Ruger M77 Hawkeye accuracy issues

[rugerfan.64]

This is my first post here. Nice site,lots of helpful information. My question is; I have a Ruger M77 Hawkeye thats about a year old,and it wont shoot worth a hill of beans. I have already free floated the barrell,and smoked the action and checked the bedding. It looks good there. Still getting 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 inch groups. I've tried several different loads from 90 grain hpbt Sierra's to 120 grain Speer sp,same results. Its a 257 Roberts and it seems that this cartridge is a bit funny about what it will shoot from what I've read. It is my wifes rifle and it should shoot better than this. I've shot Remingtons,PREFER Browning A bolts,and have a couple of Rugers that will stack  bullets all day. Any clues? I'm thinking its the bedding. It will shoot 3 into an inch or so,and then scatter the next 2. Cold barrel,hot barrel,doesnt matter. It also strings shots horizontaly as it warms up. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Soon to be an EX Rugerfan.

[Hooker]

Here's a tip that always seemed to help my Ruger bolt guns.
Torque the 2 vertical action screws to 60 inch pounds.
Then torque the angled action screw to 20 inch pounds.
Ruger 3 screw system is finicky glass bedding seems to help though.
My 77mkII in .308 never shot better than 1 1/2'' with factory ammo but with good handloads it is a sub moa rifle.

Pat

[abigdiesel]

I wonder what Ruger would say if you called them and quizzed em' about this. 

[rugerfan.64]

I'll know in 3 days or so. I emailed em about it. If that doesnt do the trick then I will call and have a question and answer session.

[saddlebum]

I was taught to tighten the lug,(front), screw first. Then the tang or back screw and then the middle one. I would go ahead and bed the action. It's not that hard and it's cheap to do yourself. I do all mine and I'm a doofus. Acra-glass gel is all I've ever used. If you haven't done it before you can find help at Brownells. They have some gunsmith helps on their website. If it is stringing shots on target that usually means the barrel is touching somewhere. But you said you floated the bbl so I don't know. Fire a few rounds and then try to run a dollar bill under the bbl the full length and look for tight spot. I would guess scattering groups are from un-bedded action or your ammo. Not sure if your using factory or reloads. I always just bed the lug area from the mag hole out to about an inch past the lug to support the bbl. Unless there is an issue with the receiver/tang, which it sounds like there isn't since you smoked it. This is stuff I  learned from books and stuff along time ago and has always worked for my Ruger and Winchesters. Hope this helps. Best of luck!

[rugerfan.64]

Found out today if you click on the talk to the CEO on the Ruger website you start getting results. Previously I had emailed them and recieved a reply that said their accuracy standard was 1 1/4 inch at 50 yards. So I was cruising the site and came upon the CEO link. 2 hours later there is a reply to that one and a phone number of a cust svc tech to talk to. He seemed to agree that the rifle has problems,so after a few mins he said he'd send a call tag for it. So the jury is still out on this rifle. Time will tell I suppose. Maybe they can get the gremlins out since they're the ones that put em in there to start with.

[mcwoodduck]

Slug the barrel.
My friend ordered a 77/17 HMR and it came with a 204 sized barrel.
Ruger fixed the problem no question.  Just wondering if Your 257 may have a 270 hole.

[drdougrx]

Send it back.....don't mess with it till they have a look.  AND....1 1/4" at 50 yards!!!  They've GOT TO BE KIDDING!!!  It's no wonder that I've rebuilt / rebarrelled 4 of my Ruger rifles....what a shame....

[Lloyd Smale]

257 roberts is not a finiky round. IVe got two of them and both are very accurate and other ones ive shot have  been equaly accurate. Not to sound like a wize ^^^ but did you clean the barrel and if you didnt try to clean it real well and if you did was there alot of copper fouling?

[Tallwalker]

Some Ruger bolt action factory bedding has an area ahead of the recoil lug under the very forward area of the receiver that is relieved in the wood. This allows the receiver to be slightly sprung, or placed under tension if the angled screw is tightened too much first. I would put a shim in that area if yours looks like that. If you don't have / can't make shim material, I would take the slack all out of the rear tang screw, snug the front one, snug the middle one torque the rear one, and then finally torqure the front one. The bedding area near the forend tip in Ruger stocks can have a high ridge in the middle because of the way they are machined too, but you said that you free floated the barrel so that shouldn't be in the way. Actually, I have found that the lighter barreled Rugers benefit from a slight amount of pressure (say 5-8 Lbs.) at the forend tip so you might try that too. Maybe yours had the ridge, but still needs that pressure. If the gun was made recently then you have a hammer forged barrel, and a chamber done on a CNC lathe so you should be pretty good there.

[Rylandman]

This what Ruger told me concerning the torque on the three screws of a Model 77 ALL Weather. "95 inch pounds on front, hand tighten middle & back screw then back off 1/8 turn on middle screw"

[Bearcat 74]

All of my Ruger rifles shoot good, I tighten my action screws as such.  Front first and it is simply as tight as I can get it, really lay on it.  Rear second, and it is white knuckle tight, not like the front, just good and solid.  Center last, when it touches the plate I go about 1/4 turn past that, just enought it doesn't fall out.


All mine are free floated also.

[rugerfan.64]

Recieved my wifes rifle back last week. Had my brother check the locking lug engagement today. In all fairness to Ruger their customer service was good. They kept me informed about what was going on,mostly because I emailed them weekly. They actually did work on the locking lug engagement and now the top (left lug) is actually engaging the reciever. So we shall see how it shoots at 100 yards. I think they only use a 50 yard range. It printed 3/4" on the target they sent me back,so ideally its an inch and a half rifle. So to be fair Ruger cust service is good. Also to be fair,if I cant make this rifle shoot decently (3 shots MOA) its headed down the road. I'll buy a Browning or a Remington next time. Probably just buy a Browning and never look back.