Rebuilding a Ruger? Worth it?

[Varminterror]

Looking for opinions, is rebuilding a Ruger hunting rifle EVER worth $1400+?

I'm considering updating/upgrading my old Ruger M-77 Mark II .30-06 into something a bit more useful than a "good enough" hunting rifle to pass onto my son in a few years. When I got to college, I 'upgraded' to other rifles, so this one has spent most of its time sitting in the safe, not getting used much for the last decade. If I pass it on, I'd rather have it be something my boy can use, instead of just being "dad's old rifle that sits in the safe" like it does in mine now.

She's not so accurate, enough for deer hunting as far as I've ever wanted, but nothing great. I've debated for years about updating/upgrading her to squeeze out some accuracy, figure this is the only good reason I'll ever have to do it.

The Rifle:

My first deer rifle was a Ruger M-77 Mark II in .30-06sprng that I saved up to buy when I was 14yrs old. Broke at the time, I put a cheap/crappy Tasco High Country 4-16x44mm scope on it.

I glass bedded and free floated her a few years ago when I had some Bed Rock left over after finishing a customers rifle.

The Plan:

New Barrel: Going to stick with a sporter weight profile barrel, but maybe a little heavier than factory, and probably swap from the blue factory tube to a stainless. Thinking something like a Shilen #5, set me back about $500, plus smithing

New Glass: Looking at a Leupold VX-3 4.5-14x50mm Side Focus ($750).

New Trigger: Always wanted to put a Timney in it, not sure if I love the Timney or not, but for $100, I figure I will.

Probably leave the stock alone other than refitting the bedding job to the shank on the new barrel, and work with Ruger rings.

Bad part: I bought the rifle and scope for $350. Does it ever make sense to drop $1400+ into this thing?

 

[Tim Singleton]

Your asking for opinions
So here ya go. No way would I drop that into a M77
Find a savage rifle at a pawn shop or gun shop for $350-$375 sell the factory barrel and stock along with the ruger rifle
Contact Jim at Northland shooting supply for a prefIt barrel. Check out Stockys for a stock
All in for less than a grand not counting what you recover from the stuff sold
It will surprise you how well it will shoot
Jmo
Tim

 

[Varminterror]

I suppose I should have been more specific. Not really just looking for a straight shooter. Looking to turn 'my first rifle' into a straight shooter so when I pass it onto my son, it's not wasting time in his safe like it is in mine.

I have custom built rifles to play with, which is why this rifle has spent so much time in the safe. Just hoping I can rebuild it to pique my own interest again, and grab my son's attention when he's old enough to take it on.

 

[Trapper243]

For a hunting rifle, Yes.

 

[Outrider27]

A thought - You're dropping a whole lot less than $1400 into this rebuild; the optics upgrade doubles the price, but the scope is "portable" - it can be used on any rifle you or your son, when he gets it, care to install it on. So separate the upgrading of the rifle from whatever scope you put on it and just look at the price of the rifle work as you make your decision.

I have a 77 lightweght model in 257 Roberts, and the Timney trigger I put in it is a joy compared to the stocker.

 

[MK 19]

I have not found a gun project that will pass the Financial Responsability test yet, but we do not build guns because they make money, we build them because we love to build them. For your Ruger, now you get to tie in the fact of passing the gun, your first, on to your son. So yes, it will be worth every penny you put into it. I had my first rifle restored, it is a Winchester 67A, it was given to me when I was 6, it was starting to get ugly and the ejector was broken so I put $400 into having it restored, it is worth about $120 if I ever tried to sell it, but I never will, to me that little rifle is priceless.

The only thing I would change would be the scope choice, as of late I have not been much of a Leupold fan, you can buy a scope with the same quality for much less money from one of many manufactures.

 

[WyleWD]

It probably won't financially be worth $1400, but if you are the sentimental type.... do one of two things. Retire it to the mantle, or rebuild it as you're wanting to do and continue to enjoy taking "the ole girl" out deer hunting for years to come.

Back in 1973 I saved up and worked some extra time to get the money to buy a Rem 700 BDL in 243. She's on her 3rd barrel, sports a Nikon Monarch, jewel trigger, bedded, and pillared. I don't go deer hunting with out it. We've harvested a pretty fair pile of deer over the years. I wouldn't part with it for all the tea in China. WD

 

[Raythemanroe]

Most folks will lead ya to believe your not putting your money into a gun on par with a Savage or Remington. I agree, except after your upgrades your in my opinion looking at a better hunting rifle..One suggestion though, Your barrel choice you said shilen was $500+ Smith, Send your action to Hart and they will barrel it along with lapping your lugs and squaring it up for $650 shipped.

 

[riverwolf1]

My go to rifle is an old ruger m77/tang safety .270 and I have a leupold 4.5 to 14 VX2 but it does not have the side focus and I put a Timney in it, but the barrel remains original. If you look at it from the standpoint that you can always pull the scope if you decided to sell it the prospect for doing the project becomes more attractive. No matter what you do if and when you sell it you probably won't get much more $500-$600.00. Since I have a lathe and chamber my own barrels I would certainly do what your proposing.

 

[cjames]

For just a hunting rifle, have you thought about Shaw Barrels? I have a buddy that has a Mark X with a Shaw in 35 Whelen that is Sub MOA all day long. That's the only experience I have with them. But for what you are looking for that might be the most bang for your buck. Just a thought.

 

[watercam]

If you don't do it, I'll buy it and do it! I rebuilt a M77 in 300 WM into a 7mm Rem. Mag. with a #3 Shilen barrel (should not be costing you more than $325 by the way). Pillar and glass bedded into the factory stock. I can not remember which trigger I used but Rifle Basix sticks in my mind. Lapped the scope rings and broke in the barrel. Worked up a load and viola! Shot into about 5/8 moa out to 400 yards. Well worth it to me...

 

[John C]

Yes. Do it. It's not about the money, it's about passing on a part of you to your son. It's about the story of saving up the money to buy the rifle, the one you wanted, and the hunting you did with it.

A previous poster is correct that you shouldn't include the scope in the price of the build. It's portable, and you could easily choose a less expensive, but very good, option in its place. You're turning a sow's ear into a silk purse. You're concerned about the sow's ear part of the deal. Focus on the fact that you're giving your son a silk purse.

Go ahead and do the work to the rifle, and then hunt with it and fall in love with it again. When your son is old enough, pass it on to him.

I have my grandfather's model 94 with Redfield sights on it, and my father's Stevens 16 gauge single shot that he got for his 10th birthday as a gift from my other grandfather. My son will have both of those, one day. If there was work that could be done to either of those to make them better, I'd do it.

 

[Varminterror]

That's somewhat the responses I had hoped I would get. Money isn't everything, but rebarreling a Ruger seems to be like polishing a turd to so many guys.

If I can end up with a Sub-MOA to 1MOA rifle, I'll be 100% satisfied. She's killed a lot of deer over the years, just doesn't print them with a very fine brush. This rifle and I have been all over the country together, and taken oodles of deer and coyotes. But, just like my old truck on the farm, I still love it and won't be getting rid of it, but I've replaced it with a prettier/newer/better models. This one probably won't ever be as accurate as my custom rifles, but it's one of my only 'sporter weight' rifles I have left, so I'd like to have it shooting well enough that I can keep building my history with it, and my son can build his.

About the rebarreling costs: if I get a pre-chambered, pre-threaded shilen for $480, what should it cost me to get it headspaced and installed? If I buy a pre-turned blank for $280-350, what should it cost me to get it threaded, crowned, chambered, and installed? I'm also considering having the bolt face and receiver trued, and lugs lapped, price on that as well?

 

[Trapper243]

I don't think you will have any trouble getting under 1 MOA. Probably go less than that with a good barrel, as least the Rugers I have seen worked over do. I never considered the old M77 turds. I always considered them solid hunting rifles. I did however, sell a savage to help finance a new barrel on my wife's Mauser. .

 

[ReedG]

A couple of the most accurate factory rifles I've owned were Ruger M77s. For non-target rifles, I like the M77. It is smooth, strong, good safety and controlled feed. The Ruger action is one of the first cast metal actions and that's why lots of know-it-alls try to diss them. Fact is, the Farley actions were cast, using the same process as Ruger, and are considered one of the finest in the world.

The Ruger will make a great customized rifle to hand down to your son. Enjoy ...

 

[JORTZ]

Build what u want and have fun shooting it. I rebiult an old mauser and friends say why u waste your money on that blah blah blah. They had nothing to say after I put a whopping on them shooting it in a head hunter comp.

 

[Witchhunter]

I just did this with my 77 tang safety .25/06. After I shot the barrel out in the late 90's, I bought a new Remington 700 to replace it. I drug this rifle deer and antelope hunting for several years, never really liked it. Rebarreled the old ruger to .257 Weatherby and fell in love with her again. I finally drew an antelope tag this year and when I came home I decided that I wanted a Ruger for my coyote rifle too, to replace my Rem .22/250. I use two hunting rifles, a deer rifle and a coyote rifle. Just last week, I bought another 77 tang safety in .243. I will have her barreled into a .22/250 next year. Don't get me wrong, I have several Remington 700's, they are heavy barrel varmint guns. But I bought my .25 new in '73, I just like the way it feels. This was the best decision I have ever made with a rifle.

 

[Varminterror]

Glad to hear so many positive opinions about rebarreling it.

Hard to NOT take on a project when the wife has already given approval for it. Of course, it might be cheating, she might not approve of projects for myself, but something for the boy, she's a softy!!!