Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Re barrel on a Ruger?

Nephew has a Ruger M77 in 7mm and it he has a hard time getting close to moa with a number of different types of ammo we have tried with it. The rifle was given to him and definitely was not taken care of. I have tried to clean it and run JB bore paste down the barrel but it still does not help. The scope is mounted tight and that does not seem to be th problem.

What would the cost be to put a reasonably priced barrel on. He would probably try a different stock and bedding also and would be happy with MOA.

Thanks

Sometimes Ruger will rebarrel it if it has issues. Check to see if barrel is straight. Mine was bent and Ruger rebarreled it for shipping cost.

I've rebarreled a couple of Rugers.... always used ER Shaw Barrels....which shot better than the barrels they were replacing....

Try Floating the barrel. Have an older Mark II in 6mm Rem that was really finicky until I Floated and Bedded it

I’ve only had one Ruger rebarreled. It had poor accuracy before and only slightly better accuracy, after rebarreling with a premium barrel.

I’d sell the Ruger and buy a Rem 700.

I would try the accurizing barrel tensioning device before getting a new barrel. Inexpensive and could work. That or free floating the fore end.

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

1) Make sure the angled front screw is not touching stock. Take a 1/4" rat tail file and gently relieve some of the wood.



2) Correct tension and tighten sequence on the stock screws. Front farmer tight, rear tight and middle just enough so it does not fall out (so magazine box does not bind).

3) Temporary free float barrel. Place a shim of a couple layers of business card stock or a bread bag clip between stock and action just behind the recoil lug.

I’ve barreled a pile of them, easy thread pattern and breaching system. Never had any issue with one not shooting after a rebarrel if properly bedded.

Rebarreled one from 30/06 to 35 Whelen and used it for 9 seasons in Alaska, killed a rail car full of stuff with it.

I also have re-barreled a LOT of them and also never had a problem. One of the easiest re-barrel jobs out there.

I think Roundoak might have the right idea. Rather than the cost and hassle of rebarreling, I would try that first. Sometimes simple works fine.

What is the year of manufacture? Ruger used Wilson barrels for a while and speced them at .003" oversize to reduce the possibility of over-pressure issues. That created a generation of rifles with accuracy issues. I have seen a number of fantastic Ruger CS incidents and would talk to them about it.

Bedding the action would be step one. I have gone to full-length neutral bedding on almost everything for a number of years.

If it will put 3 from a cold bbl. in 1.5", it will kill anything he would hunt with a 77 Std weight rifle. It's not a P-dog rilfe or a 1000 yd target gun. My pre-war M70 300 H&H will do that and has killed everything I put its Lyman Alaskan's dot on.

Small groups do not a hunter make.

I've used member dpcd on AR for some Ruger work. He took a LH MKII SS 270 and rebarreled to 9.3x62 with a No. 3 Doug barrel. He also went through the entire action and trigger/safety group. He also slimmed down the factory laminate stock into a more Hawkeye-esque configuration and it is wonderful in hand. He is currently making its twin in 7x57. A potent NA pair for certain. His barrel work is efficient, low cost, and his turnaround time is excellent.

If its in the skill set of the original poster I would suggest Bedding the rifle, insuring as noted by others, that the barrel is floated, the front screw doesn't bind, the mag box is loose in the stock. The screws should be Front-Farmer tight, rear-pretty tight, middle in enough to fold everything. Get trigger down to a reasonable weight 3-4lbs max. With some basic skills you can do this in an hour of work and for very little money.

When testing bullets I would make sure I try different weights, and if a loader play with seating depth. Most of my rifles have been/are Rugers and every know and then I find one that just won't shoot a given weight but shoots other weights well. I have probably owned of worked up 50 or so and only 1 wasn't able of shooting close to or better than MOA. More than a few were from the feared Wilson barrel years.

I Would honestly do what Roundoak has recommended On my old red butt's I use soda can strips as he described as shims I believe the angle screw is 95 inch/lbs and around 30 for the trigger these suggestions will really make a huge difference. Please give it ago before you barrel.
Post results when you get it dialed.

I will have to check the serial number to tell the year. Fusion has been around 2 MOA and I am wondering if he should use a heavier bullet because of the twist.

Lots of good ideas.

Thanks

My Rugers have the receiver bedded in flat (many receivers of all brands are not - the reason some shooters MUST use torque wrenches), along with a couple inches of barrel, the rest free-floated. Original triggers I worked over, one to about 3 lbs, one (.338) to 31/2 - as light as felt safe. I could replace them to get them down to my preferred 2.5, but they work fine as is..... The .338WM Tang so done has at least one hand load that puts 3 into an inch at 200, another that is 1 MOA or less, otherwise it is 1 to 1.25 with factory loads - it is neck sizing only of fired brass that makes the difference with the hand-loads. Full length resizing opens up the groups to factory ammo group size.

Bed and float is the first thing I would do.

Or do what Sitka Deer says, and also get the trigger pull down to 3 1/2 lb or less. Replace the Ruger butt pad with a Decelerator. Is this rifle 7 X 57, or 7mm Mag? Either way, felt recoil matters. Ruger pads are terrible. And follow the other suggestions by posters. Try neck-sizing only, per above.

My M98 with a heavy .30-06 barrel is full-length bedded, and puts 3 shots (most any factory) into an inch at 300 yards if I can hold it steady enough.

If those things do not work, then re-barrel, but realistically, while MOA rifles are nice, they are not necessary for 99% of hunting situations. 1.5 is plenty sufficient. My 17 inch barrel Tang 77 in '06 shoots factories 1.25 MOA, and has killed reliably to nearly 400 yards. You did not mention your current MOA.

Hell, Carlos Hathaway's rifle was only 2MOA. It worked OK for him.

They are easy to rebarrel, I’m doing one right now.

BUT... free float and bed the action, and check if both lugs are making contact.

Good point, which I also did, as they were not..., or poorly.

I also set the barrel back a turn on the Stub, to partially correct a mis-shapen chamber. Which is why I don't re-use any brass fired in this rifle. I really should rebarrel it, but since I shoot so little, and it is a 1.25 MOA shooter as is, it makes no practical sense..... and I like it's carbine configuration. Bought used and damaged, I've got $80 into it, plus my labor, accessories and epoxy...... I do have a take-off ,270 barrel laying around that I could screw on to try, and maybe will if I get around to it. Just cuz.

First thing I killed with it was a Dall Ram at about 330 yards. Decided it was "good enough" - and that was about 30 years and many critters ago.

Perfectionism comes at a price, and I'm che - um- "economically minded". .

Check the crown.

Slug the bore.

Check the barrel for straightness.

Make sure the bullet is running true, even with factory loads.

Check the contact on the locking lugs for squareness.