Looking to get some more accuracy out of my Ruger M77MKII, its the weather warrior version, stainless barrel, synthetic stock. Do Rugers tend to do better free floated? I've heard of floating not helping some rifles/barrels. also should i bed/glass bed the rifle? I have already worked the trigger down to I believe around 4 lbs(it's a hunting rifle). Thanks in advance for any replies!

assuming you reload and know how to work up accurate loads

bed the action, free float the barrel, if that don't work, replace the trigger... next is crown...

and at some point, you have to decide it's a "down the roader"

jeffe

Before you do anything else loosen all the action screws and re-tighten them carefully. Front first, then the tang next. The Rugers seem to me to be sensitive to torque issues cuasing some kind of binding or twisting of the action. Can't explain it very well but I've turned a shotgun into a usable rifle with litte more than a screwdriver. Bedding it will probably help a bit to ensure the torque from the screws is evenly applied to the action, if that makes sense. Nate

soooo, to float or not to float?

I recently had the very same type of rifle free floated. The gunsmith was also going to bed the action but said that he could not given the configuration of the stock. I have not shot it yet with the floated barrel.

Stevie,
no offense to you, but go buy your gunsmith a can of paste floor wax and some plumberputty...

anyone worth a good screwdriver can do it

jeffe

Jeffeosso,

No offense taken. The gunsmith said that whatever substance he tried to use wouldn't adhere to the stock. Not knowing any better, I assumed that was truly the case and I was out of luck.

quote:

Originally posted by stevie:
Jeffeosso,

No offense taken. The gunsmith said that whatever substance he tried to use wouldn't adhere to the stock. Not knowing any better, I assumed that was truly the case and I was out of luck.

I'm not sure if any of the commonly used bedding epoxies would bond to a Ruger injection molded stock. It would probably require a mechanical lock such as by drilling small holes or installing some sort of threaded screws that give something for the epoxy to bond to.

If you start out by torquing the wedge recoil lug action screw to say 25 inch-lbs, torque the rear action screw to say 20 inch-lbs then snug up the center screw. If you then are able to feel some play w/ the magazine box, your action is probably sitting square in the injection molded stock w/out much if any stress. If the magazine box locks up tight when you tighten the rear screw to 20 inch-lbs, then the action is not sitting square in the stock and is binding.

A simple method to give the action a square platform to sit on in the injection molded stock is to glue in a set of Brownell's Ruger pillars. If you did this and ensured there were no high spots, the action should tighten against these pillars w/out any binding and your mag box will have a small amount of play.

The above method is not as solid as a properly bedded fiberglass stock but it should be a great improvement over a binding action in the factory injection molded stock.

quote:

A simple method to give the action a square platform to sit on in the injection molded stock is to glue in a set of Brownell's Ruger pillars

Just curious how you glue the pillars in if the concern is the epoxy won't stick to the plastic.

Using a bedding type epoxy, it's not hard getting a mechanical lock being the pillars go completely through the stock and you can have epoxy on both ends. This can give you a good platform to help hold the epoxy in the recoil lug and tang areas.

Some of the wonder epoxies designed to bond to anything (vs. std Acraglas, Devcon, Steel Bed, Pro 2000 bedding epoxies, etc) will probably give a better bond on a tight fitting pillar. I'd still releive the ends, cut slots, and/or drill holes etc. to ensure a mechanical lock vs. totally relying on the epoxy bonding to the injection molded poly-plastic stock.

W/out having a mechanical lock, the bedding epoxy can bust loose from the poly-plastic.

Just read something on here about "test" floating a barrel using an old credit card etc etc, how do you go about this? might be something id like to try. BTW i went out last weekend and the old ruger shot 1 3 shot group under .75", haven't done anything to it yet. hopefully headin out for a repeat this weekend if the weather cooperates. thanks!

You need to find a better smith I am just a jack knife smith. I have bedded about a dozen rugers and sty stocks with brownells Aclaglass with out a bit of trouble.

I use locks I drill .125 holes at differant angles in the bedding area. Bed it the normal way action and about 3 inchs of the barrel and have had no trouble.

Even in my 416 the bedding has held.

My M77 rifles have not needed bedding, and with the angled action screw I'd have hesitated even if they did. It looks hard - I wonder if that's why the smith said "he could not given the configuration of the stock." He might not have meant the material, but the difficulty.

The point of bedding is to make contact consistent between the action and the stock. As far as I'm concerned, that's the point of the angled action screw - it pulls the stock and action firmly together so that it doesn't shift. I think I finished up with 50 inch-pounds of tightening both angled screws.

I did glass the forend tip on both, however, and the results for the MkII were exceptional. Most five-shot groups were under 0.75". The tang safety M77 also improved, but not as much.

Jaywalker

I haven't bedded any I've owned, but most will shoot better with the barrel floated. I've done mine like the other guy-about 3in. bedded, the rest floated. I would do the trigger on a Ruger before I ever pulled the trigger on a live round. My beat up been to hell and back 7x57 is a boring .6-.7 rifle at 100 yards with 140 TSX's and H414 and .8-.9 with 160 partitions and H414.