Ruger 77/22 22lr

[Lindy7443]

Anyone have experience with one? Hows your accuracy? I have two great 10/22s and cant get off a 77/22 even though Ive heard accuracy isnt there for the price tag youll pay.

I want a classic 22 bolt with a flush mounted or tube fed magazine that will stack them up at 25yards...can the 77/22 do this?

Would love to hull barrel it on a laminated stock too...I must say I Like a lot of Clark Customs work...

 

[ThomasT]

Don't beleive everything you read on the internet about the accuracy of these guns. I bought one off GB for $400 and didn't expect much because of what I had read but knew it would be a tough, durable rifle that should at least have hunting accuracy.

My gun has factory open sights. IIRC it was made in 1986. I made targets that had 1" squares on it. At 50 yards it will keep 10 shots well inside those 1" squares and do it with Federal bulk ammo from walmart. I shot one 30 yard group that had 4 shots in a slightly elongated hole just barely bigger than a 22 bullet. I pulled shot number 5 and landed a quarter inch away.

But in my experience they shoot very well. Its pretty much the 22 I grab when going shooting now. Hope this helps.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Beautiful guns, but I haven't seen one that was much more accurate than about a 1" group like the poster above. Not bad, but not great either.

 

[Skylerbone]

I owned one for 6 or 7 years and because I didn't know any better I thought its accuracy was superb. While I was young and inexperienced, many of the guys I shot with were skilled marksmen. Until I befriended several gunsmiths, I had no idea that rifles were capable of and meant to put shot after shot in the same hole.

The 77/22 is long gone, no real regrets. It was a good looking, smooth and reliable rifle but the accuracy was comparable to a stock 10/22. With an aftermarket barrel you'd have a really nice set-up but the price would push it out of consideration in my book.

 

[hoghunting]

Had mine for 12 years, stoned the sear and replaced the spring, then it really became a shooter. 5 shot groups at 50 yards using CCI mini mags was a consistent 3/8" grouping. A close friend's son also enjoyed the rifle so it was his high school graduation present, and he's taking excellent care of it. If .22lr ammo becomes readily available I'll buy another one.

 

[eastbank]

my son shot this group(four shot) with federal bulk pack ammo out of my(his now) older ruger boat paddle stocked SS 77/22 with a 1x4 leupold scope at 50yds from a rest. and it has shot a truck load of small game over the years with out a bobble. i don,t see any light small game hunting .22 rifle doing much better. eastbank.

 

[az_imuth]

I have an older model from the first year they were produced (1984). I must have gotten lucky, because mine has a very tight chamber and shoots really well. I love that the mags sit flush in the rifle and that my 10/22 mags are interchangeable. The new 77/22's come with threaded barrels and I've read that accuracy has been much more consistent since they made the switch from the slip-fit barrels.

 

[bamajoey]

CZ 455 Varmint

22 bolt, bull barrel, almost flush mag. They can be found with laminated stock, and will stack bullets up at not only 25 yards, but also 50 yards. Shoots great from a bench, and probably be a little cheaper too.
Compare;


http://huntforever.org/2013/11/05/two-new-22s-from-ruger-cz/

 

[StrawHat]

There are also a couple of modifications you can do to the bolt that help with accuracy. I know mine responded well to the addition of a couple of washers from here.

http://www.triggershims.com/ruger_m77.html

The accuracy was fine I was just not comfortable with the barrel length so I installed a barrel from a Winchester Model 52 on mine.

Good luck with your quest.

 

[Skylerbone]

I must have gotten lucky, because mine has a very tight chamber

You must have, Ruger only cuts one chamber size for each caliber meaning your 77/22 has the same size chamber as the 10/22. If your chamber is "very tight" it's due to fouling, not because of factory dimensions.

 

[forindooruseonly]

It's not a target rifle. It's not a bench gun. You wanna stack bullets? Buy an Anschutz. For field work, it's a handy, nice pointing rifle that's well built and fits the traditional bolt action need. It doesn't shine in the accuracy department, but for small game hunting they are a pleasure.

Different tools for different jobs. I guarantee it will shoot better than you offhand in the woods.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

IMO, it's also not worth what Ruger asks for them, either.

 

[Skylerbone]

i don,t see any light small game hunting .22 rifle doing much better.

This was the first 5 rounds fired from my CZ 452 Trainer, 25 yds., factory sights (no scope), Aguila Super Extra 40 gr. RN from a brand new clean, dry bore looking into the sun. $350 rifle compared to $650 or so for the Ruger.

 

[eastbank]

if you want to compare a ruger against the cz 452,use the new ruger .22 bolt action,they can be bought for less than 300 dollar in .22 and .22 mag., buy a cz in the higher grade(walnut stock with better finsh or synetic stock).if i try to sell my cz for 350.00 and my ruger for 500.00(even after using for over 20 years) i know that the ruger will sell first 8 out of ten times. i have both rifles and like them both, and i am happy with one inch or better groups at 50 yds from a lite weight .22 rifle,by the way i have several remington 581,s .22 rifles that will also shoot one inch or better groups at 50 yds and they are lighter than the cz and ruger rifles. once you find the ammo your rifle likes you will be ready for tree rats to at least 75 yds with a decent scope. eastbank.

 

[Skylerbone]

Eastbank, my post was merely a counter to the contention that nothing else is available. The OP specified the 77/22, a $650+ rifle so let's compare it to an under $400 walnut stocked CZ. My specific example simply lacks a walnut stock but it's the rifle that fired that group. FWIW, I could not resolve the target at that distance (simple Sharpie crosshair) and so my aiming point was a backlit hole in the target board (sunshine).

The target as it hung:

 

[ford8nr]

I've always wanted one. Had a chance for one or two a few years back at a reasonable price but missed or passed on them. Now the prices I see even on used are prohibitive. If I ever see a reasonable one again I'd grab it. But for now a Kimber, Win 52, CZ452 and 10/22LVT will keep me occupied.

 

[RCArms.com]

I found one of the older ones with the Zytel stock and could not be happier. It's provided my kids and I hours and hours of shooting at the range and its a solid performer small game hunting as well.

Its one rifle that I would not part with.

 

[CraigC]

I really like the 77/22 and sorely miss the one I had but I have a problem with what they cost these days. Especially considering that they do not shoot as well as they should. Ruger makes a good barrel but they cut a sloppy .22LR chamber. I've been on the lookout for a nice used blued/walnut model but I'll buy it with the understanding that the barrel will be swapped for a Clark mid-weight.

Two problems with the CZ, the backwards safety operation and the bolt handle that seems to hit the scope unless it's mounted way too high. Their accuracy, however, is usually outstanding. This is my FS model wearing a Leupold 1-4x and the average for five five-shot groups at 50yds is a hair under a half inch......with Remington bulk ammo.

 

[scottishkat]

I own a 77/22 and CZ in 22lr both shoot very well. If I were in the market the CZ looks real good the backwards safety is a little strange. The Ruger is made in USA if you consider Connecticutt the USA and have always been pricey. I think I paid near 400.00 in the 80's for mine.

Good luck and shoot straight

Bob

 

[CraigC]

That's odd because I paid $365 for my varmint model back in 1995.

 

[Skylerbone]

Back in '87 (I think that's when I got mine) I recall the hang tag being $325. Not what I paid but that was asking price at a small but well stocked LGS. I had my choice of the Ruger or a Browning A-Bolt at the time, liked the look and magazine of the Ruger. Bud's currently lists them at $660.

 

[aka108]

Years ago I purchased a 77/22. Beautiful rifle but accuracy was not anywhere near what I was getting with a old Remingtion 512. A few years back I sold it for quite a bit more than I paid for it, bought a CZ 453 with a part of the money and found it to be equally as well made as the Ruger and a whole lot more accurate.

 

[Tolkachi Robotnik]

Good rifle, price seems to have risen.

I have a 77/22. It cost about $250. It is better than a stock 10/22, my brother has one of those and always thought mine shot better especially at distance. I guess I've had it a long time now. I do have a pistol that groups nearly as well, at a hundred yards, also made by Ruger, but they don't make that pistol anymore.

I can remember when I first got the 77/22 everyone seemed to think it was some sort of small high powered rifle, sort of refused to believe it was .22LR. It did look like something bigger and better. I always just said it was a twenty-two and they always assumed it was 22-250 or at least a .218 Bee or something.

Each individual specimen might do better or worse. Some of the old target style rifles are very good, and this is not a target style rifle. It does seem very expensive compared to what I'm accustomed to now, but maybe years from now it will seem low dollar?

It matched the style and look of my real deer rifle and I've been well pleased with mine.

 

[jmr40]

I had one quite a few years ago. Decent gun, but not a tack driver. I've noted that Ruger 22's are all over the place. You see some surprisingly accurate guns, others can run from average to poor. I think you're more likely find what you want with one of the CZ's. I have a CZ 452 American, similar to the one in CraigC's photo and get similar accuracy. It is consistently good, and often amazing. Priced a lot less than the 77/22 and worth putting up with the few quirks mentioned.

FWIW, I've noticed that the 10/22's made within the last 5 years or so seem MUCH better than the older versions I have owned and shot. This may well be carrying over to newer 77/22's. Would be interested to hear from anyone with one made recently. With that in mind I'm contemplating one of the Ruger American bolt 22's. If they shoot as good out of the box as the recent 10/22's I've fired it might make a decent inexpensive gun.