In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

Ruger MK77 accuracy, marginal

Leebo95Leebo95 Member Posts: 9 ✭✭
edited October 2007 in Ask the Experts
More of a rant than a question, but feel free to give me your opinion/help.
I bought a used MK77 Ruger 30-06 about a month ago and have been dicking with it ever since to get it to shoot decent. It is an older model made in 1987 if I traced the S/N correctly. I am getting 2 to 3 inch groups with flyers out to 4 to 6inches.
The gun shop that I bought it from has been good with giving me advice and it has helped but I still have more work do.
We found that the last inch of the stock was touching the barrel so I took that off with a dermal tool. This helped but I was still getting flyers.
I took it back today to see how much of a bath I would take if I traded it in and I was not about to take that punishment.
One of the guys there with years of experience told me to float the barrel even farther back and then take some epoxy and bed the barrel just behind the sling swivel.
I just spend the last half hour floating the barrel and I will go get some epoxy tomorrow to bed it with.
I was also told that Ruger are generally less accurate than Remington's, Winchester's etc etc etc.
While I am not the most stellar shot in the world, I have had Remington's that I have grouped under an inch at 100 yards with.
Anyone else experience this frustrating issue?

Comments

  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Buying a 20 year old rifle, not knowing how much it's been shot, or if it's been cleaned properly, if at all, is always a question mark.

    Clean the bore real good to get out all the powder residue, and metal fouling. Check the muzzle crown to see if it's in good shape.

    Buy some high quality commercial ammo, with various bullet weights. To see if it prefers one, over another.

    If nothing works out to your satisfaction, get rid of it.
  • PinheadPinhead Member Posts: 1,485 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have a Ruger 77 MK II that I have been playing with for two years now and its not doing any better than 2" groups. I am not going to glass it, free float the barrel or anything that will change the value of the rifle. It will either shoot or it wil be gone before much longer. I am not a collector but a shooter and any rifle that stays with me will shoot 1 to 1 1/4 inch groups or it will be outta here. There are just too many rifles out there that will shoot without spending a lifetime with one that won't. rufe-snow gave you good advice on your options. My opinion anyway.
  • skyhigh_sellerskyhigh_seller Member Posts: 167 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Next you will hear bed the action, then try another ammo, then trigger job, then re-check the bases and rings (don't forget loc-tite, lap rings?), try a different scope, etc. I went through this with a Rem Seven that just would NOT shoot. I wasted a lot of time and $. I finally gave up and got rid of it. Best trade ever!

    This was a rant too.
  • glabrayglabray Member Posts: 679 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ruger's forte is ruggedness and reliability, not accuracy. I've owned several older Ruger 77s and the best I could get any of them to do was 1 1/2 inch 100 yard groups. You should be able to do something about all the flyers though. Others have suggested some of these but here's what I've found helps with Rugers: (1) Make sure the scope is secure and that it is a GOOD scope. You might just try swapping on a different scope and see what happens. (2) Make sure the barrel is truly free floated. Remove enough stock wood so you can slip a dollar bill around the barrel freely all the way to the receiver. Looks bad but often helps. I've never seen the pressure point style of bedding help with a Ruger like it does with some others. (3) Make sure the action is tightened down well in the stock. If those don't help, I'd leave the barrel floated and epoxy bed the action (be sure not to glue it in!!. On Rugers, I've often found it helps a bit if when bedding the action, the first 4 to 6 inches of the underside of the barrel is also bedded.
  • A J ChristA J Christ Member Posts: 7,534
    edited November -1
    Like Rufe mentioned, look over the crown real well. A rifle that old very well may also have a copper fouled bore. Got a Savage 110 in 300 WinMag a few years ago that would do 3 to 4" at 100 yards. After getting enough copper out of the barrel to make a penny, it shoots just fine again, right at 1" with 180 grains.
  • AdamsQuailHunterAdamsQuailHunter Member Posts: 2,022 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hello "Leebo95"[:)]

    I have never owned a Ruger rifle except for the mini-14. What a POS.
    I was stupid enough to send my single six back during the recall. When I got it back, it had tool marks all over it and the magnum cylinder would not work in the pistol. After many calls to Ruger they gave me a return authorization number. When it got back -- after a LOOOOOOG wait it had been reblued, but the magnum cylinder still would not work in the pistol. I tried several times to get Bill Ruger himself on the phone,but he was always "unavabile" at the time. When I sent word that I was going to take them to small claims court, I got one of the higher up flunkies on the phone. He gave me an authorization number for a return. When it got back both cylinders worked and both were numbered the same, BUT they were not numbered to the pistol. They ruined any possible collector value. I personally hope Bill Ruger is roasting in hell now - he deserves it. What they should have done is take one of the new gun off the line and send it to me. Nope not that bunch of cheap Ba$%@%!*. I traded it off at a gun show for one that had not had the "safety" factor parts installed. Had to give he a pretty good chunk of money to boot. I keep both the single six and mini-14 in my safe to remind me every time I open the door to NEVER buy another Ruger again. You could not give me one and require that I had to keep it. I have several other Ruger horrow stories but this is turning into a tome not just merely a reply.

    Best Regards[:D]
    Steve Adams
    AdamsQuailHunter on GunBroker, Shotgun World, Bear Tooth Bullets, E-bay and Yahoo
  • dfletcherdfletcher Member Posts: 8,171 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The dig against Rugers in the past has been that the barrels weren't up to par. I had a Ruger #1 made in 1976 - 7mm Rem Mag - and I never could get it to shoot well. Maybe it was the barrel, maybe it was another problem with the #1 but I finally got tired of fiddling with it, bought a Winchester 1885.
  • Leebo95Leebo95 Member Posts: 9 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have run 4 different ammos brands through it. I now have a box of Federal premium to use. I am sure it is not the ammo cause it shoots them all pretty much the same.
    The bore and barrel look like they just came from the factory. My wife joked that the reason the gun looked so good was cause the guy never shot it cause he could not hit anything.
    I am finding that there is a lot of negative views of Ruger's accuracy. To bad I did not read up on this first.... I do not want to take a $200 bath on this thing.
    In addition, I have thought about the scope but don't think that is it. If the scope was wandering, I don't think I would put on in the bull and then one 4 inches away and then one in the bull...
    If after I bed it like I was told and I can get a 1.5 inches out of it then I will use it for deer this season and sell it next year.
    Thanks for the advice.
    Lee
  • MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member Posts: 10,029 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    lee, the others have just about covered the topic about barrel quality, bedding, ect. but you did mention the scope. yes a bad scope can put one or more out in the wild blue and then go back to center. it dosen't sound like you are reloading for it so good QUALITY ammo may make a difference also (not the wally world $12/box stuff).
  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    One thing about the ruger M77 is the angled recoil lug. In order to have it shoot well,..it must be torqued correctly in the stock. Try this,..take the action screws loose and while in the stock, take the rifle with one hand on the muzzle and one on the stock, smack the recoil pad against the groung while applying downward pressure on the muzzle with your hand to firmly seat the recoil lug in the recess. While still holding pressure down on the muzzle to keep it in place in the stock, tighten the fron screw, then the rear screw. You can now take your hand from the muzzle and pick the rifle up. Finish tightening the front screw and finally the rear. Then ONLY TIGHTEN THE MIDDLE SCREW ENOUGH TO KEEP IT IN PLACE,.....DO NOT TIGHTEN IT AS NORMAL. The middle screw can and will pull the action down and actually flex it (bridge pressure). This will destroy the harmonics and as a result, the accuracy.

    also, use a good foaming bore cleaner over a 24hr period to completely clean the bore of copper and powder. a good bronze brushing during this period will help expediate the process.

    then retry some premium ammo.
Sign In or Register to comment.