Ruger 77 Tang safety- are the accuracy issues really bad

[Mich Hunter]

I need some input from those that have more knowledge on the early tang safety 77 Rugers than I.

Basically, I am a huge Ruger fan like many others and I seem to stick with the brand on certain firearms. I am currently in need of a 338WM with iron sights and have been shopping around. I have a line on a couple older Ruger model 77RS's (one made in 1983 and the other in 1990) for under $500 that are very clean. These would fit the bill perfectly as my other option would be a new Ruger Guide gun. The problem is everything I seem to be reading suggest that Ruger used some questionable barrels during this period and accuracy can be very hit or miss with certain calibers. Another issue is the bottom metal screws can be very torque sensitive and there is a certain order in which you must torque. Many have had to shim/glass bed the action, shim the barrel, play with screw adjustments etc just to get these rifles to shoot under 2-3 MOA. I do understand that it is a hunting rifle and not made for sub-MOA target shooting. However, my fear is that I don't want to pick one of these up and have it turn into a science project just to hit the broad side of a barn. If that is the case, I will just pick up the guide gun and be done with it.

[crs]

Mich,
I can only comment on my tang safety Ruger 77s in .243 and .338,Win Mag, both of which are MOA rifles and on a 86ers' 7mm mag which is also very accurate. They are a bit heavier than my pre 64 M70 Feather weight .308, but that is not a problem for me.

[6pt-sika]

I had a bunch of the old tang safety 77R's years ago and they all did well for me .

Couple years back I got a tang safety 77R 338 Win Mag for a friend that moved from PA to WY , He wanted it for elk , anyway with his handloads he was getting 3 in about 5/8" at 100 yards . And I don't think he did anything to it other then clean really well and work the trigger over .

Now with that being said I had two of the 77 MK II VT's in 6mm PPC and 204 Ruger that were both 1/4 MOA rifles but then again they were HB etc etc .

[AJMD429]

One of the most accurate rifles I have ever shot is my 1976 vintage (tang safety) M77V in 6mm. Five shot cloverleafs not at all unusual. Granted, it us an 'inherently accurate' chambering, and they may have used a different barrel maker for the 'V' series ('varmint' with heavy barrels). It isn't free floated and has a wood stock with motor oil stains from when I was in college and disassembled all 8 of my guns to put actions in oil so they wouldn't rust but didn't de-oil them thoroughly enough before reassembly. Kept a 12x Weaver on it for years but my older eyes now need the 10-40x Weaver or Tasco whichever it has. Whole rig cost $350 or so in the 1970's.

I assembled all loads on a Lee 'Classic Loader' (aka 'mallet kit') with their optional micrometer seating die and inside neck reamer. Dipped charges with little plastic dipper, too...

The reason I laugh is to think how much time, money, and fancy equipment I've used since then, just to see if I can punch more or less the same sized holes only with a different gun... Not sure it makes much sense, does it...?

[Malamute]

Most I've had have shot very well.

Decent iron sights aren't hard to have installed if the gun doesn't come with them. I've had good irons added to several. A Williams Shorty ramp with bead or sourdough blade, and I generally use a receiver peep for the rear ( the slide can be inletted under the butt pad when scoped), though Ruger factory barrel sights can be had from Brownells and others.

The screws shouldn't be as much of a problem as you may feel. Learn how to do it, end of issue. Basically the middle screw shouldn't have much torque, just enough not to fall out from most accounts(when its been an issue). Front one should be torqued first, like any bolt gun.

[Bullard4075]

Been a M77 fan for many years and this is the first I've even heard of this problem.
I'm am most fond by far, of the tang safety models. All my 77s have been
good shooters, no better or worse than other makers rifles. I'm not too old
to learn though so I would like to know where you've heard this from.

[Old Savage]

Like others here I have had few and most were very accurate. One in 7x57 would shoot groups that were about 4" wide by 2 1/2" high. I bedded the action and free floated the barrel and now shoots all bullet weights under 1 inch for three at 100 yds. It has an 8 1/2" trigger.

[AJMD429]

Been a M77 fan for many years and this is the first I've even heard of this problem.
I'm am most fond by far, of the tang safety models. All my 77s have been
good shooters, no better or worse than other makers rifles. I'm not too old
to learn though so I would like to know where you've heard this from.

It was 'common fact' on some of the bolt-action forums I looked in on a decade ago when I was seeking more information about the Savage Model 10 'AccuTrigger' in 308 vs. the Ruger Hawkeye in 308; there was a cast of rifle-snobbery over the posts though, with the usual Ford/Chevy thing between the Remington 700 and Winchester 70, and the ones saying both those were trash and if you didn't buy yourself a $1,100 receiver and build it out yourself your gun wouldn't be accurate enough to hunt whitetail out past 75 yards...

[M. M. Wright]

I had an old 77V in 220 Swift that was a real prairie dog killer. Shot well on paper too. I did glass bed it, (I used to do all my bolt guns) and adjust the trigger down pretty fine but I never worried about that angled screw since I knew it would only enhance accuracy by pulling the action against the recoil shoulder. I still like the concept because it works.

[Bullard4075]

Been a M77 fan for many years and this is the first I've even heard of this problem.
I'm am most fond by far, of the tang safety models. All my 77s have been
good shooters, no better or worse than other makers rifles. I'm not too old
to learn though so I would like to know where you've heard this from.

It was 'common fact' on some of the bolt-action forums I looked in on a decade ago when I was seeking more information about the Savage Model 10 'AccuTrigger' in 308 vs. the Ruger Hawkeye in 308; there was a cast of rifle-snobbery over the posts though, with the usual Ford/Chevy thing between the Remington 700 and Winchester 70, and the ones saying both those were trash and if you didn't buy yourself a $1,100 receiver and build it out yourself your gun wouldn't be accurate enough to hunt whitetail out past 75 yards...

Savage has had a bad rep for a long time due mostly I think to their plain jane wood and looks. My experience though
is they tend to be one if not the most accurate OUT OF THE BOX rifles - in my experience.

Of course now 6 of you will tell me I'm wrong and don't know what I'm talking about.

Gosh I love this place!

[Old Savage]

Actually my experience agrees. Remington has also been very good. Both systems screw a tube into a tube. Easy to align.

[Rusty]

I believe I have heard that the problems they DID have were traceable to barrels purchased from an outside source. Current rifles don't have that problem. My son had a .270 Win M77 that is a tackdriver.

[JB]

My biggest fear with Rugers, or at least the old tang safety guns, is the failure to fire. I'm everyone one else will say their has fired 10,000 round and never snapped once, but over the years I've seen several occasionally snap on factory ammo. I bought a tang safety 308 brand new that would sometimes snap on a factory round that I could then chamber in another rifle and it would fire. I saw the same issue with a 257 Roberts and 30-06 tang safety. Maybe I just ended up with the bad ones.

[Merle]

I have an UL in 250 Savage. It is just fine as a deer hunting rifle, but the pencil barrel keeps is from being suitable for many rounds as a varmint rifle. It does heat up pretty fast, but is an absolute joy for old legs to carry all day!

[Old Savage]

Well not ten thousand but 1450 through one 1000 through another and maybe another 700 or so through various others with no problem.

[jnyork]

I had a .257 Roberts back about 20-25 years ago, it would not hit a hat at 100 yards, I bedded it, twice, crowned the barrel, floated the barrel, played with every load every imagined by mankind, would not shoot better than 4" group and that was an exception to the rule. Took it to the gunshow finally and got rid of it and good riddance to it. Same with a little 77-22, I got the first one sold in Wyoming, what a nice looking little gun, messed with it until blue in the face, took it to the gunshow and got rid of it too, just pitiful accuracy.

I now own Remingtons and darn glad of it.

[Merle]

I had a .257 Roberts back about 20-25 years ago, it would not hit a hat at 100 yards, I bedded it, twice, crowned the barrel, floated the barrel, played with every load every imagined by mankind, would not shoot better than 4" group and that was an exception to the rule. Took it to the gunshow finally and got rid of it and good riddance to it. Same with a little 77-22, I got the first one sold in Wyoming, what a nice looking little gun, messed with it until blue in the face, took it to the gunshow and got rid of it too, just pitiful accuracy.

I now own Remingtons and darn glad of it.

Just wondering - did you inform the new owners about your accuracy problems?

[stew71]

I have an early 80's M77 RSI in 243 that's plenty accurate enough for deer and pig. No FTF's or issues with the tang safety at all.

[jnyork]

I had a .257 Roberts back about 20-25 years ago, it would not hit a hat at 100 yards, I bedded it, twice, crowned the barrel, floated the barrel, played with every load every imagined by mankind, would not shoot better than 4" group and that was an exception to the rule. Took it to the gunshow finally and got rid of it and good riddance to it. Same with a little 77-22, I got the first one sold in Wyoming, what a nice looking little gun, messed with it until blue in the face, took it to the gunshow and got rid of it too, just pitiful accuracy.

I now own Remingtons and darn glad of it.

Just wondering - did you inform the new owners about your accuracy problems?

Well, yeah, as a matter of fact I did. Told the guy it wouldn't hit a hat, and that I had done all I could do with it. He, being kind of a blowhard, informed me that HE could make it shoot. So be it.

[Merle]

I had a .257 Roberts back about 20-25 years ago, it would not hit a hat at 100 yards, I bedded it, twice, crowned the barrel, floated the barrel, played with every load every imagined by mankind, would not shoot better than 4" group and that was an exception to the rule. Took it to the gunshow finally and got rid of it and good riddance to it. Same with a little 77-22, I got the first one sold in Wyoming, what a nice looking little gun, messed with it until blue in the face, took it to the gunshow and got rid of it too, just pitiful accuracy.

I now own Remingtons and darn glad of it.

Just wondering - did you inform the new owners about your accuracy problems?

Well, yeah, as a matter of fact I did. Told the guy it wouldn't hit a hat, and that I had done all I could do with it. He, being kind of a blowhard, informed me that HE could make it shoot. So be it.

That makes you an honest man - good for you!

[Blaine]

Some rifles are haunted. My older Tang Safety Ruger bolt is not one of them. I don't try too hard for small groups, and this 30-06 with a Beat To Heck old Redfield scope shoots into the same place with boring redundancy.....

[6pt-sika]

By no means am I trying to dispute anyone who had a 77 tang safety rifle about them not shooting well . I just wonder have I been blessed with the twenty or so I had over the years ? The absolute worst I had a was a 77 RSI 308 , that one however would still keep three shots in 1 1/2" at 100 yards (handloads of course). I did put a RifleBasix trigger sear in the RSI as the trigger pull was VERY inconsistent on that rifle .

But then I've heard the same thing about Ruger #1's !

The smallest three shot group I have ever fired in my life at 100 yards I did with a Ruger #1 with a Lilja barrel in 22-250AI . That one once did three shots at 100 in .054" after deducting the diameter of the bullet . While that group may have slightly been a fluke , after that with the same load I've shot quite a few more that were less then .2" and only slightly larger then .1" !

[6pt-sika]

I have an UL in 250 Savage. It is just fine as a deer hunting rifle, but the pencil barrel keeps is from being suitable for many rounds as a varmint rifle. It does heat up pretty fast, but is an absolute joy for old legs to carry all day!

Your darn sure the minority of the deer hunters I ever saw in PA !

I betcha 90%of those I saw carried a Remington 760 shuckamatic in 30-06 with a 4-12 scope and see thru mounts !

A couple I met over the years owned a deer rifle and a bear rifle . Both being 760's both in 06 and both with see thru mounts . Usually the deer rifle was 4-12 and the bear gun was 3-9 . Also the only other difference was bullet weight deer rounds being 150 or 165 and bear rounds being 180 or 220 .

Personally I think they'd been better with one rifle no see thru mounts , scope in 2-7 and shoot a 165 grainer for both . But that's just me !

[Merle]

I have an UL in 250 Savage. It is just fine as a deer hunting rifle, but the pencil barrel keeps is from being suitable for many rounds as a varmint rifle. It does heat up pretty fast, but is an absolute joy for old legs to carry all day!

Your darn sure the minority of the deer hunters I ever saw in PA !

I betcha 90%of those I saw carried a Remington 760 shuckamatic in 30-06 with a 4-12 scope and see thru mounts !

A couple I met over the years owned a deer rifle and a bear rifle . Both being 760's both in 06 and both with see thru mounts . Usually the deer rifle was 4-12 and the bear gun was 3-9 . Also the only other difference was bullet weight deer rounds being 150 or 165 and bear rounds being 180 or 220 .

Personally I think they'd been better with one rifle no see thru mounts , scope in 2-7 and shoot a 165 grainer for both . But that's just me !

I gave up on see thru mounts when I was 20, or thereabouts. Three cookie cutters in one day convinced me that the old timer/gunsmith knew what he was talking about. 2 to 7 is my upper limit for a woods rifle - now I prefer a 1.5 to 6 Bushnell with electro dot. My old eyes need a bit of help. In my experience most of the types you describe come from the city & really have no clue.

[7.62 Precision]

Accuracy can vary, but I think a lot of the reputation is due to the fact that it is hard to accurize the Ruger rifles, to make them a sniper-grade shooter. If you are looking for a hunter, you should be able to find one.

[buckeyeshooter]

I own 4, all bought new in late 70's and early 80's. They all shoot just fine. Around an inch to inch and a half at 100 yards if I do my part. 30-06, 300wm, 338wm and a 458wm.