Accurising Ruger M77 Mk II

B

blunt shooter

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I recentlly purchased a second hand Ruger M77 VT MK II stainless grey. The rifle looked flawless, like new, was half new price, has 30 mm diam high rings and begged for me to take him home. Something must be wrong, like bullets come out, but who knows where they go. Calibre 308 W, so how could I say no. Get permit to acquire and KG's of paperwork plus 5 weeks later he comes to live in my safe. I fit a Bushnell 4200 elite 6-24x50 30 mm tube milldot reticle scope, and proceed to shoot groups with 150gr win factory loads at 100 metres that are larger than I can shoot with a 12 gauge and SG's. Despair, but expected, considering. Now what, AH-HA, google accurise Ruger, result benchrest forums and posts by Dan Newberry, Keithcandler, DCryder and AJ300MAG among others. I did the recomended work and got Lee coller die set, made up some hand loads on brass fired in this rifle and am glad to say that Ruger is now my good friend. This is looking good and will no doubt look better with load development.
If your Ruger won't shoot straight listen to what these blokes say and do it. Thank you all for a wonderful site.
 
I have the same rifle in .220 Swift with a Bushnell 8-32x40mm scope with Mil-dot on top. When I first bought it new it shot about 1" groups at 100 yds. Then like you said I listened to the great advice I received here with reloading for it. It made a big difference and started shooting 1/2" consistently with many much smaller groups among the 1/2" ags.

Then I thought I had it shooting as good as it would, but I was wrong. The factory chamber has a very long "jump" for the bullet to touch the rifling. My measurement for moving the bullet out to just touch the rifling was flawed. I also was shown how to read the wind which I need a lot more practice at.

Since I stopped shooting at River Bend here in Georgia I found that I was to close to the rifling. I moved it a little farther away and this seemed bring more consistently small groups.

This past weekend I loaded up 55 gr. V-max bullets for coyotes and found that I could only get 2 shell in the clip. They are about 3/32" longer than the the other bullets and the plastic tip touches the front of the clip. I could seat them deeper, but wanted to keep the same as the others. This is probably only a problem with the Swift since the case rim is larger than the body of the case. When they are stacked in the clip each shell is staggered forward and the third one is forced to be to long to go in. I don't expect to shoot more than once at a coyote anyway. :D

Anyway I sighted it in at 200 yards and I got a nice 3 shot group of about 1/2". Don't know what the group would have been with 5 shots though.

"Aim small miss small", :D

gt40
 
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Rugers - peculiar critters

I recall the very nice M 77 I used to own, 6 mm Remington. It wouldn't shoot 80's or 100's in factory loads. I borrowed a set of dies and worked up some loads, finally got it shooting real tight. I saved a half doz targets + load data and sold the rifle, less scope, for what I had in it. That was my last Ruger rifle. No criticism of it, just fact or experience that, in a hunting rifle, I've never been unable to get a Winchester Model 70 or most Remington 700's to shoot factory ammo plenty good enough with very little sampling. I'll hand-load for them, too, but sometimes things happen on a hunt to where you might have to pick up a box of shells after arrival, like when you've shipped your rifle by air. Moral: a rifle that won't shoot a common factory round suitable for the quarry isn't worth keeping as a hunting rifle.
 
Blunt Shooter, Glad to hear that things worked out....

That center screw and jammed up magazine box has ruined the accuracy on more Rugers...they could fix that if they wanted.

best of luck!
 
keithcandler said:
That center screw and jammed up magazine box has ruined the accuracy on more Rugers...they could fix that if they wanted.

best of luck!
Click to expand...

Yea mate they sure could and while on the job,I think that a VT needs a match chamber, not that 10 thou oversize job . The mag box was jammed good and tight, front and back.

gt40. Just how do we find that rifling for correct seating depth ,please.

bd1. I will try factory ammo again, with crossed fingers.

Recipe for a dingo's breakfast.
A drink of water and a look around.
New recipe .
150 gr Tiapan hollowpoint toasted over 45 gr of ADI 2206H. Delivered in his breadbasket.
 
I have a no shooting Ruger 25-06 VT. I was told, by many experienced gunsmiths to get it shooting well, I need to replace everything under the scope.
 
25-06 Vt

I'm looking for a long action VT Ruger. Wanna sell your no shoot junker?
Beesley
 
thebees,

If I remember you are looking for a varmint rifle.

I got mine from Wal-mart special order for $615 plus tax. Had it in 4 days. They keep the special order guns in their warehouse.

I suggest a .243 (not the WSSM). You can shoot .55 grain bullets all the way up to 105 grains. The 55 grainers shoot about as fast as the WSSM and the Swift, but is easier to get to shoot more accurate than the WSSM and maybe the Swift.

"Aim small miss small", :D

gt40
 
I bought a used Ruger MkII Varmint model in 25-06 earlier this year. It's trigger had been tinkered with by the former owner who evidently didn't have a clue and that may have contributed to it's trade. It's trigger pull had to be 8-10 pounds. Anyway after proper adjustment the two stage trigger worked nicely. The action was a really sloppy fit in the stock and could be moved side to side with a little pressure unless you had a lot of tension on the action screws. I bedded the action to the stock and then worked up loads for it and was pleased with it for a hunting rifle. It's doing one inch groups at 200 yards with the 100 grain Ballistic Tips which I'm happy with. It's really more velocity than I need what with the 26 inch barrel. With loads it likes it's a slightly under half moa rifle. It went several trips this Fall and was christened with a nice 8 point buck just last week. I had some medical problems requiring me to reduce recoil and this rifle was just the thing to allow me to get out for a trip or two at the end of the season. The wife even felt sorry for me and bought me a 4.5-14 Zeiss for it.
 
WhelenMan,

Any factory rifle that will shoot 1" at 200 yards and 1/2" at 100 yds is a VERY accurate rifle in my book. Don't knock it it shoots better than most.

"Aim small miss small", :D

gt40
 
Ruger vt

I be interested in a vt long action to rebarrel to .260 Rem..
 
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