Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Ruger 77/22

I never see these mentioned much in this forum.

They are reasonably available and a full size rifle, so thought I'd ask if there are issues with them.

I do not have a 22 rifle and am considering getting one so am interested in feed back from those that have used the 77/22 rifles.

I have one and like it. I actually wish it were a little more "full size". It's not perfect but it's American, well made, and accurate enough to suit me. The flush ten round mag is a great feature, as are the integral rings.

Let me summarize the responses to every 77/22 thread I have read (which is quite a few) on the internet:
Some people like them and think they are accurate.
Some people don't like them because they got one that was not accurate (they almost invariably recommend a CZ).
And one guy is guaranteed to show up and inform you that there has never been an accurate 77/22 leave the Ruger factory.

That should pretty much sum it up.

On page two in this section (rimfire forum) there are a lot of opinions on the 77-22. Last post was 2-25. Ruger's been making these a long time. I like mine. Probably it's number one competitor is the CZ, which a lot of people like. I had one and it's a good rifle too.

RufusG pretty well summed it up.
Some swear by them, some swear at them. I'm in the latter camp.
Mine was rugged, good lookin' and functioned well. Just wouldn't shoot well.

Mine's not going anywhere. I love the rotary clip customary to all rugers. Try it against anything and I think you'll agree. I have a 10-22 SS w/ a Manlicher stock "the international" version but by far my favorite is the 77/22.

The CZ is foreign made with a backwards safety. Other than that, it compares well to the Ruger.

IMO, get the Ruger, it's made the way they should be. If money is tight, then get a Remington Model Five.

Isn't the Model 5 also imported???

My son and I have a wood one and a synthetic one. They fit us well as we use them to practice for hunting with our bolt action centerfires. I'm not a target shooter so can't comment on their accuracy in that realm. However, they are as accurate as other 22s - often much more so - I have/had, at least offhand at 25 & 50 yds and in reasonably rapid fire. The rotary mags are a very definite +.

I have had 4 or 5 different Ruger K77/22VBZ .22 LR Rifles over the years and one Ruger K77/22RP Stainless-Synthetic .22 LR Rifle. In all of these rifles I had one bad one. On that particular Ruger K77/22VBZ the hole in the front of the receiver that accepts the barrel was drilled at an angle.



Above is the way my Ruger K77/22RP now looks. I replaced the Factory Barrel with a Clark Custom Guns 20" Stainless-Steel .22 LR Bull Barrel. I also replaced the Factory Synthetic Stock with a Volquartsen Custom Laminated Wood Stock. I also totally reworked the factory trigger so it breaks like a glass rod at 1 1/4 pounds, and I added an overtravel stop.

The above Rifle wears a Weaver V-16 4x16x42mm AO Rifle Scope with a Fine Crosshair / Dot Reticle. All in all I was totally pleased with the Ruger before I redid it.



I decided to customize it for something totally different.

Larry

Impressed with both the .22mag cartridge and the 77/22 rifle, I bought one years ago. Standard blue and walnut. My smith tweaked the trigger to about #2.
It shot great, but had a swell in the factory chamber. I sent it back to Ruger and they replaced the barrel. The new barrel shot as well or better than the original.
On a sage rat excursion with friends, I was introduced to the .17HMR. I liked it. Saw what I thought were benefits from the little cartridge and decided to re-barrel the 77.
I bought a GM 20" blue, fluted bull barrel. Sanded out the barrel channel in the 77 stock and bolted her up.
What a hoot to shoot!

The Nikon 4.5x14 side focus scope helps with pinpoint placement and the whole rig just sits there upon firing.
A stainless/synthetic 10/22 handles the volume and close in stuff while the .17 runs on the longer ranges - I usually limit it to about 150 yards or so. We rolled some rock chuck with em last year too.
I like most of the 77/22 versions a lot.

I like the one I have. I use it a bolt action trainer for off-hand and shooting sticks practice. I guess it's reasonable accurate. I haven't shot it of the bench at all after I got the scope sighted in.

The 77/22 is close to a hunting rifle in size and weight. The only draw back as a trainer is the bolt action itself. It's tough to work it the same style you work a full sized bolt action. I ended up doing some sort of two-finger tea party deal to work the bolt. I'm not sure there are any 22 rimfire bolt actions with a more full sized bolt.

My brother has a Kimber 22 which is very accurate. I understand those Remington 521 (?) were great rifles as well.

Mine was not especially accurate until I read about a potential head space issue. A 0.007 inch shim between the front and rear bolt sections fixed that. Glad I discovered that as I was about to send it off for a rebarrel. Now it shoots as well as my Anschutz. Both rifles though are ammo specific, so do a trial run with several makes of ammo regardless of the rifle selected. I simply love their form and function and refuse to carry a rifle that has a magazine projecting beneath the lines of the stock.

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I appreciate the input.

I have a 77/17 Heavy Barrel that is very accurate...
a 7722 Mag, sporter barrel that is the same..

I like both a lot more since I was able to pick up a couple of 25 round side stacked magazines for them for $18.00 each...

I'd love to get another 77/22 in 22 LR since I could load up about half a dozen 25 round clips and then just shoot and shoot with them... draw back in the price on them...

wish I would have picked up the heavy barrel in 22 LR back when they were about $300.00 instead of today's price of $625.00...

I think they are highly overpriced nowadays...

I just wish i could find a Green Mountain barrel for my 77/22...I have been told they aren't making them anymore which sticks...I hate the sights the factory barrels have on them, the GM barrels look so much better.

harv ... do you have a factory barrel with sights that you would want to sell? I wish my 77/22 had'em

I've got a stainless/synthetic (boat paddle) .22 mag that's about 8-9 years old. Installed a volquartsen sear and couldn't be happier with the rifle, just wish the stock weren't so ugly.

Don't think they're worth as much as they are asking for them though these days though. If I were in the market for another .22 mag I'd get another CZ 452, those keep going up in price as well.

I would if I had a GM barrel to replace it with, but I am in Canada.

I see. Have you checked with Clark Custom?? I do believe they at one time had 77/22 barrels, a bit more expensive than GM however IIRC Oh Canada .... eyes aren't that great, but I still like shooting the 10/22 and 39A with open irons

Yep Clark Custom Guns makes barrels for the Ruger 77/22. I just put one on a Stainless-Steel Action. The Clark Custom Guns 77/22 Barrels come 21 1/2" in length but they will make any length you want shorter than 21 1/2". I had mine made 20".

Clark Custom Guns uses Lothar/Walther Barrel Blanks and their own designed Chamber Reamer. I am sure pleased with the accuracy of mine and know full well it will shoot better than the shooter can.

Larry