Rifle Improvements

[long hunter]

Sounds to me like you have more gun than you can handle, Dump the gun and get something you can shoot. What you're doing now is building bad habits that will be hell to break once you do find a gun.

 

[wnelson14]

Send it to Shaw barrels, get a heavier profile barrel and caliber you want threaded and you’re good to go. They even messed and upgraded the trigger to 2lbs.

I just sent them one similar, they did a great job.
The rifle is sentimental so there was no chance it was being sold,

 

[Fordguy]

I was thinking about trying the Hornady Custom Lite 125 gr SST reduced recoil loads. They drop below 100 ft lbs somewhere close to 300 yards, which would just do what I need. If anyone here has tried these, I'd like to hear the results.

I've used them on antelope. They were plenty accurate, worked well on antelope (though most bullets work well on antelope of you hit where you should be aiming) and recoil is minimal.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Get yourself a Rokslide special and don’t look back. My old Ruger M77 Scout rifle in .308 was one of the hardest hitting rifles I’ve ever owned. Not really sure why but I hated shooting it despite it being a handy and a good killer.

Tikka T3X stainless in 6.5 CM
SWFA 3-9 or SWFA Fixed 6
Sportsmatch or Unkown Munitions Rings

Go shoot and hunt and enjoy worry free rifle killing.

 

[goathunter.oregon]

As a follow-up, I bought a CVA Cascade 6.5 PRC rifle last week, 24" barrel. I like shooting it a lot better than my .308 Ruger M77 Mark II with 16.5" barrel. I bought a box of Hornady Custom Lite .308 loads for the Ruger and it's still a shoulder pounder. I'm glad I made the switch. Thanks everyone for the tips.

 

[innerdinosaur]

As a follow-up, I bought a CVA Cascade 6.5 PRC rifle last week, 24" barrel. I like shooting it a lot better than my .308 Ruger M77 Mark II with 16.5" barrel. I bought a box of Hornady Custom Lite .308 loads for the Ruger and it's still a shoulder pounder. I'm glad I made the switch. Thanks everyone for the tips.

I’ve been looking at that exact 6.5 PRC.
Sounds like it’s worth picking up.

How do you like the trigger?

 

[KenLee]

As a follow-up, I bought a CVA Cascade 6.5 PRC rifle last week, 24" barrel. I like shooting it a lot better than my .308 Ruger M77 Mark II with 16.5" barrel. I bought a box of Hornady Custom Lite .308 loads for the Ruger and it's still a shoulder pounder. I'm glad I made the switch. Thanks everyone for the tips.

MK II suck in every way TO ME. They ruined a nice original 77. Even the Ruger Americans kick dang hard for caliber compared to similar weight rifles.

 

[robtattoo]

The single worst kicking rifle I ever owned was a 77 Featherweight in .243. It was literally like getting whacked in the shoulder with an axe. It honestly put me off stepping up to a larger chambering for a long time, until I began to learn how important stock fit & geometry is. I had the opportunity to revisit it a couple of months ago & in comparison to every other rifle I've shot since (maybe not my old .458 win mag) it's still the harshest recoil I've felt.

 

[Blacktail247]

I put a limb saver pad on an m77 Hawkeye compact in 308 and it made a big difference in felt recoil over the factory pad.

 

[goathunter.oregon]

I’ve been looking at that exact 6.5 PRC.
Sounds like it’s worth picking up.

How do you like the trigger?

I'll be the first to admit that I'm no expert on good vs. bad triggers, but I like the CVA trigger. As I squeeze the trigger, it's smooth and while I don't have a scale, it seems to be set around 3 lbs right out of the box (I say that because my other rifle is set 2.5 lbs and this feels about the same).

 

[Corvus Corax]

I have a M77 MkII .300 WM originally with the zytel skeleton stock. I hated shooting it with that stock. I picked up a HS Precision 2000 sporter stock for it from Stocky’s. It improved the shooting experience for sure. It could be the added weight. I also had the trigger replaced for a Dayton Traister. But all this would be nearly as much as a new rifle.

 

[Vern400]

A 7 mm 08 is a little softer shooting than a 308. The 270 would be more harsh, though it is an extremely effective elk cartridge.

The weight of your gun makes a huge difference. I have a 308 that weighs under 8 lb with the scope and the cartridges and the sling. I'm good for about 20 shots on targets. I've got another one that's pushing over 9.5 lb with a decent squishy butt pad and I can shoot 50 to 100 with no problem. And you're right. A short-barreled, lightweight 308 is a little bit rude.
You might also be surprised how much a nice crisp 3-pound trigger helps you.