NebBuckHunter

I have a ruger m77 7 mm mag with this tang safety. I have been trying to get good groups with this gun for 2t yrs now and cant seem to do it. I recently got the trigger redone, and that has helped. I was wondering if anyone with this gun has ever bedded them and floated the barrel. The shots seem to walk to the right when i shoot it a few times. I tried to see what clearance i have and cant even begin to slide a dollar between the barrel and the stock. Its leading me to believe that as the barrel heats up, the stock is putting pressure on the barrel. When i shoot three shot groups, my first shots all hit the same place, as do my second and third shots. Im getting like 3-4 inch groups across three shots. Good enough for deer hunting, but nothing like my 22-25o that a quarter can cover 5 shots. Thoughts?

huntingkidPA

try to find the right load. try everything you can buy, i know, 7mm rem mag isnt cheap but if you find the right load it will shoot well. My fathers ruger m77 rem mag loves 150 gr. rem core lokts.

sconnyhunter

I have the same gun, and like hunting kid said, mine loves the Rem. Core-lokt ammo. Though the 4th shot always seems to be a flier as well. The first three are always good to go, seldom outside on 1.75".

Mojotex

Questions --- How many different factoy loads have you tried? Do all spread to this extent? (That much spread seems pretty dramatic to me). And does this "left to right" spreading occur with each load that you have tried? If the groups are about the same with every load that you have tried, and the spreading is always "left to right", I'd say you are seeing the effects of barrel heating.

NebBuckHunter

I have tried both the federal and rem core lokt, both in 150 grain.

This movement between shots has been consistent with both brands of ammo.

It just irritates me that my other rifles, I can get to shoot so well,...but with this gun, I basically feel like a terrible shooter each time I go to the range. All I can think of, with the consistency in the movement is he that barrel is heating p against that very tight stock.

I don't reload any of my own ammo, so I try to stick with standards. Do ou think 175 grain would do anything different

Since I am thinking about floating the barrel and lass bedding the action, I also have this question for anyone who has one of these rifles. Does our barrel need front pressure? I have read these guns like to have pressure on the barrel at the front of the stock.

So frustrated.....

sdhunter11

Sounds like a tight barrell to me, I have the same rifle and the biggest problem i have is getting a gunsmith to lighten the trigger pull to 2 lbs, when i first bought it new the trigger pull was 6 lbs. I got it lightened to 4lbs but it is still too heavy for my liking. My barrel is tight as well but it has not effected my grouping. I shoot 150 grain nosler partitions with 63 grains of IMR 4831 powder and can put a half dollar piece over 3 shots at 100. Thinking about buying a timney trigger for it.

Mojotex

Just for the heck of it, I'd try 175 gr. and 130 gr.

To give you a real life example, I have a good hunting buddy that had issues with a Browning A-Bolt in 30.06 Spr. He tried sighting in a new scope using Core-Lokt (150 gr.). The groups were horrific. I am talking 4 MOA at best. I suggested he try a differnt load. He went overboard to say the least! Next week he showed up at the range with 11 boxes ... all different loads ... Remington, Nosler, Hornady, Federal, Winchester ... covering from 150 gr. to 200 gr.

Of these we found 4 that grouped very good and one of these 4 that grouped under 1 MOA consistently. Happened to be a Federal Premium using a 180 gr. Partition bullet.

NebBuckHunter

Looks like i will be trying some more rounds and see what i can come up with.

After that, if things adent better, its getting a new float job.

My trigger was horrible too. My gunsmith was able tot ake it to right at 320 lbs without replacing it.

NebBuckHunter

Okay, so I went out, got some ammo, and shot a bunch yesterday.

Here's the breakdown.

Federal 150 gr.: first two shots were damn good actually- half inch pair right where I wanted it. (This hasn't happened in the past.) third shot flew left four inches. Fourth shot flew low left about four inches. I made sure the barrel wasn't hot before shooting the second two, but it was still most likely warmer than when the first two shots were taken.

Remington cor lokt 150.: first shot was four inches left. Second shot was dead center in the bull (of course right.). Third shot was four inches low. Basically a crap shoot.

Hornady 162gr custom. First shot was 3.5 inches low and left. Second shot about 2.5 low and left. Third shot was 3 inches low. Fourth shot 5 inches left. Crap again.

Remington cor lokt 175 grain. : first three shots were touching in a group two inches high (where I want it) and two inches two the left. Best this gun has ever shot. So I adjust my scope to the right. It's now shooting a 2inch group of three shots two inches high still, and about an inch and a half to the right. (Must have over adjusted.). Adjust it back left, and it shot the first shot right where I wanted it. Two inches high, and dead center left and right. Next shot was still 2" high, but to the left two inches. I'm thinking my barrel was heating up, or I could have possibly jerked it.

Looks like I will be using the 175gr rem cor lokt, but do you guys have any clue why it would shoot a slower, heavier bullet, better (and higher on target) than a faster, lighter bullet? Just doesn't make sense to me....

Still thinking after this season, this gun will be bedded, and floated to see how that changes things.

jrfrmn

You need to bed the barrel and get your trigger pull to 2 pounds.
If that doesn't do it you probably need a new barrel.