Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Ruger M77/22M results

Finally got a chance to actually shoot this rifle. It's one I bought nearly a year ago, got rid of the hideous blue/gray finish, mounted a Leupold 2.5X8 Vari-X III scope on it and set up a target at 50 yds.. Using Winch. Supreme .22 JHP ammo and getting it zeroed in - I tried to see what the rifle would do.

Considering the fact that I've not shot a rifle off a bench for about 3 years, that the trigger hasn't been touched, and the wind was a-blowin' about 20 mph from L to R, AND my trigger time in general needs a ton of work/practice - it performed rather well.



Furthest upper-right and two below the horizontal were pure trigger jerks and trying to squeeze between the breeze (and heartbeats) - the other 6 shots resulted in a .5" cluster.. Now I just have to get that trigger 'right' and try again on a calmer day - but overall I'm impressed and very happy with this rifle.

I had one of the shiny boat paddle rifles years ago. Should have kept it. It'd shoot inch to inch and a quarter at 100 yards with the CCI maxi-mag +V ammo. It was hell on digger squirrels. I only sold it 'cause I got a notion I HAD to have a Winchester 9422M instead for jackrabbits.

I don't want to appear to lecture a professional but I'll offer a couple suggestions in a humble and cautious manner: I think the Volquartsen sear is very worthwhile, but to improve even more, use Wolff's springs, not Volquartsen's. As a gunsmith you can probably do even better 'cause you likely have spring stock on hand I don't have. The Volquartsen sear has a very smooth surface .. you might match it, I couldn't. Polish the top of the trigger which meets that sear. Then remove a bit of the overhang from the sear to reduce engagement.

My last 77/22 was tight enough that none of the trigger shims often suggested could be installed without dragging as the bolt closed.

Good luck!!

thats about right for a stock 77/22 and bulk ammo

Do yourself a favor. Buy some of the Federal 50 grain JHP and watch those groups shrink appreciably. Mine will put 5 shots under a half inch at 50 yards with regularity. I thought mine might be a fluke, but reading some other forums the 77/22M seems to be very fond of the Federal 50 grain stuff. 1 inch dot 5 shots at 50.

You might also try Hornady VMax 30 grain. It has proven accurate (most accurate I might say) for me and it is a flat shooting round. With the VMax you can move out to 100 once you settle on your ammo.

I've got three other types of ammo - Fed 30 gr Sierra tip and Winch. 30 gr Varminter and Winch. 40 gr. Super-X.. I'll get to those once I see what I can do with that trigger. I can usually get the factory parts to perform well on Rugers. But, if not on this one, new parts will be on the way..

Are you shooting Vmax out of a 77/22? The reason I ask is this. The folks I have talked to that had fantastic accuracy out of 50 grain stuff had poor accuracy out of 30 grainers. That's my experience with the 77 as well. I am thinking there is something about the 77/22 that makes it prefer 50 grainers. Now with my 10/22 magnum it is insanely accurate with 30 grain polymer bullets and will not shoot 50's at all. It shoots patterns with 50's.

my 77/22 mag shoots the 30 g vmax with more accuracy than anything else ... by a significant margin.

The Federal 50 grain rounds shot really well in my 77/2 mag. Best accuracy of the rounds I tested. Problem I ran into was that they act as solids on game ... low velocity and no apparent expansion resulting in a high % of wounded p-dogs and sage rats. A round which expands more explosively is probably a better bet for small critter varminting.

Yeah, once I find out which of the four performs best I'll stick to that.. Just re-worked the trigger; it now breaks clean at 2.25#.. MUCHO better..

Well, I just tried the other three.. It did not like the Federal Supreme much - 1.9" group at 50 yds.. But it absolutely HATED the Winch 30 gr. Varminter - 2.5" pattern would best describe that.

But the Winch. Super-X did much better - about .7" at 50..

The first box - Winch Supreme 34 gr. ammo from yesterday gave the best group of the bunch. Surprised me..

Does the WW Supreme have the Speer TNT Bullet? If so that was the round that had the best accuracy out of my 77. It will mess a groundhog up and blow squirrels heads off.

Don't know.. NO info on the box except JHP.. Mean lookin' lil bullet though.

This stuff:

https://www.cabelas.com/product/Win...unition-with-Dry-Storage-Box/1173732.uts

Just get a Fireball. Cheaper in the long run.

And a good .223 is even cheaper, more versatile, just as accurate and more widely available than the Fireball....

So other than being gay for the Fireball- WTF is your point?

Tried to find more of the Winch. Supreme 34 gr ammo... Nobody has it in stock that I could find.. Quick search of Cabellas, Midway, Brownells, SGammo and the LGS found bupkis.. WTH?

Sorry, Dave - I don't want a Fireball. Just something about the .22 magnum that appeals to me.

Redneck, try ammoseek.com.

I regard the .22 mag as a killer, not something for group shooting. With that in mind, you'd be all set as-is. Any improvement you can get would be a bonus.

If yours is an older slip-fit, a .17 HMR is only a credit card away, if you want tiny groups at some point.

Redneck, I have one of the 77/22 Mag VBZs and it shoots everything pretty well and it does like the 34 gr. Winchester Supreme. The first year we took it PD shooting I was less than pleased with the standard Winchester and CCI solids and hollow points. Too many dogs didn't stay put when hit, but the 34 gr Supreme proved to be a different animal as hits were explosive and no runners or draggers.

Just my experience.

Nope - not a slip-fit.. SS rifle with walnut stock. And you're right - this will be used on varmints, but at first I had to find out which ammo will work best - since 22M rifles/ammo can be really picky..

LGS made me a deal on ordering the .34 gr Winch stuff and he'll have it within a few days.


As to a .17HMR - just not at all interested in those things.. I've had many come into the shop with ignition problems....not the rifle's fault at all, but crappy ammunition.. Even with proper dents they refuse to ignite.. Besides, I have a M700 in .17 Remington which is one of my favorite rifles. That round is just explosive on varmints..