How accurate is the average 77/22?

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I bought my 77/22 stainless/boat paddle in the early 90's and it's had a lot of bullets down the tube but I'm sort of surprised at just how accurate it is and that it doesn't seem to be picky about ammo.
Is this common or a fluke of nature?
The two 77/17's I have are far more ammo sensitive as far as accuracy and POI shift when using various brands.
 
Based on what I've read on various forums over the years… it sounds like you've got yourself something of a fluke!

Lots of folks complaining about a lack of accuracy in their 77/22, but "that's the internet," for you.

The 77/22 rifles seem to be like quality control reports on Taurus- lots of folks complaining, but "when you get a good one… you've got a good one!" 👍

I have a stainless/synthetic/sights version, with the barrel threaded into the receiver. I picked it up for a fair price here, a number of years ago.

The plan is to use it as an "understudy" to my M77 "Hawkeye" deer rifle. I've got basically the same scope (w/rimfire parallax setting), and is pretty much a dead ringer, except my deer rifle has no iron sights.

I'm embarrassed/ashamed to admit that I still haven't properly wrung my 77/22! 🤔
 
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I have one with the boat paddle stock and no sights. Deadly accurate. Scoped.
My buddy used to have one that was unfortunately stolen from him, and it had open sights. I used his to win turkey shoots where we shot at a NRA target, with the 10 ring this about the diameter of a.22 bullet. 3 rounds and you were scored by points. I shot the occasional 30, and several 29's.
Very accurate guns from the ones I have used.
 
Seems some of them suffered sloppy headspace. Common enough that a few companies make & sell shim kits to improve them. The ones with that problem had accuracy issues, where the properly head spaced ones seem to be very accurate.
I got lucky with a used boat paddle I bought, as it's more accurate than would have hoped for.
 
I have a couple of the VBZ models, target grey and laminate stock, and they are tack drivers. My brother and father also own one and they are also superb units. I have a hard time walking past one on the used self at any gun shop.
 
My guess is you got a good one, I've had 2 different ones over the last 40 years, neither one was minuet of squirrel at 25 yards. Didn't matter what ammo I tried.
 
I have an early blue, wood stock version with sights. Like yours it shoots pretty well. I did shim the bolt and experimented with many ammo brands and bullet weights. It surprised me with the accuracy of some bulk Federal ammo from Walmart. It was the gun that started me on my love for the 77 MKII and the reason I bought my 77 MKII RLS in 308.
 
I also have had an assortment of 77/22's, including a heavy barrel target model, none of which I was pleased with the accuracy. In every case, any of my 10/22's shot better, so why would I continue to bother with the 77/22's.

But admittedly, I have seen 77/22's owned by acquaintances, to shoot quite well.

Guess it's luck of the draw.
 
I must have got a good one.
I bought mine from a pawn shop in the early 90s. It had a straight 8x leoupold already mounted on it at the time, and still does.
Stingers is the only diet it's ever had while in my possession.
First shot I ever made I hit a penny that I had super glued to a piece of cardboard at approximately 100 feet.
I feel strongly it would do the same thing today.
That was the 2ond skeleton stainless rifle that led to an addiction of those rifles.
I still hunt with the first one, a 30-06, every year since 1991.
And have since acquired 10 more different calibers of those rifles.
Not sure I'll be able to complete the set, but I'm always on the lookout
 
Never had an accuracy issue with either the 22 or 17, had probably the first two 17's shipped into New Mexico. Still one of my favorite rifles! Shot a lot of kit fox and it never once failed me
 
I have a blued boat paddle 77/17 with a spare threaded barrel. On a good day, it's cloverleaf accurate but a bit ammo sensitive. I used it on a state authorized nuisance control shooting muskrats that were damaging a county road and it's performance was awesome-way better than a 22lr and far less obtrusive than a .223. Then I discovered the RAR 17 with factory threaded muzzle at a price that made me feel better about the constant abuse of a working rifle so the 77/17 hasn't been outside in 4-5 years.
 
I bought a blued/walnut 77/22Magnum about 30 years ago, and it proved to be quite ammo sensitive - I was hoping it would do well with heavy bullets, but it definitely favored the lighter ones. When I put a Green Mountain .17HMR barrel on it, it was still ammo sensitive, but favored the heavy FMJ loads over the lighter bullets. It's a beautiful rifle and fun to shoot, but I keep thinking I should sell it and get a RAR .17HMR that I won't have to worry about scratching!
:)
 
Since several have mentioned the 77/17, I'll add that I won a wood/blued one during the 2nd year of production.
It is very, very accurate and rides in a case in my truck daily for animal damage control when needed.
I have a red fox mounted that was taken by it on a job. I was setting traps for foxes and it got curious. When I spotted it, I ignored it and slipped back to the truck and got the.17.
I have shot several of the 77 R/F rifles and never got a bad one.
 
IMHO, the extractors on RAR 17's are problematic. I'm limited to one ammo type when shooting my RAR 17 suppressed or it fails to extract. Not long ago, we had a member with a feed issue on this type rifle that was somewhat related to the extractors. You can only go so far with 'CHEAP' before problems begin to show up. :unsure:
 
I've owned several 77/22 rifles and liked them but I trade and sell a lot and they were all gone. So in 2013 I decided I wanted/needed a rifle in .22 magnum and I decided to try a Ruger American Rimfire. Went to a gunshow looking for the shorter barreled model and the one they had the barrel laid kind of wonky in the stock so I wound up buying the 22 inch bbl model instead. I have been so impressed with this rifle that I don't see me ever spending the money again for a 77/22 or 77/17.
 
One of the first rifles I bought was a Boat Paddle stainless 77/22 in 22LR. It's a gun I've had for 30 ish years, I'll never sell it. Having said that, it was not very accurate. It'd string shots. But, I sent it to Randy at CPC, and he did everything he does Ito it, including threading it for a suppressor. NOW, it's a very nice gun. Shoots way better. But, I have nearly a grand into it.
 
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