About 3 years ago I bought a used Remington 700 .270 at a gun show. It is a plain looking rifle with nice wood, but not BDL. I mounted a new Burris Fullfield II scope on it. Took it deer hunting and shot a fat doe that stepped out in front of my blind about 40 yds; a slam-dunk shot and she dropped in her tracks. So far so good. Next year I take it out after a trip to the range to zero and test my reloads. I had one load that grouped pretty good, not great but adequate, I thought, for deer. That season I missed 2 shots. I try for head shots since I don't like field dressing lung shot deer. The shots were under 100 yds and shots I can readily make. Drat! OK, last week I take it to the range to zero. Shot factory ammo and my reloads. Factory ammo produced 5" groups; poor shooting by my standards, but adequate for lung shot deer at 100 yds. My reloads were inconsistent producing 2" to 5" groups. Again, adequate for lung shot 100 yd deer, but inadequate if you prefer to head shoot them. So, my question......Where would you start to improve accuracy? How would you explain the accuracy fluctuations? I have lots of rifles, mostly smaller calibers that I use to shoot prairie dogs and have no problem killing long distance dogs so there's no reason I shouldn't be able to shoot a deer in the eye at 100 yds. But, I don't have a much experience with bigger calibers. The scope is new and Burris makes good scopes so I don't think the scope is the problem. I don't have much patience with guns that won't shoot and am not opposed to ditching this one and buying another rifle. But, I'm willing to try a few things to improve consistency. So, where would you start?
Accuracy issue...Where would you start?
- Thread starter Sniper66
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Orcon
Member
I've been down this rabbit hole before, here are some checks you can do before taking it to a gunsmith:
Start by taking a torque wrench to the action screws and scope mounting hardware then give the bore a thorough cleaning with some Butch's Bore Shine. If groups don't tighten up after a few fowlers you could test the scope on another rifle to see if it's taken a dump.
The wood stock may have warped a bit over the years and may be putting unwanted pressure on the barrel. You can check this by sliding a dollar bill along the barrel chanel to check for fit.
Take a close look at the muzzle and check for any scratches or dings at the crown.
Start by taking a torque wrench to the action screws and scope mounting hardware then give the bore a thorough cleaning with some Butch's Bore Shine. If groups don't tighten up after a few fowlers you could test the scope on another rifle to see if it's taken a dump.
The wood stock may have warped a bit over the years and may be putting unwanted pressure on the barrel. You can check this by sliding a dollar bill along the barrel chanel to check for fit.
Take a close look at the muzzle and check for any scratches or dings at the crown.
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Sunray
Member
"...prefer to head shoot them..." Not a good idea. Far too small of a target. And the chances of an ugly wound is high despite it being a head shot.
You have a bedding issue. Tighten all the screws. Also, factory wood stocks are not sealed on the inside and will routinely expand and contract with humidity changes. Any wood sealer product from Home Depot will do.
Be a idea to glass bed the receiver(out to under the chamber) using an Acraglas kit(~ $30 in your local gun shop or Amazon. And follow the directions in the box.) anyway. Free floating the barrel guarantees absolutely nothing. Some rifles like it. Some just do not. Only way to find out is to try it. If accuracy doesn't improve(consistency is far more important than group size) or gets worse, putting a pressure point in isn't a big deal. A dab of bedding material 1 to 2 inches from the end of the fire stock is all it takes.
Once all that is done, you can fiddle with the load. Just remember that a Rem M700 is a hunting rifle. Not a target or sniper's rifle.
You have a bedding issue. Tighten all the screws. Also, factory wood stocks are not sealed on the inside and will routinely expand and contract with humidity changes. Any wood sealer product from Home Depot will do.
Be a idea to glass bed the receiver(out to under the chamber) using an Acraglas kit(~ $30 in your local gun shop or Amazon. And follow the directions in the box.) anyway. Free floating the barrel guarantees absolutely nothing. Some rifles like it. Some just do not. Only way to find out is to try it. If accuracy doesn't improve(consistency is far more important than group size) or gets worse, putting a pressure point in isn't a big deal. A dab of bedding material 1 to 2 inches from the end of the fire stock is all it takes.
Once all that is done, you can fiddle with the load. Just remember that a Rem M700 is a hunting rifle. Not a target or sniper's rifle.
Hummer70
Member
Many of us can identify with your problems which are many. You might try:
1: check the scope mounts and bases to make sure they are tight.
2.check the action screws and if you the ability torque them to about 60 inch pounds starting with the back screw first.
3. You can get zero changes by not only different vendors manufacture but different bullet styles and weights.
4. Assuming you have same company ammo check the boxes for the lot numbers usually found inside the flap. If they are different that can cause problems as lot numbers generally change when something in the componants change. For instance lot numbers change when the propellant lot change. Also the primer lots can give you weird happenings.
5. If the rifle was left cocked your main striker spring could have taken a set which means the spring is now capable of delivering less energy.
6 Just because your rifle goes off when you pull the trigger doesn't mean you have sufficient striker velocity or energy or both. Homer Powley did a primer validation study at Frankford Arsenal and found the standard deviation goes up well before you get into the misfire range.
He let Aberdeen Small Arms and Ammo Test section in on his results and our section confirmed his findings.
7. Normally striker energy is measured by coppers and copper holders and to save lots of typing do a search for "It don't go bang, Fires, Misfires, Hangfires and Short Order Cooks" by Mark Humphreville on Google. I wrote this years ago and posted it on several forums.
8. Defoul your barrel to remove possible copper build up. I picked up a Sears rifle at a flea market a couple years back and finally got around to shooting it and it shot good. Then the more I shot it the worse it got. I defouled it, started shooting better then it got worse again. Pulled out the bore scope for a long session of LOOKSEE and found copper build up on the edge of one land about six inches from the muzzle. What this will do is gouge a bullet down it's bearing surface when it goes by that point in the barrel thus when it leaves the muzzle the jacket is not uniformly thick all the way around and that will guarantee you fliers.
9.Though not likely to be a problem that surfaces quickly is take a look at the back of the locking lugs on the bolt and determine if you have good contact on BOTH lug surfaces. You read here and there about lapping the lugs but most don't explain what that means. If the lugs are contacting nicely you have good support when the pressures peak. If you don't the bolt will flex and set up vibration problems. There is an excellent book called "The Guide to Precision Rifle Barrel Fitting" by Hinnant that explains lots of things that can affect accuracy in a bolt gun.
10. Most all of the sporter plastic stocks I have used are very sensitive differences in pressures exerted on the forearm. I have no use at all for sport plastic stocks. Have not had access to any of the varmint weight stocks yet so don't have a feel for how well they will perform. I do have experience with a buddies heavy barrel varmint with varmint weight plastic stock in 22-250. It was shooting under an inch at 200 yards and he put a bipod on it and his groups with same handload ammo opened up to over 2" at 200 yards
11. Gun lubricants can also have an effect on ignition. Go to reloading forum and check out another thread I just put up where I sprayed a fairly large number of rounds with lubricants and water and tested them in a varied test matrix. Notice some are marked HF for hangfires and what can also be termed "click/bangs". You have heard the term keep your powder dry? The picture of the test results will tell you what happens if you don't.
1: check the scope mounts and bases to make sure they are tight.
2.check the action screws and if you the ability torque them to about 60 inch pounds starting with the back screw first.
3. You can get zero changes by not only different vendors manufacture but different bullet styles and weights.
4. Assuming you have same company ammo check the boxes for the lot numbers usually found inside the flap. If they are different that can cause problems as lot numbers generally change when something in the componants change. For instance lot numbers change when the propellant lot change. Also the primer lots can give you weird happenings.
5. If the rifle was left cocked your main striker spring could have taken a set which means the spring is now capable of delivering less energy.
6 Just because your rifle goes off when you pull the trigger doesn't mean you have sufficient striker velocity or energy or both. Homer Powley did a primer validation study at Frankford Arsenal and found the standard deviation goes up well before you get into the misfire range.
He let Aberdeen Small Arms and Ammo Test section in on his results and our section confirmed his findings.
7. Normally striker energy is measured by coppers and copper holders and to save lots of typing do a search for "It don't go bang, Fires, Misfires, Hangfires and Short Order Cooks" by Mark Humphreville on Google. I wrote this years ago and posted it on several forums.
8. Defoul your barrel to remove possible copper build up. I picked up a Sears rifle at a flea market a couple years back and finally got around to shooting it and it shot good. Then the more I shot it the worse it got. I defouled it, started shooting better then it got worse again. Pulled out the bore scope for a long session of LOOKSEE and found copper build up on the edge of one land about six inches from the muzzle. What this will do is gouge a bullet down it's bearing surface when it goes by that point in the barrel thus when it leaves the muzzle the jacket is not uniformly thick all the way around and that will guarantee you fliers.
9.Though not likely to be a problem that surfaces quickly is take a look at the back of the locking lugs on the bolt and determine if you have good contact on BOTH lug surfaces. You read here and there about lapping the lugs but most don't explain what that means. If the lugs are contacting nicely you have good support when the pressures peak. If you don't the bolt will flex and set up vibration problems. There is an excellent book called "The Guide to Precision Rifle Barrel Fitting" by Hinnant that explains lots of things that can affect accuracy in a bolt gun.
10. Most all of the sporter plastic stocks I have used are very sensitive differences in pressures exerted on the forearm. I have no use at all for sport plastic stocks. Have not had access to any of the varmint weight stocks yet so don't have a feel for how well they will perform. I do have experience with a buddies heavy barrel varmint with varmint weight plastic stock in 22-250. It was shooting under an inch at 200 yards and he put a bipod on it and his groups with same handload ammo opened up to over 2" at 200 yards
11. Gun lubricants can also have an effect on ignition. Go to reloading forum and check out another thread I just put up where I sprayed a fairly large number of rounds with lubricants and water and tested them in a varied test matrix. Notice some are marked HF for hangfires and what can also be termed "click/bangs". You have heard the term keep your powder dry? The picture of the test results will tell you what happens if you don't.
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someguy2800
Member
First thing I would do is take the scope off and check that the mounts are tight and try another scope. The fact that the accuracy was okay then went south suggests something came loose. Burris makes great scopes but they are not infallible. Next I would clean it really well with a good copper remover like gunslick foaming bore cleaner. Severe copper fouling can really screw things up. Next I would check that the action is tight in the stock. Glass bedding is not necessary for a gun to shoot well but the receiver needs to at least be tight in the stock and not move around if you hold the forend and push around on the stock. That should be about an hours worth of fiddling. If that doesn't restore it to its original accuracy there may be damage to the bore or crown.
someguy2800
Member
Thank you for that, it was an extremely interesting read. On a side note I work a lot with the automotive industry and I have also learned not to assume the engineers designing things or the people putting it together have any idea what they are doing. There are amateurs, professionals, and experts in every field and the only difference between the first two is a pay check.
how are you resting the rifle when shooting for groups? try and sandbag near the action, a bipod or sandbag up front will make a cheaper factory stock flex and put pressure on the barrel.
you probably need to hold the rifle more consistently. light recoiling varmint cartridges and heavy rifles are awesome for "free recoil" but a lighter gun with a high power cartridge may need a little more human input, or more consistent input. I cannot shoot a 7lb 30-06 the same way I shoot a 9lb 223 with a muzzle break-the technique is different.
if you don't like it, or find that shooting it is just a pain in the rear-get rid of it. if you want to chase this rabbit, get some premium ammo and try different things (including scope testing, action screws and ways of holding the rifle still) and see if you can get the groups to tighten up a bit. I would say do it with reloads, but at this point you cannot control the variables to say if you reloads are accurate or not. the gun SHOULD be capable of 2" groups, if not something is wrong with it.
you probably need to hold the rifle more consistently. light recoiling varmint cartridges and heavy rifles are awesome for "free recoil" but a lighter gun with a high power cartridge may need a little more human input, or more consistent input. I cannot shoot a 7lb 30-06 the same way I shoot a 9lb 223 with a muzzle break-the technique is different.
if you don't like it, or find that shooting it is just a pain in the rear-get rid of it. if you want to chase this rabbit, get some premium ammo and try different things (including scope testing, action screws and ways of holding the rifle still) and see if you can get the groups to tighten up a bit. I would say do it with reloads, but at this point you cannot control the variables to say if you reloads are accurate or not. the gun SHOULD be capable of 2" groups, if not something is wrong with it.
shooter1niner
Member
A phone call to Remington many moons ago got me this response " If it shoots into a 3 inch circle at 100 yds. we ship it. " The call was in regards to a Rem 700 ADL in .308 Win. that I could not get to shoot better than 2-3 inch groups...
Vern Humphrey
Member
Step 1. Check all screws, including mount screws for tightness.
Step 2. Check the muzzle crown -- any dents or dings, even tiny ones can affect accuracy. Have the barrel re-crowned if necessary.
Step 3. Check bedding. Action should be glass bedded, barrel free floated. If the barrel is already free floated, try a card shim near the end of the forearm, to exert a little upward pressure.
Thank you all for the thoughtful suggestions. I'll do some further checking and tightening as well as adjusting my grip. It is helpful to be reminded that this is a hunting rifle, not a target rifle. So, I'll adjust my expectations some. If I can get reasonably consistent 2" groups and feel confident that I can shoot that way in the field, I'll keep it. Otherwise I'll start shopping. Thanks again. Tom
double bogey
Member
The trigger pull on my 7mm remmag was in the 9 lb range. Couldn't get less than 3" groups. Checked everything noted above, installed a 3 lb timney, and now gets sub 1" groups. This is with an ADL with plastic stock. It has a pressure point near the end of the stock, I have been satisfied so I have not removed it. This is an early 90's M700.
Also have my dads late 60's wood ADL in .243, that is one of the best shooting rifles I have ever shot, that I installed a timney trigger just because I didn't trust the factory. This was our go to rifle for a kids first deer, bet its taken 50 or so.
What I am saying is I haven't seen many 700's that wont shoot, these are not the only two I have been involved with.
Also have my dads late 60's wood ADL in .243, that is one of the best shooting rifles I have ever shot, that I installed a timney trigger just because I didn't trust the factory. This was our go to rifle for a kids first deer, bet its taken 50 or so.
What I am saying is I haven't seen many 700's that wont shoot, these are not the only two I have been involved with.
Bravo! That's the first time I've actually seen someone say it that way.
I know people avoid head shots because they don't want to spoil the mount, but I'd rather have a deer drop dead instantly than have to go on a "Nantucket Sleigh-ride" through the Ozark foothills.
wild willy
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- Aug 19, 2008
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- 634
One of the longest trailing jobs I know of was because of a head shot being off a couple inches.Shot the jaw off.Trailed it for miles without snow doubt if they would have found it.
Eliminate YOU from the equation.
If you have somewhere that you can do it (not all ranges will permit this) secure the rifle to a bench or sawhorses and use a string to pull the trigger. See what kind of groups you get when it's just the rifle and the deadweight.
If the rifle groups well, then you know the variable is you and you will need to train yourself on this rifle.
If the rifle continues to shoot randomly, well, then you know why that rifle was for sale at the gun show and I would follow jmr40's advice and look for a different gun. Of course, when you dispose of this one, make sure you alert the buyer of the problems you have had so that they go in with their eyes open.
After you have eliminated yourself, check the obvious things like the scope mount, mounting screws, barrel condition, and the like. If no problems are found, then a trip to a good gunsmith is probably in order.
Mn Fats
Member
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- Jan 23, 2017
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- 2,372
Agreed.
Disagree. I'd rather track blood all day on a missed vitals shot than clip a deer in the jaw. I've came across a dead deer on my land missing part of her jaw. It apearred healed but she was skin and bones. Starved. I understand this thread isn't about head shot vs vitals but op, I wouldn't attempt another head shot unless your rifle and you are consistently sub moa in various conditions.
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JTHunter
Member
Sniper66 - I also have a 700 BDL in .243 that I got in the late 80s.
I have owned this second-hand rifle for 30 years and it is still in its original walnut stock. When I was first testing it out with 100 gr. "can-based" bullets from Remington, Federal, and Winchester ammo (about 1988), it was all over the paper at 200 yards. Now, I was shooting off of sandbags rather than a more stable rest but these results were still disheartening.
I talked to several friends and co-workers, one of whom turned out to be a benchrest shooter. We went over several details of the gun and looked at reloading info. So I started reading up on that and gathering info from manufacturers.. A letter I got from the then president of Accurate Powders helped the most as I was looking to load bullets ranging from 60 gr. HPs to 100 gr. spitzer boattails (all Sierra). There was one powder that could be used for both bullet weights and that was the Accurate 2230, a flattened, semi-sperical ball powder. It flows beautifully through my press, making it easy to adjust weights.
Once I finished working up my loads, I was able to put a 7-shot string in a 1.5" x 2.5" arc at 200 yds., with a 3-9x scope (at 9x) off of sandbags, and using mixed fired brass (Rem-Peters, Fed., Win., Savage-Stevens).
Don't ditch the gun just yet, as others have had some great suggestions to check all your screws, esp. the scope.
Good luck!
I have owned this second-hand rifle for 30 years and it is still in its original walnut stock. When I was first testing it out with 100 gr. "can-based" bullets from Remington, Federal, and Winchester ammo (about 1988), it was all over the paper at 200 yards. Now, I was shooting off of sandbags rather than a more stable rest but these results were still disheartening.
I talked to several friends and co-workers, one of whom turned out to be a benchrest shooter. We went over several details of the gun and looked at reloading info. So I started reading up on that and gathering info from manufacturers.. A letter I got from the then president of Accurate Powders helped the most as I was looking to load bullets ranging from 60 gr. HPs to 100 gr. spitzer boattails (all Sierra). There was one powder that could be used for both bullet weights and that was the Accurate 2230, a flattened, semi-sperical ball powder. It flows beautifully through my press, making it easy to adjust weights.
Once I finished working up my loads, I was able to put a 7-shot string in a 1.5" x 2.5" arc at 200 yds., with a 3-9x scope (at 9x) off of sandbags, and using mixed fired brass (Rem-Peters, Fed., Win., Savage-Stevens).
Don't ditch the gun just yet, as others have had some great suggestions to check all your screws, esp. the scope.
Good luck!
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
Ah, the hunt! In my experience, it is rare that a Remington 700 can't be made to shoot well. Lots of good advice listed above. In order, I would:
- Clean the barrel thoroughly.
- Check the bedding; action screws torqued? Barrel free floated?
- Check the scope mounts and rings; all tight?
- Check the scope itself; swap the scope with another that you know works.
- Adjust the trigger; older Remington triggers can safely be adjusted down significantly (Google is your friend); my hunting rifles are set at 4#.
- Try different ammo--different factory loads if you are not a hand loader.
- Check the crown. If it is damaged, it will need to be repaired; there are a couple of home fixes that may improve accuracy until you can get a professional to do the job.
So...........Lots of good suggestions here. BTW I'm not unsympathetic to the idea of a badly placed shot leaving a deer wounded; hence my concern about accuracy. Plus I cannot, will not, tolerate a rifle that won't shoot where I want it to. OK...I tried a couple of things. The rear action screw was not as tight as the front. I'll have to do some additional research to learn what is considered ideal for these screws. The stock will not pass the dollar bill test. Could the front action screw be too tight and would that account for the barrel touching the wood? Also not crazy about the trigger. All of my other rifles have been adjusted by a gunsmith or have after-market triggers. I think before I start additional reloading experiments, I should get these other issues addressed first. Another question, a friend of mine doesn't like .270s and says they are not as accurate as his .243 or 25-06. Thoughts on this issue?
MTMilitiaman
Member
1. Check to make sure your rings, bases, and mounts are all tight.
2. Make sure receiver is secured to the stock with the proper amount of torque.
3. Check the muzzle/crown for dings or damage.
If those things are good to go you can try free-floating the barrel and bedding the receiver. A lot of the sporter weight Rem M700s have two tabs touching barrel at front of forend. Sanding these off and free floating the barrel can improve accuracy. Bedding the recoil lug and/or pillar bedding action screws can also help, as can a professional trigger job.
2. Make sure receiver is secured to the stock with the proper amount of torque.
3. Check the muzzle/crown for dings or damage.
If those things are good to go you can try free-floating the barrel and bedding the receiver. A lot of the sporter weight Rem M700s have two tabs touching barrel at front of forend. Sanding these off and free floating the barrel can improve accuracy. Bedding the recoil lug and/or pillar bedding action screws can also help, as can a professional trigger job.
Mr. Hill
Member
The .270 caliber is just as accurate as any other caliber. I disagree with your friend.
Check the barrel for copper build up, and clean the heck out of the bore with a brush and a good solvent. Have a smith lighten the trigger and check the torque on the bolts.
Figure out whether the barrel likes 130 grain or 150 grain bullets. Buy or hand load a couple different loads in each weight. If you reload, don't load them hot, just regular power.
Take those new rounds to the range with a buddy who can shoot. Get or rent a lead sled. Take it nice and slow, alternating shooters. Don't heat up the barrel, give it time to cool.
Check the barrel for copper build up, and clean the heck out of the bore with a brush and a good solvent. Have a smith lighten the trigger and check the torque on the bolts.
Figure out whether the barrel likes 130 grain or 150 grain bullets. Buy or hand load a couple different loads in each weight. If you reload, don't load them hot, just regular power.
Take those new rounds to the range with a buddy who can shoot. Get or rent a lead sled. Take it nice and slow, alternating shooters. Don't heat up the barrel, give it time to cool.
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Klint Beastwood
member
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"Accuracy issue...Where would you start?"
The shooter. Biggest cause in error in most rifles. I promise. The shooter can make a sub moa gun into moa precision. Not being aware of harmonics shifts from shooting position, recoil management, trigger control, inconsistent toe support or head position, if with a scope, reticle swim/paralax. etc, etc.
Next would be to check the torque on all the screws. Action, base, rings...blue threadtite goes a long way.
Then of course ammo, if using factory. Somethings work better for both the shooter and the rifle then others.
This is under the assumption of parts being of a least decent quality....so no NCstar scopes or whatever.
These are the most common issues with precision performance in my experience.
Also wood stocks warp. That will cause a poi shift.
The shooter. Biggest cause in error in most rifles. I promise. The shooter can make a sub moa gun into moa precision. Not being aware of harmonics shifts from shooting position, recoil management, trigger control, inconsistent toe support or head position, if with a scope, reticle swim/paralax. etc, etc.
Next would be to check the torque on all the screws. Action, base, rings...blue threadtite goes a long way.
Then of course ammo, if using factory. Somethings work better for both the shooter and the rifle then others.
This is under the assumption of parts being of a least decent quality....so no NCstar scopes or whatever.
These are the most common issues with precision performance in my experience.
Also wood stocks warp. That will cause a poi shift.
Skylerbone
Member
Without a thorough record of accuracy before your changes, an idea of your proficiency shooting larger than varmint calibers, and so many other factors, there's no easy answer short of sell it.
Now if your original group was 1-2" at 100 yds. then something has indeed changed. What perplexes me is that your reloads shoot that much more consistently compared to factory since most guys, nothing personal, do well to match factory ammo with their loadings.
I too would start with barrel cleaning but with Sweets 7.62, paying close attention to instructions. Then a cursory glance down the bore for obvious signs of damage, then a crown inspection.
If you are satisfied with your scope mounting abilities, revisit them on the Burris and I would suggest some Blue LocTite on degreased screws.
Tighten the action screws up and forget about bedding or free floating the barrel right now and no, your 700 should not have passed the dollar bill test from the factory (by design).
I wouldn't sink money into a trigger or monkey with what's there just yet either. If you're worried about the safety of the trigger, squirt some Zippo fluid in there to flush it out then let that dry or send it to Remington under recall.
If cleaning and tightening don't produce marked changes with CoreLokt in the 3" range then sell it quick. If you get there, defoul the barrel again and shoot your reloads to test their accuracy. If then you are satisfied, spend all you care to on diminishing returns. I'd spend it on ammo to get comfortable with what you have.
I wish you luck.
Now if your original group was 1-2" at 100 yds. then something has indeed changed. What perplexes me is that your reloads shoot that much more consistently compared to factory since most guys, nothing personal, do well to match factory ammo with their loadings.
I too would start with barrel cleaning but with Sweets 7.62, paying close attention to instructions. Then a cursory glance down the bore for obvious signs of damage, then a crown inspection.
If you are satisfied with your scope mounting abilities, revisit them on the Burris and I would suggest some Blue LocTite on degreased screws.
Tighten the action screws up and forget about bedding or free floating the barrel right now and no, your 700 should not have passed the dollar bill test from the factory (by design).
I wouldn't sink money into a trigger or monkey with what's there just yet either. If you're worried about the safety of the trigger, squirt some Zippo fluid in there to flush it out then let that dry or send it to Remington under recall.
If cleaning and tightening don't produce marked changes with CoreLokt in the 3" range then sell it quick. If you get there, defoul the barrel again and shoot your reloads to test their accuracy. If then you are satisfied, spend all you care to on diminishing returns. I'd spend it on ammo to get comfortable with what you have.
I wish you luck.
Tight screws, free-floated barrel, good scope mount .... try a different bullet and if you have never done it look at Newberry's Optimum Charge Weight method of load development.
Try a different bullet. And if I didn't mention it, try a different bullet. Try a heavy-for-caliber bullet.
Try a different bullet. And if I didn't mention it, try a different bullet. Try a heavy-for-caliber bullet.
5" is way too big. Given that the OP used both factory and hand loads, and is an experienced P dog shooter indicates that it may not be the ammo, scope set up, or shooter. Could be a dirty bore, especially from a used gun with an unknown shot count.
Use Hoppe's Elite with a copper brush for carbon removal. Then use Bore Tech Eliminator with a nylon brush for copper removal. Use both as directed.
There are older brands for bore cleaning, but today's technology gives us better performance cleaners without the poisons, strong odors, and corrosive-to-bore solvents of the past.
Use Hoppe's Elite with a copper brush for carbon removal. Then use Bore Tech Eliminator with a nylon brush for copper removal. Use both as directed.
There are older brands for bore cleaning, but today's technology gives us better performance cleaners without the poisons, strong odors, and corrosive-to-bore solvents of the past.
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