Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

I'm have a Ruger in the 257 Roberts. Have only fired maybe 3 box of ammo through the rifle. The group at 100 years is about 2 1/2 inches. I have 2 other Ruger's one 280 and the other a 25 06 and they are nail drivers. Has anyone had any expernece with the 257 and did the group improve after more shooting. Have only tried Rem Core loc thinking of Trying Hornaday SST in the light Mag. Before I invest in the dies and power to reload for the 257 I want the group to get just a little better. What has been your experence with the 257.
Thanks

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

I haven't ever had much success with Remington Core-lokts. I'd try something else before passing judgment.

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

Ist look down the bore. does it look well polished, do cleaning patches go down the bore with no rough spots?

Is the trigger light enough for you to shoot good groups?

Is it in walnut stock? If so take the rifle apart and make sure that the area in the stock around the recoil lug is smooth and that the rifle doesn't bind when you put in the stock.

Torgue the screws to the following numbers in inch/pounds

Diagonal screw: 35 min, 90 max.
Trigger guard screws: 30 min, 50 max

If that doesn't work I would consider an bedding job with a free float on the barrel

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

I have the M77 mark II (walnut stock)in .257 roberts and with factory ammo I've never been able to attain real tight groups, but I've also taken quite a few deer and even a fall turkey with this gun soI have no real complaints. I love this caliber for deer and whenI get into re-loading I figure I can get tighter groups. I've shot core-lokts (117 gr)and federal nosler partitions (120gr) and they both group around ~2" @100yards.

No knees, I'm curious about what you said about the stock. If I hold the forend of the stock in my palm and place my thumb against the barel and put pressure on the barel, the stock will move slightly and make a creaking noise. Should i do what you have suggested? Thanks.

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

On Ruger rifles, sometimes playing around with the torque on the angled action screw can better your groups. Its a simple thing to try before doing anything drastic. For me Corlokts are usually very accurate. The Roberts is NOT a cartridge known for NOT shooting well. The last one I had, a 700 Remington would shoot three shot groups usually all touching. This with 120 grain Nosler BT's loaded by Federal.

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

My experience is that many Rugers do much better with a free floated barrel. The traditional test to see if your barrel is free floated is see if you can slip a dollar bill folded once along the long axis, between the stock and the barrel. if its free floated the bill should slide freelyalmost to the receiver.I think that from the factory Rugers usually come with contact between the stock and barrel.

Although you can free float a rifle without bedding it the two areoften done together. Glass bedding is pretty easy to do yourself if your handy, or a gunsmith can do it..around my area it runs about $100

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

I had a 77 ultralight for a while in .257 Roberts and for what it was ( lightweight, 20"BBL pencil thin ) it shot way better than that. You need to go over the bedding, screws and find a load for it before passing judgement.

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

I went shooting today to try a few things. First I shot the rifle from the bench (all shooting was donefrom the benchon a rest), a three shot group with 117 gr core-lokts. 2 shots were about 1.5" apart the third was a flyer (could have been me). Next I put a buisness card between the stock and the barrel on the left side (a dollar bill will slide freely all the way to the receiver on the left side but not onthe right) shot three core-lokts, the first two were touching, almost the same hole, and the third was a flyer, about 2.5" low. Then I put a card on the right side (left and right now have cards) and I shot 3 core-lokts ina ladder pattern about 1.25". I then shot three federal nosler partitions, two touching the third just shy of touching to complete the clover leaf. I'm guessing the third flies due to barrel heating but it was cool outside so I made sure the barrel was cooled off before each three shot group.

My question is, what should I do next? It's not practical to hunt with paper between the barrel and stock, so doI free float the barrel or put a wood shim in place of the paper buisness card? I think I was able to determine the cause of the less than precise shooting and the cards will work on sunny days but not in the snow and rain. Any suggestions? Thanks.

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

I think you should just give up and sell it cheap to me.

I think you already know what to do. I dont think shooting one box of corelokt can tell you anything. I would try some different ammo. If your going to pass judgement on rifles after only one or 2 loads you will prob be disappointeda lotof the time.

PA257 did you try the Partitions without the business cards under the barrel?

If I were you, Id at the very least take stock off and run some sandpaper where the barrel channel is. Maybe not enough to float the barrel but enough to take off anyting rough. If you feel comfortable taking out enough material to float it by all means go for it. Just put some type of wood sealer on the part you sandpaper. There are plenty of good posts on how to freefloat a barrel on here if you use the search feature you should get all the help you need. Just take your time.

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

DB,

Don't know if you were talking to me about selling the gun, butI'm not sellingand if I did, you'd have to get in line.;) I use this gun for hunting so obtaining 0.5 moa is not my objective, I just know this gun should shoot better groups.

I did not shoot the partitions without the cards today, but I have on other days plenty of times and the results have been ~2.0" groups, maybe 1.5" on a good day. I guess free-floating would be the best along with a bedding job. I'll do a search. Thanks for the info.

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

I have a Ruger M77 Ultra Light ,I have never shot factory ammo in it but I have many handloads for that gun, it is one of my favorite . I have taken Many deer with it. Mine is the older, pre Mark2 model. It has been bedded and free floated.My favorite load is 120 gr.Nosler Partition,51.0 Gr. Ramshot Magnum,Federal 215 Primer,OAL 2.945. This load shoots 1" groups out of A 20" barrel.

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

It was actually for both of you. I had to try!

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

So the roberts is a short action but in the M77 Mark II it has a long action stock? I checked the measurement and it was8 3/4" from the end of the trigger guard to the front of the floor plate. Is this correct? I've read that the Ultra light is in a short action stock. I'm getting a little confused.

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

I've owned Rugers and just about every other domestically produced bolt action rilfe at one time or another. On the 3 Rugers I've had having the action bedded and the barrel free floated always gave me better groups. I've got a remington 700 in 257 Roberts. It shot poorly also until I had it bedded and free floated and with my handloads it is the most accurate medium game rifle I own. I'm talking groups in the .350" at 100 yards with 100 gr. BT's.

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

I think the 257 Roberts is considered a medium action(not positive). Some manufacturers have it Long action some as short. The only way to find out for sure, unless one of the many knowledgable Smiths on here can help you out is to call Ruger. Ruger's # is 888-220-1173

Again buy selling it cheap to me you wouldnt have to worry about all the messy phone calls and stuff.

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

I have a Ruger 77 in a 257 Roberts AI. It shoots really well. I did not buy the gun new - it is one of the older creations. I also have a 7x57 Ruger in the old style that I had a hard time getting to shoot tight groups, but eventually found the right load for it. I think some of the older Rugers can be a little more challenging - but the 257 Roberts AI is a tack driver for me.

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

I had a Rem700VLS in 6mm (same case as .257 Roberts) that was a short action. What I found wasa bullet loaded out to just off the rifling would not fit in the magazine. That tells me factory ammo has a pretty short overall length and, although I don't know about the .257 for sure, could be a hangup as far as shooting tight groups with factory stuffis concerned.If ammo is designed to work in short actions, as well as long actions, then there may be long jump before the bullet engages the rifling. I've never seen that work real well for good accuracy. Just a possibility, but there are a few rounds that are made 'short' so they work in all guns.

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

Me too, but it would NOT be a factory load. The .257 has fallen from grace pretty badly (due to no fault of the cartridg4e at all), and it seems to me that the factories are not putting much effort into marketing really accurate ammo for it much these days. You don't say what load you have tried - what bullet weight, etc. It is quite possible that some particular bullet type and weight will work better for you. (BTW, I have had some pretty great accuracy from handloads using Rem Core-Lokt bullets - but I have never used any of these for game!)

I'd follow noKnees' advice. Make sure the bore is totally cleaned, and all screws everywhere are tight. A great number of things, besides bad ammo, could be causing your problem. And most of them can be easily fixed or eliminated......

RE: Ruger in 257 Roberts
 

Right on! The .257 Roberts, despite having a 57mm-long case just like the 7X57mm and 8X57mm, was SOMETIMES made by U.S. factories on short actions instead of the size they should have used! So the ammo was usually always loaded short (taking up a lot of powder space from the case) to fit in the undersize magazines.

Generally, whenpeoplemade up custom .257's, they used actions of the right size then had the chambers throated long (CORRECTLY!!) so the bullets could be seated out where they belong, and gotbetter accuracy AND MUCH HIGHER VELOCITIES than they could get from the too-short factory ammo. (This too-short factory ammo may be contributing to your problem.)

So, perhaps you have a long (correct) throat and a short action! If so, it may work out that you have to use your rifle as a single-shot with ammo that is too long for your magazine to get the most accuracy out of it.

I don't know which length of M77 action Ruger uses for their .257's. I have a 7X57 M77, and it is on the same length action as their .30/'06's. But I once ordered a replacement magazine follower from Ruger for that rifle, and they sent me a short-action follower. So maybe Ruger doesn't know either.........