Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles New to me Ruger Tang Safety 7x57

I bought this off of the classifieds here. I have always had a soft spot for these rifles but have never owned one. I have a buddy that has 3 of then now and they all shoot unbelievably well considering all the bad reports on them. So when I got a chance to purchase this one in 7x57 I jumped at it. Piss poor picture but it is the only one I have right now.



Scoped it up today with a old vari-x 1 3-9x40 friction adjust leupold. Loaded some 154 gr Hornady Interlocks into Hornady .275 Rigby brass with Fed 210 primers and 44 gr of IMR4451 powder. Seated the bullets to the base of the cannelure. Got it on paper and shot a 4 shot group.


I think the old girl is gonna shoot. Gotta get my tripod back so I can chronograph the load but if it is close to were I want to be I think Ill leave it alone if it can repeat this. The shot farthest out was the first one after adjusting scope then the next three nested together. My experience with the friction adjust Leupolds is they take a shot or two to settle in. Those are 1" squares on the target. I must of got one with a good barrel. Thanks for looking.

Charles, there is no hope for the old red pad guns. The barrels were outsourced. You group is obviously a lucky fluke. Best to just bring it to the pig hunt and I'll take it off your hands there

If I did that then you would have to go back to Africa to hunt the big 5 because this would be your dangerous game rifle. Seeing as how the .243 is your big bore. I think I am gonna keep it outsourced barrel and all.

Oh and it will be at the pig hunt.

If I still had a store of 175 grain solids and NPTs laid in, I wouldn't hesitate to use it on the big 5.

Nice. I like them also. Have had 2 that shoot lights out. My bud still uses the 243 I sold him. Another gun I shoulda never sold. But his son shot his first buck with it last year, so I am happy. I won't ever let it get too far away......and I still load for it. For beer, of course........

Bought mine in 1985 and it is a shooter...the hole spectrum 115 to 175 grain bullets.

These two guys like the 77 tang safety, too.


Mule Deer:
" I've owned a pile of 77's of all eras. While one barrel truly sucked (a 7x57 with a bore that had numerous loose spots, with the tight spots measuring .287), all the others shot anywhere from acceptably to very well. My acceptable rating is three shots in an inch for big game rifles, and five shots in an inch for varmint rifles, and very well is half that. Most of them required some work on the bedding and trigger, but then a lot of factory rifles do."

Boxer - Big Stick:
"I've Ruger familiarity and accept them for what they are. Light or bullet proof they are not, though curiously enough they are oft maligned by the masses for "accuracy" woe which I've yet to see, though of course I shoot a bit, which tend to tip numerous scales."

Old Big Stick is so modest. I think the Ruger's Tang Safety and MKII/Hawkeye are maybe one of the best overall Rifle's out there. There are others that are lighter, more accurate, prettier and have more aftermarket doodahs available. But the Ruger's are just across the board a solid dependable no frills hunting rifle. I have a feeling I will end up with a few more.

That of girl looks familiar...glad you're enjoying her...I'd still have her if I didn't need my new No. 1 in 275 rigby...

I've had 3, still have two, should never have sold the .25-06.

Have worked on a bunch more. Only "bad barrel" I ever found was in a 7 Mag. But it only went bad after being stored in a damp location for a couple years. Replaced it with a $100 takeoff in .338 WM. Hovers around MOA with everything my hunting partner has tried (3 shot groups) factory or reloads. .

With certain hand loads, my .338WM will shoot 3 shots into +- one inch at 200 yards- everything else stays inside inch and a quarter at 100 yards. I don't worry about it much. Minute of moose is pretty big at 100 yards or less..... . Mostly I CNS shoot em anyway, and accuracy is plenty good enough for that at that range with any of the ammo. Currently I have MOA Hornady 250 grain RN loaded up for the foreseeable future.. Ugly as heck, but the moose can't tell the dif.

What Mule Deer said.

I have 8 high power rifles (including 3 Mod 70s and a M700) and the most accurate one is my 1980 Ruger 77R Tang in .280. I just shot it a couple weeks ago to check zero before the deer season and put two Federal Premium 150 gr Nosler Partitions into .4" @ 100yds. Over the years I've used this to win a few turkey shoot matches and have used it to shoot most of the deer I've taken. I did have to free-float the barrel and bed the action to keep the shots from walking on me, but it's got a good barrel.

Thank You for the good deal. Glad you got something to replace it with.

Nice rifle and great shooting. You got a good one. You better hang on to that one..

I'm still kicking myself for not buying one of these for $400 about 5-6 years ago...

Nice looking rifle. Have you looked up the year of manufacture on the Ruger web site? Just curious. I have tang safeties going back to 1984 and all are shooters.

Bought one in 1972, back when they were a limited production run with a hollow bolt knob. Only found one load that would stay under an inch. But settled on a load that would hold 1.5 MOA. It was the old 140 gr. Nosler Partition over 47 grs. of IMR 4350, WW cases.
Most consistant and reliable rifle I had ever owned at that time. Knowing nothing about bedding or free floating at that time, it never changed zero. Not only that, but it would put everything from 115 gr. HP's to 175 factory RN's into 3 inches at 100 yds.
Hunted it for 30 yrs. killing stuff like a B&C Pronghorn and old desert mulies. It lives on today as a 280, with a McMillian Stock and a Pac-Nor barrel. E

Don't let this guy tempt you, for years he was a strong voice for the 7x57 then he sold his Model 70 and went over to the dark side...270 Winchester.

You want me to send you a few?

Ran the 44 grains of IMR4451 load over the chronograph today only 2300 fps. Ended up at 50grains at 2700 fps should do the job.

Tangers will shoot. I got lucky with the barrel on this .270. The best part is that safety--right where God intended it.