Ruger 77/357 accuracy problem

[2ndAmendmentNut]

You mentioned in your first post that you got this rifle to shoot 1" at 50yards with factory 38s. Your rifle is capable of accuracy. At this point I would honestly try a few 357mag factory loads of different weight ranges and try to duplicate the one that works best. Another thing to try is the ladder load method at 100yards and see where the sweet spot is. I have always had issues with 357 loads that clock in the 1200fps range. Supposedly leaving the barrel at super sonic speeds and dropping subsonic before impact can cause serious accuracy issues. Might try a load that is either subsonic all the way to the target or fast enough to be super sonic at least to the target.

[Hickok]

Have you though about the Bolt Shims to take the play out of the bolt body and headspace? I have not used them, but have read of people seeing quite a bit of improvement. triggershims.com - They make trigger shims as well.

You beat me to it. My brother has a heavy barrel .22 Hornet Ruger that he was ready to wrap around a tree. It made a better shotgun than a varmit rifle. I figured I would give it a try, and took the bolt apart and put a shim between the two pieces, and it now shoots great. Amazing difference. Ruger needs to step up and correct this flaw in these type rifle actions.

[Jeff Michel]

Too hard and too small and probably too fast. I'm running the same bullet in the same rifle. Sized .360 50/50 ww/pb, lubed with alox and beeswax (50/50) velocity is 1470, 12 grains of 2400. Mine is an honest 1.5" at 100 yards.
Good luck

[Travelor]

Thank you guys for the suggestions. I will give them a try.

George

[Travelor]

When cleaning my rifle after he last foray to the range I found the action screws to be only finger tight. Interesting as I had torqued them to 25 inch pounds before shooting. I've now Locktited them for the next attempt to find an accurate load.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

Well that could be your problem. Double check your scope bases/rings as well.

[10mmShooter]

my Henry .357, likes .360 sized projectiles........358 and .359 es no bueno.

[44man]

I don't know about the model Ruger you have. Most Ruger bolt guns have a strange bedding system with the front lug and take a very specific tightening sequence. I have it here somewhere, need to find it.
But normal bolt guns like Rem, etc, should have the front action screw at 40 inch# and the rear at 25 inch#, any center screw should just be snug.
I have not had the 77-.44 or .357 here so I don't know.
The bolt shim sounds interesting to stop flex. I need to find a break down picture of the rifle.

[Travelor]

My Ruger 77/357 has the recoil "lug" at the rear of the magazine well and is 90 degrees to the barrel. It is cast into the receiver and is just ahead of the trigger. I am getting a good fit here so this should be not be the problem.

I bought a box of Rem 125 gr. ammo and it was shooting 1" at 50 yards until "something" happened (see below*). Loading up some 11.5 gr. 2400 loads with 147 gr. GC SWC HP's in 357 magnum cases for the next adventure in getting this gun to shoot.

Wonder what the next "learning experience will be. Believe it or not I have been shooting and reloading for 60 years and am not loosing it yet, but this little gun is doing a good job of showing me who is boss.

*I had the scope ring screws attaching them to the rifle loosen to the point the scope fell off. Thank goodness it was at the bench and fell into my hand. Now these two screws are "loctite'd" into place. Boy this gun is hell on screws!

[1Hawkeye]

Try a hard cast 158 gr swc with 6.1 grs of unique that's my favorite go to load for any .357.
If the your load is also shooting bad in your martini chances are it's the load and most likely the bullet.
Good luck

[W.R.Buchanan]

Sounds like you are getting your money's worth out of that gun. These guns are known good performers if the barrels are broke in properly and fed the right ammo. Brian Pearce did an article on both the 77/357 and 77/44. Both were shotguns until the barrel was broke in but after that they were sub 1" at 75 yards with iron sights a proper loads with cast and jacketed bullets.

My main concern after reading all your posts is that you changed everything before doing anything and now you are lost. You should have shot the gun while in the stock configuration and then if you must,,, change one thing at a time so you know where you've been, and can go back the way you came if necessary. The mess you've made has got so many variables it will be very hard to nail down exactly what is going on. It is virtually impossible for anyone to give you a definitive answer as to what to do that would make a meaningful difference.

I would recommend putting the gun back stock with your scope mounted, and starting over by breaking the barrel in properly. Then change the trigger as that won't change the way the gun mechanically shoots as long as it fits in the stock correctly. Then if you must change your stock back out .

Of course you would be shooting the gun after each change until you found or verified an accurate load. Then if it went to Ship when you changed something,,,, you'd know exactly what caused it.

As opposed to where you are at currently.

This is the only course of action that I see being able to unravel your problem.

Good Luck on your project.

Randy

[Travelor]

Well, a little chagrined to report that I found that each time I shot the gun the action screws and the ring base screws were "shooting loose". Rooky move not watching that more closely, but Randy is correct in noting many changes - not one at a time causing me to loose focus.

Latest range trip with LocTite'd screws shows much better accuracy. Now I can focus (as Randy pointed out) making small single changes to find what works best.

Next range trip wil be with the Lyman 358156 GC HP sized to .358, .359. and .360 using the same load - 12.5 grains of 2400.

BTW Randy what is your suggestion for breaking in a barrel using cast bullets only? My experience is very limited in this regard as I have one dedicated new barreled 308 Win (never used jacketed bullets in this Krieger barrel). The 308 shoots under 1" at 100 yards and still improving. Other that that all my experience is with 22 LR barrels.

[Travelor]

Back to square one.

Guns shooting not so good!!!!!!!!

[2ndAmendmentNut]

So if I read everything correctly... Once the gun was loctited in place it shot well with factory ammo? If the gun shoots with factory ammo than the problem is your loads. This is a good problem to have, because your loads are the easiest to change. If you are not familiar with the "ladder load" method do a search for it now and give it a try. Also stop monkeying around with different boolit diameters. Just shoot the fattest boolit that will chamber.

2400 is a good powder and one I would not give up on until you have tried the ladder method from min to max.

One other thing,I would advise using standard primers not magnums. In my opinion a 357mag is not a big enough magnum to justify a magnum primer, and all my loads shoot the same or better with standard primers.

[Travelor]

2ndAmendmentNut, by well, it shot a Remington 125 jacketed soft points for a 5 shot group of 1.5" at 50 yards. My cast bullet groups go vertical, horizontal, or uneven "groups at random with the same loads. Even the tried and true 2.7 grains of Bullseye with a HBWC from Remington in a 38 case wanders.

From what I have been reading some forum members are getting this or close to it at 100 yards.

The ladder test with .360" sized bullets is next.

Thanks,
George

[2ndAmendmentNut]

Maybe it has been mentioned, but do your loads lead the barrel? If so where at in the barrel does lead accumulate?

[Travelor]

When I clean the gun, I find very small and few streaks of lead immediately in front of the chamber (in the leade and about 1/4" into the rifling) and none past there. The lead cleans out with tight fitting patches. Bore scoping the barrel, it looks very smooth - much like a custom barrel.

I bought a box of Remington jacketed ammo and the very best group was 1 1/2" at best. I called Ruger yesterday and spoke with a very nice young Customer Services lady. I asked what the minimum accuracy standard was as defined by Ruger for this gun - answer after she talked with the tech's was 1" at 50 yards. She sent me a prepaid return label when I told her of my experiences with this rifle.

Just got a NOE 360-180 WFN mold Saturday and I have cast a few bullets out of linotype and sized them to .360 for one last attempt to get this gun to shoot. Will try some 2400 and see if this will solve the accuracy problems. If not back to Ruger it goes..................

[Travelor]

I give up!! This gun will not shoot.

It's going back to Ruger.............................................