Ruger M77 7x57, is this a mistake?

[PAUL_MAUSER]

Planning to purchase a new boom stick for mostly SE Texas whitetail but who knows whatever else in the future. The rifles and calibers I'm looking at are a FN made Winchester Super Grade in 30/06 and the other one is a caliber I have always had the fuzzys for is 7x57 but it's in a tang safety Ruger M77.

Been reading a bunch on both of these rifles and I'm starting to get into my own head, I think. Consensus is that the current Model 70s are excellent shooters from the factory. Unfortunately, I read a lot of horrible things about the early M77 Ruger's regarding accuracy and it seems many agree the 7x57's were particularly hard hit with crappy barrels from their outside vendor at the time and at least one case of a rifle so bad that the barrel was apparently screwed in off center and Ruger actually bought it back from the owner who wasn't even the original purchaser.

Am I just worrying too much about the details or is this founded from any of yalls experience regarding the early Ruger's and this caliber? I don't want to end up $4k into a rifle and scope and have a rifle that shoots patterns and not groups.

 

[Berettaco]

Good morning Paul, I have and have owned many 77s - including 7x57, no notable problems with any of them. Some shoot under 1/2” and some 1” but none are terrible.
Buy the Ruger 7x57 and see how it shoots. Not sure I’d pay $4K for one…. Is it a custom job? Most are $1K or so.

 

[PAUL_MAUSER]

Good morning Paul, I have and have owned many 77s - including 7x57, no notable problems with any of them. Some shoot under 1/2” and some 1” but none are terrible.
Buy the Ruger 7x57 and see how it shoots. Not sure I’d pay $4K for one…. Is it a custom job? Most are $1K or so.

$4k is my rough number including the rifle and the scope I'm considering buying as well. Actually, the guy is asking $1600 for the rifle which is a bit high compared to some others I have seen however it is clean, looks to be unused without a box.

 

[deewayne2003]

I would personally prefer the Ruger and I’ve never seen an M77 that wouldn’t shoot MOA… including the 7x57 ones.

On the other hand I think that $1,600 is the extreme high end of the market and think you could do much better.

I’m seeing a couple for $1k-ish on GB

Just search “Ruger 7x57”

https://www.gunbroker.com/Bolt-Action-Rifles/search?s=p

 

[Bandera]

The only Rugers I have had that did not group well was light caliber No.1 rifles.
No.1 S 7X57 grouped 3 inch groups, with several brands of ammo. Even cold bore shots were not consistent.
No.1 25-06 grouped 1 1/2 groups. Cold bore shots were consistent.
No.1 7mm Mag groups 1 1/4 roughly but cold bore shots are sub MOA. Still have this one.
My M77 MKII 25-06 is a MOA rifle.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

There’s only one way to find out how a rifle will shoot. That said 1600 sounds a little steep. Rifles can always be sold if they’re found to be unsatisfactory.

 

[Green Chile]

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a clean early Ruger in 7x57. I actually prefer the earlier models with tang safeties. If you like it, buy it and invest in some good glass. Maybe it needs a little trigger work but it should be good to go and better accuracy than you can hold in the field. Great rifle...great cartridge.

 

[PAUL_MAUSER]

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a clean early Ruger in 7x57. I actually prefer the earlier models with tang safeties. If you like it, buy it and invest in some good glass. Maybe it needs a little trigger work but it should be good to go and better accuracy than you can hold in the field. Great rifle...great cartridge.

This is a great point as well about the practical accuracy in the field. It would likely outshoot me anyway in those conditions. I get paralysis by analysis and get hung up on reading the bad too much.

The 7x57 has kept coming back to my conscience. Definitely no flies on the 30/06 as an all-around do it all cartridge but it is kind of boring being so common place.

 

[Odinsraven]

Love the 7x57 - have had a lot of rugers thru my hands they shot well - however the Ruger no1 did not group 2.5 moa on a good day !

 

[Green Chile]

I shoot and hunt with the 30-06 as many do...but I actually prefer the 7x57. You can't go wrong with either cartridge and wouldn't be able to tell any difference on game hit the same with proper bullets. I just like the nostalgia of the 7x57 in Africa. There are many excellent load combinations but when you consider what Karamoja Bell used...those 175 grainers look like a rocket ship. Beautiful cartridge.

 

[Ruraldoc]

I have a new Super Grade 30-06 and it shot MOA right out of the box with factory ammunition.

I also have a new exteme weather 30-06 and it shoots even better.

I also have new Super Grades in 308 and 7mm-08. Great shooters as well. The new Portugal rifles are some of the best Model 70s ever in my experience.

I have worked with one tang safety M77 in 7x57. It would shoot 175 grain factory bullets well but 139/140 grain bullets were terrible.

Tuned out to have a crazy, long throat. We handloaded for it and you had to seat bullets as far out as you could to get accuracy. This worked best with flat based bullets. But if you loaded ammo for the long throat, you could get good accuracy. Except for Winchester 175 grain round noses, factory ammo shot 3 inches at 100 yards.

Unless you are a fairly advanced handloader, I would pick the New Model 70 all day long.

1600 will get you a nice Super Grade M70. It seems very high for a M77 Tang Safety in 7x57. You can find one on Gun Broker for much less if you look.

 

[Mekaniks]

Don't over think it!

Buy it, shoot it,

if you like it keep it.

If it does not work out for you, sell it....

 

[Ruraldoc]

I do agree that the 7x57 in the right rifle just says Africa.

Mine is a custom on a K98 with a Borden Rimrock stock, a Timney trigger, a douglas barrel and an Ed Lapour Swing safety.

It shoots everything pretty well. It was a gift from my disabled cousin who had it built so it can never be sold.

If I were looking to spend 1600 on a 7x57, I’d look for a Model 70, or a Mark II M77.

 

[Crash87]

Paul I own a M77 tang liberty in 7X57. about 8 months ago $995 The problems with them if they are problems is not necessarily the barrel, although they did have an issue or two with outside vender barrels, what company doesn't? But most definitely, not every thing one. But it has been repeated so much on the internet it has become the 1st thing people say about M77R's. The thing I have found was the generous chamber. My understanding has been Ruger chambered it for the original specs, for the older military 175gr ammo. Changing it sometime in the 80's? Definitely freebore in my chamber, A solution is to just load heavier bullets. In loading 140's, my deer bullet of choice, it would not group at all. (scattered 4" groups) Going to 150's it started to show vast improvement, (clustered 1 1/2") so much so it was used to take a whitetail about 3 weeks ago. I have a good supply of 160's I haven't tried but will soon, to see if the accuracy does improve. even more. (I shoot 5 shot groups for load development)
My question to you is If your willing to go $4000 on a rifle and like older 70's tang safety Rugers. These can be had fairly inexpensively, no more so that any other makers rifle. You don't really need a 7X57, but get something you like, i.e. wood finished etc, and have it rebarreled and chambered to a proper modern 7X57mm chamber. I did just this on an '06 Interarm's Mark X. I wont do this to my rifle simply because its has the liberty stamp on the barrel. You'll still have way less, (with not knowing what kind of optic$ you plan on using) than a $4000 rifle.

 

[PAUL_MAUSER]

Paul I own a M77 tang liberty in 7X57. about 8 months ago $995 The problems with them if they are problems is not necessarily the barrel, although they did have an issue or two with outside vender barrels, what company doesn't? But most definitely, not every thing one. But it has been repeated so much on the internet it has become the 1st thing people say about M77R's. The thing I have found was the generous chamber. My understanding has been Ruger chambered it for the original specs, for the older military 175gr ammo. Changing it sometime in the 80's? Definitely freebore in my chamber, A solution is to just load heavier bullets. In loading 140's, my deer bullet of choice, it would not group at all. (scattered 4" groups) Going to 150's it started to show vast improvement, (clustered 1 1/2") so much so it was used to take a whitetail about 3 weeks ago. I have a good supply of 160's I haven't tried but will soon, to see if the accuracy does improve. even more. (I shoot 5 shot groups for load development)
My question to you is If your willing to go $4000 on a rifle and like older 70's tang safety Rugers. These can be had fairly inexpensively, no more so that any other makers rifle. You don't really need a 7X57, but get something you like, i.e. wood finished etc, and have it rebarreled and chambered to a proper modern 7X57mm chamber. I did just this on an '06 Interarm's Mark X. I wont do this to my rifle simply because its has the liberty stamp on the barrel. You'll still have way less, (with not knowing what kind of optic$ you plan on using) than a $4000 rifle.

A re-barrel is a consideration I hadn't thought of and is an option I would consider to get what I want. The scope I'm considering is a Schmidt & Bender Klassic. Those are around $1900 before taxes from my local dealer.

 

[DG870]

Ruger used Douglas barrels for the tang safety 77’s until 1973 then switched to a different supplier ( Wilson, I think). They used these barrels until the late 70’s early 80’s until they started making their own barrels. I bought a 77 in .270 in 1973 and it has been a very good rifle accounting for many deer and coyotes.

I picked up a lightly used 77 tang safety last spring in 7x57. I doubt this rifle had shot more that 50 rounds. Initially I was disappointed in the accuracy, 3-4 moa using 140 grain hand loads.

Ruger gave these rifles a very long throat so there is a big jump for the 140s to make it to the barrel. I tried 162 grain Hornadys and accuracy improved. I then bore scoped the barrel and found a lot of chatter marks which accumulated lots of copper fouling. I’d shoot 5 rounds then clean and scrub with JB bore cleaner. After repeating this 5 or 6 times the bore cleaned up and stopped fouling and in now shoots into 1 to 1.25 inches. I’m very pleased and looking forward to warmer weather so I can try some different loads and different bullets.

The Ruger 77 from the 1970 were probably long throated for the typical 160 and 175 grain ammo common at that time. If you’re content shooting long heavy bullets in the 7x57 you’ll like the rifle. If you want to shoot 140s or lighter you might not be able to make it shoot to your satisfaction.

 

[Joker12]

The only Rugers I have had that did not group well was light caliber No.1 rifles.
No.1 S 7X57 grouped 3 inch groups, with several brands of ammo. Even cold bore shots were not consistent.
No.1 25-06 grouped 1 1/2 groups. Cold bore shots were consistent.
No.1 7mm Mag groups 1 1/4 roughly but cold bore shots are sub MOA. Still have this one.
My M77 MKII 25-06 is a MOA rifle.

I have a #1A 7x57 that gave me fits for a while but after I installed a screw to provide a bit of up pressure on the barrel it settled into a nicely accurate short well balanced rifle. I did that mod before the hicks accurizer was available. That rifle is still my favorite deer rifle.

 

[PAUL_MAUSER]

Ruger used Douglas barrels for the tang safety 77’s until 1973 then switched to a different supplier ( Wilson, I think). They used these barrels until the late 70’s early 80’s until they started making their own barrels. I bought a 77 in .270 in 1973 and it has been a very good rifle accounting for many deer and coyotes.

I picked up a lightly used 77 tang safety last spring in 7x57. I doubt this rifle had shot more that 50 rounds. Initially I was disappointed in the accuracy, 3-4 moa using 140 grain hand loads.

Ruger gave these rifles a very long throat so there is a big jump for the 140s to make it to the barrel. I tried 162 grain Hornadys and accuracy improved. I then bore scoped the barrel and found a lot of chatter marks which accumulated lots of copper fouling. I’d shoot 5 rounds then clean and scrub with JB bore cleaner. After repeating this 5 or 6 times the bore cleaned up and stopped fouling and in now shoots into 1 to 1.25 inches. I’m very pleased and looking forward to warmer weather so I can try some different loads and different bullets.

The Ruger 77 from the 1970 were probably long throated for the typical 160 and 175 grain ammo common at that time. If you’re content shooting long heavy bullets in the 7x57 you’ll like the rifle. If you want to shoot 140s or lighter you might not be able to make it shoot to your satisfaction.

View attachment 654897View attachment 654896

Very nice looking rifles. Thats a consideration I have to take into account also regarding being content with using only heavy factory bullets as I'm not set up to reload.

 

[ldmay375]

I have an older M77 Round Top 7x57. I bought it used from a pawn shop. I replaced the floor plate which was cracked where the screw goes through it. And it shot the Norma factory loaded 154 grain (if I recall correctly) very well. Well enough that my neighbor, which was at the range with a relatively high dollar custom rifle, was somewhat perplexed a $350 pawn shop rifle with a 4x Leupold grouped better than his custom.
So at least this one has a decent barrel and was put together correctly.

 

[Northern Shooter]

If Ruger currently offered the 7X57 in it's M77 African I would snatch one up tomorrow. As it is, I'm considering a Ruger No.1 in 275 Rigby.

Maybe they will announce new distributor specials after the coming gun shows.