Author Topic: Ruger 77 RSI (Read 1570 times)

Win 88 · « **on:** June 01, 2009, 07:55:58 AM »

What are your experiences of the Ruger 77 RSI with full length stock? I am considering one in .308W, but before deciding, I would be grateful for your opinions and experiences. Main purpose will be deer hunting in the woods.

Pete

Swampman · « **Reply #1 on:** June 01, 2009, 08:08:15 AM »

I believe it would be accurate enough for deer hunting.

crash87 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 01, 2009, 08:42:44 AM »

You really don't state what you would like to know about the rifle in particular? But experience with it I do have. Purchased in 1986, chambered for the 308 WCF, I used it exculsivley in the cedar swamps and hardwoods of northern Wis. I liked it because of the 18 1/2" barrel, compact, because I often sat in blinds, and of course tree stands. Mine has accounted for alot of deer, I personally don't keep count as some do, but suffice to say, many have fallen, including my best ever buck. My only bullet for years was the 165gr Hornady spire pt., simply because it shot well out of my rifle, and I like a little extre weight as opposed to the "deer" bullet of 150 gr. Now hold onto your hat when I tell you it spit that 165 grainer out at a whopping 2550 fps!!! If that rifle did one thing for me it told me that speed DOES NOT kill. Bullet placement and I really don't know if this statement is true but, I also believe that I found the perfect balance between projectile and muzzle speed. Never did I lose a whitetail and if they did decide to run, I did not have to walk far. In the late 90's I put it a way for a spell to use other things. Recently I bought some 150gr. Nosler bullets, the older solid base and worked up a load using Varget. 2757 fps w/31fps ex. spread and a 1 1/2" group, 1" for 4 shots the first one being shot out of a clean barrel pulling the group.
My rifle wears a luepold 2X7 compact purchased and installed when it was new and is still there today. I've hunted with that rifle in all weather conditions, Bitter cold, rain, snow, lots of snow and never once did it fail me, and as far as as the myths go with full stocks, I've never had a reason to worry about it. If it was subject to rain or snow, "after" the season it was taken out of the stock and the metal wiped down. Put back in and rechecked for zero. Being a shorter rifle with a light weight contour barrel it still handles beautifully and is accurate to take a deer at any sane range. My Mother even took an Antelope with one in Wyoming, @ about 250 yards back in '87. You could do a lot worse than buying a RSI. CRASH87

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #3 on:** June 01, 2009, 09:29:17 AM »

I got one a mo. ago and love it . Haven't shot paper yet but off hand it kills bottles out to 100 or so yards .

Luckyducker · « **Reply #4 on:** June 01, 2009, 02:42:26 PM »

I bought one new about 5 years ago because it was love at first sight. It was the best handling rifle I had ever mounted my shoulder to. But alas, the thing could barely keep four shots in a five inch group at fifty yards. I tried factory ammo, several different bullets and powders in hand loads but nothing made it shoot any better. I finally traded it in on a used M77 standard in 30/06. If I could find one that was guaranteed to shot sub MOA I might try it.

Win 88 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 02, 2009, 06:49:34 PM »

Thanks for your inputs.

Having read your opinions, I understand that I have better to test this rifle at the range before buying it.

Pete

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #6 on:** June 03, 2009, 04:33:09 AM »

That could be said of any rifle .

bill439 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 03, 2009, 05:08:15 AM »

I would have bought several of them, except ruger uses their regular bolt handle. Why they didn't use a brno style flat bolt is beyond me. Held a rsi 77 chambered in .250 savage a long time before giving it back to the salesman. But that stupid bolt handle?

? bill439

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #8 on:** June 03, 2009, 08:03:41 AM »

i like the "standard " . Hate a butter knife , flat , etc.

Rangr44 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 03, 2009, 08:39:29 AM »

JMO, but the 18" barreled RSI isn't meant to be a long range, nor a super-accurate target rifle.
There are other models better suited for those uses.

The RSI was designed to be handy, and for (and excells at) close range hunting - with either the iron sights or a scope if needs be.

That said, having owned eight different M77RSI's over the years, the most accurate I've had by far was a .30-06, and the least were my two .308's - but even they shot just over an inch @ 100yds.

.

Swampman · « **Reply #10 on:** June 03, 2009, 11:01:59 AM »

Without any tuning?

Skunk · « **Reply #11 on:** June 03, 2009, 11:17:42 AM »

Quote from: Swampman on June 03, 2009, 11:01:59 AM

Without any tuning?

No Swamper, they're talking about a Ruger, not a Remington.

You don't have to put that extra $1000-$2000 into the receiver, bolt, barrel, and stock, on a Ruger to get it to shoot MOA at 100 yards.

But I still love my Remingtons.

Swampman · « **Reply #12 on:** June 03, 2009, 11:53:29 AM »

I've never seen a Remington 700 that wouldn't shoot MOA right out of the box, and I've seen a lot of them.

The reason I asked is because the RSI (and the M77 in general)has a bad reputation as far as accuracy goes. I thought perhaps it was undeserved. Can the man answer the question?

Skunk · « **Reply #13 on:** June 03, 2009, 12:18:14 PM »

Quote from: Swampman on June 03, 2009, 11:53:29 AM

I've never seen a Remington 700 that wouldn't shoot MOA right out of the box, and I've seen a lot of them. The reason I asked is because the RSI (and the M77 in general)has a bad reputation as far as accuracy goes. I thought perhaps it was undeserved. Can the man answer the question?

Rangr44 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 03, 2009, 01:10:18 PM »

I've never tuned any of my Rugers.
If they're not accurate enough for my use, they go down the road.
I'm not in love with them, I just pay to use them. (It's a man thing.

)

This is a typical 100yd target from my current .30-06 RSI, using factory ammo - but containing two groups, with a sight adjustment in between the groups. (new scope mounted). The target's ring spacing = 1".

As can be seen, by the time I shot towards the end of the second group, the rifle started to string it's shots a tad vertically, but after 7-8 shots, I really don't care.
I've never had an animal stand still long enough for me to shoot a group at.

.

Swampman · « **Reply #15 on:** June 03, 2009, 01:22:16 PM »

That's good, and flys in the face of what I've heard about the RSI. I'd like to have one in 7X57.

Luckyducker · « **Reply #16 on:** June 03, 2009, 03:44:41 PM »

Rangr44, if my RSI 308Win would have shot anywhere near that good I probably wouldn't hunt with any other rifle. I have shot and owned many other rifles that were very accurate but I have never found one I liked the feel and balance as well as I did that no-shootin RSI.

Rangr44 · « **Reply #17 on:** June 03, 2009, 04:26:57 PM »

I found the same to be true with the two different .308 RSI's I had.

Neither shot as tight as this .30-06 - about 2x wider as a matter of fact - but still hunting accurate, IMO (1 1/2"-2" groups).

As I mentioned - if one's inaccurate, I send it away.

I know Ruger has had a history of "iffy" barrels in their history, and since all the RSI's I bought were used - who knows the quality of a particular one ?

Just my $0.02, but IMHO an inaccurate rifle isn't worth the aggrivation of me keeping, unless there's something special about the particular rifle - like an very inexpensive but inaccurate 6.5x55 Model 70 FW Classic I was able to correct the bedding on, that enables it to shoot the groups well under an inch that I thought it should.

.

Win 88 · « **Reply #18 on:** June 04, 2009, 05:22:38 AM »

Quote from: Rangr44 on June 03, 2009, 01:10:18 PM

---This is a typical 100yd target from my current .30-06 RSI, using factory ammo - but containing two groups, with a sight adjustment in between the groups. (new scope mounted). The target's ring spacing = 1".---

That are nice groups. But how does the .30-06 work in such a short barrel? Expectedly there would be a great fire ball and a loud bang with no gain in velocity compered with the little .308. But is that correct?

I ask because here in Sweden there are some Huqvarna fullstocks in .30-06, which could be an alternative to the RSI. However, the RSI in .308W is one of the handiest bolt action rifles I have handled - as handy as a Winchester #94.

Pete

crash87 · « **Reply #19 on:** June 05, 2009, 02:47:13 AM »

The reason I asked is because the RSI (and the M77 in general)has a bad reputation as far as accuracy goes. I thought perhaps it was undeserved. Can the man answer the question?
[/quote]

Where did you hear that M77 had a bad reputation for accuracy? How many do you own or have spent time with working up loads to come to that conclusion? It is a known fact that "at one time" Ruger outsourced there barrels, resulting in "a few" bad ones as can be expected. Since they have been making there own, for quite sometime I may add, that has not been an issue. Funny thing though, I do own, a few of those outsourced barreled tang safety models, along with a few friends & family members, and because of hands on shooting, have not had accuracy issues with any of them. Take what you read from the gun hack writers with a grain of salt, don't repeat what you don't know as fact, go out and BUY some Rugers and see for yourself. If you can go into it with an open mind I think your opinion will change. CRASH87

Swampman · « **Reply #20 on:** June 05, 2009, 02:52:37 AM »

The M77s I've owned were not very accurate. One .30-06 shot 6" groups @ 100 yards right out of the box. With a lot of bedding work it did shoot very well. I'n general I haven't owned a Ruger long gun other than the 10/22 that I would consider accurate.

I would only buy a Ruger if it was dirt cheap, based on my personal experience.

Rangr44 · « **Reply #21 on:** June 06, 2009, 01:59:17 AM »

[But how does the .30-06 work in such a short barrel? Expectedly there would be a great fire ball and a loud bang with no gain in velocity compered with the little .308. But is that correct?]

No, that's not correct - at least not totally.

There's no "fireball", and no velocity loss compared to a .308RSI, but there IS a loud report - something common to every M77RSI, I've fired.

BTW - One of the replies above mentioned the M77RSI Mark I tang-safety model, which reminded me:
I neglected to mention that ALL my RSI's have been tang safety models - as I personally don't care for some of the features, like the side safety, of the later M77 Mark II's (after buying/trying), not to mention the comparative degradation in fit/finish
YMMV, of course.

Win88 - Of course a short-action .308 RSI will feel handier than a long-action HVA .30-06 (Mauser) - but, while I've never been fortunate enough to run across a fullstock Husqvarna, I have owned a couple of the schnobble-foretip lightweights (a .308 & a .30-06), and have to tell you that I'd jump on that .30-06 Husqvarna fullstock over a .308 RSI in a New York Minute.

.

Win 88 · « **Reply #22 on:** June 18, 2009, 12:01:52 AM »

Quote from: Rangr44 on June 06, 2009, 01:59:17 AM

- Of course a short-action .308 RSI will feel handier than a long-action HVA .30-06 (Mauser) - but, while I've never been fortunate enough to run across a fullstock Husqvarna, I have owned a couple of the schnobble-foretip lightweights (a .308 & a .30-06), and have to tell you that I'd jump on that .30-06 Husqvarna fullstock over a .308 RSI in a New York Minute.

Yesterday I found a Husky full stock .30-06 in a shop. It disappointed me, as it was way too heavy and unbalanced.

Pete

Tallwalker · « **Reply #23 on:** June 18, 2009, 03:59:56 PM »

Full length stocked rifles of any make can be an iffy proposition accuracy wise. It takes very little change in pressure way out there at the tip of the barrel to change point of impact. I once had a .243 Ruger RSI that shot tiny groups. Never would shoot them the same place two months in a row, but still the groups were tiny. I noticed that Remington's custom shop uses laminated wood on their full length stocks. That is probably a good idea, but I expect it makes the rifles a bit butt heavy too........ I would like to handle one. I would guess too, that like a tupperware stock, if you could free float the barrel enough that the forend wouldn't touch it, accuracy might be somewhat more consistant. I do like the way those carbines handle! I have read articles on the CZ 527 mannlichers, and they didn't shoot as well as their half stocked models....... OH well.

Rangr44 · « **Reply #24 on:** June 19, 2009, 03:28:20 AM »

I don't like to read about guns any more - because then I have to buy it.

It was the same way, after several gun rag articles about the CZ-527FS (full stock) mannlicher.
No local dealers had any, so I ordered one in, sight unseen - my bad.

It was terrible, IMHO - stock wood that looked had all the grain/charm of peanut butter, a stiff/gritty action, and crappy (IMO) accuracy.
It went down the road after a week.
The CX-527Lux, that replaced the FS, was grabbed off a local gunrack, has nice wood, and shoots like a house afire.
It's not going anywhere, except with me.

"Only accurate rifles are interesting"..................

.