Accuracy expectations from a Ruger M77?

[channelkat]

What kind of accuracy could I expect from a Ruger M77? 2MOA? You think I would have difficulty finding a gunsmith to work on it, say for pillar/glass bedding or as donor action down the road?

My son wants to trade in his 6.5 Creedmoor (Ruger American Predator) for a Ruger M77 (bicentennial version) .30-06. Rifle looks to be in great condition and functions smoothly. I, personally, kind of liked the tang safety and feel of it. I know they have a few funky features and have heard they are finicky about the action screw order/torque, but I have zero experience with Ruger M77. It seems like a fine rifle for the price,

 

[SCHUNTER73]

Tang safety?

 

[Puddle]

I've had a Ruger M77 Mk1 (tang safety) for a very long time. I'm not aware of any bicentennial version.
Mine started life as a .30-06, and if a hunter can hit an 8" diameter pie plate at 200 yards, then the factory barrel will do its part in filling the freezer.

Eventually, I handed the rifle over to the gunsmith to build a full custom .257 Roberts around that action. A competent gunsmith should not have any issues working with and around the angled front action screw. If they hem and haw about that, then that is a signal to find another gunsmith.

 

[JimP]

My M77 in 7mm Rem mag will shoot under a minute and will come close to 1/2 moa with the right handloads.

Its a 1977 model and I'd have a hard time counting up all the deer and elk it has shot. Not to mention rabbits and shooting the heads off of grouse.

 

[ftrovato]

What kind of accuracy could I expect from a Ruger M77? 2MOA? You think I would have difficulty finding a gunsmith to work on it, say for pillar/glass bedding or as donor action down the road?

My son wants to trade in his 6.5 Creedmoor (Ruger American Predator) for a Ruger M77 (bicentennial version) .30-06. Rifle looks to be in great condition and functions smoothly. I, personally, kind of liked the tang safety and feel of it. I know they have a few funky features and have heard they are finicky about the action screw order/torque, but I have zero experience with Ruger M77. It seems like a fine rifle for the price,

The old ones are nice rifles. I've owned several from the tang safety generation.
They are not the most accurate due to OK at best barrels. Back in the 70's/80's some shot better than others. However, they shoot good enough for hunting! 2MOA. Yes for sure.

 

[JimP]

They really were not designed to be tack drivers but very dependable hunting rifles.

 

[Bill_D]

With a good bedding job (don’t necessarily need pillars as they are a pain to put in with the angled front action screw) and free float all my Hawkeyes shoot under 1 moa. I have seen many Mk2s and tang safeties also shoot very well.

Tang Safety Ruger’s are the biggest gamble of the m77s to buy used because Ruger subcontracted the barrels, some are very high quality barrels and some are not and shoot poorly. No way to tell without shooting, the maker is not marked.

If it’s in good condition, I would risk the trade and even if it needs a new barrel it would be a far better rifle in the end than a budget rifle, IF you valve a nice traditional rifle, many don’t seem too.

Clean bore well, do a proper bedding job, and torque the action screws correctly before thinking about replacing the barrel.

 

[ftrovato]

With a good bedding job (don’t necessarily need pillars as they are a pain to put in with the angled front action screw) and free float all my Hawkeyes shoot under 1 moa. I have seen many Mk2s and tang safeties also shoot very well.

Tang Safety Ruger’s are the biggest gamble of the m77s to buy used because Ruger subcontracted the barrels, some are very high quality barrels and some are not and shoot poorly. No way to tell without shooting, the maker is not marked.

If it’s in good condition, I would risk the trade and even if it needs a new barrel it would be a far better rifle in the end than a budget rifle, IF you valve a nice traditional rifle, many don’t seem too.

Clean bore well, do a proper bedding job, and torque the action screws correctly before thinking about replacing the barrel.

I've seen them shoot really well after being glass bedded.

 

[Joker12]

I have owned several and all would shoot dependable 3 shot groups of an inch or so at 100 yards when fed something that they like. They are good well made reliable rifles.

 

[Rare Breed]

What kind of accuracy could I expect from a Ruger M77? 2MOA? You think I would have difficulty finding a gunsmith to work on it, say for pillar/glass bedding or as donor action down the road?

My son wants to trade in his 6.5 Creedmoor (Ruger American Predator) for a Ruger M77 (bicentennial version) .30-06. Rifle looks to be in great condition and functions smoothly. I, personally, kind of liked the tang safety and feel of it. I know they have a few funky features and have heard they are finicky about the action screw order/torque, but I have zero experience with Ruger M77. It seems like a fine rifle for the price,

I have a 1976 Ruger M77 in 30-06 that groups within 1 MOA at 100 yards. I inherited it from my dad. I did have to replace the cracked original stock with a Boyd’s and feel lucky Remington core loks give this performance

 

[dailordasailor]

I have a 60s model that was from my grandfather in 243. It’s very accurate with all types of cheap ammo from big box stores. Only experience I’ve had with the 77 though

 

[WyoBull]

I had a 200th Year of the American Liberty edition M77 in 220 Swift. Shot fine at 1 MOA. It had the prettiest wood I have ever seen on a M77 and I wish I still had it.

 

[Sabre]

The M77 is unlikely to be your most accurate rifle, but your son will still kill a ton of critters with it. If it seems not very accurate, being used, the first thing I would do is to clean all the copper out of the barrel. If it is still not that accurate I would take a bit of a gamble and sand the barrel channel on the stock until it is free floating with a decent bit of clearance. I say that is a gamble because on the M77 that sometimes makes it better and sometimes makes it worse. On mine, and on my father's, it made them both way better. I would do those things before paying a gunsmith to do anything to it. But a gunsmith should have no problems working on them.

 

[whisk(e)y hunter]

I have owned several and all would shoot dependable 3 shot groups of an inch or so at 100 yards when fed something that they like. They are good well made reliable rifles.

This has also been my experience - MOA or better with stabilized factory loads on the 2 M77 Hawkeyes I’ve had (300 Win, 375 Ruger)