Anybody own a Ruger 77 Mark II? Thoughts?

[joshb]

I’m having difficulty finding enough Remington Stainless 223s for builds so I’m looking at a few Rugers.
I’m liking the Mauser style action. Wondering how the factory guns shoot. Has anyone used one or built off one?
Feedback please?

 

[boltfluter]

A friend has one in .20 Vartarg. Incredibly accurate! Took the both of us to bed it, with the angled recoil lug!! Not a fan myself, but he really likes it. Trigger is not great by any means. Action rails are pencil thin. That's all I have.

Paul

 

[ebb]

Jim, Donny and I each bought one back 20 some years ago. Jim and I got 308s and Donny had a 223. i don't remember how the 223 shot but mine is an inch, inch and a quarter gun. Its weird The first shot from a cold bore is always dead center in the X, the rest get bigger. the scope mounting system is the best. and if you need higher rings Ruger used to swap them out for you, i don't know if they still do. triggers can be adjusted to be OK, ive never gone any farther than adjusting. i think mine would shoot good groups with a good barrel, i think the factory barrel moves as it heats up. if i were looking i would look at the Ruger American, or i can believe i am saying this a savage. The remington 783 was looking to be a sleeper that could come alive with a little work. but they appear to be gone.

 

[watercam]

My only thoughts are that the Ruger's are not forged, they are investment cast. They are strong but one of my gunsmith friends tried to change a bolt knob and found voids in the handle.

 

[JB10]

I own a 223 in the varmint/target model. Bought it off my gunsmith. 26 inch factory barrel still on it. He said maybe 500 rounds on it when i got it. He had a load worked up for it that is amazing accuracy. I dont take it out much but would not mind having another. My father in law had 2 of them in 22-250 and 30-06, 300wm. He liked them all.

 

[Adam in WI]

Wouldn't the Howa/Vanguard be the next closest thing? With a decent aftermarket to boot...

 

[George Foster]

I have a pair of the MKII's, one in 243 and the other in 6mm. They are both very capable of producing 3/4" or less 5 shot groups with their favorite handloads. Both have shot 1/2 five shot groups along with the 6mm giving me a 3/8" five shot group with its favorite handload. Both have Timney triggers been glass bedded and free floated.

 

[Majday]

I had a sporter 223 that shot decent enough for coyote hunting. Nothing extreme range wise. I had a mishap reloading blue dot with it and needless to say all I had was an action after that was usable. However I had that action built into a 20p with hogue stock and hart barrel and it'll shoot many loads under 3/4 with 40vmax. It does not seem picky at all. Trigger is poor but the action seems to be very strong. There are aftermarket for it but not many. If your to rebarrel I wouldn't hesitate.

 

[Prose]

I’m having difficulty finding enough Remington Stainless 223s for builds so I’m looking at a few Rugers.
I’m liking the Mauser style action. Wondering how the factory guns shoot. Has anyone used one or built off one?
Feedback please?

I built a 260 Rem on a 77MkII. I added internal crossbolts, bedded the action and had a fine barrel put on without pressure points on the stock. I also recut the angles on the trigger parts and honed it for a clean 2.5 lbs break. With all the kinks taken out of it, I believe that it is as fine of a rifle as could ever be made from a ruger, both in form and function. It shoots extremely well. All in, it cost me about $700 ($350 donor +$350 barrel) and lots of time (mostly for the hand rubbed oil stock).

The action has about 4,000 rounds on it. It is not a custom action and it is not smooth like a CNC or custom action. However, it is a good action and I like it. If it were a varmint gun or something that I tried to shoot benchrest with it would be hard to deal with in the bags. For a deer rifle I do not mind. The winchester and kimber actions are smoother by a mile.

Would I do it again? Absolutely. The reason being is that the parts that are there are perfectly modifiable and you don't have to replace anything but the barrel. If I were to replace the trigger and stock and buy all new components the cost benefit wouldn't be there. All you need is a barrel and the know how and you got yourself a bargain cave custom rifle WITH A REAL WOOD STOCK!

 

[akajun]

Howa or custom Remington style action from stiller, ptg, etc
Bedding a Ruger is a pain

 

[JEFFPPC]

Not a fan. I like the looks but always end up getting rid of them.

 

[JimPag]

I had a couple of them years ago. One was a 6.5x55 the other was a 7.62x39. I'm not a big Ruger fan. They were well built rifles but no where near as accurate as an off the shelf Weatherby Vangard, 700 Remington or a Savage. For hunting they were more than accurate enough for what I used them for.

 

[STOMP442]

Love me a Ruger. I have a couple of them. They have always shot decent as a factory rifle but if you put in the effort and time they are excellent little rifles. Drop a Rifle Basix trigger in it and screw on a quality barrel and you are good to go. I am not sure what the complaint is with bedding a Ruger, I don't find it any more difficult than any other rifle. Process is the same. The only downside to them really is very limited stock options as compared to the Remington, but HS Precision makes a nice one for a hunting rig.

 

[hoz53]

I’m having difficulty finding enough Remington Stainless 223s for builds so I’m looking at a few Rugers.
I’m liking the Mauser style action. Wondering how the factory guns shoot. Has anyone used one or built off one?
Feedback please?

Are you thinking of getting stainless Rugers? Brownells does sell a tool to help with the bedding. I havent used it. My only Ruger is a 77 tang safety in 7RM I bought new—still in original condition — It shoots accurate enough for a hunter. I like the mauser style bolt stop much better than a remington. the controlled round feed is good for a hunting gun but I wouldnt want it on a gun I was shooting off the bench alot. The extractor on my gun will snap over the case rim of a round in the chamber, so it works as a push feed to. I dont like the integral rings as they limit your options, such as using an moa base ect. the scope bases (or mabie its the rings) on mine are not exactly aligned and i have to shim them if i want an opticaly centered scope to hit close on windage at 100.

 

[ROBARRC50]

Have a ruger m77 mk11 7mm mag just started shooting it. Sat unfired since the 90s. Took the nice wood stock off so it would not get beat up hunting with it. Put it in a hs precision stock . Shoots lights out cant complain probably shoots as good and better than full custom rifles. Still has the factory trigger heavy pull weight. But it breaks clean. This is my experience with them and its only a small sample size.

 

[Prose]

Love me a Ruger. I have a couple of them. They have always shot decent as a factory rifle but if you put in the effort and time they are excellent little rifles. Drop a Rifle Basix trigger in it and screw on a quality barrel and you are good to go. I am not sure what the complaint is with bedding a Ruger, I don't find it any more difficult than any other rifle. Process is the same. The only downside to them really is very limited stock options as compared to the Remington, but HS Precision makes a nice one for a hunting rig.

There is usually some impingement between magazine, bottom metal, and action that can kill a 77's accuracy. Bedding it makes it permanent if not fixed ahead of time. A "zero stress" bedding job is certainly possible if you fix the other issues.

 

[STOMP442]

Are you thinking of getting stainless Rugers? Brownells does sell a tool to help with the bedding. I havent used it. My only Ruger is a 77 tang safety in 7RM I bought new—still in original condition — It shoots accurate enough for a hunter. I like the mauser style bolt stop much better than a remington. the controlled round feed is good for a hunting gun but I wouldnt want it on a gun I was shooting off the bench alot. The extractor on my gun will snap over the case rim of a round in the chamber, so it works as a push feed to. I dont like the integral rings as they limit your options, such as using an moa base ect. the scope bases (or mabie its the rings) on mine are not exactly aligned and i have to shim them if i want an opticaly centered scope to hit close on windage at 100.

Burris makes a Ruger style ring with the offset inserts which allows you to add moa and adjust alignment issues.

 

[joshb]

Thanks for all the feedback, guys! I’m putting together some all stainless 223s for a few Texans that we’re not allowed to talk about. First hunting rifles with a light kick. I’m making Mesquite stocks for them, as requested by the elders. I possibly need two more, but I have a definite need for one more barreled action. I have a bid in on Gunbroker for one, but wanted some feedback before I committed to buying another. I know it can be a crap shoot with any gun purchase but getting a little positive feedback on a certain make and model helps calm my nerves when dropping a grand or two. If everyone said they were bad, I’d steer clear.
Thanks again!
Josh

 

[Lucky Shooter]

I bought a used 6PPC and it was a good shooter.

The need for this rifle went away and I sold it
bone-stock-factory to another board member.

I think they are good guns but kinda clunky and
won't accept Jewell triggers.

A. Weldy

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Josh, if they want a upgrade there’s these available.http://www.bugholes.com/Defiance-rifle-actions-Defiance-Tenacity-p/def-ten-sa-223.htm