familiar with ruger m77mkii actions? ... ?s inside

fah

I have the target model in .308 (1 year old). The bolt has always been wiggly before fully engaged. There is considerable clearance in the (lugs?) on either side. When locked, it seems fine, but it is sloppy when working the bolt. Is there a reason for this? Do other rifles have sloppy bolt actions as well? I did research and look at other rifles before buying, but I guess I didn't take not of this. TIA

HAEDPULLER

I have a 77MKII in .243 and the bolt has a lot of play in it until I turn it down to lock and it is very tight then. I think that is the way they are designed. How accurate is your .308?

fah

Still working on the accuracy thing. This is my first rifle, and I have only been to a range once. I was using Federal High-Energy. Looking back, it probably wasn't a wise choice for the first time. I must say I haven't got the technique down yet so I couldn't really give a good impression of the rifle. I have read a little about proper shooting technique (after the fact) and hope to do a little better next time. Any tips are welcome!PS - If it is any indication about accuracy, I hunted elk with it last year (with no range time) and got one with one shot. It was a difficult shot but well placed, and went just where I wanted it to. It was only ~ 100 yards, but she was facing away with no shot at vitals. I decided on a neck shot and clipped her spine without damaging any meat. Needless to say, I was very pleased.[This message has been edited by fah (edited 11-20-2001).]

HAEDPULLER

Glad you bagged an elk but it is a large target. On the bench settle the gun into some sandbags and dryfire a few times and see if the crosshairs jump some- get the gun where the crosshairs do not move any. Keep a good cheek weld the same for every shot. A good scope is required for excellent groups. My Ruger builds up copper fouling something horrible- especially near the muzzle for some reason but shoots well reguardless.

fah

Ha ha! Elk = big target. Elk spine = *not so big* target. It wasn't sharp shooting, but hitting a spine specifically as opposed to vitals is a bit more difficult. Work with me here... I'm trying to make myself feel better! Anyway, I appreciate the tips. I have been holding the gun occasionally trying to work out the "flinch". It is a little embarassing to see the rifle move without firing live ammunition! Oh, well. Hopefully in time I can shoot like the gun deserves. Thanks again![This message has been edited by fah (edited 11-20-2001).]

bullhauler

most bolt actions are sloppy when you approach having the bolt fully opened. this is due to the limited amount of contact between the lugs and the action. as for proper shooting technique flinching is a hard habit to break. to help your accuracy at the range, take a friend along and let him load your gun for you randomly sneaking in empties with loaded ammo. this will help but it takes a while. also consider a bi-pod for your rifle and a v-shaped sandbag for the rear. place you cheek against the stock, place your trigger finger in its normal place and your other hand under the bottom of the stock to hold it firmly in position on the sand bag. then take a deep breath and let about half out and squeeze the trigger. if the trigger is too stout it will affect your accuracy also. but gently squeeze till the rifle fires. it should surprise you each time it fires. proper shooting takes a long time to master but hopefully this will get you started on your way to sub moa groups. also experiment with different loads because no gun will shoot every load in a certain caliber exceptionally well. they are just like a picky woman they usually only like one or two loads but you have to experiment to find them.

fah

bullhauller - Good stuff! I do have the Harris bipod, but haven't used it at the range yet. I will give that a try. What you mentioned about taking a friend makes good sense too. I don't know what the trigger is set at, but it is a two-stage target trigger. Kind of a nice feature for the price! Thanks a bunch for the tips!