Ruger m77 accuracy issues

[schmijar]

Rear screw instructions were slightly over hand tight, not 45in/lbs.

65, 45, just over hand tight. Your rifle does have three screws on the bottom, correct?

Yes, I meant the middle screw. When i said rear, i meant the rear of the 2 action screws. This is the one just in front of the trigger guard.

Some quick Google searching for the parts leads me to understand this problem is maybe not uncommon.

 

[DaleGribble82]

Yes, I meant the middle screw. When i said rear, i meant the rear of the 2 action screws. This is the one just in front of the trigger guard.

Some quick Google searching for the parts leads me to understand this problem is maybe not uncommon.

Man I hate that happened. I’m sure it’ll be an easy fix, but what a pain to deal with.

 

[farmer_john]

Well I've gone and made things worse
I was tinkering at the range and thought I'd try the torque screw recommendations, front screw i got to 65 in lbs but trying to get 45 on the rear action screw the trigger guard metal broke. Now I'm no gunsmith guys, but I thought i could torque a screw! Any ideas where i went wrong?

I will note, the screws had some wear on them like they've been subjected to some amateur smithing before (gun was bought used). And both action screws were not very tight at all to begin with.
Either way, I'm now shopping for a trigger guard.
View attachment 774847

More like 30-35 max end.

But my advice is get a gunsmith to glass and pillar bed the stock
It will provide solid lock up for your action screws

 

[Huf453]

Nice work that’s classic Ruger M77 troubleshooting.

Free floating the barrel plus relieving the mag box so it doesn’t bind the action is a common fix on these. Glad it cleaned up to 1-1.25" groups; that’s solid for a factory .30-06. Now go hunt with confidence.

 

[Nhoro]

Please explain the original problem. Is the magazine box too tall and then it flexes the action - and I assume the bottom metal as well judging by the broken trigger guard ?

 

[Brickman301]

Well I've gone and made things worse
I was tinkering at the range and thought I'd try the torque screw recommendations, front screw i got to 65 in lbs but trying to get 45 on the rear action screw the trigger guard metal broke. Now I'm no gunsmith guys, but I thought i could torque a screw! Any ideas where i went wrong?

I will note, the screws had some wear on them like they've been subjected to some amateur smithing before (gun was bought used). And both action screws were not very tight at all to begin with.
Either way, I'm now shopping for a trigger guard.
View attachment 774847

I’m so sorry this happened!
I feel bad, as I never got back to you. Between the holiday weekend, and work I totally forgot to post pictures/info of what I did to my rifle.

 

[Brickman301]

Please explain the original problem. Is the magazine box too tall and then it flexes the action - and I assume the bottom metal as well judging by the broken trigger guard ?

Yes, the magazine box is to tall. Once the action screws are tightened, they bind up the action.
You remove metal from the bottom of the magazine box, so the “tabs” near the action screws no longer touch the mag box.

 

[deaner20]

Can someone get info on what Allen screw set getting from mid way
I definitely need something better than what came with the fat wrench set
Thanks

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Did you go thru the correct barrel break-in procedure back when it was new? That aids accuracy as well.

@Jack Stevens
I've never broken a barrel in in my life.
To me it's just a waste of time. If the barrel is any good it should shoot well from the start. When accuracy starts to fall off a little then I clean it and that barrel better shoot well again.
Even my son's 308 Howa was never run in and only gets cleaned every couple of hundred shots. That thing if I'm having a good day will lay down sub half moa groups but on average will consistently group three quarters of an inch.
Bob

 

[farmer_john]

@Jack Stevens
I've never broken a barrel in in my life.
To me it's just a waste of time. If the barrel is any good it should shoot well from the start. When accuracy starts to fall off a little then I clean it and that barrel better shoot well again.
Even my son's 308 Howa was never run in and only gets cleaned every couple of hundred shots. That thing if I'm having a good day will lay down sub half moa groups but on average will consistently group three quarters of an inch.
Bob

I think break ins kinda hyped.

Now a clean vs dirty barrel does perform differently.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I think break ins kinda hyped.

Now a clean vs dirty barrel does perform differently.

@farmer_john
Some of my rifles haven't been cleaned in a couple of hundred rounds and still hold sub moa or much less. CFE223 is great for maintaining a copper free bore in my Whelen.
Bob

 

[45-70guy]

I have not read through all the comments but for a basic list for the Ruger m77 that I’ve done to all mine:
-Pillar bed front and rear screw locations
( brownels sells the front pillar)
-bed the action ( some barrels like the chamber supported, some do not. )
-Trigger job or a Timney
-free float barrel with 2- $1.00 bills
-magazine box has free play when torqued down, this box needs to be in straight, it will go in alittle crooked and will bind if not paid attention to.
-torque action screws ( personally once everything is bedded I do the factory 95 in pounds up front, BUT I put the action in and make sure it’s sitting level, then I will start the front and rear screws and alternate back and forth up to 50” pounds so the action isn’t torque all the way in one location first like Ruger says to.
Once at 50” pounds at both then do the front to 95” pounds.
You can play with this number if you want from 50” pounds on up.
The center screw I do by hand until snug.
My rugers all can shoot 1 moa with all sorts of ammo, my smaller calibers 25-06 will shoot 0.5” moa.
And I’m just a hunter not a bench shooter.
I’ve legit done this on every m77 I have and they never disappoint. Old , new , doesn’t matter.

 

[farmer_john]

I think break ins kinda hyped.

Now a clean vs dirty barrel does perform differently.

@farmer_john
Some of my rifles haven't been cleaned in a couple of hundred rounds and still hold sub moa or much less. CFE223 is great for maintaining a copper free bore in my Whelen.
Bob

Not saying it will be less accurate. But a clean bore will generaly have a different poi than a fouled bore.

Try this. Take your rifle to 100m/ yds.
Fire one shot at a target then on another target shoot a 3 round group and chrono the shots.

Go home clean the piss out of the rifle.

Repeat same test next day same point of aim on new target
Then shoot to group

 

[Jack Stevens]

Precision shooters know that the first "clean-bore" shot with a cold barrel will hit to a different POI than next, say, 4 shots, even if you let the barrel cool first between those next shots.

The difference might be smaller than matters for "hunting" accuracy, but it will be there.

Now, let the rifle sit overnight WITHOUT cleaning the bore, and that first shot out of the cold "dirty" barrel will also hit to a different POI than did the first clean-bore shot yesterday.

Agan, if these POI differences are small (say, less than two inches @ 100-yds), it's really irrelevant for big-game hunting purposes (deer-size or larger).

If we're talking about sniping small critters like prairie dogs from 300 hundred yards or more, then clearly the differences in POIs matter at distance unless maybe they're only sub-MOA differences out of a tuned precision rig.

 

[rdog]

Just posting this as maybe this can help others out.

A few months ago I purchased a Ruger M77 ii in 30-06. I’ve shot it quite a bit, with different ammo, and nothing I’ve shot have been that accurate. I was getting frustrated, as nothing shot better than 3 1/2” groups at 100 yards, and maybe 1 1/2” at 50 yards. This was all with the rifle shooting from a bag from the bench.
Well this past weekend, I started to investigate why.
It has a laminated stock, and it was touching the barrel. I free floated the barrel went to the range, and the groups improved a little, but still not great. After returning I got on a few forums, and seen people saying that sometimes the magazine box could be binding the action. I used a jeweler’s file to remove some of the material on the bottom of the magazine box where the action screws hold the magazine box down. Once the mag box was relived, the magazine box could move slightly up and down and back and forth. I tighten down the action screws to spec, and headed to the range.
This little trick made all the difference. I shot Winchester 180 grain and federal 150 grain ammo and the both shot to 1” to 1 1/4” groups at 100 yards.

Hard to explain in writing, but I hope everyone can understand. If not, I’ll try to post some pictures of what I did.
Hopefully, this post helps someone else out.

Being a owner of 6 Ruger m77 mk2s the mag box is one thing to look out for, as well as the action screw torque 65 inch lbs for front screw 35 for rear & about 20 for the middle free & float the bbl all of mine with the right ammo will put 3 shots into 1 moa or better, they are great rifles . A another trick is to change out the front screw for a hex head makes it much easier to tighten.

 

[HSands]

I've also found the triggers to be pretty stiff on the M77s. A simple spring replacement could also help with accuracy.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Not saying it will be less accurate. But a clean bore will generaly have a different poi than a fouled bore.

Try this. Take your rifle to 100m/ yds.
Fire one shot at a target then on another target shoot a 3 round group and chrono the shots.

Go home clean the piss out of the rifle.

Repeat same test next day same point of aim on new target
Then shoot to group

@farmer_john
If my barrels shoot a different point from clean or dirty they are no use to me.
All mine shoot to the same ooi clean, dirty, hot or cold.
That first shot better be on the money everytime if not it's useless.
A mate had a 270 that the first couple of shot were high and left after that it would group where it was supposed to. To me that's just wasting ammo before the hunt and doesn't instill confidence in your gear.
Bob