Keep or sell?? ruger tactical 308

[chris klontz]

I've got a ruger m77 hawkeye tactical in 308 win. The question is keep or sell. The gun will shoot 1.5 moa out to 200 (longest range I have) Yesterday I shot 39 reloads (lost one piece of brass) using imr 4064 with pulled smk 175 hpbt. So from 42 to 43 grains I seemed to have a measurable node. I also shot some federal gold metal match 175 as a baseline and got similar results to my reloads. my bullets were seated to 2.895. The lands are right around 2.9" This gun has a heavy 20" barrel, I've used a tubbs FF kit on it, I've upgraded the stock to a hogue fully bedded, I'm using a leupold mark ar 3-9x40. Am I living in fantasy land that I want this to be a 1/2 moa gun?

What this boils down to is if I could sell it for 500 bucks could i get a rifle with noticeable better accuracy?

If I had shot all 49 shots into one target @ 200 yards they would all have fallen into a 2.8 inch circle

Thanks for any input you all can give me, new to the site, hope I put this in the right place.

 

[eric32]

Drop the COAL down to 2.810, and 42-43.5 gr of imr 4064.

Ditch the stock, and get a chassis stock or a properly inletted/bedded fiberglass one

 

[Auto-X Fil]

That barrel will never shoot under 1 MOA. I would sell it and move on if you're looking for more accuracy - Ruger barrels are very hit or miss, and pouring money into an M77 will be a loss.

A Tikka CTR will be a much better shooter.

 

[eric32]

I missed the part of the federal match ditch the barrel and get a good one chambered up.

Or buy a new rifle my choice is Bergara

 

[chris klontz]

I do own a basic savage 110 in 30-06. I could sell the ruger and fund a new barrel, triger and stock for it. Or better off with a complete new rifle?

 

[eric32]

buy once then cry once, look at the bergara line of tactical rifles

 

[riverwolf1]

A different outlook on this:
You have only tried 1 powder, did you run a ladder test with that powder?
It's a .308 why not try Varget or H4895
You focused on 175 gr bullets, why not try 150 or 168's! And different brands (Bergers)!
Do you do all of your testing at 200, most do their testing at 100 until they get the load dialed in.
During reloading, whose dies are you using, have you checked bullet run out? The smallest details are important! Just because it doesn't shoot Federal match well or the load and OAL you chose, doesn't mean it won't shoot, I don't think you have explored all possibilities. What's the barrel twist rate? I have an old Ruger 77 in .270 that shoots nosler 130's but I put a good deal of work into getting it To shoot 1/2' inch at 100 yards, glass bedded, free float barrel, timney trigger, muzzle break, lap the bolt lugs.

 

[chris klontz]

I have only tried 4064. I have tried 150's 168's and 175's. I've probably put 400 rounds down the tube hunting for a good load. this gun just seems a lot more picky than my ar's and savage bolt guns. I use lee dies, and factory crimp them lightly. weight each powder charge on a digital scale. don't have a way to check run out and don't love reloading enough to worry about it. the best groups I've had with the rifle is when I give it 3-5 min between each shot but thats not fun. To look at it in a positive light, it will shoot almost any kind of ammo into 1.5moa, but I can't find anything that will consistently beat 1moa. I think I'm a good enough shooter, I know just shooting a one moa group is tough, but I do it with other rifles on the same range days.

 

[JohnKielly]

Why do you want to distort bullets by crimping them?

 

[Riesel]

There are too many variables left unexplored as per previous post from Riverwolf, but you don't see a lot of Ruger 77's on the benchrest line or any other for that matter.

 

[chris klontz]

I've had good luck crimping bullets. I think mr lee deserves more credit than most would give him. I've reloaded some pretty fine ammo on an all lee setup. I agree with the unexplored options, but exploring those options can really add up, and might be better spent on a new rifle. Thanks everyone for the replies.

but the core question remains, I can probably sell it easily for 500 bucks, can I do better for 500 bucks with a different rifle???

 

[Shynloco]

Chris,
I own three M77's, the youngest being 5 yrs old. Mine all shoot very accurately, but have had extensive work done to them and all do not have the factory barrel (now Match Kreigers). Essentially, the Hawkeye is a "hunting rifle" in it's present state that shoot accurately. But it is completely a fantasy and misnomer to believe you can shot 1/2 MOA without significant alternations and changing the barrel to a "Match Barrel" which the current barrel is not. I would recommend that you sell that rifle and put money into either a custom build in a caliber you want to compete in OR a "stock" Savage Target (Model 12) .308 would be a great alternative and is worthy of competition which a Hawkeye is not. I have a Savage Target Model 12 also which shoots incredibly accurate right out of the box without ANY alterations or even bedding the stock. It too now has a Kreiger barrel only because I put 2500 - 3000 rds down the factory barrel. Also, I didn't read all the comments by other members, but did note something about "crimping." For Pete's sake..DO NOT CRIMP your rounds. Even that Hawkeye doesn't need rounds crimped which is a handicapping of the accuracy for that rifle. BTW, my Ruger M77 (1:10 twist) loves RL15, Varget and IMR 4895 right around 42 grs. But then I shoot mostly 100 yds using 168gr Sierra HPBT's.

Alex

 

[chris klontz]

next trip out I'll crimp half and leave half alone and see. The way it shoots it would make sense that it is a hunting rifle dressed up like a precision rifle.

 

[riverwolf1]

Chris.
Thank You for your honesty, but the key to accuracy isn't only the rifle. What will happen if you sell this rifle and the next one doesn't meet your criteria? I am a benchrest shooter with 5 custom built rifles and I do my own barrel work. Even with those custom built rifles, I would never expect to go to a match without tuning the load! Actually most guys that compete show up for big matches a week early to work on tuning, because even though our rifles shoot consistently small groups most times a rifle can get out of tune due to weather, heat humidity, temp drops etc. i realize your not looking for that kind of accuracy, but in order to get almost any off the rack rifle to shoot 1/2" your going to have to let go of some of your conventional ideas. Crimping will not get you there, good brass, primers and really good bullets will help, if you are of a hunting mindset then by all means crimp the rounds. Sometimes expectations and reality never meet when your trying to get an off the shelf rifle to shoot small unless your willing to spend the time and money, and effort to exploit all of the minute details, that will allow the potential of the rifle to come out. Good luck working through all this stuff. One last recommendation, find a mentor that will lead you through and to the world of extreme accuracy!

 

[Kurz]

but the core question remains, I can probably sell it easily for 500 bucks, can I do better for 500 bucks with a different rifle???

Unfortunately, the answer to that question is usually a NO. $500.00 does not buy much of a rifle these days. Now, you might get a new barrel and a gunsmith to put it on your Ruger for $500 but that's about it and not something I would advocate. Your limit on funds makes this a difficult decision since you might need a significant amount of cash in addition to the $500 to get the results you're looking for.

I am not suggesting that you have to become a benchrest shooter/reloader/equipment addict to get your desired goal of 1/2" with a hunting rifle. But I believe that you need to get rid of the Ruger and start the journey towards a better, more accurate platform. This can be accomplished by starting with a slightly used, better than average hunting rifle. If buying used isn't your cup of tea then begin with the primary manufacturers and work your way through the offerings that seem to apply to your goals. While I am not a fan of Savage, there is potential here for fewer dollars than a custom, to create a fairly accurate hunting rifle. Look at the Northland Shooters Supply website to get a better idea:

http://northlandshooterssupply.com/

If you want more custom work, contact:

http://www.sharpshootersupply.com/

These are merely two of a dozen or more outlets capable of supplying parts and gunsmithing for a Savage. Most of the major top-of-the-line barrel makers have pre-fit barrels for the Savage. I think that this is a potentially better avenue just to get you on your way to better accuracy. Working with a mentor is always a great idea and a superb time saver as well.

Regards.

 

[chris klontz]

Thanks again everyone, good advice. Will probably keep the thing and just accept it for what it is. A good rifle that is accurate enough to hit a deer out to 300. That weighs more than it should.

 

[drover]

Thanks again everyone, good advice. Will probably keep the thing and just accept it for what it is. A good rifle that is accurate enough to hit a deer out to 300. That weighs more than it should.

It is obvious that you are not happy with the Ruger and it is doubtful that you will be happy with it since it is not even close to meeting your expectations.

My suggestion - sell the Ruger use the money from it to buy a Tikka T-3, with some careful shopping you should be able to find one for around $600 in the blued synthetic model, another $50 or so if you want stainless. Check Whittker Guns and see what they may have, also if you have a Sportsmans Warehouse near you they have them on sale from time to time. The Tikka has a great trigger, a sub one-inch 3 shot guarantee, and I have never seen one that does not easily meet their guarantee. I have a couple in 223, my brother has one in 243 and 308 and they all shoot very well. More than once I have witnessed him shoot 10 shots into an inch group @ 100 yds with his 308

drover.