Ruger m77 .22-250 question

[Dups]

ok, well i just picked up a really really really nice condition Ruger m77 chambered in .22-250. i have always been a fan of the "little" 250. i wanted a yote/hog gun, and the .30-06 is a cannon and heavy. this rifle is a carbine it looks like. 20 inch barrel, Tang safety, and the Mauser action. came topped with a Leupold VXII 3-9x40. in essentially perfect condition. barrel looks never fired...

this rifle was part of an estate sale kind of. a Friends Fiance's father passed away, she just wants them gone. i am getting a Screaming deal on it. if anything i just bought the scope...

i need some information... i can't seem to find any info on M77 carbines. its not quite a youth setup, as it still feels good to shoulder, Extremely light, 20 inch barrel thats as thin as a pencil. what should my Twist rate be?

Trigger feels super dang heavy... but breaks clean, no gritty feeling or anything. I know the .22-250 is a long range cartridge, however this gun probably isn't made for that. I am thinking 2-300 yds, 3-5 shots let it cool... whats the best Range i can probably get out of this super thin barrel?

if anything i'm loading it with 60 grain partitions and i'll go shoot deer with it.

According to Serial number, Made in Roughly 1987... just FYI.

 

[Art Eatman]

If nobody knows the twist rate, uyou can use the "One turn of a cleaning rod in ??? inches" method. Start a cleaning rod and patch from the muzzle end. Make a black pen mark on the rod. A foot or a bit more up the rod, make an index mark parallel to the rod. When the pen mark enters the barrel, note the location of the index mark. At one full revolution, make another black pen mark at the muzzle. The distance between is the twist rate.

1:14, up to 55 grains. 1:10, I know that blunt-nose 70-grain will stabilize. 60- to 65-grain modern "deer bullets" will work.

Pencil barrels usually do okay for group size to three shots.

Even with a 20" barrel you should be around 15% more muzzle velocity than most .223s.

 

[Jim Watson]

20" barrel?
The sporter standard was 22" at the time.

The twist is almost certainly 14" for the 50-55 grain bullets standard in varmint rifles until the Army got to messing around with smallbores. It will surely shoot the rather blunt 63 grain Sierra for somewhat larger critters, and most likely the very blunt 70 grain Speer.
At least my 77v .22-250 does, but it has a 24" heavy barrel.

 

[Dups]

Looking at ammo, probably going to try and settle for the Varnes Vortex 50 grain. should be a very deep penetrating deer caliber. Barnes has a good reputation for being accurate as well!

 

[juk]

Dups, that almost sounds like a lightweight model. Although, I will admit that all of the tang safety M77s in 22-250 Ive ever seen had at least a 22" sporter weight barrel. Just remember that the barrel is going to heat up pretty quick. Give it plenty of time to cool when you go to sight it in or shoot it for groups. The little 250, even out of a 20" tube will still take easily take deer if you pick your projectile and shot properly.

 

[Abel]

M77 Ultralight.

 

[osprey176]

Sounds like an Ultralight. They came with the short,skinny barrel and a black fore-end cap.

 

[Dups]

it does have a black end cap! ultralight seems about right.

 

[Dups]

ok after google searches, it IS in fact an M77 RL (Ultralight). very sharp little rifle, i can't wait to shoot it! came with a 3-9x C Leupold VXII. glass is great, i think it will be a superb rifle!

 

[xfyrfiter]

All of the Ruger 77s I have ever handled had adjustable triggers, and could be tuned quite easily ,ymmv as I have in no way handled all varieties.

 

[dvdcrr]

M77 mk 2 are non adjustable, can be worked on by a competent person.

 

[dvdcrr]

Only rl I shot was 243. I didnt know the black cap signified that.

 

[palmrose2]

Older Rugers with the tang safety are not Mark 2s.

 

[Abel]

The M77 with a tang safety is often referred to as a "Tanger". Yours is an Ultralight Tanger, in 22-250, a nice find. If you shoot it a lot, and burn out the barrel, a 250 Savage may be a nice barrel swap.