I have a Tang safety off getting a 20" 358 barrel as we speak. I hope to have a Brown precision lightweight stock and top it off with a Burris 1.75x5x32 Sig Safari.

I have owned a number of ruger rifles and I have never had trouble getting one to shoot under an inch and the only other one that had a custom barrel ( a 338-06) I can get to shoot almost a half inch, so I never doubted that the M77 would be a good choice.

The two hesitations I had about the M77 were that Mcmillian dosen't make its edge stock for the ruger and the second hesitation was that I suspect that the M77 is a heavier action than the 700. But for me I am a Ruger guy so I can deal with the little things If I can carry one of my old friends.

I expect that the reasons that more customs/semi customs aren't made with M77s are partially historical.. everyone builds RemChesters so customs are RemChesters..its sort of circular. The folksordering and building customs are just more familiar with RemChestersIn the past Rugers had a reputation for touchy accuracy caused partially by poor barrels in the old days, a bedding system that was unfamiliar to many and on the M77 MKII, a poor trigger. I don't think that any of those affect a custom rifle at all.

On the upside you get strong bolt, good scope mounting system.