Floating Ruger M77 Barrel

[beerbucksducks]

I have been messing with my M77 Hawkeye .243 Win (stainless/synthetic) lately. I always had inconsistent 3 shot groups with it (but still killed plenty of deer), so after reading up on the 10 shot group stuff I decided to give it a try. It started at 2.5-3” at 100 with various loads. My normal hunting load being the more consistent 2.5 moa load. I floated the mag box that was bound up and reset the action torque. It is now right around 2 moa (for ten shots) with my usual load. I am wondering if floating the barrel will help tighten things up, or if I should just live with 2 moa and kill stuff. Has anyone had luck free floating a M77? Or tried temporarily shimming the front of the action to float the barrel and see how it shoots? I’ve considered trying to find a cheap take off or aftermarket stock to mess around with, having never floated or bedded a rifle before. Any experience with the m77s is appreciated! (Background info: I am at home with my 6 month old several days a week and have a perpetual need for projects to tinker with during nap time at the house haha)


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[Adam Gibbs]

I've floated and pillar bedded a few. They seemingly shoot better now than they did before. But that could have been from finding the right load to, as well as giving it a DIY trigger job.

 

[ArcherAdam]

I think you started to fix your problem. IME with my m77, the action screws must be torqued to spec. Off the top of my head, one is 80 or 90 inch pounds and the other two are around 35. Definitely confirm with ruger. If you are less than that you will have consistently open groups. Once I got that fixed, I went from roughly 2" groups to 1 or less at the time.

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[beerbucksducks]

Thanks for the replies. From what I have read, front screw needs to be 65-90 inch lbs or farmer tight, 30ish on the rear and the middle just snug enough to stay put. This is how I currently have it set.


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[letrbuck]

My M77 hawkeye really benefitted from free floating the barrel and bedding the action.

Absolute worst case you bed it a second time for the full length of the stock

 

[Fatcamp]

I had horizontal stringing issues with my wife's M77. Decreased, torqued, opened up the barrel channel. Theoretically it should shoot better, but my range is snowed in so I can't shoot it to find out.

I have a Hogue stock that came with this rifle I would probably sell once I verify the wood stock shoots.

 

[beerbucksducks]

I’m thinking I’ll try some different torque combos next time I’m at the range and see if it changes anything. Then maybe shin the barrel up a bit and see if it likes less pressure from the channel. Anyone tried the shimming deal? Seems a little janky stacking card stock in there.


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[MarlinsDad]

Float the barrel and bed the front of the action, skim coat the rear and tune the trigger should bring it to 1” or less. I’ve done this on every Ruger 77 I’ve owned tang safety, mk2, 77/17 and 77/22 they all shoot fine, the triggers are fine once you polish the sear a touch and either replace the spring or remove a coil from them. I’ve used original JB weld with no issues first rifle I did nearly 20 years ago it’s held up fine.

 

[MarlinsDad]

I use normal knife sharpening stones to polish the trigger sear edges and all you do is knock the factory edge off them should look like one smooth flat surface. If you remove a coil from the factory spring don’t remove more than 1/2 a coil without checking function, easily get to 3lb safely. I always reassemble and bounce the recoil pad on the floor to ensure it won’t go off accidentally. YouTube has a few good videos on action bedding the 77’s, just like painting prep work is key but it’s not hard to do definitely worth the time.

 

[beerbucksducks]

Good info, thanks! It has a lighter aftermarket spring in it but I haven’t messed with the sear at all.


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[beerbucksducks]

Follow up: I torqued the front action screw to 65 in-lbs instead of “farmer” tight. Ten rounds went 1.5” instead of the previous 2” and 2.1” groups. I will have to confirm the improvement next time I’m at the range, but looks promising.


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[walk2112]

Interestingly enough, I’ve had two M77’s that shot better with a full length bedded barrel (375Ruger Alaskan) or a slight pressure bed at forend tip (260Rem FTW) after experimenting with both, bedding both, trigger polishing, mag box and front action screw binding checks, the works. Three others got the same treatment (as noted above) that I do on all M77s and checked with multiple loads in each setup. Those (270 tang, 300wm, 308 gsr) are most reliably accurate (in some cases much more so) with the floated barrel, bedded front of action and first 1-2” around the chamber.
The stock materials were not identical etc. so it’s hard to glean anything %100 from that info, other than I have seen that occasionally you get a M77 that likes the barrel supported in addition to the other bedding/trigger/mag box floating work mentioned here.

 

[209hunter]

I have two M77’s. One is a tang safety 25-06 and the other is a MKII 30-06. Both of these rifle’s improved a lot by torquing the action screws to the proper torque AND in the proper order. If your rifle has slotted action screws, you should change the front and rear screws to hex head screws. Here is the proper order and torque specs for these actions.

First, torque the front (angled) action screw to 95 inch pounds.
Second, torque the rear action screw to 50 inch pounds.
Lastly, tighten the middle action screw just snug.

You won’t be able to tighten the action screws to these values with the slotted heads. Midway sells the hex head screws if you need them. You’ll also need to buy or borrow an automotive torque wrench in inch pounds because Im not aware of any gunsmithing wrenches that go that high.

My 25-06 also benefited from free floating the barrel but my 30-06 shoots really well with a pressure point so you might have to experiment with that. I would start with the proper torque specs first.

Hope this helps. I have an affinity for these rifles even if they need a little tinkering.


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