I'm thinking of buying one and hesitant to take the plunge because I tried one of these last year but couldn't get good enough accuracy out of it to keep it so I sent it on it's way, 1.5" to 2.0" 3 shot groups is the best it would do at 100 yds...A friend of mine said that Ruger 77/22 Hornets were notoriously inaccurate and not to waste My time and money again, I loved the looks and feel of the little rifle I had last year but I can't keep a rifle in My safe that don't shoot, am I expecting too much out of a sporter barrel .22 Hornet to want better than 1.5" to 2" groups? would some of you guy's mind telling Me how accurate your 77/22 Hunter models are? I am interested in the Hunter model only not the heavy barrel Varmint model........Thanks VaHillbilly.
Everything I hear about Ruger Hornets says to stay away from them. They usually take a bunch of money to "get right" IF they ever "get right". Then, you're sorta stuck with the short magazines, making sure you have to seat the bullets pretty deep to fit the magazine. All in all, a pretty poor prospect.
For about the same money, you could get a CZ 527 and have a rifle that will, most likely, shoot pretty good right out of the box, handle even better, and comes with a sweet single-set trigger. If you choose the "American" model, it comes with rings, too. They almost always shoot great, a buddy has one that's half-MOA with Winchester 46gr OPE factory ammo. Mine's not quite that good, but under MOA, for sure. Another option, again, for about the same money, is the Browning Micro Medallion, they almost always shoot great, too, without the headaches the Rugers cause. Shop around, see what you can find, but I'd avoid the Ruger. Life's too short.
You can roll a turd in peanuts, dip it in chocolate, and it still ain't no damn Baby Ruth.
Another, and much smarter option, is to just pick a CZ in .221 Fireball. The case is much, MUCH easier to load, (assuming you handload), and I have never, ever heard of one NOT shooting well. Mine shoots great, and it's a helluva lot easier to load Fireballs than Hornets. Ballistics and noise levels are about the same as the Hornet, leaning a bit better with the Fireballs. It's just a better, smarter choice, (which doesn't say much for me, since I just got my Hornet, after owning the Fireball for a few years).
You can roll a turd in peanuts, dip it in chocolate, and it still ain't no damn Baby Ruth.
My Ruger hornet shoots 1" groups no problem.Some days a little better depending on the operator.It likes Lil'Gun and 40 gr speers.Tried some 35 gr V-max's and they didn't shoot quite as well so stuck to the Speers.Really handy gun.
I have two rugers, a hunter and a heavy barrel. both shoot very well for me and both are stock except for after market triggers. As for handloading, I can't think of an easier nor cheaper round to handload.
just for clarifacation the last line reads "6x 3 shots @" that means that the scope was at 6 power and the group was shot at 100 yards. It was a very nice summer day and shooting was done on my 300yard range in my backyard.
Ok so I have a 221 fireball too, and a 223 a 22/250 a 22PPC and a boat load of .22 rimfires. for the record my 22PPC is a ruger 1V and shoots lights out all day long as does my ruger 1V in 6mm remington and my 1A in 270.
Now that would be a cool idea! I don't know of anyone that has though. I would like to turn one into a 221 or a 17fireball - now that's got cool factor!
I hate to say it cause I'm a BIG Ruger 77 fan...but Ive seen some wonky things with the Hornets.....with one exception, a good bud has one that is frickin scary accurate.....but as they say...its a "sample of one"...
Ingwe
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
I bought a Ruger 77 Hornet in 2001, and it is by far the best gopher rifle I've ever owned. I shimmed the bolt with a very thin stainless steel washer, and free floated the barrel. It may get a trigger job next winter like it's little brother in 22LR did, but even the factory trigger is fine. With handloads it shoots five into .75" at 100yds, and I have hit gophers on windy prairire days out to 175. The rifle did need a little tweaking, but it is still my favorite. The short barrel is great for getting in and out of the truck, and the mag and release are far better than the CZ's. I had CZ527 and I thought that with the longer barrel it would give higher velocities, and the set trigger would make it more accurate. After a few trips to the range and some disappointing results, as well as a bolt release spring that made it's way into the action and broke, I traded it away.
Thanks to Rocky Raab and others last year, I loaded 40gr Sierra HPs, 13gr Li'l Gun, and R6 1/2 primers to fit the Ruger magazine, finished with the Lee factory crimp die. This for a friend's Ruger that shot 4" groups with Remington factory ammo. 1/2" groups are now the norm, with some as high as .6". Nice rifle, now.
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing." Robert E. Howard
Thanks for the info men, it looks to me like you just got to get lucky to get a good one, I would go with a CZ in a heartbeat but I can't stand the looks of that magazine set-up hanging down whats up with that?...I bought one of the new CZ 527 M1 synthetics last year but it wouldn't shoot better than 1.5 MOA so I let her go, I did love the little mini-mauser action, I would love to give a CZ 527 M1 .22 Hornet a try if they made it but they don't, so with the options I have that I like to Me it's still the little 77/22 Hornet, I do like the Browning O.K. but I can't warm up to it as much as the Ruger.........................VaHillbilly.
I helped a bud tune and tweek one of the m77 Honrets about ten years ago.
I owned a n 1885 Browning low wall at the time. In my rifle I had the luxury of seating the bullets out to touch the lands, and I had several loads that would shot 1/2" three shot groups on demand with that rifle. By the time were were done with my budddies ruger, we had his shooting nearly as well. Part of it was done by beddig the action and free floating the barrel. The other part was by adjusting the loads to suit the Ruger format.
Partially neck sized FIRE FORMED cases is a must for acuracy loading in any Hornet rifle . Also tweeking a few other things to get consistent cartridge alingment and start pressures is vital as well.
Really, getting a consistent start pressure for the Hornet is already tough as the thin case necks do NOT grip the bullet much. Also the bearing surface of many bullets is also short.
Seating the bullets out to touch the lands really helps BUT in the Ruger, the magazize lenght severely linits one's ability to do this. Short .22cal bullets CANNOT be seated out far enough in the Ruger Hornets. The two best options to make for consistent loads in the Ruger are FIRST using a Lee factory crimp die, and second planing around with primer strength a bit (ie small rifle/vs small pistol).
The Rugers have the advantage over many brands of .22 Hornets in that they have 1-14 twists. It really helps stabilize slugs up to 50 grains in weight.
Last edited by jim62; 04/11/10.
To all gunmaker critics- "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.."- Teddy Roosevelt
CZ-527 35gr-Vmax 13gr Lil-Gun half inch all day every day. This is right out of the box. I know people who have had problems with Rugers. The can be made to shoot but why bother? nmitchel is the first guy I have heard with a problem CZ It can happen but it seems the Ruger hornets have a rep. The wood on my CZ is realy nice and the single set trigger is sweet. I have several Ruger 77s that shoot realy well. The 77/22 Hornets seems to have problems they run hot and cold.
There are few problems that cannot be solved by the suitable application of High Explosive.
I have a Ruger 77/Hornet. Never had an accuracy problem with it. The last 3 shot group I shot at 50 yards measaured 1/4". Snow as too deep to walk to the 100 yard target. 10.2 gns of H-110, 45 gn Sierra Hornet bullets, Fed Small Pistol primers, and bullets crimped. Bullets seated so ammo would work thru magazine.
