I called Ruger the other day and the guy said around 90lbs on the front screw and just about "hand tight" or so on the two rear.

I pressed him for specific numbers and he said around 20 or 30 lbs would be fine. He also said to tighten the front first, the middle second and the rear last.

An experienced, well regarded gunsmith I used in Anchorage says 95lbs on the front, 50lbs on the rear and just a 1/4 turn past snug on the middle. He tightens the front first then the rear and the middle last.

Anyone know for sure?

He also said they didnt have any specific number for the ring screws, either on the bases or the rings...he said as tight as you can get the bases and good and snug on the rings.

Josh

Well,

I checked the manual, nothing there.

Ruger also has a Video on their website, no numbers for the middle and rear action screws there either, though they confirmed the 95 lbs / inch for the front screw.

There were some specs for the base screws...30lbs / inch. 20 lbs / inch on the ring screws here.

I've got the action screws set at 95 lbs / inch (appx) on the front, 30 and 30 lbs / inch on the middle and rear...guess i'll just see how she shoots like that and adjust if / as needed.

Josh

I make the front screw gorilla tight, the back screw goodntight and the middle screw just enough to keep in the gun. I go front rear, middle.

If I get the middle one too tight, my floorplate won't close. So I go that far and back off until it closes. My order is front, rear, and middle.

Dale

Same routine here.

Ok, a factory tech advised a screw tight order of front-middle-rear. Three posters and a gunsmith from Alaska advised a screw tight sequence of front-rear-middle.

I find there is no single, correct way for all M77s. The only thing that seems to be consistient with the M77s I have owned is the middle screw should only be a light snug and front screw extra tight. Otherwise you need to experiment with the sequence.

Front,rear middle (super-tight, snug, barely in), for me. My gun went from 2 1/2 moa to sub moa.

+1, just as Carlm stated.

+2 for Carlm. I don't think the factory tech's ever shoot the guns or care what the group looks like. If that middle screw is tight at all, it will bind the action on all of mine and they won't shoot.

I just got through retightening two stainless MKII's. I got a torque wrench and put 95in/lb on the front, tight on the rear (not farmer tight), and barely snug in the middle. My MKII has a laminated stock and my son's has a boat paddle stock.

Hopefully the accuracy will improve. Neither is bad but IMHO they are capable of better.

95 inch / lbs on the front ?? WTF??

Using my FAT Wrench, the most I could go was to 50lb - and that was REAL TIGHT!!
My smith recommemnds around this setting too....

95 - thats Dinosaur tight....

Gus

For my floated and bedded 77 MKII I went 65 front, 50 rear and barely in the gun middle. Much improved groups too.

Bearcat has the right idea here. That's right around where I run them too....

Gus, is this for your new hogue stock that is pillar bedded???

That's what Ruger recommends. I used a 1/4" drive in/lb break away torque wrench.

I know that's what ruger reccomends but I've cracked my 338 win mag stock trying to get to the elusive number!!!!!!! Had to bed it and then backed off the poundage. Running more like what bearcat suggested.

50/40 here. Use some loctite.

bsa,
yep it is - but mine has the full length bedding block.

Groups dramatically improved, no shot stringing at all. I am running factory loads (Federal Premium Vital Shok 130 grain BT's - 270 Win) and shot 5-shot groups into an inch.

Havnt skim bedded it though - but this should be ok as is.

Gus

German specs (gudentite) on the front screw, tight on the back and snug in the middle (just enough that the middle screw won't back out).

Before cranking down on the front screw I generally get the front and back loosely snug, then back off the back a hair while leaving the middle loose. Doing the front, then the back, then the middle seems to work well.

You guys convinced me to lower the front screw torque. I set it @ 70 in/lb. The rear screw is @ 50in/lb and the middle screw is snug but not tight on both rifles.

With my Rugers I turn that middle screw until I feel it just touch and then I turn it about 1/8 more of a turn. It is just barely in there.

With all my M77's (6 of 'em) and all my customer's, I clean the threads, put a little Locktite blue or clear fingernail polish on the threads, run 'em all in finger tight, grab the barrel and bump the buttstock on the floor to make sure everything is seated to the rear (I know, I know, the angled front screw is supposed to do that, but I do it anyway. Kinda anal, but the routine works for me.), and then I go gorilla or German tight on the front, tight on the back, and about an 1/8 or quarter turn snug on the middle screw. Mine all seem to love that setup.