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My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
#7579583
08/14/19 03:41 AM
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 4,073
RedSnake
OP
Extreme Tracker
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OP
Extreme Tracker
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 4,073 |
Well I drew a Wyoming Bull Elk tag for Oct rifle season. Thought it’d be cool to shoot my first elk with the rifle I shot my first WT with. So I decided to breathe some new life into my 1980s tang safety Ruger M77 originally chambered in .270 Win. and had it rebarrelled to a 338 Sherman. Build Specifics * Action: Ruger M77 tang safety * Caliber: 338 Sherman (LA) * Original wood stock (refinished) * Pillar and full length bedded * Benchmark light palma 1:9.4 finished at 24” * APA Little Bastard brake * Factory trigger reworked * Cerakote midnight blue * Leupold 34mm rings * NF ATACR 4-16 For those not familiar with this round, Rich Sherman based his design for the 338 Sherman using the .270 Win as the parent case and pushed the shoulder forward and blown out to 40 degrees. This yields a H20 case capacity between 76-79 gr depending on brand of brass. Compare this to 68 gr for the 338-06, 70-72 gr for 338-06AI, and 86 gr for 338 WM. 270 brass necked up to 338 (left) and fully formed 338 Sherman (right) Fire forming loads with Hornady 250 gr HPBT over a middle of the road 338-06 charge of Varget shot remarkably well. I’m still working up loads using the Rocky Mountain 250 gr ULD and Varget. Initial testing maxed out at mv of 2760 before I got signs of excessive pressure. Folks have been pushing the 338 Berger 250 gr over 2800fps with RL-17. One of the drawbacks of the ruger action is the limitations it puts on OAL due to the short (3.40”) mag well. To allow a longer OAL to feed, I lengthened my action posteriorly with a Wyatt’s cut (which included milling away the center floor plate screw). I fabricated an extended mag box from two factory boxes spliced/welded together. The bolt stop was moved posteriorly about 0.25” by tapping/drilling a new retaining screw hole and the window for the stop was enlarged. I am now able to feed rounds up to 3.600. Refinishing the stock took me months. ... stripped the crappy 30 year old chipped poly coat, sanded, stained old school way with Alkanet oil and then hand-rubbed a million and a half coats of finishing oil comprised of Boiled Linseed Oil, Carnuba Wax, Turpentine, and Venetian Turpentine. One final top coat of diluted TruOil for durability. Leather wrapped recoil pad and Dakota arms grip cap inlaid with English cow horn to spice it up a bit.
Last edited by RedSnake; 08/14/19 03:49 AM.
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: RedSnake]
#7579593
08/14/19 04:10 AM
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 22,716
BigPig
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 22,716 |
Bert nice refresh on a classic rifle with tons of memories
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: RedSnake]
#7579599
08/14/19 04:29 AM
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 352
cblackall
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 352 |
That is really cool. Thanks for the detailed write up. Good luck in Wyoming!
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: RedSnake]
#7579637
08/14/19 11:11 AM
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 7,047
mikei
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 7,047 |
Very nice work and I, too, appreciate the detailed write-up. Hope you get yourself a world-class elk in October.
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: RedSnake]
#7579640
08/14/19 11:22 AM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 19,652
Pitchfork Predator
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 19,652 |
Very cool, well done.
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: RedSnake]
#7579646
08/14/19 11:30 AM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,877
Teal28
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,877 |
That' Badazz. Very good looking gun. great write up and pics. Well done.
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: RedSnake]
#7579651
08/14/19 11:39 AM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 41,173
J.G.
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 41,173 |
You sure did put in the work!
Congrats!
800 Yard Steel Range Precision Rifle Instruction Memberships and Classes Available
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: RedSnake]
#7579714
08/14/19 01:11 PM
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 7,937
bigjoe8565
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 7,937 |
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: RedSnake]
#7579716
08/14/19 01:11 PM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,179
Tactical Cowboy
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,179 |
The secret to a long life is to try not to shorten it.
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: RedSnake]
#7579717
08/14/19 01:12 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 18,954
ChadTRG42
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 18,954 |
Very nice!!! Very cool round, also!
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: RedSnake]
#7579718
08/14/19 01:13 PM
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,200
Korean Redneck
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,200 |
Cool story bro. I love home tinkering. Nice work, especially the part where u made the action longer.
I'm a dude who likes long barrels!
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: RedSnake]
#7579724
08/14/19 01:24 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,455
Big Fitz
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,455 |
That is a gorgeous rifle! Good luck on the hunt.
I was wrong...on anything technical. Fitz............. is right, ya know............
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: RedSnake]
#7579728
08/14/19 01:28 PM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,638
DStroud
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,638 |
Turned out really nice! I have the same .270 Ruger with a pretty decent piece of wood on it that still gets a deer here and there just for old time sake.
Good Luck on Elk.
"Anyone taking up handloading necessarily plays with unknown factors and takes chances. But so does anyone who drives a car,goes to a cocktail party,eats in a restaurant,or gets married."
Jack O'Connor 1963
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: RedSnake]
#7579739
08/14/19 01:38 PM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,930
ETexas Hunter
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,930 |
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: Big Fitz]
#7579968
08/14/19 06:07 PM
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 6,135
landsurveyor
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 6,135 |
That is a gorgeous rifle! Good luck on the hunt.
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: Pitchfork Predator]
#7579969
08/14/19 06:08 PM
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Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 23,177
Bee'z
The Beedazzler
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The Beedazzler
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 23,177 |
Very cool, well done.
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: RedSnake]
#7579986
08/14/19 06:28 PM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 4,579
Son of a Blitch
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 4,579 |
Really cool write up! Thanks for sharing!
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: RedSnake]
#7579997
08/14/19 06:43 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 39,549
redchevy
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 39,549 |
Really like the look of it.
Choice of chambering is interesting as well. I keep telling my wife she is going to hate the day I retire if I live that long lol. Looks fun as hell but no way I would ever have the time to commit to it now.
It's hell eatin em live
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Re: My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77
[Re: Korean Redneck]
#7580107
08/14/19 08:54 PM
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 4,073
RedSnake
OP
Extreme Tracker
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OP
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 4,073 |
... I love home tinkering... My gunsmith HATES it when I tinker. LMAO. Especially when it involves 2 part epoxy (still so sorry about to that, bud) He’s got me on a no-buy watchlist at every store in north Texas
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