I sometimes wonder if the reintroduction of wolves and grizzly bears is not just a clever tactic by anti-hunters who are in DNR leadership. But I hope I am wrong.
A torque wrench is nice, but it can be done without it. Just ensure you have the correct size screwdriver or even a bit that goes in a socket. Just get that angle screw really tight.
Check the front-angled action screw. It needs to be very tight on the 77 to make it accurate. Also, check the scope mounts to make sure they are tight. Sometimes, poor accuracy in a 77 is due to the magazine box being too tight and binding the action. You can fix this by slightly shaving the box...
I had something similar happen to a rabbit beagle years ago. It was her left hip, and she would squat just like your photo. I carried her back to the truck and put her in the box. She was fine when I got the rest of the dogs up and then drove home. And it never happened again. She hunted again...