Ruger 77/17 Accuracy

[LaOtto222]

There was a thread started about what 17 HMR bolt action do you like most a while back. It got a lot of reads and comments. The Ruger 77/17 got a few comments, but there were some that talked about CZ's, Marlins, Savages, etc. I can not talk about the other rifles. They may be great, but I do not think they could be any better than the Ruger I have and most probably not as good. I have a Ruger 77/17 that I have modified some what. I put on a Volquartsen barrel and a Timney trigger sear. I know it is not stock, but the Ruger is easily modified, while most of the others are not. I just wanted to show you what the potential of the Ruger is and the 17 HMR. Here is picture of the Ruger.


Here is a typical target that I shot last Saturday at 100 yards. I can regularly shoot like this. I have got 1 hole groups at 100 yards. This one has a flier. I am not sure if it was me or the breeze or just a difference in the ammo, but I have shot 1 hole groups with it on a calm day.



This was shot with Federal 17 grain V-Max. I have found that this gun shoots CCI, Hornady or the Federals the same. In fact I have shot CCI and Federal into the same hole. I have not shot any other kind of bullet because these shoot so well. People say they can shoot under 1/2" at 100 yards with their 17 HMR's. I am telling you I shoot well under that and it is honest. Not just once in while, all of the time as long as I do not pull one or the wind blows it off course.

I know the Rugers get bashed because they do not shoot well, but here is an exception. The action is short and smooth with no mis-feeds, no matter how fast or slow I cycle the action. Would I buy another? You bet I would. Would I recommend a Ruger, most certainly. This rifle is not going any where.

[sidekick]

Mine shoots about that good also using Hornady 17 gr.---once I installed a Green Mountain bull barrel and Volquartzen sear. Threw them all over the place with the factory barrel though. Sure is heavy now, but I don't walk great distances with it.

[LaOtto222]

The purpose of this thread was to start a discussion about the 17 HMR accuracy and about the accuracy potential of the Ruger 77/17. I just want to discuss the merits of different guns in the 17 HMR. I do not want to start a war, just some discussion among fellow shooters. I made some bold statements, but that was just to start a discussion. In the end we all have preferences. It is a good thing we do not all like the same thing, other wise there would be a lot of gun companies out of business. I have heard so many that say the Ruger will not shoot well or making IMHO wild claims about accuracy of their guns. I have nothing against other types of guns and I really like the looks and feel of the CZ (except that stamped trigger guard). I own a Marlin 22 Mag and I like it just fine, but it will not hold a candle to this gun in the accuracy department. My Ruger weighs a little more than it did with the stock barrel, but mine was the heavy barreled one to start with and this barrel is shorter - 18.5".

[Graybeard]

The best the one I had would do is about 1.5" at 100 yards and that was not good enough to suit me. In addition I hated that blocky fore end and just couldn't warm up to the gun so I traded it off.

[LaOtto222]

Bill - I understand personal preferences, and I am aware of your troubles with the 17 HMR in general. The stock is blocky in the middle, where the trigger guard and rotary magazine goes in - no denying that. It does start getting rounded off past the "clip". I did not give mine much of a chance with the stock barrel. I shot it a little and it really did not shoot as well as I had hoped. Maybe 1" or a little more at 100 yards, but like I said I really did not shoot it much. It might have gotten better with more ammo down the tube. I got a deal on a hand lapped Volquartsen barrel ($225) with a special dimensioned chamber, so I swapped it out. Hand lapped barrels are usually in the $300+ range. It now shoots very well and it feels like a quality gun IMHO. I can not disagree with you about the stock. Ruger could have done a better job with it. I can forgive it since it shoots very well and the action is smooth and reliable. BTW it shoots best with a "dirty" barrel as most rim fires do.

[drdougrx]

I have a 77/17.  I've glass bedded it and installed a timney sear.  I use a fixed 12x leupold scope w a varmint ret.  The very best I can do at 100yrds is about 1" w no wind using 17gr hornady w the plastic tips.  I think I may change the barrel to some after market at some time.  For now...it's ok so I'll leave it alone.

[LaOtto222]

I can highly recommend the Volquartsen barrels. When you install them, they are driven into the receiver. They fit tight, so there will be no play between the barrel and the receiver. It just depends on what you are looking for accuracy wise. I am not positive on this, but I think you can get a carbon wrapped barrel, that is much lighter. Do not know how they would shoot, mine is a Stainless barrel of .920" diameter X 18.5" length. The 18.5" length is supposed to be the ideal length for highest velocity.

[mrbumps]

I was thinking about getting a 77/17 and was worried about accuracy.  When I was researching the gun, I often read that the "fliers" were blamed on the two piece bolt used in the 77/22 and 77/17.  The two piece bolt apparently results in inconsistent head space.  There is a place in CT that specializes in 77/22 and 77/17 accuracy. 

This is what they quote on the two-piece bolt issue:

""BEYOND" BOLT TIGHTENING: A 2 part bolt rework for 77/Rugers.  A new heat treated pin is made and lapped in to tighten the gap between the 2 bolt halves.  A new tool steel sleeve is heat shrinked and ground to fit inside bolt body.  New internal sleeve makes the pin last longer.  2 part beyond bolt tightening is standard with all 77/Combos.  On rimfire rifle versions, bolt tightening reduces flyers and tends to round out target groups.  On the longer Hornet bolt, it reduces flyers and produces 25 - 30% accuracy increase."

[mag-check]

The Ruger 77s 17, 22 or 22 mag or Hornet will shoot as good or better than anything eles out there and there built 10time better! Don't believe half the crap you read on the net about how good some of the off brand stuff shoots Ive shot them all and most of them will shoot around 1" at 100yds. for average! My son has a Marlin 17 shoots great but it has its problems with flyers. We were out shooting my buddys Ruger VMBZ 17 today and three shots groups you could cover with a dime! I collect 17HMR articles from Guns and ammo, Rifle, Shooting times and all the others and not once have I read about the Rugers being inaccurate and I think Ive got over 100 different articles! Only on the inter net do you read such crap!

[Tracker]

I am glad your gun shoots so good.  But it is not fair to compare it to other Rugers. Not when you have put one of the best replacement barrels on the market on it. 

[LaOtto222]

Tracker - You have a point. I never really gave the stock barrel much of a chance. I did shoot it a little and got OK groups with it. If I remember it was in the 1" range at 100 yards. It did not shoot any ways as good as this barrel. But I did not get a lot of shots down the tube to see if it would get better as it was shot and the barrel got well seasoned. I was not hiding the fact that it is not stock. I guess the point I was making was it is possible to get the Ruger to shoot well - you have options. If you have a Marlin or Savage or a CZ, what ever, the barrels are not easily switched out. If they shoot well, then good, you have a real shooter, but if they miss the mark you are pretty much stuck with them unless you trade it off and try some thing different. I am sure you can change out a barrel on a CZ or a Marlin, but you will have to buy the barrel and then have a gunsmith fit it to your action, very expensive.