Ruger 77/44 general and reloading question

[Hunting Goodman]

Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum, but not new to Ruger. I am the proud owner of 2 10/22's (one blued carbine, and one stainless full-length, which I absolutely love), and I added recently a new 77/44 to my collection! I have quite a few diverse questions regarding the 77/44, and have looked in the forums and have not really found the answers. I have a Burris Fullfield II 4X7 scope mounted on the stock rings, and have shot around 125 rounds through it. Here are the questions that have been on my mind;
1. The action is not very smooth, and it doesn't chamber the rounds very well, often jamming. I have tried doing it slowly and also quickly with not much difference.
2. The trigger has a very rough feel, I don't mind the pull weight as much as the almost "grinding" feel it has.
3. I cannot get it to place a pattern tighter than about a 6" circle @ 100 yrds (on a bench and using a gun vise). I have tried Magtec 240gr FMJ, Sellier & Belliot 240gr SP, and have also reloaded a 225gr FTX Hornady with 19.8gr H110 (with trimmed casings).
The S&B 240gr SP holds the best pattern out of all the loads listed, and the Hornady was the worse (quite a disspointment).

So has anyone experienced any of these issues I have listed, and do you have any advise about it? I really thought it would shoot a much tighter patter at 100 yrds, but maybe I am expecting too much? This is the first 44 mag I have ever owned, so my experience if very low. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Hunting Goodman]

Lamplighter, if I could get a grouping like that I would be thrilled! Does your Deerfield have a 1:20 twist like the 77/44? Thanks for the load data also

 

[wunbe]

My old model Ruger .44 carbine will easily shoot 1.5 MOA all day with commercial Winchester 240 gr fodder.

I just today picked up my new-to-me 77 .44 mag from the smith who did a trigger job on it. The original was probably the worst -- of many -- bad Ruger triggers I have encountered. It now breaks smoothly at 3lbs with no over-travel.

Here's hoping it is as accurate as the old gun is and as the seller swore it would be. I'll let you know next week.

wunbe

1B

 

[96/44]

In my limited experience, Blue Dot and heavy bullets are your friend in .44 mag carbines. Slower powders like H110, and Lil'gun will get you higher velocity, but groups open up considerably. The triggers on the 77/44 can be cleaned up by some careful polishing, or any aftermarket trigger that fits the 77/22 will work in the .44 also.

 

[RJ556]

Hunting Goodman, I wish you the best of luck with your 77/44. I owned 2, one early manufacture and one late. Neither could be counted on to shoot better than 3" or better at 100 yards. Sure occasionally I could pull off a 2.5" group, but only occasionally. I did EVERYTHING short of a rebarrel to get them to shoot. And it was not the shooter. I have several rifles (rifle calibers, 270 Win.,243 Win. and 6.5x55 Swede) that I can demonstrate groups at or close to .5" on most days. The reason I say "most days" is because the internet tiny group clich'es "all day long", "every day, any day" is for the most part BS. I have heard some posters, mostly on other forums, say that their 77/44 will shoot under an inch at 100 yards consistiently. I don't believe it. If anyone says that their 77/44 (with factory barrel), will consistiently shoot that good, if they can demonstrate shooting 3, 3 shot groups in succession under one inch at 100 yards, I will give the a crisp new $100 bill. If they cannot do it, they give me $100. Anyway, I think a trigger job, tight action screws, a good scope, good full pressure 240 grain loads and holding on to the fore end when you shoot the gun and you should be able to get closer to 3" groups. Good shooting and good luck.

 

[Hunting Goodman]

RJ556, I was really afraid I would get a reply like that I have checked and double-checked everything with the gun from stock to barrel to make sure things were correct (and they were all good mechanically), so all I can do is play around with loads until I find something to get me close. I bought the 77/44 with high hopes of having a great deer rifle, but can only say "fair" at best right now. I am pretty stubborn though, and will keep trying...Thanks a lot for the input!

 

[rugerjunkie]

On thing I don't see mentioned is the accuracy everyone seems to want out of a 44mag rifle...

It aint a target round and far from a target rifle. I don't expect mine to shoot moa. Unrealistic in my opinion. I have shot a few small groups with mine but think there was more luck involved than anything because it is tough to repeat. I do get pretty consistant 3" groups with mine wearing a straight 4x scope and using either 265 grian hornady or 270 grain speer soft points.

Plenty good enough for deer sized targets out to the reasonable ranges one should keep a 44 within.

Get it to within minute of deer and quit worrying about it and enjoy it for what it is...one of the funnest rifles out there...

ETA...

Reread your post. Try some heavier bullets. Ive not heard a lot of stellar reports with lighter ones.

My $.04

 

[Hunting Goodman]

Rugerjunkie, I really wasn't expecting super-tight grouping at 100yrds, but was really expecting to get around a 3" circle. It seems with all my searching around the net, most guys are definitely shooting 240gr and heavier bullets to get acceptable results. I was turned onto the Hornady XTP from a levergun enthusiast, but my 77/44 really didn't like the lighter bullet for sure!
Was gonna reload some 240gr Hornady XTP, but had even thought about 300gr, any opinions?
Thanks for the great input

 

[Cedar Creek]

I bought my blue/walnut 77/44 in the spring off 1998 and use it quite a bit for hunting in the thick woods of SE Oklahoma where shots are usually 100 yards or less - mostly less. It has a Nikon Pro-Staff 4X scope and shoots Hornady 265 grain bullets over 23 grains of H110 into about 2" or so @ 100 yards. Not a tack driver, but compact, reliable, and deadly on whitetail deer. For open clearcuts, etc. I usually haul out the flatbolt 77R .308 or 77RS 6.5 Rem Mag with Leupold 3-9X scopes.

Cedar Creek

 

[Cedar Creek]

Blackhawk - I agree with you on the JSP bullets. Most of the hollow points, etc. are designed for pistol velocity. The 265 grain Hornady is a true rifle bullet.

Cedar Creek

 

[Black Fly]

Just wondering as I read this thread. My last 44 rifle was a 788. My 44 handguns have all been more accurate with 44 special loads. Have any of you noticed whether 44 rifles respond to lighter loads?
Bfly

 

[5of7]

I had the same experience that Hunting Goodman has with the 77/44. I tried everything I could think of but could not get it to group better than 4-6" at 100 yds off the bench.

Since I handload the Dangerous Game slug from Ballistic Products, and they will shoot better than that in a smooth bore 12 ga., I eventually sold it to a guy who said that where he hunted all shots were under 50 yds and he didn't care that it shot 6" groups at 100.

Fair enough, but since then, I have been thinking that just maybe the throat in the chamber is over-sized and that allows the short .44 caliber bullets to enter the rifling a little bit cocked, resulting in poor accuracy.

If I ever find another one cheap enough, I am gonna buy it just to check it out....maybe a properly sized cast 275 grain bullet would shoot better.

As to the trigger, that can be fixed. As to the feeding problems, I had no problems on that score. 8)

 

[jbtardy]

There was an article by Brian Pearce in Handloader or Rifle magazine a while back in which he describes lapping
the bores of the 77/44 and 77/357 to improve accuracy.

 

[buck460XVR]

While Ruger had some accuracy problems with the first 77/44s they offered, they seem to have fixed that on the new offerings. While their triggers are still notoriously Ruger, after a simple trigger job my new model 77/44 all weather, consistently shoots 1.5-2'' groups @ 100 yards. Better than my Marlin lever .44 carbine. 240 grainers over a just compressed load of IMR4227 or just under max load of H110/W296. JSPs are the preferred fodder for deer. Many folks claim they get good accuracy from 300 grainers also, but the 240s work just fine for me.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I think those big fat bullets (44's and 45's) will always have a problem with accuracy.

 

[Frizzman]

I traded for a new 77/44 a few months ago. It's been to the range twice. The trigger breaks cleanly with no cheap or brightness at about five pounds. That's satisfactory for a handy utility/brush rifle. I view 100 yrs as maximum for such a rifle and I can get around three inches with mine with 3X9 scope. That's also good enough for me. That's with WW 240 UPS. It's not a 1" @ 100 yrs rifle. I have a Henry Big Boy .45 Colt that does about the same. Levergun triggers aren't known for being very good and there is not much that can help. If I want long range accuracy I use my old Rem 700. Accept it for what it is. Work with ammo choices and it makes a handy little carbine that mates with my Smith and Wesson 629.

 

[Hunting Goodman]

I guess I have misled some of you that have replied. I am not expecting anything spectacular ( say a 3" group @ 100yrd), but the tightest mine has got is 6" @ 100yrd. I have had the best group with 240gr JSP, worst grouping is with Hornady 225gr FTX.
I reload, and was just trying to get some opinions on bullet/ powder experience that some of you have had (to save a little guessing!).
I can deal with the not-so-great trigger pull (grinding), but the chambering issue has never went away, no matter what ammo I have used, it will jam 2-3 out of 4 every time.
Thanks a lot for everyone's input on this :mrgreen:

 

[RJ556]

HGM, For the feeding, I would try another magazine and if that doesn't clear up the feeding issues, try some factory 240 grain sp or HP loads. If neither or both don't cure the feeding issues, send it back to Ruger. As far as the accuracy goes, if your action screws are tight, scope is good and mounted solidly, try some Hornady 240 grain XTP bullets over a max or near max charge of 2400 powder, with standard primers. For factory loads, 270 grain speer or 240 grain Hornady loads should shoot 3" in a 77/44. But I would grip the fore end with my off hand and rest my off hand on the fore end rest, when shooting groups and make sure the butt stock is firmly rested in a rear bag.

 

[Hunting Goodman]

Glad to hear that RJ556, I have just got in some Hornady 240 & 300 grain XTP bullets to reload. I will set them up as you suggested and give them a try! You are also correct about the factory 240gr SP loads, as they have grouped the best so far Thanks also for the shooting tips!

 

[Hunting Goodman]

Update:
After trying several 240gr, including reloads, I have finally found a balance between the rifle and ammunition!
My 77/44 REALLY likes a heavy bullet! I have found the 300gr Hornady XTP loaded one-under max load is a sweet balance with distance and accuracy. I kept it in a 2" area today at 100yrds, which was WAY better than I thought acheivable I did have good patterns with the 240gr Hornady XTP, but could not keep the grouping as tight as the 300gr. All I was wanting was a repeatable, consistent, 3" group at 100yrds for upcoming deer season (and I got more than I was asking!).
Like I had said in previous posts, I am stubborn, so between all the great advise from all of you and my persistence I am finally happy!!! Thanks again