How is the overall satisfaction with these rifles? I don't know anyone who has one, so I have no local reference. Are they as accurate as their price would imply? Can I expect it to shoot better than my 10/22 (with the right ammo of course)? The 10/22 is great, but I'd really like a nice .22 bolt gun, and this would match my other hunting rifles in function, safety operation, appearance, etc.

Also, does anyone know if the 77/22 and the 10/22 magazines are interchangeable? They look the same, but confirmation would be great. thanks folks!

The magazines ARE different.

I have a 77/22 and I didn't find any ammo that it liked. Just had the barrel free floated and the action bedded. But haven't shot it yet.

My best shooting 22 is a CZ 452. Doesn't seem to care what ammo you feed it. My only issue with it is the looong barrel. Well and the backwards safety.

Roi

The sad thing is the barrel is attached the same way as a 10-32 but both of mine shot good.

I now have a Kimber and will be selling my Rugers.

I own three. 22lr, 22mag, 17hmr. They are all the vbz series - ss target heavy barrel laminated stocks . They shoot very well. I have put the volquartsen sear kit in all of them . The mags are interchangeable, in mine anyway, though you will get arguements on that. The only difference is the bottom contour- one is flat -the other is slightly rounded - and a little easier to get out The lr is my favorite 22 for plinking clay bird and charcol briquettes at 200 yds on the berm. for 200+ you will need to play with your choice of rings& mounts to get enough elevation to zero.

I happen to be a huge fan of the Ruger 77/22. Over the years I have had close to a half dozen different K77/22VBZ's in .22 LR. I did a little tweaking to all of the ones I had to get them to shoot to my satisfaction, mainly free floating the barrel and tuning the triggers. On a couple the barrel shank to receiver fit was a bit sloppy so I ended up shimming them to get a tight fit. In the end I was extremely pleased with all of them but ONE.

Yes I had one lemon out of the bunch. That one had the barrel shank hole in the receiver milled at a slight angle. With a lot of work I did get it to shoot better but it never did shoot as good as the other ones I had.

I also had a Ruger KM77/22RP (Stainless-Synthetic) Sporter. This one shot good right out of the box, but since I have always wanted a Custom 77/22 this one was the basis for a custom rifle.



I sold everything but the action basically. I put a Clark Custom Guns 20" Stainless-Steel Bull Barrel onto my action. I then set it in a Volquartsen Laminated Stock. To convert it from the Synthetic Stock to the Wood Stock I had to purchase the Trigger Guard, Magazine Well and Screws for a Ruger K77/22 VBZ from Brownells (which I polished off the Target Grey Finish so it now matches my shiney stainless barreled action).

I also tuned the factory trigger so it breaks like a glass rod at 1 1/4 lbs. I then had the stirrup that the trigger pivots in drilled & tapped for an overtravel stop screw.

This Custom Ruger 77/22 will shoot honest 1" or less 5 shot groups at 100 yards with SK Jagd Standard Plus Ammo. This past August we had an Egg Shoot and my Nephew used my Custom Ruger 77/22 to hit 4 out of 5 chicken eggs at 100 yards to win the competition.

Yep I could have bought an off the shelf rifle of different manufacture for less $$$ that may or may not have shot as good or better. BUT it wouldn't have the feel of the 77/22, it wouldn't be stainless steel, it wouldn't have the flush fitting 10 round magazine and lastly I wouldn't have built it myself.

Larry

PS I also used this Rifle to win out Indoor Bench Rest League at our local club last winter, the first winter I shot this rifle.

I have owned one for almost 15 years. I bought it because I use Winchester centerfire rifles and the manual of arms is the same. Plus the weight and feel of the M-77/22 was similar to my "big" rifles. It is a wonderful little rifle and will consistently keep 5 shots in 1/2 inch at 50 yards with any decent ammo and will shoot one ragged hole with great (ie. expensive) ammo.
I have killed hundreds of tree rats, rabbits and crows with mine and shot thousands of rounds of every variety of ammo you can imagine. Currently it shooting subsonic ammo and is set up for suburban pest control.

The magazines for a 10/22 work fine in a M-77. I have both and exchange the mags all the time.

The triggers are a bit stiff, but that is an easy and inexpensive fix. They are nearly as accurate out of the box as a Kimber or Cooper for a 1/4 of the price and are much more user friendly than a CZ.

They are well worth the price.

Perry

I am very pleased with my 77/22. With many varieties of ammo it shoots well under an inch at 50 yds. CCI Stingers give me a 1/2"
It easily shoots every bit as well as my Kimber Model 82.

Just recently I traded for a new 77/17VBBZ with the heavy barrel and grey metal finish. Great looking and feeling rifle but that's where the love stops. It won't keep 5 shots of any brand ammo in 1" at 50yds. The Savage I traded for it would shoot better than this at 100yds anyday. I much prefer the Ruger rifle but am certainly not a happy camper regarding it's accuracy.

I have a Ruger M77/22 in 22mag. with a Leupold rimfire scope, and it shoots great. Looking forward to taking it varmint hunting at the end of the month.

Before you give up on that 77-17 try putting a shim at the fore end also check the barrel clamp wedge for looseness and tighten if needed

My rifle does not use the V block and clamp to secure the barrel...it is threaded in just like a normal centerfire. I did try shimming up the action to simulate a free float and it didn't help much.

If it is not producing the accuracy you want, consider an after market replacement barrel such as the Lilja already chambered. Just need a gunsmith to put it on and check it. Possibly a replacement trigger also. This will increase the accuracy with a match grade barrel and better trigger.

I have only one 77-22. I bought it about 1984 from a sporting goods store that was going out of business...50% off! It has had a $10 trigger job, (years ago) which lowered the pull to about 2 1/2 lbs., and allowed me to regularly shoot the heads off the little yellow sunflowers that dot the hills around here, at respectable distances. I love that rifle!

That was before I got into rimfire proctology. About then, I scoped it. Never measured the group size til I started reading on another rimfire site, soooo...I glass bedded and floated the barrel, shimmed it, Loctited it into the receiver and firelapped it. Finally,I put a pad of hobby foam under the barrel, near the sling swivel screw, which settled things down nicely, with MAYBE a small, but noticeable increase in consistency and accuracy.

1,000 rounds of practice ammmo may have had about the same effect, though.

I had lots of fun messing around with it, and the rifle will never be a one-holer. But, it is dead reliable to 50 yards and well beyond, good-looking, and deadly accurate for all my needs.

If I had it to do all over? I'd scope it, get the VQ sear & spring kit that Midway sells, a Vq extended magazine release, float the barrel,(instead of ... say, washing the cat!) buy five magazines a mag pouch and sling, and have a ball shooting it.

My CZ 452 wil shoot some ammo better, but not by very much.

The answer? There seem to be reports of great variations in sccuracy with 77-22s.
I may have just been lucky, and got a good one, but I am happy.

If you want a supremely accurate and beautiful rimfire, pay the freight for an Anschutz, Cooper, Kimber or Weatherby/Anschutz. Just my opinion, and experience, and worth just what you paid for it. Good Luck!

I think the early vbz models had a tight chamber mine did not always want to extract live rounds- but it shot great- I put a shim at the front of the fore arm. The 17 did not shot right out of the box- It had a dent on the crown edge- I got into a hassle with ruger and ended up having a buddy do a recessed target crown.that fixed it.