I may be a saddest!

[Lloyd Smale]

went in the local gunshop and they had a real nice tang safety 77r in 7x57. After all the struggling ive done with tang safety rugers and knowing the 7x57s were notoriously inaccurate i may need my sanity checked. It was just a cool old gun in a cool caliber and the price was right. Oh well i guess ill never learn.

[D Fischer]

I had a tang safety 77 in 7x57. Got it about 1972, first run of them. beautiful rifle but really hard to get a load to shoot well. Finally found one. 154gr Hornady RN. Shot really well, killed a lot of deer with it.

[jhm]

     Loyd I have the same rifle in one of the safes and I could never get it to shoot to the 7mm-08 rifles I have, at one time I had all the cal. in those rifles but I believe I am down to 3 maybe 4 I have one of the Laminated stock 30-06 with cut checkering on the stock and was told by a Ruger rep. at the Tulsa gun show that abt. 160 was all they built with the checkering on the Laminated stocks.  any how it is a vary accurate rifle.  Hope you enjoy the Ol girl.   Jim

[pastorp]

Lloyd,

I'd rebarrel it to 257 Roberts. Bet it would shoot then with a premium barrel and the right twist for whatever bullet you wanted to use. 

Regards,

[Swampman]

Even a custom barrel won't make a Ruger shoot good.

[drdougrx]

Custom barrels always make my rugers shoot good and I've re barreled allot of them, more than six.  But I guess that's the point...they shoot after new tube.

[mcwoodduck]

I have an old tang safety ruger in 308.  The rifle is great with any soft point ammo but can not shoot anything that is military FMJ in a group, constilation is more like it,  But a a hunting round and it tightened up that to a group with iron sights at 100 yards. 
Start out with a box of Federal 140 frain Soft points and move from there. 

[Savage_99]

Lloyd,

Yes that's what I like to do also.  Peruse the guns in shops looking for something of interest.

Is a 77r CRF or not?

[Lloyd Smale]

none that ive seen have been crf. Some claim the new hawkeyes are but niether of my two are truely control round feed guns.

Lloyd,

Yes that's what I like to do also.  Peruse the guns in shops looking for something of interest.

Is a 77r CRF or not?

[ironglow]

Lloyd'
    Cheer up; there is "light at the end of the tunnel"!  It come in the form of the latest Ruger bolt action out..the Ruger American. They are exceptionally accurate, certainly my .308 is.  It is an entirely new concept, taking advantage of all the newest hi-tech methods, new action mounting system, barrel change accomplished by an attractive bolt nut, one of the best of the new accuracy triggers at no extra cost...and in spite of some "nattering nabobs" it really shoots.  It should be had 'at the gun shop' for about $350.  Incidently; 7mm08 is one of the available calibers..
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB-D75-ILFo
 
  http://www.gunsandammo.com/reviews/all-american-ruger-american-rifle-review/
     

[wareagleguy]

Yea, Ruger figured if it just made a total rip-off of a Savage it would shoot better!

[Val]

I have three tang safety Rugers in three different calibers. All three of them shoot well.

[BBF]

My M77 is a tackdriver with the original barrel.

[JPShelton]

Well, Lloyd, you are either a saddest or a person with refined good taste... .
 
You know how impressed I am with my old M77RL in .250.  A lot of folks who have rifles like mine have the same positive experience.
 
The 77R in .25-'06 is another that I would say is more likely to be a respectable grouper in out-of-the-box condition.  I've seen plenty of them on the firing line, and all I have ever seen being shot grouped at least as well as my M77RL does.
 
I know it is supposed to be a little tougher to find an M77R in 7 x 57 that is a respectable grouper, but the few I've actually seen in action were M.O.A. or better with handloads.  When I was a licensed guide, I had a husband / wife duo from New Hampshire who used to book me for pig hunts every year.  He shot a 77RS in 7 X 57 that had no trouble shooting 5 shot groups at 100 yards that measured around the 3/4" mark.  His spouse used a M77RSI in 7 x 57 that did likewise.  This fellow used a pretty mild handload. from what I recall -kind of a mid-range dose of one of the IMR powders behind flat based Hornady Interlock spire points.
 
When I was in my early 20's, I used to see a fellow at the range I shot at back then who always seemed to be there when I was.  He shot an M77R in 7 x 57 that had no trouble grouping to M.O.A. or better.  I seem to recall him complaining that he thought the throat of his rifle was overly long from the factory, and he had to seat his bullets out quite a bit farther for loads shot out of that rifle compared to loads he made up for an old peep-sighted Obrendorf Mauser that he sometimes shot.
 
Anyhow, I know the M77s (and No.1-A's, too) in 7 x 57 kind of have a "reputation" but the few M77s in 7 x 57 that I actually seen in action impressed me as totally acceptable for any use I'd personally ever put such a rifle to.
 
You never know, Lloyd....   Yours might be one of the good 'uns!!!!
 
I need another high-power rifle like I need an extra hole in my head, but if I found a 77R or better yet, a 77RSI in 7 x 57 in high condition at a good price, it might be irresistable to me, too.
 
Best of luck with yours!
 
JP

[Bugflipper]

Heavy for caliber bullets usually do the trick in rough Ruger bores. Sometimes you can lap them and do decent with mid weight for caliber bullets. Just try to reduce harmonics all you can. Ruger seems to have the worst out of the big names because of the rough bores. They let the mini go for 30 years. The 10-22 has been getting worse for almost 20. Who knows when they'll retool for the 77? It's bad when a no.1 will outshoot their bolts with less tweaking. But I have to agree they are purdy. They might have the best wood stocks of any of them.

[George Foster]

I have two Ruger 77's MKII's and they both are very accurate.  I have owned and  shot the tang safety Rugers in 243 and 25-06 and they both were very accurate also.  I don't think a blanket statement can be made that all Ruger 77's are inaccurate, I think some with the Wilson barrels were and then others were accurate.  I have also heard the 257Rbts in the Ruger 77 is inaccurate because of a long throat but I have no first hand knowledge of it.

[Lloyd Smale]

Buddy whos owns the gun shop said the guy who traded it claimed he had a load with 140s that went inch and a quarter at a 100 yards. But then i guess how many would trade a dud rifle and tell the gunshop owner it was a dud. I could live with a 1 1/4 for what ill use it for if it truely does do that. Dont have much use for the heavy and slow side of the 757. If it takes 175s to get it to shoot it will be back on the shelf soon or off to a gunsmith to rebarrel. I allways wanted a good shooting tang safety 257 roberts and out of the ones i had i came to the conclusion that ruger doesnt know how to make one. So this would be a good donor gun.

Well, Lloyd, you are either a saddest or a person with refined good taste... .
 
You know how impressed I am with my old M77RL in .250.  A lot of folks who have rifles like mine have the same positive experience.
 
The 77R in .25-'06 is another that I would say is more likely to be a respectable grouper in out-of-the-box condition.  I've seen plenty of them on the firing line, and all I have ever seen being shot grouped at least as well as my M77RL does.
 
I know it is supposed to be a little tougher to find an M77R in 7 x 57 that is a respectable grouper, but the few I've actually seen in action were M.O.A. or better with handloads.  When I was a licensed guide, I had a husband / wife duo from New Hampshire who used to book me for pig hunts every year.  He shot a 77RS in 7 X 57 that had no trouble shooting 5 shot groups at 100 yards that measured around the 3/4" mark.  His spouse used a M77RSI in 7 x 57 that did likewise.  This fellow used a pretty mild handload. from what I recall -kind of a mid-range dose of one of the IMR powders behind flat based Hornady Interlock spire points.
 
When I was in my early 20's, I used to see a fellow at the range I shot at back then who always seemed to be there when I was.  He shot an M77R in 7 x 57 that had no trouble grouping to M.O.A. or better.  I seem to recall him complaining that he thought the throat of his rifle was overly long from the factory, and he had to seat his bullets out quite a bit farther for loads shot out of that rifle compared to loads he made up for an old peep-sighted Obrendorf Mauser that he sometimes shot.
 
Anyhow, I know the M77s (and No.1-A's, too) in 7 x 57 kind of have a "reputation" but the few M77s in 7 x 57 that I actually seen in action impressed me as totally acceptable for any use I'd personally ever put such a rifle to.
 
You never know, Lloyd....   Yours might be one of the good 'uns!!!!
 
I need another high-power rifle like I need an extra hole in my head, but if I found a 77R or better yet, a 77RSI in 7 x 57 in high condition at a good price, it might be irresistable to me, too.
 
Best of luck with yours!
 
JP

[ironglow]

Yea, Ruger figured if it just made a total rip-off of a Savage it would shoot better!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
  I must admit, I don't understand your statement.  Let me first say I like Savage rifles, and own 4 of them, a.223, .17HMR. .22 Mag & .22 auto...and I appreciate their fine accuracy.
   Problem is, I don't see where they have done a total ripoff of Savage.  The Ruger action looks more like a Browning, the bolts don't even resemble each other, magazines differ, action mounting in synthetic is unique, and I doubt their trigger or anything else has violated any patents, or they wouldn't be available..
  Fact is, if anyone has a case, it's Mauser..against ALL our bolt rifles..

[Bugflipper]

I will have to disagree with a blanket statement not being appropriate. A very accurate stock 77 is hard to come by. Sure they do exist but it's common knowledge that Rugers are the poorest in terms of accuracy of the major brands, rifle for rifle. There are generally several folks bashing them and a couple defending them on every thread. Neither oppinion matters much to me, I happen to like Rugers, they make me money. Not bashing, just simply it usually takes a little work for the average Ruger to come up to the standard of what it should be from the factory when trying to print groups.
Have a good one partner.

[Bigboar]

Even a custom barrel won't make a Ruger shoot good.

I beg to differ with you.  I shot the Eastern Mass High power Leage with a Ruger in 257 Roberts for years.  It was a 3/4' MOA gun all day long.

[victorcharlie]

My first high powered rifle was a 7x57...I'd love to find the exact same rifle, a tang safety Ruger, at a fair price in the same caliber.

For the record, the best shooter I've ever owned was a tang safety heavy barrel .243.....now, it didn't start that way, and took a little work, but it shot very small groups.....however, it was stolen many years ago.....

[Swampman]

A well known gunwriter once said "If Ruger ever made an accurate rifle, it must still be at the factory."

[Swampman]

Even a custom barrel won't make a Ruger shoot good.

I beg to differ with you.  I shot the Eastern Mass High power Leage with a Ruger in 257 Roberts for years.  It was a 3/4' MOA gun all day long.

The Model 700ADL I bought at Walmart for $399.95 with scope is a 3/4 MOA gun all day long with cheap factory hunting ammo.

[pastorp]

Know there's the Swampy we all know & love.... Over here telling lies about those Remington's again.

 

[pastorp]

Really though Swampy you can do better than that......  . You used to say they all shot .5" groups. And when you were wound up sometimes even .25" groups.

 

[Swampman]

Know there's the Swampy we all know & love.... Over here telling lies about those Remington's again.

 

If I was a liar, I'd be a pastor......Fact is it will shoot much better than 3/4 MOA with cheap hunting ammo.

[geezerbiker]

I have a Ruger 77/.22 Hornet that had a lot of work done by the previous owner.  It shoot minute 1/4 MOA if I can do my part.  Some days I can and others I can't but it always shoots better than I can...

Later on I asked the gun shop owner why a guy would trade in such a good rifle and he told me the previous owner had cancer and sold all of his guns.  I plan on handing this one down to one of my grandkids...

Tony

[Lloyd Smale]

problem is that ruger has cheerleaders like no other brand. Some actually think that anything ruger is something premium when if fact there just plain old production guns. post that chevy vegas or amc gremlins were junk and youll find someone that had one that went 200k or at least will tell you that. Ive owned as many ruger guns as anyone here. I know better. Sure you can get lucky and find one that is exceptional. Ive had a couple myself. But Id bet my house that if you bought 10  77 rugers, 10 remigton 700s, 10 savage 110s and ten model 70 win. worked up the best possible load for each gun just the way it came out of the box and then averaged your best groups with each of the 10 guns that ruger would be way down in the cellar for results. As a matter of fact id bet the ohter three would be neck and neck and if you took another 10 of each a different brand might win every time but id bet the ruger would be last if you did this 20 times. Like i said im not a ruger hater. I have more rugers rifles and handguns in the safe then if you combined all the rest of the brands. Thing is that ive sold probably twice as many rugers as i now have to find decent ones.

I will have to disagree with a blanket statement not being appropriate. A very accurate stock 77 is hard to come by. Sure they do exist but it's common knowledge that Rugers are the poorest in terms of accuracy of the major brands, rifle for rifle. There are generally several folks bashing them and a couple defending them on every thread. Neither oppinion matters much to me, I happen to like Rugers, they make me money. Not bashing, just simply it usually takes a little work for the average Ruger to come up to the standard of what it should be from the factory when trying to print groups.
Have a good one partner.

[Lloyd Smale]

just a side note the 757 is gone. I took it to the range with 12 differnt loads shooting 140s and 150s and didnt find a single group less then 2 inch and some went near 4!! Sure it might have done better with 160s or 175s but i have no use for a 757 loaded like that.  Just getting to old to have patients with a gun like that and brought it back to the gun shop.

[pastorp]

Lloyd,

All you needed to do to make it shoot was throw another $600 at it in the forme of a premium barrel.

Regards,