Please, let me know your tips to make a bedding on a factory wood stock. Thanks - Lorenzo

Please, I need your help!

Well, Lorenzo, mon aime, there are some people in Iraq who need YOUR help.

I don't believe in mixing politics and sporting firearms, though, so I'll tell you that I have a Ruger M77 VT Mk II, which is the varmint/target model with heavy barrel and laminated stock, and the factory bedding on it is just fine. What model do you have? Maybe some of the guys on this forum will be able to help you.

I just got done bedding a mkII vt that was giving me all kinds of trouble. The middle stock bolt was drilled at a angle and cracked the stock. I class bedded the front and the rear. I like to do this in 2 times the front first and back second. Check out the post in small calibers the story of a ruger 243.. Just make sure you use enough release agent and you well not have any trouble glass bedding. I have bedded seveal other rugers besides this one no trouble.

Dear Reedg, even if I live in S.E. France, I am not French, but Italian (my first name is Lorenzo, not Laurent)and I don't agree with French Governement "flabby" positions about the situation in Irak. The Italian Conservative Governement is MUCH more pro-U.S.A. than the vast majority of the other european Governements. During one of my SIX holiday travels to U.S.A. I bought (and I still have) a T-shirt, showing the American Eagle doing a "bad thing" to a doleful Saddam, and the slogan "No slack for Iraq"; SO, PLEASE EVERYBODY, DON'T BOYCOTT ME!!
Coming back to my question, I need help for a Ruger M77II ultralight, cal 270W, that shoot 5 inches group at 200 m. I plan to make a bedding and change the "excessively" light barrel with a heavier one, maybe a Lothar Walther - Thanks

I have had two Ruger rifles bedded by my gunsmith. It did improve the groups somewhat. Try changing the striker spring. I was getting terrible groups with my 257 Roberts until I changed the spring.

I just changed the barrel on my 7 mag. It went from 1/2 groups to 2 inch groups over time (26 years). Went with a Shilen. should be getting it back this week.

Wildboar, I have a Ruger Ultralight in 257 Roberts. I get roughly 2" groups at 100 yards. From what I have been told, this is about par for this kind of rifle. I really don't expect that much more from it. Let me know if you succeed.
Peter.

I have a couple of Ruger M77 MkII's and have figured this much out about them. They will shoot MOA groups if you work with them. A lot sometimes. As far as bedding goes, have the bedding touch in front and behind the front lug and bed the tang as well. While you are at it bed the bottom metal. Use electrical tape to float the barrel from about 2" in front of the recoil lug. Tons of release agent, tons. The angle of that front lug can glue the action in tighter than you'd think. Once it is cured and you've got all of the release agent off of the action (and that ain't easy) head to the range with all of your ususal tools and 2-3 of your business cards.
Shoot your groups with the floated barrel. Does she shoot? If not loosen the action and insert a business card, maybe the thickness of two. You want it to put some, not a lot, of pressure on the barrel. Tighten everything up and see if she shoots. If not, continue to add the thickness of a business card until she get's better or worse. Your groups will tell you how many cards (essentially how much pressure) is needed to make the gun shoot.

This should help, it did with mine. Bear in mind that seating depths, brand of bullet, and powder (velocity) can have huge imacts on group size as well. I did the stuff above and it made both the 25-06 AI and the .280 shoot MOA at 100.

Good Luck,
Jason

I have a 77MKII in .338wm that strung its bullets diagonally from the day I brought it home new. Pulled action and found stock cracked between rear action screw, trigger recess, and magazine well. Hogged out the offending wood and rebuilt it with epoxy with brass screws laid crossways to help tie it together. Bedded the recoil lug and rear tang and the chamber area under the barrel. I then bedded the trigger guard to the stock, boring thru to bedding compound under the action so that I had a pillar effect going with epoxy when all tightened together. Free floated barrel from just ahead of chamber on out. Installed a Decelerator pad and had the trigger pull cleaned up by my smith. I have 2 loads I shoot in this rifle now, both are 3 shots touching each other at 100 yards. 1st is 200gr ballistic tip at 3000 fps, 2nd is a 250gr partition at 2550 fps. With the 200s zeroed 3 inches high the 250s hit 1 inch high right in line. Exceptional rewards for my labors. I say take your time, do it right and give that factory barrel a chance.

Brian

I love my Rugers and they all shoot well except for my 25-06 Mark II stainless with that skinney ugly stock. I put it in the Hogue pillar bedded rubber overmolded stock (About $85). I won't say how bad but it was unusable for me. With some load tuning she is now .2 to .4 on a bad day with 75 grain V-maxes and .7 with 100 grain partitions.

The factory trigger adjusted right down to a nice crisp very repeatable 28 ounces.

This is my very favorite rifle and it sees a lot of action. About the only place it doesn't go with me is in the store or the church but it is waiting in the truck when I get out.

While I was waiting for the stock I had it drilled out to Improved as well. Now it really rips. It's fun to let strangers shoot it at the range and watch the reactions. I usually get a ,"Wow, I didn't think Rugers shot like that."

I really like the feel of that rubber stock as well.

Thanks for setting me straight WildBoar. I hear southeastern France is a great place to live.

I've never used a Ruger Ultralite, though I have looked them over at the local gunshop. My advice would be to check the stock screws and make sure they are snug but over-tightened, make sure the barrel does not touch the stock, though I'm not sure if free-floating is the right way with a barrel that light. If you haven't already removed the stock, do so, and make sure it's all clean inside. One of my rifles had about a half-cup of sawdust in it from where they had done the inletting. Also, if possible, try some different ammunition; maybe heavier or lighter bullets. Don't give up, it's a good rifle.

What is with the 77 MK II cracking stocks?? I also have a cracked stock in back of the trigger. It's a 338 WIN MAG also.

Gentlemen,

I put a Hogue Overmolded stock on my Ruger M77 MkII 7mm Rem Mag to replace the "boat paddle" stock, and groups instantly improved, many to less than an inch. Mine was the "pillar bedded" model, and was the less expensive of the available models.

Joel Slate
Slate & Associates, LLC
www.slatesafaris.com

7mm Rem Mag Page www.slatesafaris.com/7mm.htm

Hired gun,how is your triger adjustable?? I have three, 77/50,Mk11 260 and a 7mag and neither has an adjustable triger.Has Ruger come out with a adjustable factory triger?

I'll add another vote to the cracked Ruger stock, I cracked the tang on my .35 whelen after the first 50 rounds. I replaced it with a wildcat composite and it is now my favorite rifle.

Brownells now offers machined pillars that simplify the bedding job for the M77, like everyone else has said, use plenty of release agent and double check all the angles to make sure you do not lock the action into the stock. I have had better luck with Rugers by removing the presure bed at the end of the forend but as a couple other have posted there are several different opinions on this. Be prepared to try a couple different bedding methods, epoxy is cheap and the satisfaction of improving your own rifle can be priceless.

Wildboar --
I have no experience personally bedding Rugers, but I have had two bedded by reputable gunsmiths. One of them told me that riflesmiths tend to shy from Rugers " because they don't understand them." Both 'smiths told me that one important key to bedding Rugers is to make sure that the front angled action screw does not bear any recoil load. Apparently, this is done by relieving the screw channel after bedding. Related to accuracy, the trigger can usually use some work, stoning, etc. or replacement.
Regards --
-- Doc

I just followed these directions and it works every time.

http://www.centerfirecentral.com/77trigger.html

I have done 6 for my self and at least 10 for others. Mine turn out better than any of the drop in jobs for Ruger that I have checked out. I can do one now in about 15 minutes.

I also have a 338WM Ruger77 MKII. The factory laminate stock cracked after about 20 moderatey loaded rounds. It was replaced on warranty, the second one lasted about 15 rounds. The German distributer then installed a cross-screw in the stock and glass-bedded the action. This solution appears to last now. Accuracy is about MOA.