M77 Tanger

thatguySHM

Beginner
Feb 11, 2017
249
2
I stopped into the local gun/small engine repair shop looking for primers a few days ago and happened to notice an older red pad M77 in the rack that looked pretty clean. I glanced at the tag and it looked like it said 495, but I never picked it up or looked too hard, I was struggling to stay on my own lane as a yuppie couple were buying two tactical shotguns for who knows what. I didn't find the primers I wanted so I waved to the owner and headed home. Brought up the rifle to my wife while we went for our evening walk with the kids and she told me to go get, it would be payment for laying new floors in the girls bedrooms the week before.

I decided to strip an AR I had and throw some milspec parts that I was never going to use and see about a trade. When I got there the next morning I picked up that beautiful 270 and saw it was a tang safety and the bolt face and interior of the action didn't have any wear on them, just looked like the stock had a few safe scars on it. Then happened to notice the tag said 425. Needless to say it was coming home with me. I asked if he wants to buy an AR, he said sure and I walked out with the rifle and two pounds of powder for 20 bucks.

I gave her a deep clean, lapped the rings and put a VX1 3-9 on it and off we went. She's got a heavy trigger, already ordered a spring for it, but it seems to want to shoot 54.5gr of IMR4350 and 130gr HotCors around MOA or better with zero load development, so I think I have a shooter.

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Nice looking rifle.
Some of the old tangers will shoot depending on which barrel Ruger contracted at the time it was built. Some of them were crap shoots since Ruger only made the action and stock.
I have one in 30-06 and for the longest while was the only rifle I owned for deer and larger game.
It also is a shooter.
 
You did very well, indeed. Great find and excellent purchase.
 
One of my brother in laws bought one back in about 1978 and has killed a truck load of deer with it. Solid performer. Dan.
 
Love it when a plan comes together!
(even if the plan wasn't exactly on the radar to begin with)
 
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