While on the way to the local dump, I stopped by my local gunshop and found a 95% RUger M77 tang-safety 6mm rem with 4-12X Redfield for $399.
If it doesn't shoot, what small caliber (.243 to .260) options are there for a re-barrel using the factory bolt?

Nice find! Anything based off of the 7X57, I'd either stick with the 6mm or go up a notch to a .257 Bob or AI. My nephew got one like yours this fall. It's a shooter.

I'd try a wide range of bullets before you rebarrel. First, clean the snot out of it with an aggressive copper solvent, sweets, MTextreme, etc. and some JB's then give it a work out. I'd check your forearm clearances too, but it should be fine if it's in that good of shape. I had a 77R in .270 that got wet and the forearm warped it into a shotgun. A little sand paper and it was better.

Gidday Westernmassman,

6.5x57mm. Everything from rabbits to Moose.

Happy Hunting

Hamish

Buy it!

WesternMassMan...

If you pick that rifle up.. I have a Ruger 77 Mk 2 in 7 x 57 ( I actually have Two of them).. I would definitely exchange barrels with you if you were interested in the 7 x 57...

if you are interested, PM me..

thanks,
seafire...

quote:

Originally posted by Westernmassman:
While on the way to the local dump, I stopped by my local gunshop and found a 95% RUger M77 tang-safety 6mm rem with 4-12X Redfield for $399.
If it doesn't shoot, what small caliber (.243 to .260) options are there for a re-barrel using the factory bolt?

6mm/.284 or 6.5mm/.284....... These will fit, as they have rebated rims. Also great performers!

Hmmmm..... .22-250, .220 Swift, .243, 6mm Lee Navy, .243AI, 6mm AI, .250 Savage, .257 Rob & AI, .260 Rem, 6.5x55, 6.5x57, 6.5x284, 7mm-08, 7x57 & AI, .284 Win, .300 Savage, .308 Marlin, .308 Win, 7.65 Argentine, 8x57 & AI, .338 Federal, .358 Win, and a few dozen wildcats. Not much choice, but maybe you can find something useful.

I believe the 6mm Rem. Ruger Mod.77 is a short action. I had one years ago and remember the cartridge was a close fit. You might have trouble with cartridges like the 7x57, 6.5x55, etc. unless the bullets are seated pretty deep.
Still a very nice rifle with lots of possibilities if you don't like the 6mm Rem.

Unfortuneatly I just found out is was sold. Well, I guess that was a blessing as I really didn't know what I was going to do with it.
Won't be sad long as I still have my .280 rem to play with and a S&W handgun is calling to me from the gun case!

Don't feel too bad as the only ruger M77 I've ever seen in 6mm Rem was factory built on a SHORT (308 length) action, so rebarreling it to 7x57 etc wasn't going to be practical
anyway...

IF the 6mmRem Ruger I handled had been a long action it'd be in my safe right now.

AD

I saw a old ruger 6 mm on friday, It was a short action. But I had put together a dummy cartridge that fits just short of the lands on my Ruger .257 roberts. (long action) The dummy fits easily into the ruger short action.
So it seems sort of funny that ruger built my Roberts on a long action but throated it so I really cant take advantage. The bullet in my dummy was a 120 grain Partition OAL 2.920
...tj3006