack driver, the skinny, short barrels and full length stocks probably aren't for you. If I had one, I'd be VERY sure to seal the entire stock to the very best of my ability, and I'd check the contact at the muzzle cap. If you're not into amateur gunsmithing, and demand a tack driver, they're likely not for you. If you're a real hunter, though, and love a nice, light, quick as a thought hunting companion, they're very hard to beat. They'll never likely be target rifles, though each of my 3 buddies thought they were for the 1st 3 shots for a number of years. They just couldn't hold up over time.
That's been my experience, anyway. YMMV.
Knew a guy who bought an RSI in 250-3000 and couldnt get it shoot better than 3-3.5 inch groups, took it back to shop he bought it from and traded for another rifle. About a year later he found another RSI in 250-3000 and bought it. Second one shot around 1" and he was happy.
My RSI 250 would string about 4 " vertically, and about 1/2" wide. I relieved a pressure point, and it's now a consistent moa shooter. An older 308 would shoot 1.5 moa and I left it alone.