What's happened to my beloved Savage?

[LEADPOISON]

Help!!! My Savage 10-FP .223 won’t group!!!

Set-up: Savage 10-FP w/ Leupold 6.5-20x 40mm EFR w/ leupold one- piece scope mount. Rifle has original stock.


History: Rifle sighted in using Hornady 75gr BTHP Match ammo. Gun grouped well with best 3 shot group @ ¼†at 100yd.

Problem: I took rifle out recently and was shooting Black Hills 75gr Match ammo. Rifle would not group. “groups†were @2.5†@ 100yd. Took rifle home cleaned with Pro-Shot copper remover. Took rifle out next day and used Hornady 75gr BTHP, which had worked so well before. Once again, rifle would not group.

Cause? A. Scope is moving due to loose mount, rings etc.
B. Stock is not free floating as it is designed to do
C. Stock bedding screws are loose
D. Problem with bolt/lock-up?

I really like this rifle set up, especially when it was shooting nice tight groups. Please help me restore this rifle set-up to its potential. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
L.P.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Check the mounting screws on the front of the base.. it's a place where slolvent can get to and you can't get a screwdriver/allen wrench back in there easily.

 

[Al Thompson]

My guess is the scope is broken. Replace it with a scope of known value and recheck.

 

[jrhead75]

Standard troubleshooting rules apply...

Simple stuff first. Make sure your action screws and scope hardware is tight, and that the barrel isn't touching anything it shouldn't.

Tighten everything, bring it in to 25 yds, and start from scratch(re-zero) before spending money on new glass and such.

Good luck, and let us know what works. I have a 10FP myself.

 

[Steve Smith]

As others have said, most likely something with your scope or mount. How many rounds though the gun?

 

[Detritus]

Ok first off, as others have said FIRST make sure everything is snugged up like it's suppoed to be. Then consider the rest of my post. esp if you snug everything up and it's still a little off.

since you have the factory stock on the rifle, How are you shooting it? Benched off of bags? off a bipod on a bench? Prone/bipod? prone with sling? etc

have you changed the above method since the time when you got such good groups?

i know this may be a little simplistic, but i'm asking b/c MY Dumb rear pulled something like this and got bit by how flexible that factory stock is.

even the pressure of getting a good firm hold in certain positions can cause MAJOR shift in that stock. which can and usually does result in a severe drop in accuracy (b/c stock begins to touch somewhere) or a shift in POI

regardless, if you do not have a scope level on the rig, GET ONE! with that "willow wand" stock, the level will at the very least make sure that you're consistent in that particular aspect.

 

[Big_R]

I'm not sure you've provided enough information. What do the current groups look like? Are they spread our randomly, do you have vertical or horizontal stringing, etc.? A loose mount may give randomly placed shots, while bedding/barrel stock contact issues generally give stringing.

How does the barrel crown look?

Ryan

 

[Sunray]

Simple. Black Hills 75gr Match ammo ain't the same as Hornady 75gr BTHP Match ammo. You rifle doesn't like it. "...Hornady 75gr BTHP..." Is this the Match ammo? If not than it ain't the same ammo.
Also, what time of year did you sight in with the good stuff? Conditions are not the same in the Fall as they are in Summer. Humidity, temperature etc will change how the ammo shoots. Wood stocks can and will swell in changing weather too. That'll screw it up too. Run a dollar bill up under the stock from the barrel end. If it doesn't go all the way up to the chamber you have high spots. Either sand 'em out and seal the wood or wait until the summer and test it again then seal the stock.
Mind you, I still think it's the ammo change. This doesn't happen when you roll your own.

 

[Hutch]

Are you swapping between moly-coat and plain bullets? That'll cause some interesting results. I had to bore-paste my 700VS a buuuuuuucnh to shape it up for non-moly bullets after the previous owner had shot moly. Just a WAG.

 

[LEADPOISON]

Thanks guys for all the ideas/suggestions; I'll keep all this in mind. The rifle has about 200-250rds thru it. I am shooting off a bench with a harris bipod. Groups seem random. Hopefully tomorrow I will get a chance to clean and take a good hard look at set-up. By the way, I have pampered (as I seem to do with all my guns) the rilfle etc. so if the scope was broken... how 'dat happen? Could it be tightening the rings etc?
Thanks again for replies. Feel free to keep them coming.
L.P.

 

[LEADPOISON]

Update

She's fine and dandy!! I took scope off and snugged everything (although nothing really felt loose) and remounted scope. Bore sighted her by looking thru bore and looked to be close. 1st shot about 8in right and 3in up; but hey, I was on the paper. Adjustments made. I shot 25rds of Hornady 75gr BTHP match ammo. Last group was 5 shots at @ 150yd <.75in

L.P.