I found this old post on a Ruger forum. I am in the process of making this modification to my Ruger M77 Hawkeye 30-06. Thought I’d pass it along to this group. I didn’t realize the M77 was known for accuracy issues. Enjoy!
I am a new member to the forum and have this tip that I learned many years ago on accuracy issues with M-77's. I did not invent it, but rather read it in some magazine article on Ruger M-77's back then. I first used it on a 1987 M-77 with tang safety and recently used it on a new Hawkeye, both 308's. It involves pressure on the steel magazine box that is squeezed between the action and the floorplate and trigger guard. I have found that best accuracy from my rifles has been when the steel magazine box is a little loose, such that you can move it back and forth and up and down just a little when everything is tightened down. If you cannot get a little movement in it, then the action is tightened down against the magazine box and pressing on the tab on the rear of the floorplate hinge and the front of the trigger guard, rather than on the stock or the bedding in the stock. This causes wildly variable groups.
This can be checked for effect on your rifle by assembling it without the magazine box, tightening it down and shooting the rifle one round at a time placed in the chamber by hand. If groups improve, then the lack of magazine box free-play may be an issue.
The remedy is either glass bedding to a thickness that raises the action a little and gives a little free play to the magazine box, or using a dremel tool to grind a little off the front and back ends on the bottom side of the magazine box. I have tried both and had great results. Improvement can be as much as reducing 2-3 inch groups (3 shot 100 yd) down to 1/2 to 1 inch groups. This has not caused any feeding issues, probably because the magazine follower spring pushes the rounds and magazine box upward towards the action and it is then in the correct position for good feeding.
On the Haweye, which shot 2-3 inch groups with most all ammo (some were worse), I tried a Hogue overmolded stock with full length aluminum bedding block. When all tightened down, the magazine box was quite loose, and the rifle shot great (3/8" 3 shots at 100 yd with my pet accuracy reload). I didn't like the Hogue stock due to weight and tackiness of the grippy surface sort of sticking to my hunting clothes when moving the gun. I went back to the OEM stock and ground the interferences on the magazine box like I described. Results were accuracy went to 3/8" also.
Hope this helps anyone who is pulling their hair out with M-77 accuracy issues.
I am a new member to the forum and have this tip that I learned many years ago on accuracy issues with M-77's. I did not invent it, but rather read it in some magazine article on Ruger M-77's back then. I first used it on a 1987 M-77 with tang safety and recently used it on a new Hawkeye, both 308's. It involves pressure on the steel magazine box that is squeezed between the action and the floorplate and trigger guard. I have found that best accuracy from my rifles has been when the steel magazine box is a little loose, such that you can move it back and forth and up and down just a little when everything is tightened down. If you cannot get a little movement in it, then the action is tightened down against the magazine box and pressing on the tab on the rear of the floorplate hinge and the front of the trigger guard, rather than on the stock or the bedding in the stock. This causes wildly variable groups.
This can be checked for effect on your rifle by assembling it without the magazine box, tightening it down and shooting the rifle one round at a time placed in the chamber by hand. If groups improve, then the lack of magazine box free-play may be an issue.
The remedy is either glass bedding to a thickness that raises the action a little and gives a little free play to the magazine box, or using a dremel tool to grind a little off the front and back ends on the bottom side of the magazine box. I have tried both and had great results. Improvement can be as much as reducing 2-3 inch groups (3 shot 100 yd) down to 1/2 to 1 inch groups. This has not caused any feeding issues, probably because the magazine follower spring pushes the rounds and magazine box upward towards the action and it is then in the correct position for good feeding.
On the Haweye, which shot 2-3 inch groups with most all ammo (some were worse), I tried a Hogue overmolded stock with full length aluminum bedding block. When all tightened down, the magazine box was quite loose, and the rifle shot great (3/8" 3 shots at 100 yd with my pet accuracy reload). I didn't like the Hogue stock due to weight and tackiness of the grippy surface sort of sticking to my hunting clothes when moving the gun. I went back to the OEM stock and ground the interferences on the magazine box like I described. Results were accuracy went to 3/8" also.
Hope this helps anyone who is pulling their hair out with M-77 accuracy issues.
