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Posted: 11/3/2011 2:36:39 PM EDT
I need your advice.  I have a Ruger M77 Mark II with a Leupold 9x scope.    When shooting from a bench rest using Winchester White Box 147 grain, my best accuracy is about 4 MOA at 100 yards.   Sometimes worse.      The scope mounts are tight.  No play there.  

Just for reference, my last time out with my Rock River M4 with iron sights resulted in about 1 MOA at 100 yards.     So I was expecting a lot better performance with the Ruger using a scope.

My thoughts are maybe the ammo is not good with this rifle.    

What ammo have you had good results with?    Reloading is not an option - yet.

Thanks for your input.
Link Posted: 11/3/2011 2:41:59 PM EDT
[#1]
Quoted:
I need your advice.  I have a Ruger M77 Mark II with a Leupold 9x scope.    When shooting from a bench rest using Winchester White Box 147 grain, my best accuracy is about 4 MOA at 100 yards.   Sometimes worse.      The scope mounts are tight.  No play there.  

Just for reference, my last time out with my Rock River M4 with iron sights resulted in about 1 MOA at 100 yards.     So I was expecting a lot better performance with the Ruger using a scope.

My thoughts are maybe the ammo is not good with this rifle.    

What ammo have you had good results with?    Reloading is not an option - yet.

Thanks for your input.


Rugers arent known for shooting tiny groups.  Try some match ammo.  If it still isnt close to 1" then trade it off.
Link Posted: 11/3/2011 6:17:41 PM EDT
[#2]
If your rifle was anything like mine you need some work done on the trigger..  The original trigger was very gritty and was about 8#..  After the gunsmith got done with it, it was very smooth and breaks a tad under 4# now.. Worth every bit of the $65 it cost.

Brian
Link Posted: 11/3/2011 6:52:35 PM EDT
[#3]
Is the rifle the new hawk eye version?

I have three rugers, one of the original m77 in 7 mauser, mii in 25-06 and a hawkeye in 308.

The  original m77 like remington coreloks and shoots touching holes at 100 yards. Trigger is smooth and breaks at 3.5 lbs topped with a burris scope.

The 25-06 mark2 shoots well with nosler partions 115 grains. Trigger is a little heavy but servicable. Keeps half inch groups out to 200 yards. Leopauld scope mounted.

The Hawkeye likes remington coreloke 150 grains and keeps quarter inch groups out to 225 yards. The trigger is very smooth and breaks at four pounds topped with a burris scope.

I had to try differrent manufactures to find each rifle's likes. Every rifle will have its likes and dislikes as far as manufacture but will also have thier preference for a particular bullet weight.

For instance with the hawkeye. It loves 150 grain bullets but hates 165 grain bullets. 165 grain bullets opens the grouping to one inch.

As for manufacture, I like hornaday but it shoots exactly one inch lower then the remingtons.

All thre rifles hate winchester btw.
Link Posted: 11/3/2011 9:58:06 PM EDT
[#4]
Not sure if they are M77 actions or not, do not want to dig them out, or research to find out, but I can tell you what they like.

Ruger RSM .458 Lott   Hornady DGS 500 grain shoots 1.5"

Ruger Frontier .338 Federal  Fusion 200 grain shoots 2.5+" (have not tested it with premium, and this group was in very hot weather)

Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle .308 168 grain Federal Gold Match <1"

I have never shot the white box stuff, good chance groups will close up with match ammunition. I highly recommend the Federal Gold Match and the price is not too bad IMHO.

My Gunsite Scout has really surprised me with its precision, probably in no small part due to the awesome medium contour barrel. If yours is a new rifle, and you do not get better results with match grade ammo, send it off for repair, Ruger stands behind its products well. If it is used, check the crown for wear/ damage, and if all seems alright visually, send it back to Ruger and they may still fix it for you (call first). Hope this helps in some way.

-PC-
Link Posted: 11/4/2011 5:16:00 AM EDT
[#5]
Thanks for your advice
Link Posted: 11/12/2011 4:44:50 AM EDT
[#6]
As far as budget 308 ammo I had good luck with 150gr MC Remington UMC.
Link Posted: 11/22/2011 8:19:59 AM EDT
[#7]
from my experiance that ammo is crap...try amyhing else
Link Posted: 12/9/2011 1:08:06 PM EDT
[#8]
Quoted:
from my experiance that ammo is crap...try amyhing else


Most "FACTORY" ammo is crap.

I have a Ruger M77MarkII in .338 Win Mag.  It has only seen one box of factory ammo with horrible results.  

I took the time and worked up a good load using a Barnes 225gr TSX round and now I'm consisitantly shooting .5 - 1 inch groups at 100 yards.

Ruger makes a great rifle, you just need to find the "RIGHT" ammo....
Link Posted: 12/10/2011 7:05:35 PM EDT
[#9]
I strongly urge you to start reloading. A 168 grain Sierra Match King under IMR 4064 or Vihtavouri N140 will produce once ragged hole (5 shot group) at 100 yards.  Start Saving your Brass cases.  Until then Hornady Tap or Federal Premium are your best bet.
Link Posted: 12/12/2011 6:21:49 PM EDT
[#10]
Quoted:
I need your advice.  I have a Ruger M77 Mark II with a Leupold 9x scope.    When shooting from a bench rest using Winchester White Box 147 grain, my best accuracy is about 4 MOA at 100 yards.   Sometimes worse.      The scope mounts are tight.  No play there.  

Just for reference, my last time out with my Rock River M4 with iron sights resulted in about 1 MOA at 100 yards.     So I was expecting a lot better performance with the Ruger using a scope.

My thoughts are maybe the ammo is not good with this rifle.    

What ammo have you had good results with?    Reloading is not an option - yet.

Thanks for your input.

I have s stainless Mark 11 chambered for the 308 Win. I purchased it new in 1994, it had a pretty rough trigger with an even rougher Canoe Padddle Stock . It shot 5/8" right out of the box with a 168 SMK over 42 Grs. of BLC 2. I put this in a McMillan ( Urban Camo, nice looking gun ) and an almost too good trigger and it shoots about the same, it will do it with the 168 SMK, the 155 SMK (Palma) and it will also do it with the 165 SGK. I have had numerous Mark 11s (most were 338s) and I haven't seen one that won't shoot. Try any ammunition except what your useing.
The Mark 11s are very common in this area they offer good extraction and ejection in cold temps (really cold), mud, snow and ice.They are not finicky and their not fragile. I don't really like them, but they are tougher than boiled owl shit and will work when they need to.

Link Posted: 12/17/2011 9:09:36 PM EDT
[#11]
I've got a Mark II made around 2005 or so in 30.06.  The rifle almost drove me nuts with poor accuracy. It wound up being the torque settings on the receiver screws.  Mine has the wood stock and it requires a certain amount of fore-end pressure from the stock to the barrel.  I don't remember the exact numbers, but the front screw needed something like 80-90 inch lbs. the rear only around 30, and the center just barely tight.  And they need to be done in that order.  Got the info over on the Ruger forums, and apparently it comes up somewhat often over there.  My group sizes went from 5-6" down to an average of 1.5"  - and thats with a trigger pull wt. of 5+ lbs.
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