Ruger 77 RSI - relieving the stock end cap

[Newtosavage]

Hogue stock arrives today. I've done just about everything I know to do with the original stock, short of glass bedding it (I don't know how to do that and am not really interested in learning or doing it to this particular stock right now). Best groups out of about a dozen loads with three bullet weights and three powders are still 1.5" or so. Still not thrilled, so I'm going to set this beautiful stock aside for now and see if the synthetic pillar-bedded Hogue stock makes any difference.

If so, I'll probably just keep the walnut stock for a grandkid someday and hunt with the synthetic stock. If not, then as pretty and unique as it is, I'm not sure whether I'll keep the gun. This should be a 300-yard deer rifle, but 8" groups at 300 yards are not good enough for me.

 

[Newtosavage]

Update for anyone who cares...

So I mounted the action in the Hogue pillar-bedded stock, and headed off to the range. I had a couple boxes of handloads to test for various things, but the first test I wanted to run was group size for free floated vs. upward barrel pressure. I first shot some handloads I'd gotten decent groups with (under 2") from the free floated barrel. Then I allowed the barrel to cool completely, and shimmed under the forend tip with one layer of neoprene, cut from an old set of waders. Three more shots, and no real change. But that single layer just took up the space between the stock and barrel, so I added a second layer so there would be positive upward presure, and allowed the barrel to completely cool again.

That's when the magic happened. The next group was 0.5" ! All three holes were nearly touching! I was shocked but thrilled at the same time.

So I left the double layer of neoprene in place and ran through all the rest of my reloads, testing different charges of RL-15 and different bullet seating depths. Twice I hit a magic combination. First, with the original loading (38 grains RL-15 under a 140-grain Sierra Game King at 2.925" OAL) and again with a similar charge and OAL under the 162-grain Hornady SST.

Between the up pressure on the barrel and the precise OAL, I had finally found something that worked.

Only, I was not in love with the Hogue stock. Just too darn heavy, and the barrel channel was too wide for that pencil-thin RSI barrel.

So I thought "what would happen if I put upward pressure using the neoprene shims in the factory full-length walnut stock?" I had to at least try it.

I removed the Hogue stock and got out the beautiful full-length walnut stock. I had previously free floated the barrel in that stock with a combination of reliving the end cap and the barrel channel, and shimming under the front of the action with aluminum shims. To get the upward pressure I wanted, I again put two layers of neoprene under the barrel at the end cap, removed half of the shims under the front of the action, then I tightened down the front action screw as hard as I could by hand. After tightening the other two action screws (rear screw tight minus 1/4 turn and center screw just barely snug), I went back to the front action screw, got out my cordless drill and flat bit, and set the torque to the max setting. I then torqued the hell out of that front action screw, to the limit of my Dewalt drill's ability. I have no idea what that is, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was 100 in. lbs. or more.

I then got my exacto knife and carefully trimmed the two layers of neoprene just below the metal end cap so you can't see them. You would have to look very, very carefully to even know that neoprene is under the tip of the barrel now.

Then I shot a 3-shot group (no waiting) with my best performing load at 100 yards. Bingo! 1" exactly and the last two shots were touching. I made a tiny adjustment in the scope and moved back to my zero-distance of 140 yards, and shot two more without letting the barrel cool completely. Both shots were inside a 2" x 2" square, about 1" apart. Perfect!

Now I will try this same load over the course of a few days to see if I can detect any changes in the POI due to that wood stock.

After a great deal of work, I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere. I can understand 100% if someone bought one of these beautiful RSI's and decided they weren't worth the effort required to get them to shoot halfway decent. I nearly came to that conclusion several times myself in fact. But I didn't want to give up on this gun, and figured I may even learn something in the process. I think I have. If it continues to shoot as well as it did today, I'm going to be thrilled with my decision to buy it.

 

[BBBBill]

Glad you made progress. My concern is that the neoprene might attract and hold moisture, eventually causing rust and/or rot.

 

[Newtosavage]

Neoprene is waterproof. That's why they use it for waders. It won't hold moisture and I doubt it will compress over time. It's one of the few materials that I think is suited for dampening a barrel by putting upward pressure on it. Of course, time will tell.

Today's range session went as expected. Some 1.5" groups and some 1" groups at 100 yards. I made absolutely sure the barrel was cold on each shot, and I ran a bore snake down it before each shot since that's how it will be shot when I'm hunting - on a cold, clean bore.

Groups at 200 yards were good as well. I was easily putting shots in a 4" circle at that distance. Very happy with the results from my work on both the rifle and the hand load. I think it has paid off with a good looking, good performing hunting rifle I will enjoy for a long time.

Having said all that, I need to leave my Savage rifles at home when I take the Ruger. LOL. Shooting sub-MOA groups to 300 yards with my Savage model 11 .308 - a gun that is 1/2 lb. lighter than the Ruger even with a 1.5" longer barrel - sure makes every other rifle a bit sluggish.

I keep reminding myself that I would have been very happy with the groups the Ruger RSI is producing if I had shot them from the Win. 94 30-30 I've hunted with for 30 years.

 

[Newtosavage]

Oh, for anyone following that also has a Ruger in 7x57, the hand load I've settled on is a 140-grain Sierra Game King bullet over 39 grains of RL-15, CCI 200 primers and Prvi (PPU) cases. OAL is 2.925" - no more, no less. Chrono is telling me 2350 fps. out of that 18.5" barrel.

If this rifle becomes my long-term primary hunting rifle, I will eventually work up an elk load but for now, that one should do nicely for deer and pigs.

 

[adcoch1]

Thanks for the update, glad to hear you got it shooting. Just a note on the neoprene shims; if the rifle gets wet check on them. The neoprene itself won't hold water, but the finish material might. If so spread some lacquer on the wood under the shim to keep it from rotting. Just my .02

 

[Newtosavage]

I oiled that walnut in the barrel channel really well after I finished free floating the barrel. I was surprised that Ruger had not finished the barrel channel at the factory. It was rough, raw wood. Not good. So after getting the channel where I wanted it, I sealed it with oil many times before dropping the barrel back in it.

My results at the range the other day weren't as stellar (about 1.5-2" group at 100) but my very first shot on a cold barrel at 200 yards was within an inch of where I was aiming, so I did find that encouraging. I guess I need to kill a dozen or so critters with this rifle before I am really satisfied that it is "hunting accurate."

My Savage rifles have me used to seeing sub-1" groups at 100 all the time, so by comparison, a 1.5-2" group at that distance seems really poor. Just gotta get used to it if I want to keep this rifle I suppose.

 

[adcoch1]

Yeah just keep in mind that the full stock makes it a walking stick you can shoot with. It will work for most things you'll hunt with it.

 

[Newtosavage]

Another update on this "project" rifle...

I was finally able to get consistent 1 - 1.5" groups with my handloads by full floating the barrel in the factory walnut stock, and then placing two strips of neoprene under the barrel, about 6" from the end. I have no idea how many lbs. of up pressure that produced. I don't think it was much, but it was enough to help shrink the groups a little bit.

After putting a few small dings in the walnut stock, I decided to take that one off and store it away for some day in the future, when I give this rifle to a grandkid. I bought a Ruger factory synthetic long action stock with the "A" barrel channel, and dropped the stainless barreled action in it. I had to do a minor amount of inletting to get the action in, but nothing real serious. I'd rather have to do that than have a sloppy fit. The action was sucked down nice and tight with the front screw, resulting in contact with the end of the barrel channel on the barrel. So I removed it and got the dremel out and relieved that pressure point to fully float the barrel.

Once that was done, I took it to the range and was pretty thrilled to see that it grouped very well. My first group on a cold barrel was right at 1" at 100 yards with one of my favorite hand loads (140 grain Sierra Game King on H4831 powder traveling at 2500 fps.). After letting the gun cool completely, I shot groups with a couple other loads and they were all very acceptable.

So this is the configuration the gun will stay in for the forseeable future. With the stainless barrel and action and black synthetic stock, it still makes for a very handsome rifle, and one that can take any kind of abuse I can dish out. Sometime in the future, when I'm ready to hand it off, the walnut stock will come back out and she will get dressed up. But for now, it's going to be a great utility rifle. That 18.5" barrel makes for a super handy, quick pointing rifle that weighs in at just 7 1/4 lbs. with the 2-7 Leupold scope. Just about perfect for a walking deer rifle.

 

[Newtosavage]

Incidentally, I've come up with three good accurate loads for this rifle so far, with three different powders - RL-15, RL-19 and H4831. Each has produced very good groups, with the H4831 leading the pack in velocity using a slightly compressed load.

Both my 140-grain Sierra Game Kings and 139-grain Hornady SST's have produced 1" groups over the right charge of powder. I'm seating the Game Kings to 2.92" and the SST's to 3.00" - the same setting on my bullet seating die, but because of the different ogive, the OAL is slightly different. That seems to be the sweet spot for OAL in this particular rifle.

 

[Newtosavage]

For anyone that has this Ruger in 7x57 and handloads, you owe it to yourself to try Hornady Interlock bullets. I came across some 154's at a good price the other day, tried them, and wow. I'll never use anything else now. I went back and bought the rest of the boxes they had in stock. Should last the lifetime of that rifle now.

 

[Zeke/PA]

IMHO, in a hunting rifle, 1.5" groups aint that bad especially in a Manlicher style stock.
I'd leave the rifle alone and proudly hunt with it.

 

[Newtosavage]

Update on this gun...

I am beyond thrilled with how it is shooting now. Not sure if it just needed a good "break in" period or what, but with my handloads and with the green box Remington 140's (the few boxes I've found) it is a sub-MOA rifle all day long, which is pretty impressive to me for a pencil-thin 18.5" barrel. Last group I shot at 300 was under 2". Light, weather resistant, quick and accurate. Not sure what else a person could want from a deer rifle.

Took it with me on a hunt in the NF the other day and it was a pleasure to carry. I go in about 2/3 mile with a climber on my back, so it's nice to tote a 7 lb. rifle that's compact.

Been playing with the new 4831SC and the load development was identical to the original 4831 but it did save me a little room in the case, so the max loads aren't as compressed now. My pet load for deer has ended up being that great 154 grain Hornady Interlock over 4831SC at 2370 fps. I did manage to work up a light "elk" load pushing 160 grain Nosler Partitions to 2400 fps. That light gun kicked like a mule but the cases showed no pressure signs, so I was pleased with that.

I may have to get another one of these rifles in different caliber now. Hmm... choices, choices.

 

[ridgerunner1965]

i struggled with a rem model 7 much the same. then i noticed it always threw the first shot dead center. the others not so much.no matter how i let the barrel cool or cleaned it. or what load. i could throw it on the bags and first shot would be dead center every time.after tha t i would get verticle stringing.

i just decided to kill everything with the first shot.its been fine for 30 years now and have killed maybe 40 to 50 deer with it.

 

[Bart B.]

Its been well known for decades that anything between stock fore end and barrel transfers external forces on the fore end to the barrel. Those forces press from all directions and have different amounts. They vary from shot to shot. All of which makes barrels whip and wiggle differently from shot to shot in where they point when the bullet leaves.

 

[Newtosavage]

For this gun, it seems that removing the front sight band and getting the angled action screw torqued down really made all the difference. Since I did those two things, it's done nothing but shoot great.