Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles My Ruger M77 Varminter in 243

About 9 years ago on the 4th of July I was telling my grandpa that I am going to get a 243 for coyote calling. He told me "I think I have one you can have", we proceeded to the garage where he pulled down from the rafters a brand new M77 Varminter. He traded my great uncle some type of pump shotgun for it. I was beside myself to say the least. It has the tang safety, wood stock and 24 inch blued heavy barrel. It did not take too long to develop a load for it, it actually shot Hornady 95grn SST factory stuff around 1/2 inch. The load I settled on is 37.0 of Varget with an 87grn Vmax with an OAL of 2.600". The rife will shoot this load 1/3 of an inch routinely. Next range trip I am going to back it out to 200 yards. It also likes 85grn Speer boattail soft points and 100grn Sierra gamekings with Reloader 17 and H4831sc. It likes most stuff you load in it! It is super nice shooting rifle. Anyone else have one in 243? 22-250? 25-06?

https://imgur.com/Ijh7I19
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Very cool, especially the story.

The men in my family weren't much of "gun" people but the few that I have from them are cherished.

Cool story and cool gun! I have a few "family" guns that I will never let go. On of my favorites is a No 1V that was my grandfather's.

That is awesome! That will be a rifle you will always cherish.

Nice number 1!

I have one of the old 77Vs in 220 Swift. Great gun. Mine shows some considerable use but is still a great shooter.

I don't have it anymore but my first heavy varmint rifle was one like yours only in .22-250. I put over 2000 rounds through it before trading it for something or other. I don't remember what. I bought it before the polymer tipped bullets hit the market so, looking for explosive results, I shot 50 grain SXs and 45 grain pointy Hornet bullets in it for the most part. It was rough on the ground squirrel population. Shot one deer with it ... 52 grain Sierra match bullet to the noggin .. lights out .. in fact, lights, and everything else north of the base of the ears, vanished.

Mine wore a Leupold 6.5-20X. I polished some trigger / sear parts to get the Ruger 60 grit roughness out and installed a Bullseye spring kit.

Good gun ... I was very very happy with it.

Tom

Thanks for the replies. The trigger could certainly use a little polishing.

If it is a tang safety and does not have the two-stage trigger, the trigger is adjustable.

It looks and shoots great - congrats!

Good to know thanks.

Have had multiples in every chambering you cite. MK I's,Transitions and II's.

With their COAL,throat and RPM...the 105 Hornie BTHP is a great default,in 243Win.

Win.................

At a gun show back in the early 80’s, I found a tang safety 77V in 220 Swift for sale. The barrel had been cut to 20 inches so the previous owner could keep it on the truck dash. Wonderful shooter, first and second barrels.

Had more than a few of 'em.

Pass the Montucky 223.

Hint...............

Always good to see and hear of the old 77's doing well. That's some awful good shooting. I do need to rebuke you just a little bit though. That work/loading bench is too dang neat. And the way you have stuff in those pretty plastic boxes on the lower shelf. I'm just not sure about that. Check out Stick's pictures of his reloading stuff and you'll see what I'm talking about...lol. Just picking with you my Friend. I wish I kept my stuff like that! Keep on shooting my Friend.

bmoney...one more thing. Don't know if your Grandpa is still living or not, hopefully he is. But in case you don't know it, he's a keeper!

Bmoney: Wow - what a great gift from your grandfather!
And what makes it even better is that it shoots so well!
Good for you.
What scope is that you have on there?
I have Ruger heavy barrel Model 77's in several calibers including one in 243 Winchester!
Other calibers include:
204 Ruger (2 of these)
223 Remington
22 P.P.C.
22-250 Remington
220 Swift (2 of these)
25-06 Remington
They all shoot very well - I still have the 22 P.P.C. new and unfired in its box - haven't decided on that ones future (sell for profit or shoot it).
One of my 220 Swift 77 Varmints is a 1976 "Bi-Centennial Model" and its still going strong!
My 243 Winchester Model 77 Varmint has a Leupold 6.5x20 on it and it shoots the 70 grain Nolser Ballistic Tips real fast, real flat and real accurately - its one of my favorite Rock Chuck/Prairie Dog rigs.
Over the past few decades I have had a couple (two) of Ruger heavy barrel Model 77 Rifles that shot only so-so (inch'ish) and after trying several fixes/loads I sent them down the road.
Thanks for sharing and again I am glad your Rifle shoots so well.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

bmoney -

Those are good looking target but everyone here knows Rugers can't shoot. what did you REALLY shot those targets with - or were you just shooting at 25 yards?


Just kidding, of course. My MKII .22-250 VT printed .5" at 200 yards with a load I developed for the Savage 110E Dad gave me.

Sweet rifle and nice shooting bmoney. I damn near bought that rifle's twin about a month ago at a local Cabela's. That one is a keeper. You better hang on to it.

I recently inherited from my dear late brother’s estate, a .243 M77 exactly like the OP’s. Can’t tell if it is fitted with a Douglas barrel as some were (those weren’t marked in any way), but the slick way it cleaned - and some cursory shooting with some borrowed factory ammo and a few handloads gives me hope it has that barrel and/or it’ll be a decent shooter. That trigger is holding things up for now - I’m thinking I measured pull at over 6 lbs. - and can’t recall seeing any way to adjust it. Was gonna go with an aftermarket one anyway, but Rifle Basic (or maybe it was Midway that sells them) urged sending the gun to them for installation; something about a wire or rod that connects the safety that the average owner supposedly in incapable of figuring out.
Anybody out there ever replaced a Ruger 77 trigger from that era? Thanks.

Have not replaced any as they (M77 tanger triggers) are adjustable and easy to tune/polish. Have had all of mine out of the actions to float the barrel and work the trigger. The connecting rod is easy. Remove the action and use your cell phone to take a photo for reference.