I had a M77VT in 22-250. After talking to the folks at Sinclairs back in the day, I Sent it off to Dan Dowling at their recommendation and had it rechambered into a 22-250 AI. It always shot 5/8” or so. I had it, and a Dowling built 6 BR on a PD hunt. My buddy had a Stiller built 22 Dasher. We were both knocking them dead at 600 yards with the BR & Dasher; but then I ran out of ammo. I busted out the Ruger, but just couldn’t quite get there with it. The trigger pull was just heavy enough to pull me off at that range. There wasn’t a good replacement trigger option to get it below 24 oz. My BR was set at 4. I played spotter for most of the rest of that afternoon. I didn’t shoot it much in the following years so I finally sold it about 10 years ago. It was a good rifle, but I outgrew it once I got that 6 BR and then started buying/building full custom guns. The guy I sold it to was thrilled with it though.
No love for Ruger?
- Thread starter ChesterS
- Start date
I have mentioned on this forum before that I am - or was - primarily a handgun shooter. I also like single action revolvers. There were no flies on earlier Ruger Blackhawks. Some of them are still kicking after decades of the kind of abuse that kills guns. They have been the base guns for some drop dead gorgeous customs. They are not Freedom Arms slick, but they are not FA priced. When the plastic gun craze hit and bean counters began running operations, everything suffered - particularly quality control. I hate it. The last Ruger long gun I owned was an English-stocked 28 ga O/U. That was when I could still get out and about. Everything changes.
I understand - been there done that with other brands.
I didn't know that - interesting. Just curious - why don't they?
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
redrockranger
Silver $$ Contributor
muleman69
USMC -1st marine Div. RVN
First time I have heard that, so I'm guessing the bedding ,weight and screws is all you need? Do you think it helps the accuracy also to leave the lug out? Can we do that to a non- mag sporter?
Is there a problem with HART barrels ?
[/QUOTE]
Will take a wild guess". As I read it, he means this is why it shoots good!..
Ruger hammer forged barrels never shot good .
10/22 , wrangler , American bolt Rimfire and a old MK2p85.... The 10/22 is great like normal , just plain runs and runs... The Wrangler has been nice especially for the price , a very nice old school plinker... Now we get to the Ruger American Rimfire in .22 also.... It is just a little rough , the action is very rough because of machining cheaply , the stock is as stiff as room temp butter etc etc but it will shoot a half inch at fifty with CCI standered till your sick of doing it... When I get board I rub the last little bit of breakfast on the target backer and shoot the flys off.... Once again I can't really complain for the cost.... Sorry , I actually shoot my guns and am not buying a $4500 .22 and yes I do have very expensive shotguns etc.... The P85 is ugly and heavy but there's a reason it's still around , it's built like a tank and once again it runs with any ammo it seems like..
Of course theres bad anything that gets out of the factory , happens with everything.... Rugers is determined these days to compete in the cheap gun market because that's what sells.... Honestly most people will never know the difference in a $500 gun and a $3000 gun because they ain't spending the $3000 and think we are stupid for doing it... There's plenty in my family that's for sure , if it will shoot minute of white tail it's the best rifle ever to them...
Of course theres bad anything that gets out of the factory , happens with everything.... Rugers is determined these days to compete in the cheap gun market because that's what sells.... Honestly most people will never know the difference in a $500 gun and a $3000 gun because they ain't spending the $3000 and think we are stupid for doing it... There's plenty in my family that's for sure , if it will shoot minute of white tail it's the best rifle ever to them...
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outasite`08
Gold $$ Contributor
I`ve had Ruger #1s in .458 and .338 mag,45/70govt. and a 25-06 w/heavy barrel. All shot well enough to take game with. #3 in .22 Hornet great turkey killer. Bunch 0f 10/22`s and 77/22`s and various single action and semi handguns. Only one went back to the factory for headspacing issue. Sold most over the years to finance other ventures and never lost a dime.Wish I still owned the Hornet though. Good product but just not the right stuff for serious BR or LR. Jeff
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
This was the original point in the BR tang on actions. It kinda started when folks were gluing xp and 40x remingtons in not being able to locate the lug if it was sandwiched inbetween the action and barrel
What he said, IS exactly true
Given that it's a crapshoot in getting a factory barrel that shoots well, I've apparently been lucky as my .308 RPR factory barrel shot sub .75" groups out of the box and sub .5" with hand loads after some break in with a little help from fire lapping with Tubb's Final Finish. Then when I got my 6.5PRC RPR that had some issues with the lands not being concentric, it surprised me to shoot sub .5" out of the box with Berger 140 HYB and Retumbo. I still had Ruger replaced the barrel as I couldn't get consistent freebore measurements due to the issue with the lands. Well, I guess it depends on how one defines "good".
Sure, one can do better than Ruger products, but at what price point? For Ruger's price point, I'd say their barrels shoot very well and corroborated to some extent here:
6.5 Creedmoor Ammo Test Part 5: Live-Fire Group Sizes & Precision
Welcome to Part 5 of the results from my massive 6.5 Creedmoor ammo field test! This article wil...
Given that it's a crapshoot in getting a factory barrel that shoots well, I've apparently been lucky as my .308 RPR factory barrel shot sub .75" groups out of the box and sub .5" with hand loads after some break in with a little help from fire lapping with Tubb's Final Finish. Then when I got my 6.5PRC RPR that had some issues with the lands not being concentric, it surprised me to shoot sub .5" out of the box with Berger 140 HYB and Retumbo. I still had Ruger replaced the barrel as I couldn't get consistent freebore measurements due to the issue with the lands. Well, I guess it depends on how one defines "good".
Sure, one can do better than Ruger products, but at what price point? For Ruger's price point, I'd say their barrels shoot very well and corroborated to some extent here:
6.5 Creedmoor Ammo Test Part 5: Live-Fire Group Sizes & Precision
Welcome to Part 5 of the results from my massive 6.5 Creedmoor ammo field test! This article wil...
It's always a toss up.
And let it be known, there are some factory rifles that come out shooting superbly straight out the box.
Hell I bought a mossberg MVP in 223 that I purchase only to use the action to build a 20-223ackley. With that said I had some 223 ammo on hand and it shoots so amazing that I prefer to leave it in 223.
And I don't really want to mention it but I had several rugers M77 and N#1 & N#2 that I couldn't hit the side door of a barn.
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hpshooter
Gold $$ Contributor
Glue ins.
FNSafari
Gold $$ Contributor
RU talking about a Rem 700?
jds holler
Gold $$ Contributor
I guess I do have some real Ruger love, but all of mine are old, 60's - 70's guns that anyone would have loved.
I bought my first cartridge handgun from a buddy when I was 16. (back when you weren't a criminal for doing that) It was a Single-Six Convertible, 22/22 Mag. Three screw, fixed sight, and still shoots like a dream. I'd never think of changing to the new and safer transfer bar system, and after using that one for fifty years and a bazillion shots, the new style don't work right for me.
A couple years later, when I graduated from high school, I used my graduation cash gifts and some money I'd saved and bought my first "high powered rifle".
It was 1974, and on the advice of a few older guys, I went into Big R Ranch Wholesale, and spent my money on a M77 243 Win. 22" pencil barrel, with sights. $176 and it was mine, and the guy gave me two free boxes of shells. Back then Remington ammo was like 4-6 bucks for twenty.
After sighting in the open sights, and burning a box of my ammo, I realized that this thing was a "laser of death" and I HAD to have a scope. With my next paycheck, (I was a working kid), I picked up a Weaver K4 ($39.95) and a Lee Loader. ($10.99)
I'd been pounding shotgun shells together with a Lee Loader since I was fourteen or so, and the 243 version was an easy transition. I can't quote the exact price of my first bullets, powder, and primers, but I'll bet it wasn't more than ten or twelve bucks for all three.
I knew nothing about seating to the lands, and simply set my seater to match the length of factory ammo. Even still my first shells with Lee data grouped an inch.
I thought that was great, but I was soon to be REALLY impressed. My brother in law gave me a Ohaus reloading scale for Christmas, and I did some load testing with 1/2 grain variance. Nothing shot bad, and the best was 1/2". (five shots)
I've since read that back in those days Ruger put some great barrels on some of the production rifles, and I guess I had one of them. In the next few years, as my reloading skills improved, and I tried a few different powders and bullets, I shot some killer groups, and never had much problem keeping things down around 3/4 MOA.
I've got tons of memories and stories of bragging shots with that rifle, and have killed more deer with it than any rifle I've got; one at 500+ yards. That particular cartridge in that particular rifle went together like chicken and peas. And it fit me like a glove.
I've got other old Rugers' that I also love, but this post has already gotten into the "is he done yet" zone. I'll bet that most of us who got early Ruger's from those days have pretty much love for them. jd
I bought my first cartridge handgun from a buddy when I was 16. (back when you weren't a criminal for doing that) It was a Single-Six Convertible, 22/22 Mag. Three screw, fixed sight, and still shoots like a dream. I'd never think of changing to the new and safer transfer bar system, and after using that one for fifty years and a bazillion shots, the new style don't work right for me.
A couple years later, when I graduated from high school, I used my graduation cash gifts and some money I'd saved and bought my first "high powered rifle".
It was 1974, and on the advice of a few older guys, I went into Big R Ranch Wholesale, and spent my money on a M77 243 Win. 22" pencil barrel, with sights. $176 and it was mine, and the guy gave me two free boxes of shells. Back then Remington ammo was like 4-6 bucks for twenty.
After sighting in the open sights, and burning a box of my ammo, I realized that this thing was a "laser of death" and I HAD to have a scope. With my next paycheck, (I was a working kid), I picked up a Weaver K4 ($39.95) and a Lee Loader. ($10.99)
I'd been pounding shotgun shells together with a Lee Loader since I was fourteen or so, and the 243 version was an easy transition. I can't quote the exact price of my first bullets, powder, and primers, but I'll bet it wasn't more than ten or twelve bucks for all three.
I knew nothing about seating to the lands, and simply set my seater to match the length of factory ammo. Even still my first shells with Lee data grouped an inch.
I thought that was great, but I was soon to be REALLY impressed. My brother in law gave me a Ohaus reloading scale for Christmas, and I did some load testing with 1/2 grain variance. Nothing shot bad, and the best was 1/2". (five shots)
I've since read that back in those days Ruger put some great barrels on some of the production rifles, and I guess I had one of them. In the next few years, as my reloading skills improved, and I tried a few different powders and bullets, I shot some killer groups, and never had much problem keeping things down around 3/4 MOA.
I've got tons of memories and stories of bragging shots with that rifle, and have killed more deer with it than any rifle I've got; one at 500+ yards. That particular cartridge in that particular rifle went together like chicken and peas. And it fit me like a glove.
I've got other old Rugers' that I also love, but this post has already gotten into the "is he done yet" zone. I'll bet that most of us who got early Ruger's from those days have pretty much love for them. jd
My first gun purchase was a M77 in 30-06 from a pawn shop back in the mid 80's. No idea on the guns age. Came with a Redfield widefield 3x9 scope. Shot a 190 plus mule deer plus quite a few deer, elk, and antelope. It was my go-to gun until I purchased a 300 RUM in 2000. It always shot well. One of these days I'll have to take it back out to the range...
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