Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger M77 opinions

I've had 3 MK II's over the years. A blued walnut 7mm with a Timney trigger job, 270 stainless synthetic and a 300wm stainless laminate (beautiful rifle). All 3 were great work horses, reliable, no hang ups but all were 1 or 2 load rifles. The 7mag loved 150 BT's and would put them in neat little 1/2" groups, everything else was 1"+ but fine for hunting.

The 270 would put 130 ballistic silver tips in about 3/4" and the 130 Hornady flat base in maybe 1/2". Didn't really like any other loads.

The 300 shot nearly every load I tried between 1" and 1-1/2" (again, no problems for the hunting ranges I shot back then) until I tried 168 TSX seated .050 or .060 off the lands. My son with his younger eyes can shoot that load into 1 ragged hole fairly regular so he now has a MK II and I'm short one. Great hunting tools.

I have two tangers- an 06 and a .338WM. Neither are going anywhere. Both needed the usual work to get down to or below MOA.

Had a 77V in 25-06 that had a stock with fiddleback from end to end. Shot 5 into MOA with neck sized hand loads, factory standard, no mods at all.. Factory loads shot 4-5 inch groups. I suspect an over-bored chamber, but dunno, and can't check, now. That was in my young less informed days ......thought it was too light in caliber and two heavy in weight for moose hunting when I moved off the Slope the first time. Dumb!

Never should have sold that one!

Ruger misses alotta dots,reliably.

If it's CM stem to stern,it's an easy mechanical pass. That due materials,twist rate,COAL and throat geometry.

Hint...…………………...

Bought my first M77 in 1994. It was a tanger .22-250 sporter. Shot factory ammo for years and killed a lot of critters but never spent much time shooting paper. Got more serious about shooting several years back and wasn't 100% happy with the accuracy (1.5" +/-)

Bed, free float, and trigger job settled it down considerably. Doesn't have any trouble getting most load combos around the 1" mark and shoots the 45 TSX right around a 1/2" average. My wife killed her first coyote with it almost 20 years ago so it is officially hers now she says.

My primary factory hunting rifles these days are mostly 77 variants. Paddle stock .22 for small game, paddle stock .22 mag for small game out there a little ways, laminate .17 HMR heavy barrel for out there just a hair farther, JES Rebored .35 Whelen paddle stock for big stuff close, .300 win mag paddle stock for medium to big stuff near or far. I have a paddle stock .270 in my safe that I bought as a trader but it shoots so well I am seriously considering adding it to the keeper pile.

Have had 'em all...MKI's,II's,and Transitions. If only for starters.

Pardon RPM,throat geometry and COAL mattering more than a "smidge".

Hint...…………………….

Very!!

Back then they used Douglas barrels.

My M77 tang 22-250 is my favorite gun.

M77 tang safety in 22-250 was my first rifle I bought back in about 1991. First paycheck from my summer job when I was 12

14" RPM ain't anything to swoon.

Re-hint..................

So if I’m reading some of you correctly

The older tang models are not as strong and reliable as the Hawkeye and MKII ..... the older tang were not true CRF. Correct?

I've got an older M77 in .300WM that I got about 1980. Killed my first deer with it, and hunted everything from antelope to bears, to sheep with it since. It has the tang safety and is not CRF. It has a heavier than average barrel and is a heavy rifle. It will print clover leafs with my hand loads. I've noted that the bullets have to be seated deep for the magazine. The trigger is crisp but heavy. The barrel isn't close to being free floated. But it shoots tight groups. It's definitely not a custom bells and whistles rifle, but it's been a work horse and been abused over the years. Several family members have had newer M77s, and none would shoot like mine, though they killed stuff just as dead. I love the straight stocks on these rifles and the built in scope attachment design. No problems getting a good cheek weld.

My go to whitetail rifle started life as a .308 Mk II because it had the crf, wing type safety and stainless steel that I wanted. It went out to Brown Precision in California to get a Kevlar Pounder stock, 1/2" Decelerator pad, blueprinted action, 7mm-08 20" stainless Shilen #1 taper match grade barrel, reworked trigger, Teflon coated bolt, full green camo paint, 1.5-6x42 Zeiss Diavari 30mm VM/V scope, Uncle Mike's Nylon sling swivels, and a sewn on camo Nylon sling. 7 pounds 2 ounces and I like it.

I have two Ruger M77's, one 30-06 and a heavy barrel 220 Swift. Both are 70's tang safeties. Both are very accurate, I've had several more and never had a problem with any of them. In my opinion Ruger makes a good product and would not hesitate to buy another. My only complaint is the warnings they put on them now, but I guess todays society makes it necessary.



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My first tanger was a 300 Win Mag which shot pretty good but when I moved to Washington state I wanted a shorter lighter rifle so I traded the magnum for a RS tanger in 308. This rifle was a 2 MOA shooter but was a very pretty factory rifle. It did it's job well taking an elk, a couple black bears and several blacktails before I was offered more than it was worth at the time by a bunch. I wish I hadn't sold that one. Presently I have two tangers, a 257 Roberts UL and a Standard model 77 in 270. These rifles are both very accurate with the 257 being very finicky but with loads it likes it shoots plenty well enough. I had a boat paddle stocked stainless MKII in 338 for a while and it also shot well though it kicked with authority and it's hard rubber buttpad would put a dent in you! I sold it but if it had been in 308 or 30-06 I would still have it.

I have a 77 mkII stainless in 300 Win Mag that is my do-it-all backup/travel rifle. Its bomb proof, shoots flat enough for any shot I’d take, enough power for anything I’d hunt. I’ve had it for 15 years and its really smoothed up since when I bought it.

It might actually be more gun than I need and I’d probably buy a 7mm Rem Mag or 30-06 if I were to do it over, just because the magazine is cramped with the 300.

I never knew that about the CRF. So early models are not true CRF only later models.


Quote=GF1]The older Model 77s are good guns, and the newer ones (MkII and Hawkeye) are much better in my opinion, with some exceptions.

The older guns main draw in terms of features is the tang safety - a double shotgun style that is easy to use and convenient. This safety prevents the trigger from being pulled but does not block the striker, a shortcoming I think is significant (though this design is very common in many other brands, including the Remington 700). It is also interesting to note, as an aside, that while this feature is lacking in Bill Ruger’s Model 77, the Ruger Number One single shot locks the trigger and physically blocks the hammer while on safe. I suppose he reasoned that the magazine rifle would mostly be carried with an empty chamber and cartridges in the magazine which can be quickly fed to the chamber, while the single shot was more likely to be carried with a round up the spout.

The controlled round feed (CRF) feature is lacking on the early versions of the Model 77, as the extractor must jump the cartridge rim while being fed into the chamber from the magazine. I had one failure to extract a fired cartridge from a Model 77 .270 in the mid 70s, an extractor that didn’t break but failed to completely jump the rim, while four other Model 77s of this vintage were flawless. Another feature of this rifle I do not like is spring loaded plunger ejector. It is possible that the plunger could be stuck with debris and fail to eject, though I have never had this happen. Only one of these rifles remains, a heavy barrel .220 Swift that is very accurate. Accuracy of these early Model 77s could be spotty. A couple of these, in .257 Roberts and a sporter weight .220 Swift, were 2.5 MOA shooters at best, while rifles in .270, 7mm RM and the heavy barreled Swift above were all sub-MOA shooters and good hunting rifles. That 7mm RM was a saddle scabbard rifle that logged many horseback miles and was vary reliable (I did glass bed the rifle and free float the barrel).

A terrific feature of the Model 77 is the scope mounting arrangement. Bases are integral to the receiver, less to go awry. This feature continues with the later Model 77s.

I much prefer the newer actions of the Model 77, the MkII and Hawkeye. These models are very similar, in metal only different in the trigger assemblies. These feature the same Mauser-based and proven CRF design, with a blade-type ejector (found also in similar design on current and ore-64 Winchester Model 70s, the idea of which was stolen from the various Mauser actions).

Also of great importance to me is that the safeties of these later rifles physically block the striker from falling as well as locking the trigger. I find the stock design of the Hawkeye about the best shape in a hunting rifle, but that is purely personal preference and “feel.” The Hawkeye triggers seem a bit better in terms of trigger pulls, but the MkIIs can be safely worked down to crisp pulls around 3#. Some may not like the lack of an overtravel trigger stop, but it has not bothered me and my rifles have shot very well. They also feature (both Hawkeye and MkII) an open trigger design that will not allow water or debris to collect and freeze up.

In terms of accuracy, I have had several MkIIs that were great shooters, not one that was sour (though my small sample size may not mean much). I view the Hawkeye as a terrific bargain in a new hunting rifle today. I have no experience with any of the Ultralight models.

There’s my take; am sure others have different views.

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I bought a .270 M77RS in 85 and it still does it's thing.
Also got a .308 mkII 20" in 97 and it still works.
I like the tang safety better and the adjustable trigger on the Tanger.
The mkII had the heavy lawyer trigger, fixed it with a lighter spring from the hardware store.

I have a tang safety 220 Swift heavy barrel that I bought off an old lady after her husband had passed away. It was new unfired when I bought it over 25 years ago. She said her husband had bought it to go prairie dog hunting but never did. It had a Leupold 12x on it.
Fantastic shooter! This rifle is my reminder to go and do what you want to do NOW. Or someone else will be shooting the rifle while you push up daisies.
I got curious to see what year my tang safety Ruger was manufactured. 1973

I love the MKII and Hawkeye versions, in just about any iteration including the ultralights. They are simply a great hunting gun for all-around use.