Savage 24v series c .222 over 20 G

[Australian410hunter]

Right on, that's funny, I just got my 24V out a couple of days ago to do some brain-storming on the front of the gun. not to really regulate the barrels, but to try and get more accuracy out of the rifle barrel.

As long as you shoot at a slow rate, both my rifles rifle barrels are quite accurate.
They do heat up, and start wandering, if you don't treat them like a scavenger/opportunity shot rifle, where first shot counts.
The change to good sights really made a difference, as well.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Right, mine is absolutely a scavenger/survival rifle-shotgun, so it is a first shot gun, can't imagine where I'd be shooting multiple shots at longer range, or shooting repeatedly for any reason. The wolves maybe. !!

I think my accuracy problem was that the front sight thingie spread the barrels quite a bit. There was a lot of pressure on the rifle barrel. What I've done is reduce that to just some very light pressure...which took quite a bit of file-work. I expect it to shoot well now.

My barrels were quite UN-regulated, (the shotgun barrel shooting slugs very low) but I solved that with a flip up rear sight. If I flip it down, there are two screws on the sight that allow me to hold the front sight high, and use the two screws on the sight to center the sight base. That puts the slugs "on".

My next step is to make an accurate low-velocity cast bullet load for it to maximize it's small game getting potential. With full power .30-30 loads, and slugs in the shotgun barrel it will be pretty good defense against bigger hostile critters. Shot loads and low velocity cast bullet loads should cover all the small game bases, and of course the rifle barrel will take deer sized game out to 100 yards just fine.

Here's a cougar I got with it before I made a shorty out of it.

 

[Australian410hunter]

Righto, after much mucking about, knocked together a front sight/adjustable for elevation and indexation of barrels, 24C (P series).
The original plastic front piece that joined the barrels, and held the front sight was destroyed, experimenting.
The combination rifle now has the sights for a 10/22 carbine (drift adjustable front and rear sights).
The 20g barrel can be rotated, and raised using a 12mm grub screw, against the .22M barrel (rechambered from .22lr).
The 4mm grub screws lock the .22 barrel.
Literally just finished this (it is a back of the cupboard job, that I got to).
I have also taken the opportunity to once again take the trigger apart, and hone it a bit more, it is now 'nice'.
View attachment 1121447
The surprising thing is that a little bit of extra weight on the end of the barrel actually makes it 'feel' better, and you get a good sight picture with the better sights.
Weather permitting, test fire, and adjust, before locking screws, tomorrow.

And a little note, from test firing, and adjusting, you need to add some index marks (white paint pen, will wipe of oiled steel) to barrel and collar, to start adjusting, as reference points, to get vertical indexed rounds, then adjust sights on (made a start but weather blew up).

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I just started working on some small game cast bullet loads. Got three loaded up just to see if the recipe is any good...but it's seven degrees outside and I've got a battery to change in the wife's car. Old neglected batteries way past their prime just don't seem to crank very good when it's seven degrees for some reason. ! Anyhow, don't expect having any problem achieving sub-one inch at 25 yards. Then I'll load more, sight them in, and see how/where the full power jacketed bullets go with that sight-setting. Usually a little high compared to the slow-loads, and I can live with that. Pop a couple of Brenekke slugs to see if the POI has changed since I relieved most of the pressure separating the barrels. And then...wait for spring to go exploring.

 

[Australian410hunter]

And a little note, from test firing, and adjusting, you need to add some index marks (white paint pen, will wipe of oiled steel) to barrel and collar, to start adjusting, as reference points, to get vertical indexed rounds, then adjust sights on (made a start but weather blew up).

AND realised that the rear sight was moving under 20G solid recoil (yes, I have a bruise, that stock, with the inlets, is not designed to shoot 30/40 20G solids!).
Now have it sighted in PERFECTLY at 25M. Nice little cluster of .22M, two of three touch, third half an inch away, last two times, and the solids obliterate the centre of the target!
Ended up firing one shot each barrel, take into shed, disassemble, put barrel in soft vice, put a mat down underneath to line up, and then move front clamping piece, then go out, fire another shot, until both aligned perfectly. Had rear sight locked solid, so drifted front sight to get aligned with impact points.
Took a while, but the barrels didn't heat up.
No 6 shots slightly more above centre line at 25m, No 3 buck gives you a fairly horizontal string on centre line, with others spread.
Pretty happy, but took a while!

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Pretty happy, but took a while!

Yep, I think it does take a while to get the most out of these contraptions, but worth it. Congrats on getting it dialed in. I'm almost there.

 

[Australian410hunter]

Yep, I think it does take a while to get the most out of these contraptions, but worth it. Congrats on getting it dialed in. I'm almost there.

Well, keep puttering, you will get it.
All I have to do now is REALLY scrub the 20G bore, a bit leaded up!

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Well, keep puttering, you will get it.
All I have to do now is REALLY scrub the 20G bore, a bit leaded up!

My 20 barrel gets dirty fast shooting slugs. Yep, I'm a puttering. I loaded some test rounds with a gas-checked, 120 grain bullet and seven grains of Unique, large pistol primers (that's what I have the most of) and got a really nice, almost one-hole group at 15 yards. Two touching and one just a quarter inch directly above the two, which was the first shot from a clean barrel. Then I outsmarted myself and loaded three more up but with five grains of Unique, thinking/hoping I could reduce the velocity and noise a bit, but that really opened up the group. So seven grains it is. A hard cast .308" bullet should not tear up a grouse, should go right through even with more velocity than I would prefer. Should be especially good on wabbit.

Now a matter of sighting it in at 25 yards for those, although 15 yards is the average (or closer) range for me, for shooting grouse, or seeing wabbit.
Then I'll see where the slugs go, and also regular/full power (is "full power" and ".30-30" an oxy-moron?) 180 grain loads. Hopefully not too much higher than the small game loads. I don't anticipate the slugs shooting as low as they did with a lot of pressure spreading the barrels apart. As mentioned, I have that pressure down to very very light now. Just enough so nothing is rattling around as the bullet travels down the bore. We'll see.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I think I've "got it" on my small game load. As mentioned, first try was with seven grains of Unique, tight little group, then I tried five grains in hopes of reducing the report just a bit, but that doubled the size of the group. Today I went back to seven grains, did some filing on the sights for a better sight-picture, and shot this. Two shots through the lower hole, and then the "high flyer" above. !!!!!

Now when the rain stops, I'll see where the 180 grain round-nose Jacketed bullets go at 50 yards, and where the Brenekke slugs go at 25. Almost there!

 

[Australian410hunter]

My 20 barrel gets dirty fast shooting slugs. Yep, I'm a puttering. I loaded some test rounds with a gas-checked, 120 grain bullet and seven grains of Unique, large pistol primers (that's what I have the most of) and got a really nice, almost one-hole group at 15 yards. Two touching and one just a quarter inch directly above the two, which was the first shot from a clean barrel. Then I outsmarted myself and loaded three more up but with five grains of Unique, thinking/hoping I could reduce the velocity and noise a bit, but that really opened up the group. So seven grains it is. A hard cast .308" bullet should not tear up a grouse, should go right through even with more velocity than I would prefer. Should be especially good on wabbit.

Now a matter of sighting it in at 25 yards for those, although 15 yards is the average (or closer) range for me, for shooting grouse, or seeing wabbit.
Then I'll see where the slugs go, and also regular/full power (is "full power" and ".30-30" an oxy-moron?) 180 grain loads. Hopefully not too much higher than the small game loads. I don't anticipate the slugs shooting as low as they did with a lot of pressure spreading the barrels apart. As mentioned, I have that pressure down to very very light now. Just enough so nothing is rattling around as the bullet travels down the bore. We'll see.

My Savage 24C also leads up rapidly, in the first half of the barrel, with multiple solid, shots.
Good to see you've got your .30-30 (.308 projectile) load sorted.
I need to finish my mechanical tasks (vehicle repairs), so I can go back to sorting out different rounds.

 

[Australian410hunter]

Righto, after much mucking about, knocked together a front sight/adjustable for elevation and indexation of barrels, 24C (P series).
The original plastic front piece that joined the barrels, and held the front sight was destroyed, experimenting.
The combination rifle now has the sights for a 10/22 carbine (drift adjustable front and rear sights).
The 20g barrel can be rotated, and raised using a 12mm grub screw, against the .22M barrel (rechambered from .22lr).
The 4mm grub screws lock the .22 barrel.
Literally just finished this (it is a back of the cupboard job, that I got to).
I have also taken the opportunity to once again take the trigger apart, and hone it a bit more, it is now 'nice'.
View attachment 1121447
The surprising thing is that a little bit of extra weight on the end of the barrel actually makes it 'feel' better, and you get a good sight picture with the better sights.
Weather permitting, test fire, and adjust, before locking screws, tomorrow.

If you want to regulate the barrels on a Savage Model 24C, series P, this ^ works!
Fiddly job, but well worth the effort.
Upgrade the basic sights, at the same time!

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Good to see you've got your .30-30 (.308 projectile) load sorted.

Yes, thank you. I've got it all sorted out now, I posted the results in another thread. Laser accurate with the small game load, got the slugs hitting exactly where I want them. The rifle "full power" load, using factory FC 170 grain cartridges, string vertically just a little, more than I would "prefer", but windage-wise are nice and tight. Accuracy is "acceptable", but at my leisure I'll try to do some load development and see if I can tighten up that vertical stringing. The nice thing is that it only shoots a tad higher than the small game load, so one sight-setting fits/works for both. So it's flip the sight up for cast bullets or jacketed, flip it down for shot or slugs. Nice!

 

[Australian410hunter]

Yes, thank you. I've got it all sorted out now, I posted the results in another thread. Laser accurate with the small game load, got the slugs hitting exactly where I want them. The rifle "full power" load, using factory FC 170 grain cartridges, string vertically just a little, more than I would "prefer", but windage-wise are nice and tight. Accuracy is "acceptable", but at my leisure I'll try to do some load development and see if I can tighten up that vertical stringing. The nice thing is that it only shoots a tad higher than the small game load, so one sight-setting fits/works for both. So it's flip the sight up for cast bullets or jacketed, flip it down for shot or slugs. Nice!

Good work.

 

[Australian410hunter]

Since this began I acquired a 24C "Campers Companion". Here it is as found along with the 24V.
View attachment 1073204 View attachment 1073205 .

That looks like a Savage 24C P series. If you have trouble with barrel regulation, and the sights, have a look at what I did, fiddly but it works. Also means it is no longer original, but can be changed back, if you don't destroy the original front barrel locator.