Hello from Scotland~

I was looking at a second hand Ruger .22 Hornet M77/22/VHZ with stainless barrel and laminated stock a very pretty rifle indeed.

what are your veiws on this rifle ? NOT calibre i owned a hornet before and found it excellant on fox out to 200 yards head shot, no problem.

I was told that some of these Rugers can be so-so
shooters and may need a bit of tinkering to get them to shoot straight ?

I regret selling my old Hornet and would like to replace it.................

So any experience of these Rugers would be most welcome.

Regards Englander

I have had a VHZ for several years and really like it. Mine shoots under 1" with Lil-Gun powder and 40 gr V-max bullets. If you can get it cheap I'd buy it. If they want new price then I'd buy a CZ 527 before buying the Ruger. There is a place over here in CT. that works on Rugers called CPC. Check out his website and see what you think. Here is the URL for CPC. Hope this helps a bit.
www.ct-precision.com/

My 77/22H was completely reworked by the original owner (new trigger, barrel, K-Hornet chamber, rebedded stock) and it is a super little gun.

From the anecdotal tales on the Ruger, I suspect that you may chance into a factory version that does pretty well as is, or one which may be very disappointing. It seems to be the "luck of the draw".

If I were considering starting with a factory version, I would anticipate, at a minimum, reworking or replacing the trigger, bushing the bolt to tighten the headspace, and perhaps rebedding the stock. If you are reasonably mechanically inclined and have the time, you can probably do these things yourself at modest cost.

From all I see and hear, the consensus also seems to be that rechambering for the K-version is well worth the trouble.

Good luck!

Don't buy it is my advice. An old toolmaker who worked at Winchester bought a new one and he could never get it to shoot well. This man had made benchrest rifles, had a lathe capable of chambering and threading rifles and was a big Hornet fan.

He did not take well to being teased about it either.

My Ruger .22 Hornet M77/22 shot great out of the box without any modicifcations. MOA at 100 yards is common place. If you handload you can put together some real accurate loads for this little gun.

Before buying my hornet I looked into a Ruger as it definitely is a "great looking" rifle. My gundealer steared me away from it after he had sold two that wouldn't shoot 2moa at 100 yards following trigger/bedding jobs. Not good enough !!!. My CZ 527 hornet after some mucking zabout to get a good load shoots sub moa. The CZ's have a set trigger and mine is set for 8oz. It shoots supurbly, I have it topped with a leupold Vari X11 3-9x50 and I primarily use it for my spotlighting rifle. Head shots out to 150-200 yards (little wind) on calm nights are what this rifle excells at.

Englander,
You're probably looking at that second-hand Ruger because the original owner couldn't get it to shoot worth a damn!
Mine shot 4" groups, right out of the box. You can imagine how I felt, spending all that money, and having a $100 Marlin .22WMR in the closet that easily outshot the Ruger.
After trigger and sear replacement, floating the barrel and bedding the action, shimming the bolt halves, and a lot of load experimentation, the Ruger shoots under 3/4" all the time now.
I just got a CZ 527 American, and the overall quality of the CZ puts the Ruger to shame!
I'm rebarrelling the Ruger in .19 Calhoon, and keeping the CZ in .22 Hornet (can't live without a Hornet in the closet, y'know?).
Regards, George

Englander,

If you are anywhere near North of Inverness I can put you onto a shop that has a Hornet for sale. It is a BRNO Fox model, with double set triggers it is a nice clean looking gun. If I was not well satisfied with my BRNO Hornet, I would buy it.

Cheers John

I had a 77/22 at one time and it was probably the most disappointing rifle I have ever owned. I tried everthing to get that rifle to shoot consistant groups under 2" at 100 yds. Never happened. I no longer own it.

The Ruger 22 Hornet has to be one of the most inconsistent rifles ever made.
A dealer friend of mine sold me one that wouldn't shoot either, under the condition that if I couldn't get it to shoot he would give me credit for all my expenses.
It was probably the easiest problem rifle I ever bought. I re-cut the crown,(I never liked Ruger's target crown) shimmed the bolt halves, polished the stock trigger assembly and found a production round it absolutely loves, the Hornady 35 gr. V max load.
I didn't even have to bed the action, just use a torquing driver when assembling to get consistant seating of the action.
From sand bags with no wind, it averages about.665" 5 shot groups.

Englander
buy another calibre! to many others to be stuck with a hornet that could be a 50/50 gamble.
had 2 won't be having another!
If you do buy it turn it into a K.hornet

Best of luck, you'll need it!!

Griff

Englander, I'd pass on a ruger hornet. Hornets can be "tricksy"(but I like them) and rugers quality control is as on and off as a light switch. Together, that may be more aggravation than you want.

Englander: Several months back I was looking at a new Ruger No.1 in Hornet. After a lot of research, I passed and finally came across a used Browning 1885 in Hornet. Certainly glad I did. It is a great shooting rifle. 5/8" group at 100 yds. with the new Hornady 35 gr. V-max and Win 296. Not that I do not like No.1's. I have three and they are MOA guns.