Questions on my new Ruger 77-22 LR.

[HappyHunter]

Just got it at the Indy gun show.  $375 new without box/papers.  This has the heavy barrel in target grey (stainless), laminated stock and comes with the rings.  

I need a scope for this, anybody have a suggestion?

I would also like to know about aftermarket gadgets, trigger springs etc.  I have done my own trigger work on most all my guns with good to great results, I just want to do the homework before beginning.  

Thanks!  

Fred a/k/a HappyHunter

[bigdaddytacp]

Just got it at the Indy gun show.  $375 new without box/papers.  This has the heavy barrel in target grey (stainless), laminated stock and comes with the rings.  

I need a scope for this, anybody have a suggestion?

I would also like to know about aftermarket gadgets, trigger springs etc.  I have done my own trigger work on most all my guns with good to great results, I just want to do the homework before beginning.  

Thanks!  

Fred a/k/a HappyHunter

.....Unless you want a silver scope I have had great luck with the Leupold EFR 3-9AO scope that lets you adjust the focus/parallax from 10m to inf.......if you want more power for longer range shooting or just want a bigger scope the 4.5x14 40mmAO Leupold adjust down to 25y and is super clear and the 4.5 still lets you use it at close range for hunting in thick trees.......the same power in a Zeiss conquest 4.5x14-44mm with the side focus/parallax adjust to 30y and is a dark matte finish and has finger adjustable turrets and the side focus is fast and will spoil you once you get used to the location......I didn't keep my Ruger bolt long enough to do much more than smooth the trigger surfaces and sides.....I loved the looks of the gun but it didn't do as well as my other bolt 22rf and a trade hopped up and I grabbed it.....I used the 4xrimfire special on a small carbine but it looks too small on a big gun...to me.....and the 2-7 rimfire special worked fine but I prefered the 3-9EFR and traded it for another one...all Leupold....I haven't had any recent personal experience with other scopes for a rimfire...a friend thought he got a good deal on a China Tasco and it wouldn't hold zero from one session to the next? good luck and good shooting!!!

[rb in ar]

I don't know what you are going to use this rifle for but I reccomend you get as good quality a scope as possible for any rifle. If it's a hunting or general purpose a Leupold 2x7 compact RF makes a good scope for any rimfire.

The fact I happen to have one in good (not new but good) condition has nothing to do with my feelings on this.  Really!

[rb in ar]

First shoot the rifle on a solid rest 5 (or 10) shot groups at 50 yards. Decide exactly how the gun shoots now and keep this in mind as you move forward. You will always have a base to go back to.

Second decide what purpose you want the rifle for target, hunting, experimentation, plinking, accuracy buff ect. If the rifle is already accurate and functional to serve your purpose improving it may not IMPROVE it. A rifle may serve more than one purpose but the more reasons you change a rifle for the less any one of those is improved by the change.

The 77/22 has many mods you can get to improve the rifle without doing any gunsmithing. First Midsouth Shooter's has a trigger sear and spring which will just drop in (about $30) if you are not afraid to take the trigger apart and reassemble it with the new parts. More expensive parts for the trigger also exist if you want a really target trigger. As many drop in barrels exist as for the 10/22 (almost) but a new barrel may not help much if any problem listed below exist.

After you get the trigger to where you like it you need to check the rifle for function. The 77/22 has a few areas that have to be right for best accuracy. Riles with these problems generally must be fixed before they will tune.
 1. Lug noncontact, you need to check if both locking lugs (on the bolt) are contacting the reciever when the bolt is forward and cocked (safety NOT LOADED) if the rifle has a scope it is best to remove it to get a good look at the lugs. The better the lugs fit the better the CHANCE for accuracy and this is why some lap the lugs fo perfect fit.
2. Barrel Cant, the barrel reciever contact on some rifles (even new ones) is not very solid. This lets the barrel sag more than it should when the barrel lock is tighened a lot of pressure is exerted on the barrel and stock. The common methods to remedy this are to send it to be fitted (by gunsmith) or cement the barrel/reciever. Cementing is not the best proceedure if one is not skilled because the proper cement should used (if you need to take the barrel off improper cement won't let you) and the barrel needs to be held in correct position while the cement dries.
3. Forward sling screw in contact with the barrel. This doesn't happen often but I've seen it. You can simply file the the sling screw to correct this if it occurs.

Lastly for anyone who wants to make a rimfire shoot must know something about sights (scopes mostly). Most 3x9 scope are not very good for a rimfire as they have the wrong paralllax setting. I will not say what parallax is but it is important if shooting small targets. Needless to say however the rimfire should be fitted with a scope that has the proper parallax setting or a scope that can be adjusted to counter parallax error. These adjustable scopes are called adjustable objective (A/O) types.

Perhaps this info will help someone with a 77/22 perhaps not but KEEP SHOOTING ANYWAY.

[gunnut69]

Parallex is the difference between the distance to the target and the distance the scope is 'focused' at. The greater the distance the greater the problems will be. Most 3x9 scopes are set parallex free at either 100 or 150 yards. Target scopes and higher powered varmit/hunting scopes often have parallex adjustments for the user. The problem is that 22 rimfires aer usually used at close ranges at small targets and here parallex can create much larger groups than the rifle/ammo is really capable of. To see the parallex, simply sandbag the rifle/scope combo solidly and look thru the scope at a target at 25 yards. Slightly shift the head left and right, noting the movement of the reticle on the target. This movement is the amount of dispersion of the shots from that rifle/scope at that range. The amount may well scrare you a bit but remember, you purposely moved your head. If the rifle fits well the difference in the position of your head from shot to shot will be much less. I would rather use a cheaper scope that's parallex corrected for 50 yards than a leupold thats not. I have tried and the leupold will not produce the groups the cheaper scope will. It's not a matter of quality, it's a matter of designed in purpose.
One note to remember, Bushnell in the past would set the parallex to rimfire speifications in any of their 1 inch tube scopes for no charge. So one will find scopes out there that are parallex corrected for 50 yards and no indication that they have been changed. I also seem to remember Leupold doing the same thing at one point, but beware of my 'memory'.

[rb in ar]

As of 6 months ago Leupold would set parallax on any of their scopes charging only the cost to ship it.