New Guy, New to Me 1917

[Mikeybonez28]

I recently picked up a 1917 eddystone and was wondering if there's anything to do to make it a better shooter

I know I'm going to be asked this so here it is. It's a 06, not rechambered but it's been sporterized. The barrel was chopped to 20", a 1 piece scope rail was added with 2 holes in the right side of the receiver near the safety, it has an adjustable trigger and an aftermarket stock with a JC Higgens/Higgins.

I removed the action from the stock and there are no outward sides of receiver damage and it's a high number Eddy that was made in Dec '18 with what looks like a great bore. I was considering a bipod but it's going to be a hunting rifle so maybe not?

 

[Art Eatman]

Accuracy? That's learned at a benchrest.

My first-ever centerfire rifle was a 1917, back in 1950. I was a skinny 16-year-old, and that steel butt-plate did some serious beat-on. I was more than happy to sporterize it.

 

[Sunray]

How does it shoot now? Most milsurps don't have a barrel that's capable of target accuracy. Small 1 MOA groups aren't important in a hunting rifle. Consistency is far more important than small groups. A rifle that shoots 2 or 3 inches all day with typical factory deer ammo is fine the way it is. Reloading might get the 2 or 3" down to a consistent 2" though.
"...barrel was chopped to 20"..." Look at the crown. It square with no nicks, etc.? Wouldn't hurt to have it re-crowned anyway. Or do it yourself. Brownell's sells the tool for $14.
"...aftermarket stock..." Any symptoms of bad bedding? Loosen the screws and see if the barreled action wiggles in any direction in the stock. Particularly vertically fore and aft. Indicates bad bedding that isn't terribly difficult or expensive to fix. An Acraglas kit will do it.
Run a dollar bill under the barrel to the chamber area. If it stops anywhere forward of the chamber area or the barrel touches the sides of the forestock, there's a different kind of bedding issue. Also not hard to fix. The cause can either be the bedding in general or the stock may have expanded unevenly due to changes in humidity because the barrel channel is unsealed. (All this stuff is easier to do than explain by typing. snicker.) Seal the barrel channel with any wood sealer found in a hardware store. Pure Tung Oil works too. Kind of expensive stuff though.
Floating the barrel does not guarantee anything, but you can try it. Using sand paper, relieve the barrel channel from the end of the forestock to the chamber area. Usually about 2 or 3 inches in front of the receiver. Shoot the rifle. If consistency is better stop. If not or accuracy gets worse that rifle prefers a pressure point. Bit of bedding material about 2" aft of the end of the forestock does it. Do not forget the release agent.
"...2 holes in the right side of the receiver near the safety..." That's usually for a receiver peep sight, not a scope base or a rail. Any other sights on it?
The other thing that can do more for accuracy is ammo that rifle prefers. If you're not reloading, you'll have to try a box of as many brands as you can to find the ammo your rifle shoots best. The price of it doesn't matter. Suggest you start with 165 grain hunting bullets. The '06 loves 'em and they'll kill any game in North America.

 

[Merle1]

I would give it a good cleaning to be sure all the old powder & copper residue is gone.

 

[Mikeybonez28]

How does it shoot now? Most milsurps don't have a barrel that's capable of target accuracy. Small 1 MOA groups aren't important in a hunting rifle. Consistency is far more important than small groups. A rifle that shoots 2 or 3 inches all day with typical factory deer ammo is fine the way it is. Reloading might get the 2 or 3" down to a consistent 2" though.

This is my first rifle of a serious caliber, I was only able to shoot at 25 yards and I shot a 2" group but they were all low & left so I'm pretty damn sure I was jerking from anticipation

"...barrel was chopped to 20"..." Look at the crown. It square with no nicks, etc.? Wouldn't hurt to have it re-crowned anyway. Or do it yourself. Brownell's sells the tool for $14.

Well, measured 20 1/2" from the action to the muzzle but the crown is nice & smooth, no nicks, the previous owner was a shooter & handloader

"...aftermarket stock..." Any symptoms of bad bedding? Loosen the screws and see if the barreled action wiggles in any direction in the stock. Particularly vertically fore and aft. Indicates bad bedding that isn't terribly difficult or expensive to fix. An Acraglas kit will do it.

It looks more like a benchrest stock than a field stock. Wide & flat forearm but a nice solid cheekweld. I'll glass bed it in the near future either way, it isn't glass bedded currently but you can see quite a few contact points on the stock.

Run a dollar bill under the barrel to the chamber area. If it stops anywhere forward of the chamber area or the barrel touches the sides of the forestock, there's a different kind of bedding issue. Also not hard to fix. The cause can either be the bedding in general or the stock may have expanded unevenly due to changes in humidity because the barrel channel is unsealed. (All this stuff is easier to do than explain by typing. snicker.) Seal the barrel channel with any wood sealer found in a hardware store. Pure Tung Oil works too. Kind of expensive stuff though.

It appears that it's meant to be freefloated judging from the gap between the forearm and the barrel but one of these days I'll check and see if it's floated all the way to the action and then seal it

Floating the barrel does not guarantee anything, but you can try it. Using sand paper, relieve the barrel channel from the end of the forestock to the chamber area. Usually about 2 or 3 inches in front of the receiver. Shoot the rifle. If consistency is better stop. If not or accuracy gets worse that rifle prefers a pressure point. Bit of bedding material about 2" aft of the end of the forestock does it. Do not forget the release agent.

I know it's not a guarantee, nothing in this world is guaranteed except for taxes and death. Hopefully it's already floated but if not I'll shoot groups before and after to see what it prefers. I've heard a few horror stories of not enough release agent or none at all but I've learned from their mistakes.

"...2 holes in the right side of the receiver near the safety..." That's usually for a receiver peep sight, not a scope base or a rail. Any other sights on it?

2 holes spaced about an inch apart (roughly) ahead of the bolt handle. It currently has a 1 piece picattiny rail which kind of gets in the way of loading but I might mill some of the rail away if it gets really annoying. On that rail is a cheap but clear 6-24x50 mil dot scope

The other thing that can do more for accuracy is ammo that rifle prefers. If you're not reloading, you'll have to try a box of as many brands as you can to find the ammo your rifle shoots best. The price of it doesn't matter. Suggest you start with 165 grain hunting bullets. The '06 loves 'em and they'll kill any game in North America.

I pciked up a box of 150gr Remington Core Lokt and I'm collecting brass to reload in the future. I'll probably step it up to a 165 in the future but right now I'm still learning the recoil of the rifle and the 150's are a bit tamer so I'll shoot the hell out of them until I get used to being repeatedly shoved in the shoulder & I stop anticipating it and pulling

 

[Swampman]

It might help to try a slip on recoil pad or a wearable type shield.

It can also help if you wear both ear plugs and muffs. Electronic muffs can be a great choice here, they amplify normal sounds and allow you to hear range commands through the ear plugs, but "cut out" during gunfire to give greater hearing protection than plugs alone.

Toning down the noise and recoil will do a lot to help eliminate flinching.

If you're shooting with a friend you might try some "ball and dummy" drills.

Your friend "loads" the rifle for you, one round at a time, with either a live round or an empty case, you never know which until after the trigger is pulled.

Concentrate on trigger control and keeping your crosshairs on the target during and after the shot. Any jerking or flinching will be very apparent when the striker hits on an empty case.

One of the advantages of this type of training is it's economy. You can "fire" a hundred or more shots while only expending 10 or 20 rounds of ammo.

I've found it beneficial to video the shooter during these drills. It's much easier to make corrections when you have a record of past errors.

Bedding, better ammunition and a clean bore will certainly help accuracy, but improving your shooting skills is likely to give you a better, faster return on time and money invested.

 

[Mikeybonez28]

It might help to try a slip on recoil pad or a wearable type shield.

It can also help if you wear both ear plugs and muffs. Electronic muffs can be a great choice here, they amplify normal sounds and allow you to hear range commands through the ear plugs, but "cut out" during gunfire to give greater hearing protection than plugs alone.

Toning down the noise and recoil will do a lot to help eliminate flinching.

If you're shooting with a friend you might try some "ball and dummy" drills.

Your friend "loads" the rifle for you, one round at a time, with either a live round or an empty case, you never know which until after the trigger is pulled.

Concentrate on trigger control and keeping your crosshairs on the target during and after the shot. Any jerking or flinching will be very apparent when the striker hits on an empty case.

One of the advantages of this type of training is it's economy. You can "fire" a hundred or more shots while only expending 10 or 20 rounds of ammo.

I've found it beneficial to video the shooter during these drills. It's much easier to make corrections when you have a record of past errors.

Bedding, better ammunition and a clean bore will certainly help accuracy, but improving your shooting skills is likely to give you a better, faster return on time and money invested.

I was going to get either a limbsaver or decelerator, not that the recoil is as bad as the 300 win mag i shot but it couldn't hurt

Right now im using surefire sonic defenders & theyre pretty damn good but electronic muffs would be better if i had the cash for them but i dont at the moment & the muffs i do have i let my wife use at the range

Ball & dummy would work great once i teach my wife how to load the rifle. Just taught her to load the pistol so this will be next. Either way i need to get more ammo

I dont know about recording so much. I only have access to public ranges and by the time I get there, I'm not alone so setting up a camera (only have a dslr & a camcorder atm) might be an issue. If I had a GoPro or an equivalent it would be easy but that'll have to wait. I can try getting my wife to use her phone but she might be jumpier than me

 

[BrocLuno]

You know that it could be the scope mount or the scope. That old Eddy kicks pretty good and it'll usually bust a cheap scope. The result is groups that are not consistent.

I'd like to see a pic here of the scope mount, rings and scope ...

 

[Mikeybonez28]

You know that it could be the scope mount or the scope. That old Eddy kicks pretty good and it'll usually bust a cheap scope. The result is groups that are not consistent.

I'd like to see a pic here of the scope mount, rings and scope ...

Consistency wasn't the problem, it was me not being used to recoil. Before the '06 i hadn't shot a real rifle besides a 300 win mag thst i traded off. Once i hit the range a little more, I know my groups will tighten up. I shot a 2" 7 shot group at 25 yards standing, I don't think that's too horrible for someone who never really shot before. I aimed dead center of the target & was considtently low & left, I'm pulling/flinching. That ball & dummy drill is sounding better & better

 

[Swampman]

FYI, When I take video of myself or others shooting, it's usually done with a cell phone propped up against a sandbag.

Believe me, you don't need high production values to spot a flinch or jerk when there's no blast or recoil to camouflage it.

 

[Mikeybonez28]

FYI, When I take video of myself or others shooting, it's usually done with a cell phone propped up against a sandbag.

Believe me, you don't need high production values to spot a flinch or jerk when there's no blast or recoil to camouflage it.

Honestly, i didnt even think of my phone, the camera on it is more than enough though. Ill give it a shot next range trip

 

[Swampman]

Good luck!
Let us know how it goes.

 

[Mikeybonez28]

Well hopefully the weather is nice on Wednesday and i dont get called into work again. I should be shooting tomorrow but instead i have to do a head gasket & possibly a brake booster, yay