Ruger M77 w/ Tang Safety Questions

[Jackal]

Hi. I recently acquired a like new Ruger m77, .243 Heavy Barrel. Its not a mk2, it has the old tang safety. Im wondering what the general concencus is about these rifles quality/acuraccy. This rifle currently loves the 80gr.Winchester Super X load, as i can shoot 1/2 moa, 3 shot groups all day long. Funny thing is, im using a $40 Simmons Wal-Mart scope. I paid $500.00 for rifle + 100 rds ammo+Weaver K-15 scope. I sold the scope to off-set rifle cost. Anywho, any info or personal experience stories about the gun would make me happy.

 

[Terrierman]

M77 RL

I have a tang safety M77. I bought it new back in the early '80's. Its a .270 lightweight. With the RL series Ruger was way ahead of the game at that time with respect to shorter lighter mountain rifle style bolt actions. That was why I bought that particular model, just a little bit out of the usual and still a classic. After free floating the barrel and bedding the action, it is a very good and consistent shooter. I started out with a Leupold 2x7 compact on it. Now it has a Bushnell Elite 3200 3x9x42. The Elite 3200 is better early and late in the day. Mine has fairly nice looking wood. It has been a 100% dependable rifle for me - no problems ever and I will never sell it. I've killed a lot of deer and a few coyotes with mine. I had a streak of several years of one shot kills and no misses with it. But I broke that one. It likes 130 grain Sierra Game Kings over 54.9 grains of IMR 4350, with WLR primers in Winchester brass. It also shoots Winchester Supremes with the 130 grain ballistic tips to the same point of aim. Very happy with it.

 

[Thin Black Line]

I had a Ruger 77V in 243. Like yours, it shot very well with the factory
barrel (rumored to be made by another dedicated barrel mfg here in the US)
and 1/2 to 1 MOA with handloads were the norm. Got 1.5 moa with the
cheapest slip shod of factory loads. With handloads, a slight hex adjustment
on the factory trigger, glass bedding in a standard grey mcmillan stock (one
of their cheapest), the gun was able to do hole in hole. Quite honestly,
it exceeded my abilities to consistently shoot that well

I used 85 and 100 SPBTs and 95 NBTs. Each required their own fine tuning.
It was still shooting <1moa around 10,000 rds for me when I sold it to a
friend (this became his first precision rifle). He about cr@pped himself
when he got a 2" 5 shot group at 300 yds his first time out.

I should note it had one of Redfields law enforcement ranging scopes
on it.

I liked the tang safety.