Ruger M77 Tang Safety
- Thread starter dak0ta
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LAGS
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@ DakOta
I too have one of the older ones with a Tang Safety in the .308. with only a hundred rounds fired thru it.
I originally bought it for my wife, but she never took it hunting.
The last offer I turned down was $450.00.
I think they are more popular than the newer Mk II' s but I might just be hanging with guys that prefer that model.
I too have one of the older ones with a Tang Safety in the .308. with only a hundred rounds fired thru it.
I originally bought it for my wife, but she never took it hunting.
The last offer I turned down was $450.00.
I think they are more popular than the newer Mk II' s but I might just be hanging with guys that prefer that model.
witchhunter
Member
I'm in the tang safety camp, just bought another one in .243. Shoots great.
DM~
Member
I've owned several of them, i always liked the tang safety, but some of those old models had very poor quality bbls from new.
DM
DM
They have a minor cult like following among a small group who greatly prefer them. Some, especially lefty's prefer the tang safety and others prefer the stock shape.
Most people prefer the newer versions and most will pay more for a Mk-II or Hawkeye, but if you are selling, and find the right person who really wants it, I wouldn't be surprised to see it sell for a little more.
Having a known reputation as a good shooter helps. The biggest negative to those guns is that some shot great, others not so great. If a potential buyer knows it shoots good they would be more likely to buy and pay a little more.
Most people prefer the newer versions and most will pay more for a Mk-II or Hawkeye, but if you are selling, and find the right person who really wants it, I wouldn't be surprised to see it sell for a little more.
Having a known reputation as a good shooter helps. The biggest negative to those guns is that some shot great, others not so great. If a potential buyer knows it shoots good they would be more likely to buy and pay a little more.
osteodoc08
Member
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2005
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My 243 Tang safety still shoots MOA. It's been the deer getter since I was a kid.
My father hooked up with a Game Warden in Maryland and had to cull deer. It wouldn't be anything for the two of them to take 15-20 deer in a weekend.
There are no telling how many deer have fallen to that rifle.
Still my favorite and I still use it.
My father hooked up with a Game Warden in Maryland and had to cull deer. It wouldn't be anything for the two of them to take 15-20 deer in a weekend.
There are no telling how many deer have fallen to that rifle.
Still my favorite and I still use it.
Arkansas Paul
Member
I love the tang safety M77s. I got my wife one at a local pawn shop in .243 with a 3-9x40 on it. I want to say it was $449 and they had a 10% sale on rifles, as they do before every deer season, so I ended up getting it for just over $400. It shoots great. I've worked up a load that gets it under MOA.
41magsnub
Member
I love the tang safety, too bad my 7x57 barrel has the uber long throat and only likes 175gr. I can't set anything smaller out far enough for this barrel. I pretend it is a .30-30.
The first firearm I ever purchased with my own money was a 1984 heavy barrel M77 in 308. I found it in the used rack at a pawn shop but it was new as far as I could tell. It has had a very good trigger since day 1. I had the barrel and action cryo treated, put on a Nikon Prostaff scope, and eventually started handloading for it. My average hunting load averages just a hair over 1" at 100 yards for a five shot group. I do not ever plan on selling it. The polished blue and walnut on that gun has spoiled me. Not to mention that everything about it feels sturdy and just plain works. Only 1 deer from it so far. I plan to add to the tally, but I tend to focus more on duck hunting.
SwampWolf
Member
I've owned a couple of the original Model 77s for the past three decades and two MKII variants for the past ten years or so. All four rifles are plenty accurate but I have a preference for the earlier versions in terms of their aesthetics and the superior (for me) ergonomics associated with the tang-mounted safety. The MKII's three-position safety might be considered a plus as well as their "controlled-round" feeding (at least theoretic) advantage.
critter
Member
I have one of those that I bought new LONG ago. Mine is a long action (30-06). A bench rest gun it is not, but it shoots well enough and I have taken quite a bit of game with it. Works as slick as anything I have-maybe better from use.
I bedded and floated it which helped a shifting POI early on.
I bedded and floated it which helped a shifting POI early on.
I believe that the the M77s aren't as popular due to the angled front action screw and lack of aftermarket support compared to the likes of Remingtons and Savages. There was also the issue with the outsourced barrels and poor groups that Ruger suffers from to this day. Gun people do not easily forget such things usually.
R.W.Dale
Member
Today I sold a new looking m77 that dated to 1980 chambered for 22-250 that had SIGHTS!
I owned it for three weeks, never shot it. Bought it from a pawnshop for $500 and sold it for $650*
I needed $ for a. 77 /357
I owned it for three weeks, never shot it. Bought it from a pawnshop for $500 and sold it for $650*
I needed $ for a. 77 /357
R.W.Dale
Member
It's the mini
These rifles are so inaccurate their reputation has spilled over to the ruger brand as a whole.
I've always been a 77mkII all weather fan and I've owned a bunch of em. I've not owned an example yet that I wouldn't pit against anyone else's comparable bolt action group for group with the exclusion of savage.
Here's a couple groups from two box stock m77mkII all weathers one a 223 the other my goto 30-06
200 and. 300 m
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R-WEST
Member
I have one of those - a 7x57 that I bought in 1977 - the thing shot patterns, not groups. Finally ended up with a properly throated Douglas barrel and Canjar trigger, which turned it into a real shooter. From what I've heard, the 7mm barrels were the worst ones - something about not being stress-relieved properly. My buddy bought one in 30-06 at the same time, and his has always shot supremely well.
What many people forget is, when the 77 first came out, it was the only real "classic" style rifle readily available - we were still in an era when the mfr's were trying to make their rifles look like a Weatherby, so, unless you wanted to pay major $$ for a custom rifle made in the classic Jack O'Connor style, you got high gloss Monte Carlo stocks and high polish metalwork (nothing wrong with that, to each his own). Plus, they were available in a pile of calibers (250, 257, 7x57, 284, 280, 6.5 RMag, probably others that I forgot) that weren't routinely available from R-P and W-W, so, we grabbed 'em!!
To the original post, I currently have 2, the 7x57 and a 280, and really like them. Sorry, no first-hand experience with either the MKII or Hawkeye.
palmrose2
Member
I've got an m-77 in 30.06. I've never seen another. Bone stock. Mine shoots MOA with a fine factory trigger adjusted to the minimum and 150-180gr factory loadings. It might even shoot better, but with a $100 scope and a table I could shoot MOA all day if my shoulder could stand the thump of the "recoil pad". I know plenty of people sporting other bolt guns that won't do that.
41 Mag
Member
Well I only have one of the tang safety models in the safe in a 280 Rem Varmint package and it sports the 24" bull barrel. It was purchased a dozen or so years ago for the express purpose of rechambering to 280 AI. As with most of my used rifles I usually contact the factory to check on little things like the number they manufactured in a specific configuration, were there any issues and what not. After about a 15 minute discussion and running the serial numbers I decided to leave this one alone. According to Ruger they only produced around 2K of this particular chambering in this particular rifle.
That said I have found nothing about it I don't like. It shoots standard 280 cases just as well as it does necked down '06 cases, either will simply stack one after another into one ragged hole out to 200yds using RL-19 and several different 140 or 150'ish grained bullets. It isn't very picky at all.
The other two I have in a M77 Compact .308 and the later Hawkeye Compact in .243. Of the two, the 308 I picked up for me and the latter for the grandsons to learn with. I love the standard Compact being light weight and it simply is right on the money when a snap shot presents itself. I have used it to take who knows how many hogs at ranges from a few feet, out to past 400yds.
The only drawback I feel with the later model in .243 is that stupid rail they stuck up on the barrel with the two alignment pins. While the rail will pop right of to allow the mounting of a decent scope, the two pins are sticking up and catch on everything. As for accuracy though, it might not win any matches but it consistently drives bullets ranging in weight from 80 to 100rs into 1 to 1.5" groups at 100yds. This is plenty accurate for our needs at this time. I also used it to take a nice buck off a friends place as well.
I have been looking for another of the little standard Compacts for a while but since I got my first one the prices have almost doubled. It wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit to find one at a decent price in either the 243 or 308, heck even the 7-08 would be fine. I would most likely rebarrel it to a .260 anyway.
That said I have found nothing about it I don't like. It shoots standard 280 cases just as well as it does necked down '06 cases, either will simply stack one after another into one ragged hole out to 200yds using RL-19 and several different 140 or 150'ish grained bullets. It isn't very picky at all.
The other two I have in a M77 Compact .308 and the later Hawkeye Compact in .243. Of the two, the 308 I picked up for me and the latter for the grandsons to learn with. I love the standard Compact being light weight and it simply is right on the money when a snap shot presents itself. I have used it to take who knows how many hogs at ranges from a few feet, out to past 400yds.
The only drawback I feel with the later model in .243 is that stupid rail they stuck up on the barrel with the two alignment pins. While the rail will pop right of to allow the mounting of a decent scope, the two pins are sticking up and catch on everything. As for accuracy though, it might not win any matches but it consistently drives bullets ranging in weight from 80 to 100rs into 1 to 1.5" groups at 100yds. This is plenty accurate for our needs at this time. I also used it to take a nice buck off a friends place as well.
I have been looking for another of the little standard Compacts for a while but since I got my first one the prices have almost doubled. It wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit to find one at a decent price in either the 243 or 308, heck even the 7-08 would be fine. I would most likely rebarrel it to a .260 anyway.
I had one in .257 Roberts that I spent lots of time and $$$ trying to get to shoot a group under 3" Tried all different bullet weights and handloaded powder loads. Never did get it to shoot. If you are looking to buy one, make sure you shoot it first, or be willing to accept a risk. It spoiled me on Ruger rifles.
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