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  #1  
Old 04-30-2018, 01:40 AM
Screaminweasil Screaminweasil is offline
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Default Ruger 77/22 hornets are ugly and don't shoot

Yeah right







As many of you know, I bought this rifle "1996" model Ruger 77/22K hornet off Gunbroker a few months back. Shot 7 rounds of factory PPU 45 gr loads which split every case due to brittle brass. Managed two 3 shot groups (only i've ever shot with the rifle up until today) with that factory ammo were around 3/4 to 1" at 50 yards......not great, but it's not great ammo.


I have a CZ 527 American 22 K hornet and checked to be sure the ammo loaded up for that chambered nicely in the ruger..........Walla, fit like a glove.

My 4.5 year old son and I went out this evening for a quick 50 yard range session. After sight in, I let my son shoot a few water filled jugs with it as well. He just can't seem to miss very often and made all three "first shot kills" at 50 yards, using a rest.

Groups were shot in haste at 50 yards rested off a picknic table, with a 9x weaver, and the sun in my eyes glaring through the scope.

As if I don't have any more excuses for these "lousy" Ruger groups.........we were rushed for time as well.

Sure am glad I don't subscribe to everything I read about Ruger 77/22 rifles, I'd be missing out on a few really nice ones sittin in the safe.

Rifle is stock except the "K" hornet chambering in which I have no idea who smithed it. Seems like it's accurate enough to me for shooting a load that isn't custom tailored to it.

My statement of this rifle is "stock" sans the K hornet chambering isn't entirely accurate as I remember a few things I did to it now.

I put a lighter trigger return spring in it...........pull went from 4.5 lbs crisp to 2.25lbs crisp.

I also put a .002" shim in the bolt halves............thats the biggest I could go without getting too tight on bolt closing.

Other than that..........the rifle is stock. Stock bedding, stock barrel channel (no where near free floated), etc. Action screws are torqued to a light 20 inch/lbs as these actions are not exactly bulky. (maybe others tighten them too tightly, and torque the actions?)


Not quite as accurate as my CZ 527, but who cares. Accurate enough for me and I like it better anyway. (No offense to the CZ as it's a favorite as well and got me "stung" by the hornet in the first place).

Who else just gets so darned excited about a good shooting "Hornet"?

Man, I love this stuff.

Last edited by Screaminweasil; 04-30-2018 at 07:42 PM. Reason: Clarification
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  #2  
Old 04-30-2018, 01:47 AM
Bill K Bill K is offline
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Default Ruger 77/22 hornets are ugly and don't shoot

It is a nice looking rifle and from your targets, is sure looks like it will do the job, very nicely. Looks are always in the eyes of the beholder, no matter what. Bill K
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  #3  
Old 04-30-2018, 01:49 AM
Bayou City Boy Bayou City Boy is offline
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LOL......!

I have a Hornet and a K-Hornet just like that one. When I tell folks that they are accurate, they tell me I must be mistaken......

All I know is that they out shoot a couple of other straight 22 Hornet rifles that I own that are supposed to be very accurate according to the consensus on the internet. Go figure.............

-BCB
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Last edited by Bayou City Boy; 04-30-2018 at 03:03 AM. Reason: clarification...............
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Old 04-30-2018, 03:23 AM
JSH JSH is offline
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When the 22 RF ammo went nuts, I got PO'd and got rid of my Winchester collection, all but a slim few. Kept my 52 a while longer and sold it off finally.

I decided I was going to revisit the Hornet. I had had a few in the past, before I was casting bullets. The rifle I ended up with is one of the early new Savage single shots in 22 Hornet. All across the net it was poo poo'd a bunch. Mostly from folks trying to make a 222 out of it. I came up with a load that shoots right around 1050fps. I was chasing the CCI standard load. I would rather be lucky than good, and I was.

Small pistol primers and about 2.0 grains of SR 7625, even an old 8 ounce can will go a longgg way.
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Old 04-30-2018, 04:09 AM
johno johno is offline
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Thats a nice rifle and good grouping, ruger have always seemed issue with consistency in their rifles. My wifes 77/22 mag is a tack driver but others have lots of problems.

Always wondered what James Calhoon did to get the magazine to feed his 19 Calhoon round if there was a lot of work involved. I don't think he used the rugers for long I guess the CZ was an easier and cheaper platform

Johno
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Old 04-30-2018, 03:19 PM
Daryl Daryl is offline
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Local friend of mine bough the m77/22 hornet. Factory ammo was a 2 1/2" 100meters proposition, both WW and RP.
With handloads, we got it down to 1 1/2" using the Lil'Gun preparations, but that was it.
I stopped using the 35gr. Vmax due to lousy accuracy past 150yards, some time back. I found the 40gr. maintain accuracy in the CZ's to well past 400yards.
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  #7  
Old 04-30-2018, 03:45 PM
fat cat fat cat is offline
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Default Ruger 77

Would you just look at that no shootin Ugly sum B!!!!! Mine shoots very good also!!!!
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  #8  
Old 04-30-2018, 04:25 PM
moorepower moorepower is offline
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I am thankful that some are inaccurate as I was able to get one really cheap to rebarrel. I had a chance to get one similar to yours, but the seller stuck to his price because he would not sell for less than he paid, even though he could not get it to shoot under 3" at 100 yards. He was a guilded gunsmith, but he did not want to rebarrel. I LOVE the looks of the guns, and the fantastic magazine, but they let enough of them slip through the cracks I would be nervous of buying one used without shooting. The inlet work in my Varmint model was terrible, and probably most of the reason it did not shoot. To ME they are some of the nicest looking & handling little guns out there along with the Browning. Looks like you found the perfect varmint/ plinker for the kids, when they can get it away from you.
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  #9  
Old 04-30-2018, 05:50 PM
wally bennett wally bennett is offline
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HAD a Ruger 77/22h all weather laminate stock heavy SS barrel lovely looking gun even before i shot it i sent it to Riflecraft for bedding threading for moderator chaseing the barrel and a trigger job because i had heard about the not so good grouping on hornets
They did a good job of beding and threading and barrel polishing trigger job was the worst i had ever felt i could not believe how heavy it was.
It was in riflecraft for 7 week despite telling me it would be 10-14 days they told me "send it back we will check the trigger but it was good when it left here" postman must have been an armature gunsmith and played with it himself no way would i send it back to riflecrap
took it to a friendly smith in Witchurch put his trigger gauge on it told me his gauge was up to 12lbs and it went over the 12 before it tripped he guessed about 15/16lbs he set it to 50ozs i was pleased with that no take up and a crisp let off
using R&P 45GR ammo it was sub 1"all the time and sometimes 3/4"
changed to Hornady 35gr V-MAX made it a different gun worst was 3/4" best was under 1/2"
Home loading with Li-Gun and 35gr v/max it was always 1/2"or under
barrel was spot on could go 150 rounds before cleaning
now its had a speed up i fitted it with a Pacnor 1-10twist in SS 17A/H
JUST AS ACCURATE BUT FASTER
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  #10  
Old 04-30-2018, 06:38 PM
montdoug montdoug is offline
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Really nice looking rifle weasil!!! I've always thought the M77 Rugers were a seriously attractive rifle ever since the first .270 I bought new in the box back in the early 70's for $135.00 as memory serves. That inaccurate Ruger shot 3/4 inch 3 shot groups using a 4X Leupold scope with boring regularity and that was back when inch groups were considered the "Holy Grail" of rifle accuracy. Looks like you have a real shooter there yourself, congrats!!!
Personally, I'm an equal opportunity gun lover cause I love em all .

P.S.
That boy'll be out-shooting you in 8 or 10 years so keep practicing with him . Big Time Congrats there too !!!
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