243 Stainless Ruger 77 Mark II

rc · June 9, 2017, 12:43 PM

I recently purchased a used Ruger 77 Mark II in 243 Winchester and just had a chance to shoot it for the first time yesterday. My first batch of reloads consisted of about 37 grains of some old DuPont IMR 4350 I picked up at a garage sale. It was originally sold for about $4 /lb from the original sales sticker. I combined this with 100gr BTSP and 87gr SP bullets and Winchester magnum primers. This was as much a sight in and function test using up old components as an accuracy test. Best groups at 130 yards were about 1.5 inches with no consistent pattern of vertical or horizontal string and no real difference between 87 and 100 grain bullets. The barrel on my 243 was completely free floated by the last owner. Having only put about 20 rounds down the tube, I'm still getting used to the rifle but I can fire tighter groups with my 223 and 308 in the 77 series. I created some more loads last night upping the powder charge with 4350 to about 39 grains and also putting together some loads with IMR 4831 to try. The newer IMR 4831 metered more smoothly for me. I'm not sure at this point how much the loads had to do with the accuracy but I'm thinking the rifle will need pressure at the tip of the stock. Has anyone experimented with bedding options in Ruger 77s?

lefteye · June 9, 2017, 04:20 PM

I bought a new Ruger 77 .243 many years ago and never fired a factory load with it. I glass bedded the receiver, the recoil lug (but not under the bottom of the recoil lug), and free-floated the barrel from there forward. I removed the forward pressure point that Ruger included in those wood stocks. After testing I determined IMR 4350 was the best powder for my rifle and that is all I have ever used since then. My rifle is not stainless steel. My Ruger 77 .243 is VERY accurate and remains one of my favorite rifles.

ThomasT · June 9, 2017, 04:27 PM

You bought a nice rifle. I really like my 77 MKII in 30-06. And I floated the barrel on mine. Some Rugers with wood stocks would sometimes squeak when you pushed on the barrel so lots of shooters just sanded out the bump. You could try adding some thin cardboard like match book covers till you added a little pressure to the end of the forearm and test it.

Your load of 4350 sounds a little low. It used to be the standard load in a 243 was 42grs of 4350 with a standard primer and a 100gr cup and core bullet. If using a harder bullet like a partition reduce to 40-41 grs. And don't take my word for it. Use a loading manual. 4350 burns a little more consistant with higher pressure. But I don't remember anyone saying a magnum primer was needed.

I like the 77 series a whole bunch better than the new plastic stock/plastic magazine rifles they are selling now. I guess I am not the only one. You don't see a whole lot of them for sale on GB. And I look.

std7mag · June 9, 2017, 06:56 PM

My Ruger77 MKII iin 257 Roberts is incredibly accurate.

With my wife's 243 I'm using RL26 with the 100, 105 group bullets.

Your load sounds a little low to me.

Art Eatman · June 9, 2017, 08:06 PM

I've had excellent results in my .243 with 3031 and Sierra bullets. 5/8 MOA.

Fla_dogman · June 9, 2017, 08:42 PM

I agree with ratshooter, you are low on your load, mine shot terrible until I maxed out the load.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk

FrankenMauser · June 9, 2017, 09:38 PM

Clean that bore.
Strip all the copper out.
Do it again for good measure.

Then re-test.

NHSHOOTER · June 10, 2017, 03:34 AM

I have a MKII 243 stainless with laminated stock, shot well when I first got it, shot better after I installed the Timney trigger. I have to agree, mine shoots better with hotter loads. I have had great results with Varget, IMR 4895, and RE15, pushing 85 gr Sierra HPBT or 85 gr Speer BTSP. When I say it shoots well, its under 3/4"@ 100yds when I do my part.

Mobuck · June 10, 2017, 06:18 AM

I would not consider your choice of powder as a good starting point to determine accuracy. In fact, I would be suspect of using an unknown powder "picked up at a garage sale" AT ALL.
GET SOME NEW POWDER. Old powder improperly stored may be quite inconsistent.
I've had good results with H414 with the heavier bullets in 243 Win.

rc · June 10, 2017, 03:41 PM

MoBuck This is the only 4350 I had and it is in good shape for its age. Should work fine with the $13/100 Speer 100grain and Nossler 70 grain bullets I got from Midway early this year and the less than $3/100 primers I've had for more than 10 years. The guy I got the 4350 powder from also sold me half a jug of 4198 and two pounds of IMR4831 and a weaver scope and a redfield scope and some old steel weaver scopes and a hard sided gun case all for under $100.

I will be trying some of the hotter 4350 loads, some 4831 and 4895 loads I have loaded soon. I also have in stock some AA2520 and IMR 4064 that I have some data for.

Thanks for the advice guys. Will let you know if I find a magic combination. I haven't even cleaned the barrel yet or pulled the rifle from the stock to see if the action was bedded by the prior owner. The 243RSI I have is one of the rare ones with the checked blonde stock just like the 308 I purchased in about 2008. My 308 without any work will shoot anything under 2" and Federal premium into 1 inch groups no problem. My 223RSI is the more typical smooth stock variant from the late 90s. If I can get my 243 shooting under an inch consistently at 100 yards I'll be happy.

Scorch · June 10, 2017, 09:57 PM

$4/lb IMR4350 has got to be from the 1970s. I still have some IMR4320 I bought in 1979 or 1980, and it is marked $4.98.

NHSHOOTER · June 11, 2017, 05:14 AM

My MKII Stainless 243

T. O'Heir · June 11, 2017, 12:04 PM

"...free floated by the last owner..." Free floating guarantees nothing. Inconsistent groups indicate a bedding issue though.
Suggest you pick a bullet weight, lose the old powder(that has been sitting who knows where for eons) and start over. You must work up the load for your rifle, not just pick one and hope. Especially as 37 grains of IMR4350 is 1.5 grains below current minimum.
IMR4350 is an excellent .243 powder though. Mine loves it.
IMR4831 produces nearly identical speeds and pressures as the 4350. The 4350 is a tick faster though. A tick isn't much. 11 fps with Max loads.

hagar · June 12, 2017, 01:35 PM

I had one, best it would do was about an inch with 42 grains of 4350 and 85 Sierras. Then I bought a 270 for a friend in South Africa, I would hunt with it there and he would buy it from me (good old days). I took it out to the AZ desert to sight it in, the bastage shot 1/2 inch groups with cheap Federal factory stuff. Repeatedly. I bought another one to take to SA..

rc · June 21, 2017, 07:27 PM

Ok, fired my rifle again today and it was still showing no clear pattern with two new batches of reloads. Then I wedged a piece of folded heavy paper from Winchester primer package into the barrel channel. This cradled the front of the barrel near the forend. As expected the rifle immediately shot about 10 inches higher at 130 yards. Once I adjusted the rifle for 100 grain speed bullets using 39 grains of Dupont 4350 I got a group of 3 that was vertically strung about an inch and a half with two of the three within 1/2 inch of each other. Side to side dispersion was maybe 1/2 an inch. Not bad with a 9x scope. I also tried some 70 grain Nossler bullets today and they shot WAY higher than the 100 grain bullets but grouped similarly. I have not cleaned the barrel yet or done anything else but inspect the stock. There was no bedding compound around the action and the only modification seemed to be the free float of the barrel. It seems bedding this rifle with a bit of pressure at the forend may consistely deliver groups under an inch. So which product have you guys used that gave the best results with the least hassle? Thanks, rc

Bear2 · July 11, 2017, 04:06 PM

I have a R.E.M. 700 SPS Stainlesswhich shoots 1" groups out of the box, with a Win. 100 gr soft points. But with a max load of fresh IMR 4350 I shoot 1" groups at 200 yards or 1/2" MOA. Best load I have found, and a great rifle.
Do not count out max loads of IMR 4350.
Duane

Sure Shot Mc Gee · July 11, 2017, 09:50 PM

Have a model 77 flat bolt 243. It shoots so good I'm afraid I might ruin a good thing having it bedded.
75gr. Hornady HP or 87 gr SP FB Hornadys sitting atop of IMR 4831 has always showed me 1/4" clover leaf {or less} groupings at 100.
Don't shoot the old flat bolt much any more. But when handled for its yearly cleaning that rifle with its outstanding accuracy sure causes me to reminisce about those better times and all the deer it so easily dispatched.

AllenJ · July 12, 2017, 11:41 AM

I've got a M77 MII that I dropped into a Hogue stock. It gave me fits until I finally bedded the action. The barrel is free floating and it now shoots sub MOA. There are lots of videos on YouTube on how to bed actions, I believe there is even one for the M77. I used JB Weld for mine, it is not as strong as some of the compounds out there but in checking specs of all of them it was more than strong enough in my opinion.

June 9, 2017, 12:43 PM	#1
rc Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2001 Location: CA Posts: 1,769	243 Stainless Ruger 77 Mark II I recently purchased a used Ruger 77 Mark II in 243 Winchester and just had a chance to shoot it for the first time yesterday. My first batch of reloads consisted of about 37 grains of some old DuPont IMR 4350 I picked up at a garage sale. It was originally sold for about $4 /lb from the original sales sticker. I combined this with 100gr BTSP and 87gr SP bullets and Winchester magnum primers. This was as much a sight in and function test using up old components as an accuracy test. Best groups at 130 yards were about 1.5 inches with no consistent pattern of vertical or horizontal string and no real difference between 87 and 100 grain bullets. The barrel on my 243 was completely free floated by the last owner. Having only put about 20 rounds down the tube, I'm still getting used to the rifle but I can fire tighter groups with my 223 and 308 in the 77 series. I created some more loads last night upping the powder charge with 4350 to about 39 grains and also putting together some loads with IMR 4831 to try. The newer IMR 4831 metered more smoothly for me. I'm not sure at this point how much the loads had to do with the accuracy but I'm thinking the rifle will need pressure at the tip of the stock. Has anyone experimented with bedding options in Ruger 77s?

June 9, 2017, 04:20 PM	#2
lefteye Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2006 Posts: 1,433	I bought a new Ruger 77 .243 many years ago and never fired a factory load with it. I glass bedded the receiver, the recoil lug (but not under the bottom of the recoil lug), and free-floated the barrel from there forward. I removed the forward pressure point that Ruger included in those wood stocks. After testing I determined IMR 4350 was the best powder for my rifle and that is all I have ever used since then. My rifle is not stainless steel. My Ruger 77 .243 is VERY accurate and remains one of my favorite rifles. __________________ Vietnam Veteran ('69-'70) NRA Life Member RMEF Life Member

June 9, 2017, 09:38 PM	#7
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Clean that bore. Strip all the copper out. Do it again for good measure. Then re-test. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

June 10, 2017, 03:41 PM	#10
rc Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2001 Location: CA Posts: 1,769	Old Powder isn't always bad powder. MoBuck This is the only 4350 I had and it is in good shape for its age. Should work fine with the $13/100 Speer 100grain and Nossler 70 grain bullets I got from Midway early this year and the less than $3/100 primers I've had for more than 10 years. The guy I got the 4350 powder from also sold me half a jug of 4198 and two pounds of IMR4831 and a weaver scope and a redfield scope and some old steel weaver scopes and a hard sided gun case all for under $100. I will be trying some of the hotter 4350 loads, some 4831 and 4895 loads I have loaded soon. I also have in stock some AA2520 and IMR 4064 that I have some data for. Thanks for the advice guys. Will let you know if I find a magic combination. I haven't even cleaned the barrel yet or pulled the rifle from the stock to see if the action was bedded by the prior owner. The 243RSI I have is one of the rare ones with the checked blonde stock just like the 308 I purchased in about 2008. My 308 without any work will shoot anything under 2" and Federal premium into 1 inch groups no problem. My 223RSI is the more typical smooth stock variant from the late 90s. If I can get my 243 shooting under an inch consistently at 100 yards I'll be happy.

June 10, 2017, 09:57 PM	#11
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	$4/lb IMR4350 has got to be from the 1970s. I still have some IMR4320 I bought in 1979 or 1980, and it is marked $4.98. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

June 9, 2017, 04:27 PM	#3
ThomasT Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 2,753	You bought a nice rifle. I really like my 77 MKII in 30-06. And I floated the barrel on mine. Some Rugers with wood stocks would sometimes squeak when you pushed on the barrel so lots of shooters just sanded out the bump. You could try adding some thin cardboard like match book covers till you added a little pressure to the end of the forearm and test it. Your load of 4350 sounds a little low. It used to be the standard load in a 243 was 42grs of 4350 with a standard primer and a 100gr cup and core bullet. If using a harder bullet like a partition reduce to 40-41 grs. And don't take my word for it. Use a loading manual. 4350 burns a little more consistant with higher pressure. But I don't remember anyone saying a magnum primer was needed. I like the 77 series a whole bunch better than the new plastic stock/plastic magazine rifles they are selling now. I guess I am not the only one. You don't see a whole lot of them for sale on GB. And I look.

June 9, 2017, 06:56 PM	#4
std7mag Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2013 Location: Central Taxylvania.. Posts: 3,609	My Ruger77 MKII iin 257 Roberts is incredibly accurate. With my wife's 243 I'm using RL26 with the 100, 105 group bullets. Your load sounds a little low to me.

June 9, 2017, 08:06 PM	#5
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	I've had excellent results in my .243 with 3031 and Sierra bullets. 5/8 MOA.

June 9, 2017, 08:42 PM	#6
Fla_dogman Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2015 Posts: 265	I agree with ratshooter, you are low on your load, mine shot terrible until I maxed out the load. Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk

June 10, 2017, 03:34 AM	#8
NHSHOOTER Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2012 Location: Concord NH Posts: 1,002	I have a MKII 243 stainless with laminated stock, shot well when I first got it, shot better after I installed the Timney trigger. I have to agree, mine shoots better with hotter loads. I have had great results with Varget, IMR 4895, and RE15, pushing 85 gr Sierra HPBT or 85 gr Speer BTSP. When I say it shoots well, its under 3/4"@ 100yds when I do my part.

June 10, 2017, 06:18 AM	#9
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	I would not consider your choice of powder as a good starting point to determine accuracy. In fact, I would be suspect of using an unknown powder "picked up at a garage sale" AT ALL. GET SOME NEW POWDER. Old powder improperly stored may be quite inconsistent. I've had good results with H414 with the heavier bullets in 243 Win.

June 11, 2017, 12:04 PM	#13
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...free floated by the last owner..." Free floating guarantees nothing. Inconsistent groups indicate a bedding issue though. Suggest you pick a bullet weight, lose the old powder(that has been sitting who knows where for eons) and start over. You must work up the load for your rifle, not just pick one and hope. Especially as 37 grains of IMR4350 is 1.5 grains below current minimum. IMR4350 is an excellent .243 powder though. Mine loves it. IMR4831 produces nearly identical speeds and pressures as the 4350. The 4350 is a tick faster though. A tick isn't much. 11 fps with Max loads. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

June 12, 2017, 01:35 PM	#14
hagar Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2000 Location: Colombia, SC Posts: 745	I had one, best it would do was about an inch with 42 grains of 4350 and 85 Sierras. Then I bought a 270 for a friend in South Africa, I would hunt with it there and he would buy it from me (good old days). I took it out to the AZ desert to sight it in, the bastage shot 1/2 inch groups with cheap Federal factory stuff. Repeatedly. I bought another one to take to SA.. __________________ I don't have time for busy people

June 21, 2017, 07:27 PM	#15
rc Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2001 Location: CA Posts: 1,769	One Change Test... Ok, fired my rifle again today and it was still showing no clear pattern with two new batches of reloads. Then I wedged a piece of folded heavy paper from Winchester primer package into the barrel channel. This cradled the front of the barrel near the forend. As expected the rifle immediately shot about 10 inches higher at 130 yards. Once I adjusted the rifle for 100 grain speed bullets using 39 grains of Dupont 4350 I got a group of 3 that was vertically strung about an inch and a half with two of the three within 1/2 inch of each other. Side to side dispersion was maybe 1/2 an inch. Not bad with a 9x scope. I also tried some 70 grain Nossler bullets today and they shot WAY higher than the 100 grain bullets but grouped similarly. I have not cleaned the barrel yet or done anything else but inspect the stock. There was no bedding compound around the action and the only modification seemed to be the free float of the barrel. It seems bedding this rifle with a bit of pressure at the forend may consistely deliver groups under an inch. So which product have you guys used that gave the best results with the least hassle? Thanks, rc

July 11, 2017, 04:06 PM	#16
Bear2 Junior Member Join Date: January 20, 2017 Posts: 9	243 load I have a R.E.M. 700 SPS Stainlesswhich shoots 1" groups out of the box, with a Win. 100 gr soft points. But with a max load of fresh IMR 4350 I shoot 1" groups at 200 yards or 1/2" MOA. Best load I have found, and a great rifle. Do not count out max loads of IMR 4350. Duane

July 11, 2017, 09:50 PM	#17
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	Have a model 77 flat bolt 243. It shoots so good I'm afraid I might ruin a good thing having it bedded. 75gr. Hornady HP or 87 gr SP FB Hornadys sitting atop of IMR 4831 has always showed me 1/4" clover leaf {or less} groupings at 100. Don't shoot the old flat bolt much any more. But when handled for its yearly cleaning that rifle with its outstanding accuracy sure causes me to reminisce about those better times and all the deer it so easily dispatched.

July 12, 2017, 11:41 AM	#18
AllenJ Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2009 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,766	I've got a M77 MII that I dropped into a Hogue stock. It gave me fits until I finally bedded the action. The barrel is free floating and it now shoots sub MOA. There are lots of videos on YouTube on how to bed actions, I believe there is even one for the M77. I used JB Weld for mine, it is not as strong as some of the compounds out there but in checking specs of all of them it was more than strong enough in my opinion.