Any of you had one of these? I've got an interest in trying one and have a post in the classifieds looking for one.

Any of you had any bad experiences with that mannlicher stock and accuracy issues? I know the occasional Ruger is a pain in the butt with accuracy to begin with, but I'm asking generally any serious issues with this RSI model?

PS: Anyone got one for sale or know of one?

Thanks!

PS: Sorry fellas I somehow didn't notice the post about the "International", I guess I thought it was about the #1 Int'l... Sorry for the repeat topic! I tried to delete this but can't.

Had one in .243. Was sent back to factory four times. It would not hit a standard paper plate sizes target four times at fifty yards. The most terrible rifle I ever worked with. (I thought it was cool looking). Went with the Sako mannlicher (REALLY cool looking), and acceptable accuracy, costs about double, however.

I have one in 30-06. It shot OK (~2" at 100 yds) and I shot it a lot last year. After I put 300 rounds through it the trigger seemed like it was lighter.

I bought a CZ 550 FS and I like it better. It has a full stock with a 20.5" barrel. The barrel on the Ruger seems too short at 18.5". Neither is a long range mountain rifle. These short rifles are good for tree stands or thick woods.

I've got an older tang safety RSI in 308 Win, an excellent little gun. Mine shoots 1.25" at 100 yards with just about any factory 150 gr. load or my handloads.

Nice little rifles, but accuracy is luck of the draw. They use an ultralight barrel that really needs to be either freefloated or full length bedded. The full length stock on these makes barrel contact unevenly, and when you combine that with Ruger's akward recoil lug and a pencil barrel, it makes for potential accuracy problems.

Other companies (Sako, Steyr, CZ, etc) use sturdier barrels on their full stock carbines, so that stock pressure is not an issue.

quote:

Originally posted by 458RugerNo1:
PS: Anyone got one for sale or know of one?

458, there is one here on GunBroker. A lot of work has gone into this gun (custom barrel, trigger, bedding and other smithing). I have shot it, and it shoots well - well below 1" with some loads. The current owner would also supply load information, I'm sure. He is a bit of an accuracy and reloading aficionado. Just thought you might like to know.
- mike

I just posted a thread a week or so ago. My smith ordered two at the time, when he ordered my sons. PM me and I can send you contact information. He is a FFL, and the gun is 308 NIB.

Edit it is a 77 bolt.

Thanks fellas,

I think I'll give the RSI a try... I've found a pristine, NIB condition tang-safety RSI in .243 that I'm making a deal on. It's a dandy looking carbine, we'll now have to see how this one shoots. I'll report back when I get it. (I've already got a lightweight '06 so a .308 would be somewhat redundant - the .243 should be a fine round for this carbine). This short-action .243 weighs 6 lbs 7 oz and is 38" in length... Handy!

PS: What years did they make the RSI? Do they still make them?

I had a Mauser Mark X, with that stock. What a sweet gun, 18" barrel in .308 Win. It would keep them all in about 1.25". Why I traded it....I'll never know!

458, Might I reccomend you stick a Leupy 1-4 or 1.5-5x on it, they do look nice atop an RSI. Then go have some fun on the range before you slay a couple of nice Whitetail, which I am sure you will. The tang safety RSI are in my view better than the MkII. You should be a Happy Bunny
Ruger do on their web page give year of production dates, you should be able to find out how old your gun is.
Cheers.

quote:

Originally posted by mho:

quote:

Originally posted by 458RugerNo1:
PS: Anyone got one for sale or know of one?

458, there is one here on GunBroker. A lot of work has gone into this gun (custom barrel, trigger, bedding and other smithing). I have shot it, and it shoots well - well below 1" with some loads. The current owner would also supply load information, I'm sure. He is a bit of an accuracy and reloading aficionado. Just thought you might like to know.- mike

Mike, that's a No.1, not an M77 !

short barreled Mannlichers are beautifully styled guns. I've liked the looks of just about all of them. However, after seeing how much groups can be affected by anything putting pressure on the barrel I've shyed away from them.

For those that can do the job right I salute you.....I've never even attempted one.

No experience with the Ruger RSI but I do have a Remington Model 7 Custom MS in 260 Remington. My hunting load which uses the 125 gr. Nosler Partition shoots 3 shots in 1 1/4" at 100 yards.
This more than adequate at the hunting distances I intend to use it. They're great handling rifles and a joy to carry.

quote:

Originally posted by El Deguello:

Mike, that's a No.1, not an M77 !

Oops, you are right. Egg on my face! I guess I always associate "International" with #1. Ah well...
- mike

I just inherited one of these fine rifles in .250 Savage and haven't worked up loads for it yet. It will average groups of about 1.5 inches with factory 100 grain Winchester and Remington ammunition. This is plenty accurate for for what I will use it for (mule deer in the timber and quaking aspens) and I love the way the stubby rifle handles. I do have to admit however that I have a weakness for Mannlicher-stocked rifles (so perhaps I am a little biased).

quote:

Originally posted by 9.3 rifleman:
I just inherited one of these fine rifles in .250 Savage and haven't worked up loads for it yet. It will average groups of about 1.5 inches with factory 100 grain Winchester and Remington ammunition. This is plenty accurate for for what I will use it for (mule deer in the timber and quaking aspens) and I love the way the stubby rifle handles. I do have to admit however that I have a weakness for Mannlicher-stocked rifles (so perhaps I am a little biased).

Those in 250 Savage, 7 x 57 and 6.5 x 54 are extremely RaRe! I'd love any one of those....
Congrats on getting a classic and rare rifle!

Cheers
seafire

quote:

Originally posted by seafire/B17G:

quote:

Originally posted by 9.3 rifleman:
I just inherited one of these fine rifles in .250 Savage and haven't worked up loads for it yet. It will average groups of about 1.5 inches with factory 100 grain Winchester and Remington ammunition. This is plenty accurate for for what I will use it for (mule deer in the timber and quaking aspens) and I love the way the stubby rifle handles. I do have to admit however that I have a weakness for Mannlicher-stocked rifles (so perhaps I am a little biased).

Those in 250 Savage, 7 x 57 and 6.5 x 54 are extremely RaRe! I'd love any one of those....
Congrats on getting a classic and rare rifle!

Cheers
seafire

Thanks,

I sure wish that Ruger would offer more limited runs in some of these classic calibers. I didn't know that a run was made in 6.5 x 54. That would be very sweet to own.

Have a good one

I think the Ruger RSI in .308, 250 Savage, is one of the neatest little rifles to come on our shelves in years...

I have owned a few of them in the above calibers and I loved them and they all shot very well after a full glass bedding job..but alas, my gun whore self, let them go at a nice profit in every case...about time for another, but then I so love the Brno 22Fs that I usually spring for one of them..

Ray,

Yes it sure seems like it should be a very light and handy little bolt gun. The one I've got coming is in .243 to fill a gap in my sporting rifle battery (at the moment it jumps from .22 rimfire to 30-06 since i gave my M700 6mm Rem to my son).

At 6 lbs 7 ounces and 38" it should be a delight to carry.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I think the Ruger RSI in .308, 250 Savage, is one of the neatest little rifles to come on our shelves in years...

I have owned a few of them in the above calibers and I loved them and they all shot very well after a full glass bedding job..but alas, my gun whore self, let them go at a nice profit in every case...about time for another, but then I so love the Brno 22Fs that I usually spring for one of them..

Did you ever try any 120 grain handloads in the .250's that owned? I have heard that some of these will not stabilize in the Ruger, but I just haven't tried them to find out for myself.

Had one in 308 and 243. They shot well. Couldn't see the point in runnning a thin strip of wood out to the barrel. Sold them. Don't give a rip about mannlicher style stocks anymore but will admit that it takes skill to stock them right.

OK guys, the RSI arrived at my FFL today finally and she looks fantastic... Very sleek and light it most certainly is! It's a 1984 production model. The blue/finish on these older ones really seems to be better than many of the new Rugers. My 1980 vintage .458 M77 is the same way - the highly polished blued finish.

I'll let you know how it shoots in the next week or so, that'll be the real test...

quote:

Originally posted by 458RugerNo1:
OK guys, the RSI arrived at my FFL today finally and she looks fantastic... Very sleek and light it most certainly is! It's a 1984 production model. The blue/finish on these older ones really seems to be better than many of the new Rugers. My 1980 vintage .458 M77 is the same way - the highly polished blued finish.

I'll let you know how it shoots in the next week or so, that'll be the real test...

I hope yours shoots like mine. I have a completely unaltered M77 RSI in .308 Win which is one of the most accurate factory rifles I have ever owned. I bought it used at a local gun store for $275, and it is an absolutely reliable 3/4" or smaller grouping rifle for 5 shots @ 100 yards with 40.5 grs of IMR 4895 and either 150, 165, or 168 gr. bullets. First shot is always to point of aim, too, using the 150-gr. Sierra bullets I currently have it sighted for, clean barrel or dirty.

UPDATE:

OK, it's been over a week now and the .243 RSI with factory W-W 100gr PP ammo shoots 1.25" at 100 yards from a sitting position leaning against a tree with the factory iron sights. It only took a few shots and one sight adjustment to get the irons zero'd. I'm sure with scope and on a bench an inch or less would be easy. YES, I'm very pleased with it. This past week I've carried it everywhere I went and it been very light and handy. This one is a winner and will serve my needs very nicely indeed...

458
Good to hear it's a straight shooter.
Weidmannsheil

I bet that will be a fun one ! Did you get the rings with it ? if not ruger will send you a set of low,s they cost 60 bucks but if you go with a smaller low powerd variable they sure look better, I got a set for my 77MK2 RL in .257 Roberts...tj3006

According to Ruger, the only non-cataloged 77 RSIs were made in 7MM-08 (short action) and 7x57 (long action). Although there are claims of factory original 77 RSIs in 257 Roberts and 6.5x54, Ruger claims that none were ever made, despite what many have read in the Sierra manual. There is documentation that they did make some 77 RSIs in 358 (short action), but then decided not to release them and converted them to the 77 RLS configuration. Somehow a few of the 77 RSIs in 358 slipped out, but Ruger won't acknowledge that they really do exist, even when presented with photos of the rifle and end-flap of the box.

A long time ago, 20+/- years, Ruger would allow employees to make up non-cataloged configuration guns for their own use, but that got out of hand and Ruger stopped it. According to my contacts at Pine Tree Casting, the only way to get a non-standard Ruger now is to place a speical order ala Davidson's or be related to a Ruger. Even Rody's gun shop in Guild, NH, doesn't see the number of unique Rugers that they did back in the 1970s and 80s.

FWIW, I have found that the best way to get good consistant groups from a mannlicher stocked rifle is to install a neoprene "o" ring close to the muzzle, so that the end cap doesn't touch the barrel. This also helps to center the barrel in the stock. This has worked for me on many mannlicher stocked rifles, including Husqvarnas, Interarms Mark Xs, Mossberg 800Ms, Remington 7s, Ruger 77RSIs, Sakos, and Winchester 70s.

Jeff

260RemGuy,

Wow, thanks for the interesting history ref the Ruger RSI. I would love to see it in .358 Win, I bet it would make a great carbine for woods and brush.

The O-ring suggestion makes sense and is a common remedy for #1's also. I'll keep that tucked in my memory bank in the event I have any troubles. With preliminary performance so far it appears that mine is around a 1 MOA rifle and I'm quite pleased with that. I've got more tinkering to do before I can make any major conclusions, but so far all appears well.

Thanks to all for the excellent input, I'm new to the Mannlicher stocked rifles so it's been very educational.

Second Update:

Just got back from the range and finally got the chance to shoot the .243 Ruger RSI on sandbags and a good benchrest. Living in the country where I do I typically just shoot off my picnic table behind the house, so not exactly the sturdiest base for precision shooting.

Today I shot off a sandbag rest and got a .80" four shot group at 100 yds (with the iron sights) by the end of the day after re-adjusting the rear sight just a tad. I cant really ask for much more than that. I'll try a scope on it someday, but as it is now i'm liking it with the irons and am pleasantly surprised and relieved that I've got a good one.

Thanks for all your help fellas...

9.3,
I shot some 120 and 117 gr. bullet in the RSI that I had, but it was a little shy in the velocity dept with that short barrel, so I used 87 and 100 gr. bullet almost exclusively..It sure was a deer killer..

I killed some elk in my youth with the 250 Sav. and my dad probably shot 50 elk with his...We used the 100 gr. silver tip and corelokt factory ammo in our 99 Savages.

My uncle used a .300 Sav and bragged of its powerful virtues to this young and impressionalbe lad, but you know it didn't kill them any better than the .250 as far as I could tell, but I always wanted a 300 Savage cause then I would be in dumping in tall cotton with that bunch of 250-3000 and 30-30 shooters just like my uncle was!

Years later it dawned on me that one caliber is about as good as the next if the bullet plunks the heart, or some killing zone, and if it does not, then it still makes little difference...