Any advice or experience with "Ultralight" versions? I have one in 270 Win. that shoot poorly; 3-4 shots in 4 inches @ 200 m (sometimes better) but many unacceptable flyers, 3-4 inches away. I have tried 2 scopes and several loads with 130 and 150 g. bullets, without success. I think about a heavier L. Walther barrel, as Mr. Atkinson said......Thanks - Lorenzo

Sorry, double post

Posted this on the reloading post and favorite loads post.

a 7 x 57 in a Ruger Mks 2 has not shot anything better than 3 to 5 inch groups. The same thing with the other one in that caliber.

Testing a batch of different loads, all of a sudden I tested 40 grains of W 748 with 140 grain Remington SP. Groups went from the usual to groups I could cover with a quarter at 100 yds. From Minute of Moose with all the other loads, to Minute of Mouse with this load.

Meanwhile my Winchester featherweight in 7mm Mauser shoots about anything down the barrel well.

Wildboar/Lorenzo. I have a Ruger Ultralight in 257 Roberts. Don't give up yet! I have been trying for some time to get this thing to shoot. I have tried all the "well known" "recommended' powders (4831, 4064 etc) and got 3 inch groups, plus recommendations to bed, rebarrel etc. etc. finally I hit on a sub 1" load for 100gr. match bullets. Then just a week ago, I hit on an accurate load using IMR 4350, plus another load using RL22. Both about 1". I will verify the loads in a couple of weeks. I have done NOTHING to the gun. So, make sure you have tried everything before spending more money on the gun. I love the UL and I love the 257 Roberts. It is probably my favorite rifle.
peter.

One of the most accurate rifles I've ever owned was a .220 in Ultra Light. And I've seen other very accurate UL rifles as well.

Generally speaking, there's little doubt the heavier barrel rifles have some accuracy advantages...but this sure doesn't mean an Ultra Light rifle can't be a tack driver.

There are LOTS of factors at play with any rifles accuracy. 1st place to look is usually the bedding.

For me no other bolt rifle, when put to my shoulder, feels as at home as a Ruger. They are an American classic. Mr. Ruger sure knew what he was doing when he designed them. The classic looks and feel just can't be copied. I like both the old Tang models and the new MKII's. The old ones were push feed and had a better trigger, the new ones are true to the Mauser CRF and you need a Timney trigger to live with them. It maybe shouldn't be that way, but I'm willing to live with it. I'd make some minor changes in the squared dimentions of the walnut stocks, but that's a small matter, I still like them. I've had mixed results with accuracy, but then again I've had mixed results with all the others too. No better or worse. Some shot remarkably well some not so. I can say they've never been the worst shooters I've had. That destinction goes to Remington 700's a newer Mountain rifle to be exact. So, I guess I'm pretty pleased with Rugers and I like the history behind them. Mr Ruger and Mr. Sturm started out with little more than an idea and a desire to produce and turned it into the #1 arms producer in the world.

I agree with the philosophy that if you're gonna put ($100 X lots) into a product after you buy it, you're better off to buy a good product to start.

should have bought a savage instead of that POS ruger then u wouldnt have to "make ur gun more accurate" I hate buying a NEW rifle that I have to tune up isn't that the manufactures responsibility????!!!!!

BBBruce & Pdkillr, you are right. OK for the future, but right now I have to make my Ruger shoot better....Lorenzo

I can buy a Ruger, and put a $70 trigger on it and put some effort in the bedding, with a total of $525 spent. I can buy a Savage, do a little bedding, maybe none, lighten the factory trigger, and spend $425 tops. I can buy a Remington...well we won't go there. I can buy a CZ adjust the trigger and have spent $525.
OR
I can build a custom, anywhere from $1000 on up. Now, I admit, with my responsibilites, I can't go out and spend that on every rifle I own. So, I go the other route. Nothing wrong with either one, really. It's just what you're willing or can afford to pay.
I have a brand new Ruger 77 .243, the first group out of the barrel was .3" (I did install a Timney trigger). I have a fairly new CZ .223 heavy barrel, first groups were in the 1" range. Now I know this is not scientific, but how much better would a custom be than the Ruger?
I'd love to have all custom guns. I'm really not all that eclectic in my tastes, I enjoy plain old Winchesters and Rugers, so I deal with it. Companies know what we're willing to pay, and that we'll do some of the high cost hand fitting ourselves. That's what we've ordered with our reluctance to pay $1200 for a factory rifle. That's why you see more Ruger, Win, Rem, Savage, in the field than Cooper, Kimber, Weatherby, Dakota etc.

Orion 1,

We are on different tracks when it comes to rifle choices.

I own two Tikka 'Whiteails' and they are truly "shooters out of the box" but they do not bump Rugers fropm first place in my preference scale. They are cheaply made and while not as butt ugly as some -- Savage?-- they leave a lot to be desired in their looks and are 'club like' in balance. (The new "E" series Tikka are even more cheaply made and lots more expensive -- thank you, Berretta!)

I also own about 10 Rugers -- model 1s and 77s. They are hell for rugged in design, have never failed me in the field, and, when needed, repairs due to wear and accidents are done quickly because spare parts are readily available. (Try getting parts quickly from Berretta.) The Rugers make me happy when I slide them out of the gun case, point and hold well, and fit me perfectly.

All shoot under MOA after rebedding, Timney-izing, and free-floating.

The cost for these attractive, reliable, and accurate firearms is way below what custom makers charge. The extra couple hundred dollars per rifle over the Tikka cost is a good investment -- no, a best buy -- in my book. I certainly will buy new Rugers but I doubt there will be any new Tikkas
in my safe.

1B

I have one Ruger rifle, an M77MkII RS .308 w/ a Leupold 1.75-6x32 (the old short one), and it is still box stock from the factory. It does what I want it to do, shoots it's "pet" factory load in the bullet weight/performance I want into 1.5 moa, less if I do my part.

The best part is that it is horribly consistent; it doesn't matter what the weather/humidity it shoots to the same point of impact. Heck, it'll put most cheap milsurp ammo into slightly larger groups but within an inch or so at 100 yards, makes for cheap practice.

Right now my only issue is that the drop at 300 yards doesn't jive with the ballistic charts, I get no drop (POA=POI) with a 3" high @ 100 yard sight-in.

I say try different loads, any rifle that puts all it's shots into 1.5 moa or less in any weather (wind notwithstanding) gets my nod over over a finicky tack-driver any day.

Good Luck,
Bob

[ 09-20-2003, 04:32: Message edited by: Gunny Bob ]

Orion 1,

You are dead right. I have no gun manufacturing background and claim no expertise in manufacturing processes. (The closest I came to it was when my Dad took me to the Ford River Rouge plant and, on the catwalk overlooking the furnaces, said, "Study hard or that's where you will end up." Thanks Dad.)

I misspoke on the "cheaply built" allegation. I probably should have said cheaply designed.

And, right, I am not a gun designer either.

But I'm one hell of a cunsumer and the Whitetail's clunky looking receiver and single stack, detachable, synthetic, magazine are not what I consider quality features. Nor are the floating, recoil lugs or the single length action-fits-all features of the new T-3 very desirable.

All that said, the Whitetails brand new cost me close to $400 a piece, and shoot very nicely. A good buy for a rifle to be used in every day hunting; they just will not make it to the big dance. The T3s won't even get a phone call.
Regards,
1b

I wish that everyone that doesn't like Rugers could have purchased a M77 like the last two I purchased. It renews your faith in the brand. One was a brand new M77 MKII in .243 and the last was a 77 tang safety in 30-06.
I won't bore you with the details, but here is the best and the worst at 100 yards, and although I ran out of ammo, a 2 shot group at 200. The new .243 is even more impressive, but I had these pics handy. The only modification to the 30-06 was glass bedding, and the only modification to the .243 was the addition of a Timney trigger.




[ 09-22-2003, 02:34: Message edited by: Bobby ]

Nice shooting Bobby

I will just give you a account of my Ruger M77RS 338 win mag. It has a leup 3x9x40 on top. Well I have had this rifle for a long time. I even took my first buck in my life with it with handloads. I loaded up some 225 gr hornady bullets at about 2825fps and I get a one hole group. The stock really doesn't fit me anymore and I keep thinking I want to trade it in but its so darn accurate that I have a hard time convincing myself to do it. But it is very accurate with just about any load I put in it. I also have done nothing to this gun either, it is a stock factory gun right off the shelf.

Brian