Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger M77’s

I had to go to my storage space to find the box and it's listed as a HM77RS model #37101. It definitely looks like the compact magnums in .308 although the internet pics show the rear sight like my 9.3 instead of a Williams looking rear sight like mine has.

When I bought it Whittakers had it listed as an African though and it popped up since I was looking for a 6.5x55 African at the time.

It makes sense that it would be a RCM because all of the Africans I've seen had really good to great wood on them and mine certainly doesn't.

This.

I'm tracking closely!

I have owned Ruger 77s for over 40 years, got my first 1 from the Fort Riley Outdoor Recreation Center in 1981, a 77R in 7x57. It wasn't a great shooter, as it had a long throat for 175 grain bullets. I donated it to a mission in Burundi, Rwanda, or Malawi, can't remember which, sometime in the1990s.

Since that first 77, I've owned a couple dozen of them and with one exception, they have been adequate shooters. I like the RSI style and have them in 243, 6MM Rem, 250-3000, 25 Souper, 257 Bob, 260, 6.5x55, 270, 7x57, 308, and 358. Although the RSIs will never have the balance and feel of a Husqvarna with a Mannlicher-style stock, they are as good or better than any of the Mannlicher-style stocked rifles cataloged by Mossberg, Remington, or Winchester.

The 77 always seems to come up in these type of discussions. Same dislikes and likes. Heavy, investment blah blah, Accurate enough, bad barrels, etc…. Working mans gun, accurate, sleepers, so on and so. Seems like everyone has had a bad one if you have had enough. I’ve only seen one that wouldn’t shoot. Compact mkII in 7mm-08 when I was younger.

I’ve owned enough to know a few tricks that might have tightened it up.

I’ll go ahead and post what I know up. Most folks will already know these but I think this is a good time to share. Isn’t that why we are here?

Stop reading here and PM me if your Ruger is a price of junk and you want to mail her to me because it’s a lost cause.

1. Torque the action screws in order. front lug screw gorilla tight, rear trigger guard monkey tight and middle just enough to hold it firm and allow the floor plate to latch without being rattly.
2. Relieve the box magazine contact points where the trigger guard and floor plate hinge meet. Should have the ability to move just freely and not bind when action it torqued. (See step 1)
3. Most Ruger triggers are adequate when it comes to weight and creep except the MKII. (Now notice I said adequate, no need to argue over it. There are better factory triggers) All have creep and over travel that will drive you crazy when compared to other triggers but can be corrected with trigger job or new trigger. The MKII needs some serious stone work to ease the weight and creep. (Maybe the root cause of a lot of inaccuracies). Easy enough for the novice with patience and directions found online.
4. I’ve never bedded or floated a Ruger so I cannot speak to that. Others can chime in on that front.
5. To reduce the weight. Stay away from the magnum contours and 25/06, buy a new lighter stock, or a set of dumbbells and bulk up a little. If a 7-9 lbs rifle knocks you out of the hunt maybe it’s time for a new hobby or life choices. Meant to be a joke. The magnum contoured barreled guns and 25-06 are tanks!
6. Sell them to me a severely discounted rate since, you know, the above issues.

My love for the Ruger 77 came from my first 2 and my uncle. A Stainless MKII 308. Given to me by my father in 2001 (my first bolt gun), a m77 tanger in 30-06 given to me by my father in law, and a 25-06 skeleton that I obsessed over ever since my uncle showed me his in the 90s. I still own all three, plus a Hawkeye Blue and laminate 264, and a stainless mkII 300 wsm.

Cheers all! And long live the Ruger M77!

Yep I love 77's, mostly since my first centerfire hunting rifle is a MkII stainless boat paddle 30-06 I got from a going out of business farm and ranch store in '95 for about $300.



Maybe for old times I'll throw her back in the boat paddle and load some ammo to 300 Savage speeds and whack some hogs at the campfire hog hunt.

First stock - No, box, stock factory gun. Second stock - Yes, bedded, area around the tang relieved and a cross-bolt put in between the recoil lug and mag well.

Mine shoots and functions great. Trigger was reworked by a gunsmith that was a self proclaimed “Ruger guy”. Breaks like glass at just under 3#s. My goal is to get it closer to 7 lbs rather than crowding 10 lbs. I’m thinking a new stock and less scope and mounts will get me right where I want to be. Even though mine has a B or magnum ish contour barrel it also has a .358 hole in it to make up the difference. I never had a Ruger be it a bolt or single shot that wouldn’t shoot. And that’s close to twenty that I’ve had so far.

I have the original tang safety, MKII`s and Hawkeye Rugers.
I like them all, especially the RSI`s.

Have 2 tang safety 77’s a standard 30-06 and a varmint 22-250. Both are accurate and dependable as can be. Also have a 77 GSR in .308. Like them all

OP, regarding "issues" with tang safety m77s, one could consider accuracy potential, or lack thereof. In the early years ruger used both Douglas and, I believe, Wilson barrels. The 1974 Tanger I owned shot fine and I have no idea who made the barrel. I've heard and read about poor quality wilson barrels, but have never met anyone who owned a m77 that couldn't make it shoot sufficiently for hunting.

What would a M77 RL tang safety 308 go for now a days??

Here`s one that just sold.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/914868941

Sweet baby Jesus. I only have one RL, a 257 Roberts. I have a couple of RSI's and one of the will be buried with me.

Thanks. Mine has the sights.

Mainer, snowflakes will try to getch your mind right no matter what. i was warned 6 months ago my sxs would be “hard” on “scopes”, even though I’ve been riding quads with rifles for over 30 years, and for a fact rode more miles in a year with a rifle on the front rack than the crybaby has rode in his life…. But, “he told me!!!”


Fuuckin place is actually amazing the do nothingness of the do nothing “read all about it crowd “!!! Haha

Is it the 18-1/2" barrel with sights? Possibly an RLS Carbine?

Yes

The best shooting Ruger I’ve had, I ordered new for a friend who was a merchant marine. I had a FFL then, 1977 or ‘78. It was a heavy barrel 280. The deer loads I loaded for him shot about 1/2” at 100 yards. His first day back was first day of deer season.

I have had a few Rugers since, 22-250, 7mm Rm, 44 Mag’s, Mini-14’s, 416 Rigby and others I probably forgot. I’ve worked with the 7mm RM (a tanger) the most, new trigger and aftermarket stock. It will shoot ~ 1 MOA with one load I’ve tried.
I have not given up on Rugers as I am buying one on the fire now - a Ruger #1 in 280. But none have shot as well as that first 280.
I just sold two Rugers, now I’m down to that 7mm RM and the future #1.
I don’t know what to do with that 7mm. Thinking rebarreling to 358 Norma.

As far as which model bolt I like better, it’s pretty much a toss leaning to the tang safety model.

Hate the dinky little safety on the MK II / Hawkeye. Only had one but that was enough. Had a big fast jump between full safe and mid position, enough that it would get ahead of my thumb. Felt like it went all the way to fire. Missed a couple of quick shots because I just couldn’t get used to it. A bigger lever easier to maintain thumb contact with and I’d still have that 6 1/2 mm Sveed. In a perfect world Ruger would have gone to controlled feed and turned the tang safety into a 3 position. 2 positions with safe locking the bolt would be best but way too much to ask these days.

Tangers in 7x57 and .270 Wingay still live here and will stay in the family many years I hope.