Opportunity to buy Ruger m77, opinions?

natesfitness

natesfitness

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A friend is selling a 08 Ruger M77 7mm Rem Mag for a pretty good price ($700) and I'm thinking about making it my first rifle purchase. I've been doing some research on different forums and there seems to be a lot of complaints about accuracy of the ruger M77 rifles. I'm aware that most rifles around going to out shoot me as a beginner but I also want something I can grow into as this will probably be the only rifle I'll buy other then a 22.

I do want something that can hold at least a 1 inch group at 100 yards, but the smaller MOA the better as this will primarily be a target rifle for the first year anyways, until I do my hunters safety course. Just looking for opinions of the guy that have been doing this longer then I have.
 
All my Ruger bolt rifles (4) have been MOA or less with the right handloads.

In my view they're the best hunting rifles by a North American manufacturer.

Ones built from 20 years ago until a year or so ago had heavy lawyer's triggers. These may have contributed to their reputation for poor accuracy. On these you should either get the trigger done by a good gunsmith or buy a Timney or similar trigger and put it in. If you have a chance try out the trigger on the rifle if it's an o8 it probably has the new trigger
 
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Ruger

I've had a few and still own some Rugers. Original triggers are heavy but as mentioned above they can be fixed. Try out the gun first if you get a chance, see what the trigger is like and get a taste of the recoil. The 7mm RM would be a great all round cartridge for hunting wolf, deer, bear and moose.
 
I've heard a lot about a free floating barrel with regards to accuracy. Is it possible to bring the gun to a smtih and have the barrel free floated as well as the trigger fixed? Is this expensive?
 
The way the receiver is held down to the stock is a little different than most with straight up and down screws. I've heard this presents some bedding challenges. Talk to a gun smith who is familiar with Ruger's first, if that's a concern. My 223 M77 isn't free floated. It has a synthetic stock. It shoots excellently. I have no plans to change anything.

Seeing how its your friends rifle, tell him what you expect from accuracy, and ask him how tight a group it shoots. Can you perchance get a chance to buy a couple of boxes of shells and take it out and shoot it first? When you say targets, are you taking about having some fun at the range, or some formal competition? If your talking competition, you are into a whole 'nother scenario. You might be better off buying a gun that is favored by competitors in the type of competition you plan to enter.
 
Ive got a tang safety model in .308. While I wont call it the most accurate rifle ever made, it will easily do 1 inch groups at 100 yards. Its an excellant hunting rifle. Light, shoulders easily, and is accurate enough in that purpose.

Mine was $400 with bases, rings, and a scope
 
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Nate
700.00 for a used Ruger isn't a good buy.They are around that much brand new.
You should get your friend to take you and the rifle to the range and try it out.

Why is it that new shooters want to have a MAGNUM for their first rifle?

IMHO you should look at a 270 or something like it for your first rifle. You take that thing to the range for some fun on a saturday and if it doesn't fit you well, it will pound the crap out of you. Then you will develop poor shooting habits because the recoil is uncomfortable.
Star smaller and work your way up to magnum calibers. FS
 
I have/have had two Ruger M77's. A regular version in .300WSM put the first 5 shots from the cheapest box of Federals that I could buy at Canadian Tire into a group that I covered with a looney. With handloads and a Timney trigger now, I usually get 5 shot MOA or better if my shooting is on. My other 77 was the heavy barrelled .223 Target/Varmit model and would put 10 shot groups into .75 or less all the time.

Given that all makes of firearms in spite of their cost can have ones that don't shoot ( ie. google Kimber sometime on the different shooting forums), IME Rugers shoot just as well as any other brand and with some nice classic styling to boot.

Three good points were mentioned above. First, $700 is not really a great price for a used M 77. I use a 7 Rem. Mag and also find it a great hunting caliber. However, a magnum usually hits at both ends and if you are new high power shooter, you are probably better off with something milder that you can put on target and that will allow you to develop the requisite shooting skills to handle muzzle blast and recoil. If you do choose to go the magnum route, a quality recoil pad such as a Limbsaver or Decelerator is a good investment particularly for a Ruger.
 
Thanks for all the input, he paid about 900 for the rifle sixth months ago and only fired 7 rounds through it so I'm looking at it as pretty much a new rifle. I was really thinking rem 700 or tika for my first gun but I think after hearing some opinons I'm going to go Ruger.

Now the next question, whats the cheapest place to pick up some 7mm Rem ammo for a decent price? I'd like to put in some serious trigger time before I start hunting.
 
I agree that 700 clams for a used Ruger is not much of a deal, unless it comes with goodies, and even then, the goodies better be pretty good. If it's a minty, maybe $550. Course, I'm a Tikka man, so Why pay that much for something that was not made in Finland. :D
 
Natesfitness, he may have paid (over paid) $900 but brand new M77 - Hawkeyes currently list for $670 and MKII's for $720 in my Russell's catalog.
Like Preacher says it should come with lots of goodies!
 
Nate

If you have been saving your Canadian tire money, it can abe a great place to buy ammo, you don't say where you live so it will be tough for any of us to give you specific details.
I do lnow that the Federal Fusion ammo used to be a good deal for 7mm, Federal also make a Blue Box product that was good value for the money. Ammo prices have risen sharply in the last month. FS
 
Fassteel said:
Nate

If you have been saving your Canadian tire money, it can abe a great place to buy ammo, you don't say where you live so it will be tough for any of us to give you specific details.
I do lnow that the Federal Fusion ammo used to be a good deal for 7mm, Federal also make a Blue Box product that was good value for the money. Ammo prices have risen sharply in the last month. FS
Click to expand...

Sorry about leaving out the location, I live in Southern, Ontario (St.Catharines if anyone has another rifle for sale)

I checked out the ruger site and the rifle he has is listed here for $803.00

http://www.galleryofguns.com/genie/default.aspx?item=7108

He picked it up at a Gun Shop in Hamliton Ontario, I don't remeber the name of it, but it is possible if he overpaid for it. I honestly don't mind the $700. It comes with open signs so I won't need to buy any optics and some rounds he's throwing in and it seems worth it for me.
 
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You should be able to pick one up with a cheap scope and some ammo for $700?

You can get alot more gun for $700....

BTW what is the purpose of the gun? if you want a "target" rifle the 7Mag wont be very fun after 20 rounds...unless your used to it.
 
Right now at Le Baron there is a beauty M77 chambered in 30/06. It comes with a green Hogue stock. the whole gun feels like a soft handgun grip. its a work of art and its only 699! I'd be all over it like a fat kid on a cup cake except that i dont hunt. too expensive for a plinker.
 
I have owned a couple Ruger M77's and I currently own a M77 MKII in 243 and its a easy 1 inch gun at 100 with factory ammo and I know it would do sub moa easy with the right hand load.
 
natesfitness said:
Sorry about leaving out the location, I live in Southern, Ontario (St.Catharines if anyone has another rifle for sale)

I checked out the ruger site and the rifle he has is listed here for $803.00

http://www.galleryofguns.com/genie/default.aspx?item=7108

He picked it up at a Gun Shop in Hamliton Ontario, I don't remeber the name of it, but it is possible if he overpaid for it. I honestly don't mind the $700. It comes with open signs so I won't need to buy any optics and some rounds he's throwing in and it seems worth it for me.
Click to expand...

Nate
Shooting a rifle like this with open sights is really limiting, and I think you will soon find not that much fun. These rifles are meant to be shot with a scope and you can shoot them a good long ways. Practicing with open sight out to 300 yards?
Even at a 100 yards open sight are tough to get good groupings, in a beginners hands.
Good luck. FS
 
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