I have a Ruger M77 Mark II stainless with Black stalk. I went to the range the other day and tried to shoot my 130 ball. tips and my 140gr bthp and niether would shoot. I put in a 90gr. hp and it pulled a 3/4 inch @ 100 yds. Has anyone got any answers or had this problem???Thanks Leon

Solve the problem easy. Dump the ruger and buy a Remington 700 (pre 2000) Have it bedded and the trigger done and buy some good glass. Learn to land load and you will be happy!

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What caliber?

If it's a .270 try the Winchester 130 grain Super-X power point factory load. It's cheap (in the silver box), and it works (sub MOA) in a number of 270's I'm familiar with.

green 788

You didn't say what caliber but what you decribe is classic inaccuracy from a too slow twist barrel.

If its a 6.5 it should have at least 1-9. A 270 1-10, and 7mm 1-10 for the weights listed.

If you would say *how* it shoots (instead of "it don't") maybe we can figure it out.

What I would do if I was you was to thoroughly clean the bore. Take your time to thoroughly brush the rifling with a bore brush and copper solvent until it is clean, then brush it some more. Finally, I would take it back to the range and see how it works.

Some rifles shoot better with a clean barrel, while others don't.

If you use a bronze brush and copper solvent you will never get it clean as the solvent will "eat" the brush and you will get copper signs from that.

I am shooting a 270 win. I have cleaned it thoughly. ti is shooting about a 3-4 inch group at 100yds.let me know if there is anything else

Garfield,

Are these new loads or are they loads the rifle has previously shot well, but for some reason has stopped?

I would pick up a box Federal Clasic in a standard 130grn SP and try those. I have found Federal ammo makes a good bench mark in cases like this.

Are you shooting using a bipod?

Regards,

Peter

Peter,

Change your scope. (I doubt it's the mounts on the Ruger). I think with groups in the SKS "minute-of-gook" range like you're getting, you may have a faulty scope. The lighter bullets that did well may not be generating enough recoil to shake the reticle, or whatever may be loose in the scope. Just an idea, and a possibility that's easy to eliminate. How consistent is the rifle with the 95 grain load?

Heed the advice about barrel cleaning above, it couldn't hurt.

Then get your tee-hiney-boo down to Walmart and pick up a box of the Winchester Super-X 130 grain power points. This stuff shoots sub MOA in four different .270's I'm familiar with, one being a Ruger 77 belonging to Dr. Martin Topper who profiled the rifle in a recent Gun World article. The Winchester stuff outshot all other brands of ammo tested, including premium brands at twice the price. (Including Winchester's own *Supreme* offering--could it be time for Winchester to "788" the cheap stuff since it's making their higher buck stuff look so bad? We all know that's what happened to the Remington 788 ) Try the Super X ammo, I think you'll be pleased...

But do change that scope. And don't assume that just because it may be a good brand that it can't be faulty. I've returned a Leupold and a Burris for POI change problems all in the last year. To the Leupold's credit, the scope was 25 years old. The Burris didn't have that excuse...

green 788

[This message has been edited by green 788 (edited 04-02-2002).]

How can we suspect the scope when the rifle shot .75" groups with 90 gr bullets?

Of course everything is suspect and we don't know if this rifle has shot those heavier loads well before?

Also we don't know if the first group was the good one and then something came loose or the opposite and something was changed and the groups went bad.

Basically, I doubt if there is anything wrong with the gun/scope combo that can shoot a .75" group. Your problem is more likely with the other loads you tried, since I believe Ruger knows what twist to use for a .270 Winchester. I would try to develop more accurate ammo for it, by working up loads in .5-grain increments, starting with bullets of known accuracy and the proper powders. In the .270 Win., I would start my load development with Win. cases, Sierra 130 or 150 grain bullets, IMR 4350 powder, and Federal 210 primers. These components have always given me a satisfactory load for .270 Win. rifles, beginning in 1958!!

Personally I don't think it is either the gun or the scope.

More than likely it is your loads. To see what a Ruger CAN shoot go to http://stevespages.com/targets.html

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http://stevespages.com/page8.htm

Thanks to all. 1st it is not the scopoe it is proven with other loads and tried on other guns. 2nd the loads are loads from a remington mountain rifle that produced MOA at 100. the 90gr. bullet load was used in a competitor pistol just tried it for something to do. 3rd I think by the sounds from some it is probably the load. I will take the advice and start with some 4350 and the 130 or 140 gr. bullet. I think I will be able to fix this problem this way.Thank you all for your input.....Leon

Check the action screws and make sure they're good and tight. You've probably already tried that but I'll throw it out just in case. Loose action screws have caused me fits more than once.

Garfield, let us know what you find out!!

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Larry

Garfield: I have the same model Ruger that you have. I think the guys are right about making sure there is no copper fouling first. After that has been cleaned out, go to the Sierra manual and load up their accurate load for their 150 gr. bullet. The load is 50.6 grs. of IMR-4350. Use a WLR primer if you can get it. Seat the bullet 0.015" off the lands. Also, make sure your barrel is broken in before you do this. Increase/decrease loads by 1/2 gr. at a time to find tthe most accurate one. My accurate load is 50.1 grs. of IMR-4350 and gives 3/4" groups after 1-2 fouling shots. My barrel is about 21" long or so and therefore I'd guess you would want a powder a bit faster than the often touted H-4831. Hope this helps a bit. No reason that rifle shouldn't shoot just fine. Bear in Fairbanks

[This message has been edited by Bear in Fairbanks (edited 04-03-2002).]

IMR 4350 is *the* powder for the .270. Too many people have gotten good results from using it. The H4831 will yield higher velocities, but not significantly higher. The IMR 4350 is simply a more accurate powder in this chambering.

Using a 130 grain bullet, and Federal 210 primers, load 54.7, 55.0, and then 55.3 grains of the IMR 4350 into your test loads. You will find that one, two, or even all three of these charge weights will group MOA or very near it. If you don't want to experiment, go for the 55 grain charge. That's the OCW (optimal charge weight) for the 130 grian bullet/IMR 4350 powder recipe.

Also, please don't fail to try the Winchester factory Super X power point (130 grain) load. If your rifle won't shoot this load, something is probably amiss in the bedding or the sighting system.

green 788