New Ruger M77 Barrel?

Sam

Well-Known Member
Hullo All,

I have a Ruger M77 (shotgun safety) .308, Im thinking of buying a new barrel for it as it doesnt seem to group (scope, trigger, mounts, bedding all checked) sub 4inch. Looked at Border/Archer Barrels and they seem a good buy but pricey. As its not my primary deer gun im loathed to spend £500 on a barrel if I can help it. Heard good things about Lowthar Walther, but cant find any prices/stockists? Any other makes I should consider?


Thanks

Sam
 
Hullo All,

I have a Ruger M77 (shotgun safety) .308, Im thinking of buying a new barrel for it as it doesnt seem to group (scope, trigger, mounts, bedding all checked) sub 4inch. Looked at Border/Archer Barrels and they seem a good buy but pricey. As its not my primary deer gun im loathed to spend £500 on a barrel if I can help it. Heard good things about Lowthar Walther, but cant find any prices/stockists? Any other makes I should consider?
Thanks

Sam

Sam, Why not have a chat with Border, I seem to remember reading somewhere that they had a pile of perfectly good rifle barrels that they had taken off nearly new guns to fit their custom barrels. They might have something to suit.

ft
 
Hullo All,

I have a Ruger M77 (shotgun safety) .308, Im thinking of buying a new barrel for it as it doesnt seem to group (scope, trigger, mounts, bedding all checked) sub 4inch. Looked at Border/Archer Barrels and they seem a good buy but pricey. As its not my primary deer gun im loathed to spend £500 on a barrel if I can help it. Heard good things about Lowthar Walther, but cant find any prices/stockists? Any other makes I should consider?


Thanks

Sam

Hi,

Just a thought.....

.....I have a Ruger M77 MkII VT which also would not group well - until I loaded at 135 thou off the lands. It also has another "sweet spot" at - 162 but I know of another M77 that only groups when loaded at over 200 thou off.

Might be worth loading a few "weirdo" lengthed loads before looking at a new barrel?
 
A waste of money IMHO. You are spending £500 on a rifle that on the various secondhand gun sites sells for £300 in "as new" condition. Why?

The end result will simply be a rifle that is still worth £300 regardless of the re-barrel and, perversely, maybe less in the eyes of some buyers!

Try, maybe, Garlands at Tamworth who may have a secondhand Ruger as you mention or check out Gun Mart or the "Gun Trader" website.
 
Some thoughts. I have owned a number of Rugers and each of them needed to have the trigger pull reduced substantially by a gunsmith to ~3lbs. What is the pull on your .308? Secondly, it's possible to buy quite a range of .308 factory ammunition, if you don't reload, I would recommend buying, borrowing or stealing a variety of brands and weights of factory ammo to see what your rifle likes. Thirdly, my friend shoots all my rifles better than I can, have you got someone else to try the rifle and do they get similar results?
 
. The end result will simply be a rifle that is still worth £300 regardless of the re-barrel and, perversely, maybe less in the eyes of some buyers!
My dear fellow, I am sure you are right, in most cases;but certainly not thiis one. The rifle was pretty much a gift to me by my all time stalking hero, and I would not part with the action for love nor money.

Some thoughts. I have owned a number of Rugers and each of them needed to have the trigger pull reduced substantially by a gunsmith to ~3lbs. What is the pull on your .308? Secondly, it's possible to buy quite a range of .308 factory ammunition, if you don't reload, I would recommend buying, borrowing or stealing a variety of brands and weights of factory ammo to see what your rifle likes. Thirdly, my friend shoots all my rifles better than I can, have you got someone else to try the rifle and do they get similar results?

J,

I have already passed it over to Mike Dickinson, a friend of ours (and RFD) who lighted the trigger to 2.5lb[ish]. I reload so he tried some factories through it - same result, with him shooting, and he will knock spots of most I know as to shooting. Also checked the beding, mounts etc.


Think I may give Rhino Rifles a call.


Thanks
Sam
 
That's the problem when the sentimental value outweighs the actual worth. But sometimes it is best to move on. I had my later father's 20 bore but although he was tall for his "era" (5' 10" born in 1907) it was just too short and slim at 26" in the barrels for me to ever get on with. And they were technically also out of proof and needed either reproof or replacing or sleeving. And with the stock lengthened to fit me would not fit in its original case.

So what did I do? Put longer barrels? Then a new case? In the end it would be like "Trigger's Broom". Little remaining of the original gun. So I sold it and used the money to buy something that I could use yet still keep the memory of but "once removed".

In theory your Ruger should not be so bad as to shoot a four inches group. My advice would be to check the muzzle crown if you already have not and then check your reloads if you have not already done so. It may be that your dies are not concentric? How does your reloaded ammunition shoot in another's rifle?

I'd also check that the reticule in your 'scope does not move - even ever so slightly - by dry firing the rifle and seeing of there is a "shake" on the reticule. I had a BRNO that would not group to less than three inches with one particular 'scope. Took it off and with iron sights it would shoot less than one inch.

Dry fired it with the 'scope back on and a "shake" on the reticule every time. Changed the 'scope but kept same mount and never a problem again.

Last but not least...if you can pull one of your loaded rounds and check the bullet diameter with a micrometer. It may be that your seat die is resizing the bullet when it is being loaded!
 
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