Ruger M77 headed to gunsmith

[Karl]

I have a Ruger M77 MII rifle, wood stock in 280 Rem that I bought back in 2004. I am headed to Wyoming this year on a general elk hunt(and hopefully an antelope hunt too if I draw) and am planning to drop the rifle off at a gunsmith here soon for a new trigger since the current one is not great(heavy and I can feel the creep). It currently shoots Federal Fusions and I can normally get 1.2"-1.5" groups out of it at 100 yards, but obviously I'd like it to do a bit better. I'm not going to be shooting super long range since I don't really have the ability to practice that here in northern Virginia, but need it to be solid out to 400 yards.

Besides the trigger job, what would you guys recommend that would be the best bang for the buck and help the rifle shoot more accurately. I'd love to hear thoughts on trigger to put in too. Currently just planning on working with the gunsmith and see whether he recommends just reworking it or if a Timney would be better. Thanks in advance everyone!

 

[AssawomanGunsmith]

Glass bedding the stock, depending on budget blueprinting the action and recrowning

 

[BuzzH]

The trigger depends on how good your smith is. Long story short, I've never met a timney trigger I didn't like.

Might be worth having the rifle bedded.

Handloads might change things too...

 

[Ben Lamb]

As others have said, bed it and also free float the barrel.

The trigger job should get to you 1 moa. Floating & bedding should make it consistent.

 

[El Jason]

I agree, I’d bed it (you can do this yourself) and having the crown recut is probably a good idea

 

[Irrelevant]

.. having the crown recut is probably a good idea

What does that mean?

 

[El Jason]

What does that mean?

Just that. The crown can be lopsided or damaged, and they just recut it so it’s square and clean.

 

[Irrelevant]

Just that. The crown can be lopsided or damaged, and they just recut it so it’s square and clean.

Never heard of that term before. Had to google. One more thing to look at on my finicky tikka.

 

[El Jason]

Just that. The crown can be lopsided or damaged, and they just recut it so it’s square and clean.

Last time I had it done, it was only like $70 or so to have an inch cut off the barrel and a target crown cut. Might be worth having your local gunsmith take a look at it. He can tell you if it's a good way to spend money.

 

[std7mag]

I have the same Ruger 77 MKII in 280 Rem.
Mine is sporting a Vortex Crossfire II 4-12X42.
My recommendations would be as follows.
1) Do NOT free float the barrel. The 77 MKII has a pressure point in the forestock. Ruger will not help you at all if you remove this.
2) You don't mention what you are using for a scope. Decent, quality glass makes a big difference.
3) Depending on the smith, i would probably recommend the Timney trigger. An improper trigger job can be dangerous.
I did my own, with honing stones and a jig to ensure everything is straight. Then installed Wolfe springs.
4) Take up hand loading. "Factory" ammo is made to shoot "acceptably" in all rifles. Handloading customises it to YOUR rifle.
5) Bedding the action is good. While thousands of guns every year are bedded with Acraglass, i don't care for it. I've found that it doesn't become fully solid, meaning that it remains pliable. I prefer Devcon.
6) People are too quick to have a barrel recrowned. Give the rifle a good cleaning, then put about 20 rounds through it. Clean with something that removes carbon, not copper, like Hoppes #9. Rugers like copper in the barrel. Leave the crown alone.

 

[1_pointer]

Instead of removing the pressure points on my MKII I bedded them with some 5min epoxy. Helped the rifle become more consistent.

 

[6mm Remington]

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/874663/ptg-pillar-glass-bedding-columns-ruger-77-77-mark-ii

Pillar & Glass bedding. Here you can order pillar's that are pre-cut for the correct angles and depths for Ruger 77 stocks. They can be shortened also if need be for a ultra precise fit. I had both done to my son's Ruger MKII in 6mm Remington. It shoots great and it's consistant. The gunsmith also worked the trigger until it breaks nice and clean at 3 pounds.

 

[cahunter805]

If your on a budget have the gunsmith respring and stone the trigger. Also I’d recommend bedding the rifle to keep things much more consistent.

 

[Tikka06]

I went down this route a few years back. Mine was a 77 MKII in 270. I ended up with a parting ways with it after lots of work and getting something else. Most finicky rifle I have ever met. I got lucky and found someone who wanted it more than I did. Maybe you won't have to go through everything I did to make it a great rifle. Good luck.

 

[Brian in Montana]

If the trigger job is done well, and it probably will be an improvement, you'll likely to see a pretty significant difference in that rifles accuracy. Beyond that, you might just try some different types of ammo. Some folks talking about bedding the stock and other projects, but there's really not a whole lot of time for much modification of that rifle at this point, including follow up to make sure it's done well. Trigger can make a lot difference. I'd just get that done and shoot some different ammo.

I've never shot an animal with Fusions, but they are pretty accurate in the rifles I've shot them through. Always had real good luck with Hornady Custom, if you can find it in .280. In fact, before I started hand loading that was always my go to.

 

[El Jason]

A rifle can easily be bedded in a week, working on it in the evenings. This includes your time getting supplies, reading/watching videos, prep work, and the bedding itself.

 

[std7mag]

Oh, one thing i would recommend along with bedding.
Get a small can of polyeurothane, and seal the inside of the forestock.
You don't need to go crazy thick with it. Just enough to seal it from moisture.

Bedding an action usually takes me 2 days with prep, curing, finish.

 

[Don Fischer]

I have a Ruger M77 MII rifle, wood stock in 280 Rem that I bought back in 2004. I am headed to Wyoming this year on a general elk hunt(and hopefully an antelope hunt too if I draw) and am planning to drop the rifle off at a gunsmith here soon for a new trigger since the current one is not great(heavy and I can feel the creep). It currently shoots Federal Fusions and I can normally get 1.2"-1.5" groups out of it at 100 yards, but obviously I'd like it to do a bit better. I'm not going to be shooting super long range since I don't really have the ability to practice that here in northern Virginia, but need it to be solid out to 400 yards.

Besides the trigger job, what would you guys recommend that would be the best bang for the buck and help the rifle shoot more accurately. I'd love to hear thoughts on trigger to put in too. Currently just planning on working with the gunsmith and see whether he recommends just reworking it or if a Timney would be better. Thanks in advance everyone!

I think a good bedding job will work better than a new trigger. Not that you don't have a bad trigger but good shooter's can normally over come a bad trigger with good trigger control. Nobody talk's about trigger control much anymore but even with a very light trigger, to shoot it's best you need to practice trigger control. Think about all those old Savage 110's with the cr*ppy trigger's. How did they get such a reputation for accuracy? Back them we learned trigger control. I have all my rifle's set to 3# except the Mossberg's that came in under 3# just a bit. And my Mod 70 that is right at 5# and it doesn't bother me. My favorite trigger though is in my 1903 Springfield custom. It was built in 1945 and the military trigger cleaned up beautifully! Have no idea what it breaks at but it is the smoothest trigger I have.

 

[Don Fischer]

Oh, one thing i would recommend along with bedding.
Get a small can of polyeurothane, and seal the inside of the forestock.
You don't need to go crazy thick with it. Just enough to seal it from moisture.

Bedding an action usually takes me 2 days with prep, curing, finish.

I would suggest also removing the butt plate and pistol grip plate if it has one and sealing under them also.

 

[LuketheDog]

I went down this route a few years back. Mine was a 77 MKII in 270. I ended up with a parting ways with it after lots of work and getting something else. Most finicky rifle I have ever met. I got lucky and found someone who wanted it more than I did. Maybe you won't have to go through everything I did to make it a great rifle. Good luck.

I had the same rifle, I killed a bunch of stuff at sub-200yds but couldn't ever get it to group that well. Instead of spending the money to fix it I sold it and bought a new rifle that shoots waaaay better!