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I have to admit it. I'm not 25, 45, nor 55 anymore. I truly love my Ruger M77 boat paddle, but it's seeming a little hefty these days. Are any of you experienced in shaving about a pound out of a brick stock ? I'm sure some judicious channeling of the forearm interior, and maybe a drilling into the grip would yield benefit, but to what lengths remaining safe?

Sadly to say that stock is fairly light. Whats a pig is the barreled action of the ruger 77.

Sell it and get a Tikka T3X superlight.

You can still trim some weight from the stock. I would recommend drilling out the butt versus drilling through the grip. You can weaken the rifle in a critical area if you drill out the grip. The forearm can be routed to trim a little weight too. I'll try to find some pics to illustrate.

You will not save enough in the stock to make it worthwhile.

The action can be trimmed, bolt and barrel fluted, bolt handle hollowed... all expensive...

My own M77 Mk ll goes 7# 2 ounces with a 30 mm Zeiss 1.5-6x42. Lots of that weight is in that injection molded synthetic stock. I put a Brown Precision Kevlar painted stock on mine and a #1 taper Shilen barrel. Made it into my favorite whitetail rifle. Mine was a .308 that turned into a 7mm-08.

I look at the M77 as typically being a heavier offering, compared to others in its class. I also don't view that as necessarily being a bad thing. A few of mine wear magnum tubes, factory stocks, and low Ruger rings (which are fairly heavy). The rifles balance well, shoot well, and are easy to shoot, partly due to that extra bit of weight. My Hawkeye Predator .308 is really a pussycat from the bench. The 7mmRM and .338WM are pretty easy to shoot as well, compared to lighter sporters from other manufacturers.

On this, I will have to agree with Blackheart. I really like Ruger M77's. I have 2. But, to lose a pound, you will part with some serious money. You will be money ahead to sell the Boat paddle M77 and buy a Tikka T3X Superlite. You will love the glass smooth action and superb out-of-the -box accuracy, and of coarse, the pound plus lighter weight. RJ

Have you ever taken the rubber butt plate off of a zytel stock? Your suggestion is laughable.

Yep.

To lose more than a few ounces will start to get expensive. Go partial rebuild like Windfall or Tikka, Montana, Field Craft, or insert favorite light weight rifle here.

My R77 I gave up any thoughts of it being a light weight and with a #3 barrel and Bell and Carlson stock it is a great mid weight truck rifle. With a light weight scope I think I am just under 8lbs. all up. In 280 AI it is very easy to shoot. First time I shot it hunting I thought I had accidentally loaded a fire form load the report and recoil were so mild.

The Issues with weight on a Ruger are basically four fold.

First the action is moderately heavy, other than some pretty expensive milling its going to stay that way. For the MKII/Hawkeyes the bottom metal and trigger guards aren't light and there isn't a good lightweight option.

Secondly there are no ( that I know of) light weight ring options and the factory rings are 8oz and up.

Third the ruger barrel profiles aren't light. The magnum profiles are very heavy and even the standard profiles have significant shanks. The Ruger factory profiles tend to put the weight pretty far back towards the action compared to say a Douglas profile.

Lastly for the MKII/Hawkeye about the lightweight stock is the MPI. I have one of their Kimber patterns on a MKII with a Douglas 20" #2 in 358win and its a trim light rig. The MPI stock finished out at about 20oz.

If someone would make an aluminum trigger guard for the hawkeye and some high quality aluminum or titainium rings I would appreciate it.

I have a MKII rebarreled in a #2 Douglas 22" in 300wsm and its with Rick Steinhour right now getting one of the MPI lightweights. But its not cheap, around $800.

I like Rugers and have quite a few, but if I were starting all over again, I probably would be shooting Kimber 84s

Buy an 84M Montana or Fieldcraft. Thank me later.

Buy a Fieldcraft. It will shoot and any lighter is a hindrance IMO.

Not many options for that rifle, certainly nothing that will make a noticeable difference. There aren't even many aftermarket stocks that will help. Time for a new rifle.

Fieldcraft is not currently being made. Kimber is too much of a good thing as an all around rifle IMO. I like them, but I only use mine for rugged terrain where every ounce matters. I like something a bit heavier for an all around rifle. Tikka is the most rifle for the money with a weight just about right.