Lucky day here in the high valleys of SW Montana! It kind of began Friday afternoon when my travel partners and I headed out for a gunshow and to do a gunshop or two.
The show opened at 1:00 PM and at about 1:30 PM I spotted a nifty super clean Ruger 77/22 Magnum heavy barrel model (stainless all weather I guess they are called - I call them Varmint/Targets).
The asking price seemed "fair'ish" for so far out in the country ($800.00) but I wasn't to anxious to deal on it as I so much more prefer the 17 HMR rimfire round.
The owner/table holder invited me to make an offer but I wasn't to motivated.
Off we went to a couple of gunshops (one was closed for some unknown reason?)
I returned to the gunshow Saturday morning and the 77/22 Magnum was still there and again I failed to find a flaw anywhere on the Rifle.
I had brought my snap-caps with me that day and the trigger was crisp but quite heavy!
Off I go to view an estate collection and ended up buying the most beautiful Smith & Wesson Model 17-2 I have ever seen. It is the 6" model and like so many guns from this collection appears unfired!
The grips on the Model 17 are THE most beautiful "Diamond" grips (target style) I have ever seen - they are dark like English Walnut - and the 60 year old checkering (manufactured 1961) is as sharp as the day they were made!
So my interest in the 77/22 Magnum waned a bit.
I did stop at the gunshow on my way home and looked it over again (one magazine with it and the factory rings were very nice).
I get home and against my better judgement I went onto the computer and checked a few "gunbreaker" type websites looking into Ruger 77/22 Magnums.
My searches gave me pause to reconsider the nifty liitle Rifle.
I have its twin which I bought way back when and its in 17 HMR - so why would I need another somewhat pricey rimfire?
I can rationalize about anything when it comes to "gun chasin"!
Bright and early today I load up and head for the gunshow to see if the Magnum is still there (on Saturday afternoon the owner had intimated he would take $700.00 cash for the gun!).
I am now thinking if I buy the Rifle and it does not shoot well I'll just re-sell it and maybe make a fifty or a hundred dollar bill on it?
The owner was also selling a fair amount of ammunitions from his table so I took some of my "on hand, long time, but now desirable ammo" with me for trading stock.
Soon I had the 77/22 Magnum in hand and on my way home with it - and only out of pocket about $575.00 (I paid $400.00 cash and the cost of the ammo I had stored at home - $175.00 worth or so!)
I felt good/lucky.
Now to see if it shoots.
I am home by noon today and quickly re-aligned the Ruger integral rings and lapped them. I chose a Leupold 6.5x20 Target scope with E.F.R. feature, bore sighted it -  and by 3:00 I was at my friends private range with 7 different brands/styles of 22 Magnum ammunition to test.
The first ammo I tested for accuracy (after getting onto the paper) was the Hornady 30 grain V-Max stuff.
First group (5 shots at 50 yards) turned out to be .540" and I was somewhat pleased with this.
It was 83 degrees today with much mirage (we've had rain lately and the ground/air was moist) and I dealt with it as best I could.
I thought heck I'll try this ammo at 100 yards before things get hotter/worse.
The mirage at 100 yards was way worse than at 50 and I even got out my battery operated electric fan and set it up to try and blow away any "heat" coming from the barrel - that didn't help.
I dialed out all the parallax I could there at 100 yards and even that was frustrating to deal with.
Anyway I started plugging away in the difficult conditions (no wind, just mirage) and the next group at 100 yards turned out WAY better than I thought it could - it measured .950" for 5 shots.
I was elated and all thoughts of selling that Rifle came to a halt right then.
I decided "good enough for me - especially for today"!
The drive home had me planning the "replacement" of that heavy but crisp trigger.
I have done a couple JARD replacement triggers on two other Ruger 77 rimfires (both in 17 HMR) and they turned out wonderfully for their owners.
Anyway just had to share what I consider a "lucky day" with you all (lucky to get a bargain and lucky to get a shooter).
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
P.S.: The Leupold 6.5x20 E.F.R. "Target" model scope performed perfectly adjustment wise by the way.