TIMETOSHOOT

I have a Ruger M77 Ultra Light ,I have never shot factory ammo in it but I have many handloads for that gun, it is one of my favorite . I have taken Many deer with it. Mine is the older, pre Mark2 model. It has been bedded and free floated.My favorite load is 120 gr.Nosler Partition,51.0 Gr. Ramshot Magnum,Federal 215 Primer,OAL 2.945. This load shoots 1" groups out of A 20" barrel.

Duckbutter48

It was actually for both of you. I had to try!

pa257

So the roberts is a short action but in the M77 Mark II it has a long action stock? I checked the measurement and it was8 3/4" from the end of the trigger guard to the front of the floor plate. Is this correct? I've read that the Ultra light is in a short action stock. I'm getting a little confused.

Superpig

I've owned Rugers and just about every other domestically produced bolt action rilfe at one time or another. On the 3 Rugers I've had having the action bedded and the barrel free floated always gave me better groups. I've got a remington 700 in 257 Roberts. It shot poorly also until I had it bedded and free floated and with my handloads it is the most accurate medium game rifle I own. I'm talking groups in the .350" at 100 yards with 100 gr. BT's.

Duckbutter48

I think the 257 Roberts is considered a medium action(not positive). Some manufacturers have it Long action some as short. The only way to find out for sure, unless one of the many knowledgable Smiths on here can help you out is to call Ruger. Ruger's # is 888-220-1173

Again buy selling it cheap to me you wouldnt have to worry about all the messy phone calls and stuff.

KareImp

I have a Ruger 77 in a 257 Roberts AI. It shoots really well. I did not buy the gun new - it is one of the older creations. I also have a 7x57 Ruger in the old style that I had a hard time getting to shoot tight groups, but eventually found the right load for it. I think some of the older Rugers can be a little more challenging - but the 257 Roberts AI is a tack driver for me.

geoffh

I had a Rem700VLS in 6mm (same case as .257 Roberts) that was a short action. What I found wasa bullet loaded out to just off the rifling would not fit in the magazine. That tells me factory ammo has a pretty short overall length and, although I don't know about the .257 for sure, could be a hangup as far as shooting tight groups with factory stuffis concerned.If ammo is designed to work in short actions, as well as long actions, then there may be long jump before the bullet engages the rifling. I've never seen that work real well for good accuracy. Just a possibility, but there are a few rounds that are made 'short' so they work in all guns.

eldeguello

Me too, but it would NOT be a factory load. The .257 has fallen from grace pretty badly (due to no fault of the cartridg4e at all), and it seems to me that the factories are not putting much effort into marketing really accurate ammo for it much these days. You don't say what load you have tried - what bullet weight, etc. It is quite possible that some particular bullet type and weight will work better for you. (BTW, I have had some pretty great accuracy from handloads using Rem Core-Lokt bullets - but I have never used any of these for game!)

I'd follow noKnees' advice. Make sure the bore is totally cleaned, and all screws everywhere are tight. A great number of things, besides bad ammo, could be causing your problem. And most of them can be easily fixed or eliminated......

eldeguello

Right on! The .257 Roberts, despite having a 57mm-long case just like the 7X57mm and 8X57mm, was SOMETIMES made by U.S. factories on short actions instead of the size they should have used! So the ammo was usually always loaded short (taking up a lot of powder space from the case) to fit in the undersize magazines.

Generally, whenpeoplemade up custom .257's, they used actions of the right size then had the chambers throated long (CORRECTLY!!) so the bullets could be seated out where they belong, and gotbetter accuracy AND MUCH HIGHER VELOCITIES than they could get from the too-short factory ammo. (This too-short factory ammo may be contributing to your problem.)

So, perhaps you have a long (correct) throat and a short action! If so, it may work out that you have to use your rifle as a single-shot with ammo that is too long for your magazine to get the most accuracy out of it.

I don't know which length of M77 action Ruger uses for their .257's. I have a 7X57 M77, and it is on the same length action as their .30/'06's. But I once ordered a replacement magazine follower from Ruger for that rifle, and they sent me a short-action follower. So maybe Ruger doesn't know either.........