Howa 1500 7mm 08 slinging bullets all over!!

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Bayourambler

Bayourambler

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A friend of mine brought me his sons Howa 1500 7mm 08 to look at after missing a couple of deer. We shot it and it gave us a couple of 4-5” inch groups . Wow! This lil rifle would shoot 1” all day for the last 4 years with federal premium ammo. It came with a youth stock and full size hogue stock so went ahead and switched stocks because he’s grown into it anyhow and put a known good scope on it. All screws were checked and torqued and Cleaned he barrel . Bore sight was on paper and shot 3 groups with 2 different bullets. The gun printed two 4” groups and one 3/4” group! I ate lunch and let it cool completely and it shot a 5” group with the bullets that gave me the 3/4” earlier!! I’m lost on this one. The rifle has about 100 rounds through it and is in great condition. The crown looks fine. In the bad groups we would get 2 holes touching, then the next one would be 4” away. Mostly strung them horizontal , up and down wasn’t terrible.
 
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^ most likely the issue.
Could be side to side wiggle of the action as well. My Howa had quite a bit of play, and once bedded shot much better..... in two different stocks
 
If the scope mounts were indeed fine and the crown was good, it may be moving in the stock. Although a prob with the crown isnt always easy to see.

I would double check the scope mounts/rings and take down screws. Check the bore and fresh the crown up and then bed the action.

More than likely will fix your problem. Good luck
 
We tried 2 different stocks, The small one it shot fine in earlier in , and the brand new one. I took the rings/mounts off, cleaned them, the threads , and reinstalled them, torqued with thread lock with a different scope. No difference. I do not know how to check the crown.
 
Just check for any new dings or dents, or ware from a cleaning rod. Other than that if it shot good before and dosent now than it dosent seem likely to me that its a crown issue....howas have pretty deeply recessed crowns, i banged mine a few times with no issues.

When you say both stocks, did you put it back in the original and the issues continue?

Oh and check that the mag box isnt getting pinched.
 
Could be copper build up. Make sure you are using a dedicated copper remover like Bore Tech. General purpose solvents are good for carbon, but copper buildup can sneak up on you around the 100 round count.
 
Which mounts and bases are you using? Also which scope? Stacked tolerances and slught mismatches (like mixing weaver with picatinny, or slightly undersized scope to the rings) can seem torqued right but have imperfect matched faces that move with recoil.
 
illinoisburt said:
Which mounts and bases are you using? Also which scope? Stacked tolerances and slught mismatches (like mixing weaver with picatinny, or slightly undersized scope to the rings) can seem torqued right but have imperfect matched faces that move with recoil.
Click to expand...
weaver with picatinny. But it shot fine for 4 seasons...
 
I would swap scopes and see what happens. Just because it was a "known good scope" doesn't mean it still is. Wouldn't be the first scope to go south after moving it to a different rifle. It is a matter of eliminating variables. You went back to the old stock and have the same issue. Mounts and rings are ok. Scope is the only other thing that has changed. Copper can cause issues ,but, it is usually a slow degradation in accuracy and does not cause extreme flyers. When are the flyers occurring? Randomly or at a specific shot in the group.?
 
Don’t know what you’re rested on, but I’d suggest checking for snag points like sling swivels, if it’s sandbags check the same throughout the recoil’s momentum. If you use traditional bags, especially leather, make sure they are coated with talc.

Stick with the cleaning routine till everything is out, foul the barrel between cleanings/loads, and don’t be afraid to try other ammo.
 
Check the barrel channel and if there isn't 1/16" clearance the whole length, sand, file or otherwise provide clearance. Also, check the receiver bedding by removing screws, then wiggling the barrel to see how much play there may be. If it wiggles in the bedding, consider using bedding compound to minimize movement. Pillar bedding is always a good thing.

If you go the bedding route, be sure to put two layers of masking tape on the sides, front and bottom of the recoil plate, then remove all traces of it after hardening/action removal.

Good luck in making accuracy better. It's a good rifle and just may a little "love" to make it great.
 
Are you using a 2 piece mount or a single. Make sure mounts are tight. Loose mount could cause this....

Good luck...
 
Bayourambler said:
weaver with picatinny. But it shot fine for 4 seasons...
Click to expand...
Its a long time yes, but I would suspect it wasn't shot but a few rounds over that time period. Holding tight for a few rounds was probably ok, but eventually the metal fatigued a little or screws back off a bit. Weaver and picatinny are not 100% compatible. Small angle differences mean there are small gaps, friction may hold it but a solid jar can move it. Small movements equal erratic sights. I would get matched base and rings before going into modification of the gun.
 
Guys , thanks for all of the input and thought. I'm done with it and handed it back to him because I tried everthing I know . His dad will have an extra tomato stick for his garden in the spring I guess!
 
Loose mounts or a scope tha has problems can drive you nuts. I would try it with torqued down bases/mounts and a different scope to rule that out.
 
I can tell you the most common accuracy issues I've seen on 100's of rifles over the past years have been sights and form related, with only a few true mechanical or structural flaws.

Just FYI on using weaver rings with picatinny rails. The difference is really in the base slots. The weaver is designed to mate up with 0.180 inch slot, while picatinny is 0.206 inches. This is why true picatinny rings won't fit on a weaver base, even if its a single lug style. That may not look like a lot, but the 26 thousandths allows the scope to move forward and backward during recoil or rough handling. On rings that have one side fixed claw and the other a floating bar with a center bolt and nut, the movement can be erratic leading to both horizontal and vertical movement. The rings which clamp 2 halves together with 2 bolts/captive nuts and a lower recoil lug are much less likely to tilt or move sideways. Mounting those with the bottom recoil lug firmly against the slots edges on opposing sides will probably hold secure without issue. There are enough weaver clones with differing tolerances that getting a solid match up may happen, but not by design.

So, that's the long way of saying always match components or you just might go crazy chasing random inaccuracy.
 
illinoisburt said:
That may not look like a lot, but the 26 thousandths allows the scope to move forward and backward during recoil or rough handling.
Click to expand...
Anytime rings are tightened down they should be slid forward until they stop and then tighten them down. That way under recoil they won't want to slip forward. No way they slip to the rear if they fit, are tight, and are nothing bangs real hard into the front of the setup.

Excellent point about making sure rings or mounts fit the gun.
 
Walkalong said:
Anytime rings are tightened down they should be slid forward until they stop and then tighten them down. That way under recoil they won't want to slip forward. No way they slip to the rear if they fit, are tight, and are nothing bangs real hard into the front of the setup.
Click to expand...

Holding tight in recoil is only half the battle. Riding in your truck/atv/horse and the bumps and knocks of hunting/tactical drills/life in general is the other. Thats why most complaints are a cold shot being way off as opposed to the groups going haywire halfway through a range session.

As I've said before, my guns are tools. Take care of them, yes. But baby them? Not going to happen. If my rifle, handgun, or shotgun needs kid glove treatment then I wouldn't own it. Bbq guns are wonderful, but I want mine to shoot where I want, when I want, every time.
 
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