What do I need to know?

[Sarge]

I have a 3 year old Ruger model 77/mkII 30-06. I am quite ok with it. I wanted to say good but I really don't know if thats true. It feels good to say it though.

I hit the general middle of the target at 100 yards all the time. I group well sometimes. I have noticed that cheap ammo and expensive ammo work about the same. A cheap round and a good one will work seriously different than each other, but seem to work sort of consistantly well with others of their kind.

I'm not opposed to buying real good ammo, but it doesn't seem to make me a real good shooter. More practice will work out the inconsistencies in me, but will it do that for the ammo. I wonder if the factory ammo isn't a little inconsistant right out of the box.

Will reloading for myself really help or am I fooling myself? By the way, I've shot it 3 times in the woods and brought home 3 deer. I'm really not disapointed. I would like to get good though, because I'm a little bit of a natural, and I like shooting a lot, so when the time becomes more available there won't be any reluctance to putting in practice. My goal is to compete someday. My past targets tell me that it is very far off indeed and that I need all the help I can get.

The real question is, will reloading provide me any measureable help?

[Ricciardelli]

Well, your are covering two totally different topical areas. Competition and reasonable hunting accuracy.

As for your Ruger 77, if you are placing your shots where you are placing your crosshairs, for all practical purposes that is totally sufficient for its intended use. You must remember that even the smalles deer or antelope has a 10-inch "lethal area" or "kill zone".

Will reloading bring any benefits? Sure. It will give you something enjoyable to do with your off-time. You may experience much improved accuracy. And there is the pride of telling yourself and your hunting buddies, "That was one of my reloads."

I personally do not advocate so-so accuracy. I have many Ruger 77 rifles. They all do smaller than 1/2-inch, 5-shot, 200-yard groups. Is this really required for hunting? No. Why did I spend the time and money working up to this level of accuracy? Maybe I'm anal-retentive, or maybe I just had a lot of time on my hands. Or may, just maybe, I enjoy the look on the faces of my shooting buddies when they bring back their 100-yard, 3-shot targets with a 1-1/2 inch group.

The Ruger is capable of good accuracy, without spending a lot of money. If oyu have the MkII, the trigger sucks, so a little fine tuning is required there. and, the bedding occasionally needs a little work (I have found on all but two of them that free-floating the entire barrel, from the action all the way down, is the biggest group shrinker...regardles of what Ruger states).

As for competition, that is a totally different bag of worms. You will never get into competition unless you shell out the big bucks (upwards of 5 figures). In that situation, reloading is an absolute necessity! And unless you can put 10 shots at 300 yards in a bullet diameter hole, you'll never take home the gold...

[Sarge]

Ricciardelli, thanks for the info, (I think). You probably noticed by my questions that I really don't have a clue. I'd like any references you care to share on what you mean about the modifications to my Ruger, and maybe your opinion on the best (cheap at first) startup reloading equipment.

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Sarge

[Ricciardelli]

Okay, Sarge...I'll try...

First we'll talk about your Ruger 77 MkII. When Ruger dropped the older models of the 77s, they installed a really lousy trigger in the new models. The old triggers were fully adjustable. The new ones are not. With a little judicious stoning and polishing the new triggers can be brought down from their 12 pound pull to a respectable 3 pound pull, and the backlash and creep can almost be totally eliminated. If you are not familiar with this type of work, it is advisable not to attempt to do it yourself...since if you mess it up, you're outta luck and will end up spending a few bucks for an aftermarket trigger.

As for the forearm. Ruger ships their rifles with a nub at the end of the forearm. This nub applies upward pressure on the barrel, which is almost fully floated from the receiver down to the nub. Ruger warns several times NOT to remove this nub. Out of the 44 Ruger rifles I have, I have removed the nub, and fully loated the barrel so that 3 business cards will slide the entire length of the barrel without contacting the wood. 42 of those rifles immediately started shooting tighter groups. 2 got worse...so I glass bedded those two. If you do this, make sure you seal the wood thoroughly after hogging out all that is necessary, or you may find that your stock will start to warp when it gets a little damp outside.

As for "cheap" reloading equipment...you only get what you pay for. I do not suggest anyone start with the cheapest equipmetn on the market, nor do I suggest they start with the most exotic, erotic, or expensive.

I generally advise new reloaders to go with the RCBS Rock Chucker Master Reloading Kit, (around $230) and the RCBS Accessory Kit (around $60). These two items will give you everything you need to do a bang-up job at reloading, and even a few things you won't need...right now. Eventually, if you enjoy the hobby, you'll be the first in line to buy the latest and greatest of everything. So save your pennies.



[This message has been edited by Ricciardelli (edited 05-03-2000).]

[Sarge]

Wow, sounds great, do you do this kind of work for others? I don't know that you aren't a dealer or gunsmith so that might be a real dumb question. If you are just a real avid shooter, it makes more sense. I am not completely satisfied with my groups but like I said earlier I'm not disapointed either. I would like to meet and learn from some of the people I'm foruming(?) with here. You are indeed a knowlegable person I'd like to know.

[Ricciardelli]

I'm all three...a dealer, a gunsmith, and an avid shooter...

[Sarge]

When you have some time, send me an email at home, or work.
Home: nixonra@mindspring.com
work: nixona@state.mi.us
I'd like to get together, and/or come to your shop and discuss some things I want to do with my firearms and what they might cost.


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Sarge

[Benchshooter]

Ricc
Is it very hard to do a trigger job on a Ruger 77/22 It seems to want to pull very hard.....I have put about 1500 rounds through it.. Love the gun, but the trigger is hard...I do a lot of bench shooting 75 yrds and 100 yrds..How much should it cost to get a good job done? What kind of pull should I be looking at?? 3# to 4# maybe or less?

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Benchman

[Ricciardelli]

Benchshooter...the trigger on the standard 77/22 is not the best or easiest to work with. As for what you should pay for a trigger job, that is something to be discussed between you and your gunsmith.

When talking about weight of pull on a trigger things get blurred. First of all, I don't suggest any trigger pull lighter than 4# on a field gun and 3# on a target gun. But weight is not the only factor. Creep, smoothness and backlash are even more important.

A sloppy 2# pull is a lot worse than a nice clean, short and sharp 5# pull.

[Ricciardelli]

Sarge...

E-mail me at any time...be glad to type back at you and talk about guns.

Since I am "retired" I no longer keep "shop hours", but have been known to occasionally do some work for my close friends.

[Benchshooter]

Ricc,
Thanks for the info..I think I'll have to go with a Timney (sp)Trigger for about $65. and about $45. for labor. I hope that this trigger has a smooth pull. ??

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Benchman