freddogs -
While I don't have any experience with synthetic-stocked Rugers, I do have experience with walnut/blue and laminate/stainless.
First my brother's walnut/blue heavy-barrel .22-250. I don't know what kind of groups he gets, but prairie dogs best run. He has taken them out to a measured 400 yards with factory ammo.
Now t the ones I am intimately familiar with -- Dave's (my my hunting buddy) and mine.
Dave's MKII M77 7mm Mag, walnut/blue, left-handed, circa 1999.
Mods: Free-floated barrel
Scope: Simmons Aetec 3x9
Load: Speer 160g Grand Slam @ 2900fps
Groups: .4" @ 100 yards
My M77 7mm Mag, walnut/blue, circa 1981
Mods: Free-floated barrel
Scope: Simmons Aetec 3x9
Load: Speer 160g Grand Slam @ 2850fps
Groups: .5" @ 100 yards
My MKII M77 VT .22-250, laminate/stainless, heavy barrel, circa 2003
Mods: None
Scope: Simmons Whitetail Expedition 6x18AO
Load: Hornady 52g BTHP @ 3550fps
Groups: 4 shots, .475", 200 yards (earlier today!)
My M77 .257 Roberts, walnut/blue, circa 1985
Mods: Free-floated barrel
Scope: Leupold M8-4x
Load: Federal 120g Nosler, nominal @ 2780fps
Groups: 3 shots, 1.35", 100 yards (earlier today)
Of all of those guns, the only one that is less than Very Satisfactory is the .257 Roberts. I'm sure handloads will help it, but I suspect a trigger job will help even more -- today was the first time I had had a chance to shoot it, and the trigger must be 8# !!! It has an adjustable trigger (its a M77, not a M77 MKII) so I'll give that a try before doing anything else.