# Ruger M77 shooting groups



## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

Not real happy with how my Ruger is shooting. 1.5" groups at 100 yds. Yea it'll kill a deer, but no telling what it's shooting like at 200,300....

Took stock off last night and seen where barrel is touching stock out toward the end. From what I've read, Ruger did this in purpose, creating a pressure point lifting end of barrel.... decided to take my chances and float barrel, got it sealed up last night and I'll shoot it this afternoon and see if I made it better or worse. 

Next step is lightning trigger pull, I know this will help, supposedly pretty easy to get to the 3ish pound mark by replacing spring and doing some polishing. 

If these 2 things don't satisfy me, I'll make an attempt of glass bedding action and recoil lug. 

And last, if all this fails, I'll send it back to Ruger and see what they can do with it. 

Hers a pic of where barrel was touching stock









Has anyone done any mods to their wood stocked M77 to make it shoot better? 


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

Quite a few manufacturers use a pressure tab on their stocks. More times than not the gun shoots better with it removed.


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

Splittine said:


> Quite a few manufacturers use a pressure tab on their stocks. More times than not the gun shoots better with it removed.


I'm hoping for the best!! Ain't no hurry , got plenty of time to get it right.


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

DD, a simple way to float the barrel is to shim the recoil lug. You can also wrap a dowel with sandpaper to remove enough wood to float the barrel. I've done both with my M77. Also sent the gun off and had the trigger worked on. Breaks at 2 3/4#.

Inch and a half groups ain't bad for a hunting rifle. I figure you've already tried different brands of ammo to see which one your rifle "likes". If none of these fixes don't satisfy you, it's new barrel time.

BTW, if you sand the stock, be sure to paint/seal your work zone when finished. This will avoid the possibility of moisture entering the wood and causing the stock to swell.


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

Bodupp said:


> DD, a simple way to float the barrel is to shim the recoil lug. You can also wrap a dowel with sandpaper to remove enough wood to float the barrel. I've done both with my M77. Also sent the gun off and had the trigger worked on. Breaks at 2 3/4#.
> 
> Inch and a half groups ain't bad for a hunting rifle. I figure you've already tried different brands of ammo to see which one your rifle "likes". If none of these fixes don't satisfy you, it's new barrel time.
> 
> BTW, if you sand the stock, be sure to paint/seal your work zone when finished. This will avoid the possibility of moisture entering the wood and causing the stock to swell.


That's what I did, (dowel with sandpaper). I applied a coat of poly to it after i sanded it to seal it .

I've tried 3 different brands of factory ammo, none seem better than the other. 

I'm not gonna go through re-barreling , no sentimental value here, I'll sell it and find something else before I do that . It's not terrible the way it is, I just would like for it to be better.


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## 192 (Oct 1, 2007)

My reloads are better but for a factory load my M77 does really well with Hornady Superformance.


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## CaptnC (Aug 29, 2016)

I'm sure Ruger did it on purpose, but what a sloppy job...in the photo it doesn't even look centered. I can see why nothing shot less than 1.5". I've not see anything that shot better with pressure on the forend. My dad when he was building rifles used to bed the area where yours was rubbing. The work looked great, they still didn't shoot as good as they would floated.

Get the accuglass kit from Midway USA...pretty easy to do.

What year Ruger is it? 10 to 15 years ago Ruger had a bad rep of not shooting well. I had a 25-06 with a heavy varmint barrel...didn't come close to being impressive at the range. I got rid it...


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## espo16 (Apr 21, 2008)




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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

I've read about the tightening sequence, haven't tried shooting since I've floated barrel, waiting for trigger spring to arrive, hopefully this weekend I'll see what she does.


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

Installed new trigger spring and did some polishing on trigger, got trigger pull to 3.5-3.75, floated barrel last week, gonna try it tommorow, fingers crossed.


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

delta dooler said:


> Installed new trigger spring and did some polishing on trigger, got trigger pull to 3.5-3.75, floated barrel last week, gonna try it tommorow, fingers crossed.
> View attachment 887369


Good luck! I'm betting you get some improvement.


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

Bodupp said:


> Good luck! I'm betting you get some improvement.


Thanks! Just looking for an inch at 100, should be there.


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

You kidding me right....... 4 shot group, over 4"....... should have left it alone....

Trigger is 100% better than it was, not sure what I want to try next, bed action or add pressure point in forend like it originally was..... gonna think about it. M


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

I like guns like that, always a challenge to find a load to work up for it. Aggravating if you don't handload.


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## Chadddd (Jun 26, 2016)

Call ruger!


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Uh oh.


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## CaptnC (Aug 29, 2016)

I don't think any amount of hand loading will help a 4" group...that a bit out of the norm...what caliber is that?

If you think the scope is good...I think it's the gun!

IMO-that looks more like scope issues.

OMT-what order were those shot...which one first...second...etc.


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## countryjwh (Nov 20, 2007)

Dooler. Curious. Was the two shot beside each other the first two shots? Did they walk after that or maybe started low then last two shots high on heated barrel?


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

CaptnC said:


> I don't think any amount of hand loading will help a 4" group...that a bit out of the norm....


More to it than that. Guarantee I could get it to shoot better than what it is now.


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## countryjwh (Nov 20, 2007)

Splittine said:


> More to it than that. Guarantee I could get it to shoot better than what it is now.



Agree 100 percent. Amazing what a powder change or bullet seat depth will do.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

Run it over with your truck and buy a Browning.

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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

delta dooler said:


> You kidding me right....... 4 shot group, over 4"....... should have left it alone....
> 
> Trigger is 100% better than it was, not sure what I want to try next, bed action or add pressure point in forend like it originally was..... gonna think about it.


Did you shoot more than one group? Looks like three were close and had a flyer in there. Not too unheard of. Most of my rifles are better shooters than me and I have to shoot quite a few groups to get an idea on how it's shooting because I always pull one or two or have a flyer in there.

Also, what does the barrel look like? Copper fouling?


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

Pic is not oriented correctly, rotate right 90 degrees. 1st shot was the farthest right, 2nd was 2nd from right, 3rd was farthest left, and the 4th was the remaining one. (Next time I'll number em) 

This was 2nd group, 1st one was similar and just as bad. each shot was 5 minutes apart, bore thouroughly cleaned every 20 rds and is clean as can be. 

I removed scope and remounted, ensuring everything was tight and torqued correctly. I may pull it off again and throw another one on it and shoot a few rounds just to rule out a bad scope. 

Caliber is .300 wm

Been busy at work, I'll tinker with it some more later in the week.


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

delta dooler said:


> Pic is not oriented correctly, rotate right 90 degrees. 1st shot was the farthest right, 2nd was 2nd from right, 3rd was farthest left, and the 4th was the remaining one. (Next time I'll number em)
> 
> This was 2nd group, 1st one was similar and just as bad. each shot was 5 minutes apart, bore thouroughly cleaned every 20 rds and is clean as can be.
> 
> ...


Good deal. Sounds like you're on the right path for sure. Short of allowing another shooter to take a stab at it to see if it does the same for them, I'd say tinker away and get it to where you like it if it's something you want to hold onto for sentimental reasons. 

Just have to take the time to mess with one thing at a time to see what works!


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## lastcast (Oct 12, 2007)

Let your wife sight it in!


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Let your wife or someone else load the rifle for you each time, with instructions to hand you an empty rifle at some point without you knowing it. That is the surest way to find out if you're flinching or not. I know if I was bench shooting a thumper like a .300 wm, flinching would not only be possible, but probable.

When my shooting mentor mentioned flinching as a possibility, I took it as a personal affront, but he was spot on, and when he handed me an empty rifle, my problem was obvious.


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## Joraca (Dec 29, 2007)

It is hard not to move when you know the mule is about to kick you. Dispersal left would be consistent to leaning in with your shoulder a little bit just before it goes bang, assuming you are right handed. Maybe try shooting it left handed.


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## CaptnC (Aug 29, 2016)

These guys are spot on, thats was why I ask about the caliber. If you pushed into the gun left and low is where the shot ends up at. I have tons of target that Ive shot to prove it. I'm bad about doing it.

Your still looking at 1.5" group...take out the flier...that looks about right for the Ruger I had. 

What brand ammo were you shooting? Bullet weight?

I'd try some of the match ammo. If you followed any of the threads I've mentioned "Optimal Charge Weight"...the match ammo is already set at a good powder charge to give better than average accuracy. Midway USA has the Hornady Match Ammo on sale right now! I think they have a couple different bullet weights too in 300WM...get the lighter bullet. Your rifle most likely has the 1:10 twist should really like something around 165gr.


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

not much of a flincher, rifles recoil is not bad at all, it's a 12 pound rifle, the weight absorbs most of it. I've had it 15+ years and it's always shot decent until I got rid of pressure point on forend. 

I've shot several brands, seems to like the Hornady super performance 165 best. (Hope I get this thing right soon, $60 a box is hurting my feelings)

Wife shooting it is out of the question, thing sounds like a cannon and she's scared of it. Lol

I'm really thinking its something to do with the barrels harmonics......I think my relieving the forend pressure has got its pencil barrel doing things that makes it shoot crazy. 

I been thinking , 1st thing I'm gonna do is build stock back up and have it apply pressure evenly on barrel. (Like it was originally). Gonna shoot a few through it and see if I get and change. If not, I'll think in it some more.....thanks for the ideas and thoughts. Keep em coming, I'll have done what I wanna try tommorow evening and shoot it Thursday morning.


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## Brandon_SPC2 (Aug 4, 2016)

delta dooler said:


> Not real happy with how my Ruger is shooting. 1.5" groups at 100 yds. Yea it'll kill a deer, but no telling what it's shooting like at 200,300....
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Question did you only try one brand of ammunition before you made those modifications?


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

No, crap locks, Fusions, And Hornannys...


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

Well, mixed up me a dab of 2 part epoxy and dropped a blob where the pressure point was originally located on stock, gonna let it harden then file me a "rut" for barrel to lay in and give it a try.....damn that's ugly

In the meantime, imma brush bore clean yet again....


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

Aight boys, I think I got it!! Shot 2- 3 round barely sub 1" groups, I guess the pressure point did it. Now that I got it right, I'm gonna try a few more brands/weights and see what it'll do.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

What a headache. You got more patience than me.

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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

delta dooler said:


> Aight boys, I think I got it!! Shot 2- 3 round barely sub 1" groups, I guess the pressure point did it. Now that I got it right, I'm gonna try a few more brands/weights and see what it'll do.
> View attachment 889626


Well, they knew what they were doing when they put it there in the first place!


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

Telum Pisces said:


> Well, they knew what they were doing when they put it there in the first place!


I guess you're right!


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## lollygagger (Oct 4, 2007)

I haven't shot mine a heck of a bunch to really tell you but it seems to be shooting pretty fine, actually the best shooting rifle I've ever shot was a 35 year old marlin 30-30, at 100 yards every shot was under an inch


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Trade it in fer a 223...won't loose! hahaha


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

CaptnC said:


> Your rifle most likely has the 1:10 twist should really like something around 165gr.


My .308 Ruger likes 168gr. Anything less than 165gr and it starts flingin em around a little. It REALLY like 180's, but those are hard to find.

With a 1:10 twist 18" barrel mine shoots 1-1.25" outta the box with Fusion 168's. I get 1" or less with the 180's. I dont remember the brand. I used em all up and cant find more...


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## Burnt Drag (Jun 3, 2008)

Delta D...
Now that you got that thing layin them in there at close to sub 1", I've got some advice... get yourself a press and some dies... I hope you saved that brass.. It's already fire formed... get yourself a Hornady O.A.L. gauge and a set of calipers... and a hornady .300 case that fits it and measure that chamber with your bullet of choice and back it out of there by .005 and watch that group shrink to near linking rounds. 
A good friend told me once that his Ruger doesn't group worth a crap with boat tail bullets... I found that mine (25.06) 77 Varmit/ Target.. hates boat tails but will lay them in there with square based.. BTW... hats off to you for being persistent and working all of that out. One thing I didn't mention is reloading books... they're not free, but they're cheap on ebay... and there is a LOT of info online.


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## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

Wow, I have a M77 in 270. Had it probably 33, 34 years. Never have this kind of stuff much thought.



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