Ruger M77 target rifle feedback

ericsaysgo · December 28, 2009, 10:35 AM

I'm considering the purchase of a Ruger M77 target rifle in either .308 or .223. Primary purpose will be bench shooting 200-500+ yards. Does anybody have any experience with this rifle? Pros? Cons?

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

DnPRK · December 28, 2009, 11:38 AM

I have a couple M77s. While they are absolutely reliable and look nice, I wouldn't call either accurate. I believe the goofy angled front action screw and cast receiver causes them to throw shots. Maybe someone with direct experience with the target version can tell you better.

Moloch · December 28, 2009, 11:42 AM

AFAIK the ruger receiver does ''flex'' more than any other, even the 98 action. Maybe its that what causes the modrate accuracy from the ruger rifles.

johnwilliamson062 · December 28, 2009, 11:47 AM

I am a "Ruger Fanboy"
I love Ruger rugged and practical designs, consistent quality, and great customer service. I look to them first for both hunting and defensive firearms.

I have one "Target" rifle. It is a Savage.

geetarman · December 28, 2009, 01:06 PM

I have a Ruger 77V in 25.06 that I must have bought 30 years ago.

I must have gotten a pretty good one as mine shoots fine as long as the 117-120 gr. bullets are used. Never have seen it group decently with the 87-90 gr. bullets.

Maybe I just have not stumbled on to the right combination but the heavier bullets work well.

misskimo · December 28, 2009, 01:47 PM

Hey, well I bought my Wife a 243 77 the other day for Christmas, I bore sited it and test fired it christmas day, we had a warm day here in the arctic , 15F

100 yards, 2 shots hit the 16" box 5" away from the circle I drew on there. group 3" apart. the wind was blowing 10 mph. so Im glad it hit the box, will fine tune it later on at 200 yards without wind for dead center.
Im hoping it will do good.

kraigwy · December 28, 2009, 02:09 PM

I have a shooting buddy who has a 4 gun set, M-77 Varments, in 223, 22-250, 220 swift, and 308.

All are excellant shooters.

Bart B. · December 28, 2009, 02:31 PM

I hope they're more accurate than the 20 or so single shot rifles Ruger built for the US Palma Team in the early 1990's. Those rifles were supposed to be the best hardware Ruger could put together. Ruger didn't know what a "Palma" rifle was nor anything about what bore and groove dimentions or quality was needed. So they used barrels made by Green Mountain in Vermont, a company who makes low-priced black powder barrels. Nobody "in the know" was surprised when they all were called wash tub guns. They shot groups at long range the size of a wash tub. Horrible triggers and poorly designed stocks without high cheekpieces for shooting prone with metallic aperture sights. Even with a straight vertical front screw, that modification didn't seem to help. The 4-groove ones shot smaller wash-tub size groups than the 6-groove ones; normal with Sierra's Palma bullet. I've seen one of these 20 rifles advertised online for $8500 shown below:

Note that Ruger's receivers are one of the least stiff ones on the market. They do bend a lot from recoil forces whipping the barreled action.
For factory rifles, seems the Savage ones shoot the most accurate. I'd go there long before even speaking the name "Ruger" out loud as a recommendation for a target rifle; it would hurt my mouth.

December 28, 2009, 10:35 AM	#1
ericsaysgo Junior Member Join Date: September 5, 2008 Posts: 6	Ruger M77 target rifle feedback I'm considering the purchase of a Ruger M77 target rifle in either .308 or .223. Primary purpose will be bench shooting 200-500+ yards. Does anybody have any experience with this rifle? Pros? Cons? Thanks in advance for your feedback.

December 28, 2009, 02:09 PM	#7
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	I have a shooting buddy who has a 4 gun set, M-77 Varments, in 223, 22-250, 220 swift, and 308. All are excellant shooters. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

December 28, 2009, 02:31 PM	#8
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	I hope they're more accurate than the 20 or so single shot rifles Ruger built for the US Palma Team in the early 1990's. Those rifles were supposed to be the best hardware Ruger could put together. Ruger didn't know what a "Palma" rifle was nor anything about what bore and groove dimentions or quality was needed. So they used barrels made by Green Mountain in Vermont, a company who makes low-priced black powder barrels. Nobody "in the know" was surprised when they all were called wash tub guns. They shot groups at long range the size of a wash tub. Horrible triggers and poorly designed stocks without high cheekpieces for shooting prone with metallic aperture sights. Even with a straight vertical front screw, that modification didn't seem to help. The 4-groove ones shot smaller wash-tub size groups than the 6-groove ones; normal with Sierra's Palma bullet. I've seen one of these 20 rifles advertised online for $8500 shown below: Note that Ruger's receivers are one of the least stiff ones on the market. They do bend a lot from recoil forces whipping the barreled action. For factory rifles, seems the Savage ones shoot the most accurate. I'd go there long before even speaking the name "Ruger" out loud as a recommendation for a target rifle; it would hurt my mouth. Last edited by Bart B.; December 28, 2009 at 04:11 PM.

December 28, 2009, 11:38 AM	#2
DnPRK Senior Member Join Date: August 24, 2001 Location: LC, Ca Posts: 1,917	I have a couple M77s. While they are absolutely reliable and look nice, I wouldn't call either accurate. I believe the goofy angled front action screw and cast receiver causes them to throw shots. Maybe someone with direct experience with the target version can tell you better.

December 28, 2009, 11:42 AM	#3
Moloch Senior Member Join Date: November 27, 2005 Posts: 1,419	AFAIK the ruger receiver does ''flex'' more than any other, even the 98 action. Maybe its that what causes the modrate accuracy from the ruger rifles.

December 28, 2009, 11:47 AM	#4
johnwilliamson062 Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Posts: 9,995	I am a "Ruger Fanboy" I love Ruger rugged and practical designs, consistent quality, and great customer service. I look to them first for both hunting and defensive firearms. I have one "Target" rifle. It is a Savage.

December 28, 2009, 01:06 PM	#5
geetarman Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,157	I have a Ruger 77V in 25.06 that I must have bought 30 years ago. I must have gotten a pretty good one as mine shoots fine as long as the 117-120 gr. bullets are used. Never have seen it group decently with the 87-90 gr. bullets. Maybe I just have not stumbled on to the right combination but the heavier bullets work well.

December 28, 2009, 01:47 PM	#6
misskimo Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2009 Location: Kotzebue Alaska Posts: 120	Hey, well I bought my Wife a 243 77 the other day for Christmas, I bore sited it and test fired it christmas day, we had a warm day here in the arctic , 15F 100 yards, 2 shots hit the 16" box 5" away from the circle I drew on there. group 3" apart. the wind was blowing 10 mph. so Im glad it hit the box, will fine tune it later on at 200 yards without wind for dead center. Im hoping it will do good.