Thoughts on Ruger M77 Action Potential?

[sierracharlie338]

That's awesome! Mine's taken my 2 biggest whitetails over the years, I've just never trusted making vital hits past 150 yards or so because the group has always floated around the bullseye with every outing.

Good to hear, think I'm gonna go for the rebarrel. They make a great looking rifle for sure!

I don’t think you will be disappointed. Good luck on the new project and post up how it turns out.

 

[North River]

The

I do like the 1 piece shorter bolt on M77s, and the scallop lets you mount your scope lower. Owned a Bergara Premier for about a minute and just didn't like the 700 setup overall...but their bolt handle being attached with that tiny little weld didn't inspire a ton of confidence. For a 2-piece, I do like how my Tikka attaches with the dovetailed handle.

The angled action screw definitely made pillar bedding my rifle a bit more challenging than it needed to be, but I got it done and am anxious to see how the full glass bedding comes out tomorrow.

The Timney trigger has been in my Midway cart for more years than I'm ready to admit! I'll probably function check mine when I get it back together and then order it.

Who did you use for barrels?

I have one with a Bartlein (actually 2 Bartleins, same action. Still have the 300 win mag barrel but during covid it was too expensive to shoot as a range toy so had a 308 barrel and bolt fitted….) One Proof SS 7PRC. One el cheapo Wilson 35 Whelen that may be the least fouling barrel I’ve ever owned. And one heavy blued barrel in 25-06 that I don’t know who made it but has been a very precise one. Perhaps the best of the lot. These are all on old tang safety models. Also have an unknown SS 300 win mag barrel on a mkII as a camp loaner.

The angled screw also makes bedding challenging. So challenging I send it to a pro. But it can be done nicely, just not by a hack job like myself.

I find Leupold ringmounts preferable to Ruger made ones.

 

[JAC8504]

I truly hope stockys or Rokstock make an option for the Ruger m77 tang/mkii/ Hawkeye. It would certainly bring the Ruger back to life

 

[rickyw]

My two rugers m77s (mark ii and Hawkeye) have been very good with factory barrels. Just wish they fit five rounds down like my m70s

 

[Formidilosus]

Form coming through with good info, always appreciate it! Was hoping you didn't have any insight about some critical failure of the ring setup or whatnot.

I haven’t seen issues with the ring setup, however I also have used them heavily as I do now. My guess is that they are fine for most hunting uses.

I've shot an old tang safety 257 Rob with a smith-honed trigger and it was pretty phenomenal. Would you say the OG trigger worked over by a smith would preferrable to a Timney, or is it a toss-up?

Again, I haven’t used the Timney enough to say. My initial preference would be to get the factory one worked on by someone that truly knows what they are doing- maybe RJ Renner.

 

[North River]

My two rugers m77s (mark ii and Hawkeye) have been very good with factory barrels. Just wish they fit five rounds down like my m70s

One of the benefits of the old tangers was 5 down in standard rounds vs 4 for the mkII

 

[rickyw]

I haven’t seen issues with the ring setup, however I also have used them heavily as I do now. My guess is that they are fine for most hunting uses.






Again, I haven’t used the Timney enough to say. My initial preference would be to get the factory one worked on by someone that truly knows what they are doing- maybe RJ Renner.

I had a gunsmith in Anchorage who after 40 years just retired. He had my m77 triggers worked over nice - 3lb pull and crisp. He thought they were good triggers - they just need a little love

One of the benefits of the old tangers was 5 down in standard rounds vs 4 for the mkII

It’s too bad they changed that

 

[Big_wals]

Interested in this as well. I have a tang safety 30-06 that was a gift from my dad, but I have hardly shot it since buying a 243. Now the 134 eldm has had me thinking for a while that a new barrel in 25-06AI would be pretty fun….

 

[walk2112]

One of the benefits of the old tangers was 5 down in standard rounds vs 4 for the mkII

Rumor has it, if you call and ask nicely, Morris at Alaska Arms LLC can set you up with a M77 Mkii or Hawkeye floor plate (long action only) that holds 6 or 7 down for standard bolt face cartridges and 5 down for magnums.

 

[Blacktail247]

I preferred a good trigger job on the factory one over a timney. I have a few m77s and all have been worked over and turned out nice. The timney went down the road in a rifle I sold.

 

[North River]

Rumor has it, if you call and ask nicely, Morris at Alaska Arms LLC can set you up with a M77 Mkii or Hawkeye floor plate (long action only) that holds 6 or 7 down for standard bolt face cartridges and 5 down for magnums.

True. They’re not lightweight and they’re not cheap, but Morris makes a nice piece of kit. It’s 4 down in magnum and 6 standard. It was a long progression. The prototype was made by Mark Knapp in Fairbanks for my 375 Ruger. Another gentleman in the states refined it, then Morris took it on and currently produces a great product. Now to get one made for the old tangers……

 

[Kenny Hart]

Accidentally posted this in someone else's M77 thread by mistake, but I pulled the barreled action from the bedding yesterday. Got a little more cleanup to do, but pillars and bedding went rather smoothly for my first crack at it.

Gonna function check it and send a bunch of 308s down the tube when I get it put back together, just to see what this barrel's real potential is after all these years.

I'll need to wallow out the barrel channel a bit more for a more standard sporter profile when the time comes.

 

[Kenny Hart]

Again, I haven’t used the Timney enough to say. My initial preference would be to get the factory one worked on by someone that truly knows what they are doing- maybe RJ Renner.

I preferred a good trigger job on the factory one over a timney. I have a few m77s and all have been worked over and turned out nice. The timney went down the road in a rifle I sold.

Thank gentlemen, goof to know. I'll probably pursue that route as well, as I prefer to stick with factory components when possible, and Ruger doesn't seem to have issues with their M77 triggers.

RJ Renner sure has some beautiful rifles on his web page!

 

[Kenny Hart]

The angled screw also makes bedding challenging. So challenging I send it to a pro. But it can be done nicely, just not by a hack job like myself.

I find Leupold ringmounts preferable to Ruger made ones.

Cool collection!

And the non-removeable trigger housing definitely added some complication to the bedding job!

I do wish Leupold would make rings in the 4-screw variety for the M77's, and better yet in aluminum, because I do agree they are much nicer looking and probably come round from the factory...just one screw on each side is what has always shied me away.

I assume after all these years and M77 purchases dropping, there's probably not a chance for those wishes being granted.

 

[Kenny Hart]

I haven’t seen issues with the ring setup, however I also have used them heavily as I do now. My guess is that they are fine for most hunting uses.

They're definitely beefy and have recoil lugs, so I figured they were a "good enough" setup...mostly used as an example question for overall platform performance reliability. Glad to hear there's not anything significantly damning of the rifle design as a whole.

I'm sure there are many competent smiths who handle M77s, in my limited research it looks like Pac Nor will rebarrel and true the receiver & bolt faces upon install. Are their barrels g2g in your experience, or would you prefer to source elsewhere if possible?

 

[Cant hit em]

Mine shot fine , was a tank and not many after market parts to choose from.

 

[rickyw]

True. They’re not lightweight and they’re not cheap, but Morris makes a nice piece of kit. It’s 4 down in magnum and 6 standard. It was a long progression. The prototype was made by Mark Knapp in Fairbanks for my 375 Ruger. Another gentleman in the states refined it, then Morris took it on and currently produces a great product. Now to get one made for the old tangers……

Rumor has it, if you call and ask nicely, Morris at Alaska Arms LLC can set you up with a M77 Mkii or Hawkeye floor plate (long action only) that holds 6 or 7 down for standard bolt face cartridges and 5 down for magnums.

I can’t believe I’m just hearing about this but I am so glad that I am thanks for sharing

 

[North River]

I can’t believe I’m just hearing about this but I am so glad that I am thanks for sharing

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[North River]

Cool collection!

And the non-removeable trigger housing definitely added some complication to the bedding job!

I do wish Leupold would make rings in the 4-screw variety for the M77's, and better yet in aluminum, because I do agree they are much nicer looking and probably come round from the factory...just one screw on each side is what has always shied me away.

I assume after all these years and M77 purchases dropping, there's probably not a chance for those wishes being granted.

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Morris also makes nice 4 screw rings. I’m not a fan of quick detach levers, but I imagine if there was enough demand he would make non-lever ones. I haven’t seen any issues with Leupold rings so haven’t bothered. Yet

 

[Formidilosus]

I'm sure there are many competent smiths who handle M77s, in my limited research it looks like Pac Nor will rebarrel and true the receiver & bolt faces upon install. Are their barrels g2g in your experience, or would you prefer to source elsewhere if possible?

Pacnor is good.