Hot barrel accuracy

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  • Last Post 28 December 2007
linoww posted this 05 October 2007

I have a rifle that refuses to shoot well unless the barrel has at least 4-10 shots down the tube.I am talking 3-4 inch groups at first.When it settles down it can shoot many small groups in a row.I had a new shooter plinking with it yesterday and he shot 20+ shots at a gong real fast.When I checked the zero before he shot it did the typical scattering crap!.I shot two five shot groups right after he was done and they were 1” and 11/16".The barrel was very hot to the touch. When I ran a patch through it felt tighter at the muzzle that the rest of the bore.No leading apparent on the patch.

Input please

 

The load-

13.5 4759 (or MR5744) Eagan MX3-22 EX2 (62g),  NRA lubed in all grooves/Magtech 9-1/2 primer/2175 fps Chron. vel.

Rifle- Savage 12 BVSS 22-250 / 26” barrel

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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CB posted this 05 October 2007

I have noticed that my 308 12bvss does a similar thing. It takes 3-4 fouling shots before it settles down to shoot good groups under .6 MOA. This is regardless of if the barrel is freshly cleaned or already fouled and not cleaned.

I think part of it is the fact that Savage barrels are very rough to start with and that they manually straighten the barrels after machining.

Another reason could be the lube you are using. NRA 50/50 is very thick and sticky. The beeswax and alox (alox is actually a rust preventive much like undercoating) most likely need to be at a certain temp before your groups will shrink down. You may want to try decreasing the number of grooves you are lubing to see if that affects your outcome..

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linoww posted this 05 October 2007

Jeff Bowles wrote: You may want to try decreasing the number of grooves you are lubing to see if that affects your outcome..

I tried that originally.I found that I needed to lube more grooves to get better grouping .I am going to try RCBS green as I used to have good luck at high velocity in my 218 Mashburn Bee and 30BR.I just started with NRA as I had it in the sizer with the .225 die.I also have about 10 puunds of Taurak that worked wella ,but founda fouling build-up about 6” foreward of the chamber in my 30BR.I dont think it hurt accuracy,but it always worried me.

When the gun is warmed up is clusters like you cant believe.In the many 3/4” groups four of the five shots may be into 3/8".I shot one .2” group with it last week.Lucky,but I'll take it.Had a 195-2X at the 100 yd only Spokane match last weekend with it.When we went to 5 shot groups i had one wild shot on the first group to make a 2.25” mess. The last 3 groups were better and I agged. 1.35".

I aint giving up<G>

 

Geo.

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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CB posted this 05 October 2007

Try a different lube because if a patch is getting tight at the muzzle what you're using might not be holding up. Having to fire a few fouling shots seems like standard operating procedure with cast bullets At least with mine. If after trying a different lube the gun shoots like crap but doesn't lead try filling less grooves.

 

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linoww posted this 05 October 2007

pat i. wrote: Having to fire a few fouling shots seems like standard operating procedure with cast bullets At least with mine.     

I agree,but going from 4” patterns to sub MOA groups in more of an exterme than I have seen before. I have never run into such a horrible problem with a cold barrel. it is usually  only after cleaning or the first group of the day that i expect the group settling process.I am going the different lube route first.The gun shoots smaller groups with more lube than less.I still have to bed the gun as the Savage Pillar bedding is a compelte BS deal.I doubt bedding is the real problem,but I need to address that issue as well.

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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CB posted this 05 October 2007

When you change to something other than NRA things might change on how much you have to use. I had a 170 gr 30 cal bullet that I shot in a 14 twist barrel that shot pretty good with just the place over the check lubed with LBT Blue. If you go to something else just see what the bullet likes and don't think all the grooves have to be filled.

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linoww posted this 05 October 2007

pat i. wrote: When you change to something other than NRA things might change on how much you have to use. I had a 170 gr 30 cal bullet that I shot in a 14 twist barrel that shot pretty good with just the place over the check lubed with LBT Blue. If you go to something else just see what the bullet likes and don't think all the grooves have to be filled.

With the Saeco RG4 in a 30BR I was shooting 2-1/2 groups at 200 yds.Bill Anderson reccomended just lubing above the GC.I wiped the excess lube out and BAM.... automatic sub 2” groups.This was with RCBS green and a stout load of Scot 3032.I had been using my own lube that is Darr#2 with a  tablespoon of Ballistol gun oil and had good luck to 1800 or so ,but have been afraid to try it at much above that.

 

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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CB posted this 06 October 2007

I think that I sometimes shoot better with a hot barrel, but I can't make it happen with any gun most of the time. I shoot 12-13 shots, 2-3 foulers and 10 for record, in a 15 minute relay, with ~10-15 minutes between relays for target changing-depending on attendees. Frequently I see the second 5 shot group be smaller than the first. But I can't reliably duplicate this, by, for instance, shooting 7 foulers quick, then 10 for record.

Wednesday the guy next to me decided that his Pedersoli 45/70 shot better hot, and later decided that he didn't. This guy shoots some terrifying iron sight groups at 100 yards, some well under 1"-but not averaging very small groups.

I'd like to know what you decide about this, it intriques me.

joe b.

  

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linoww posted this 06 October 2007

I am in Seattle with the family on a sightseeing trip. I have never spent soo much money on one day, and have nothing to show for it!!!I hope to be at it again on monday.I have some loaded and lubed with RCBS green.We'll see what happens.

 

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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linoww posted this 08 October 2007

I shot the RCBS green lube today and got it to settle down in five shots.I lubed two grooves only.I'll see if it keeps it up.The first shot was 2.5” left and then it out the last four into 1.5".The follwing 4 groups were 1.0” to .570".All four agged. .765"All groups had an identical point of impact.The second two 5 shot grops laid over each other would have been under .600 ,if I had the guts to shoot it that way.

 

Geo.

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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[email protected] posted this 25 December 2007

savage is the only manufacture that doesn't have to straighten its barrels. this i found out from and exemployee of both savage and marlin.

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linoww posted this 28 December 2007

I thought i saw an article a few years back that showed an employee of 30 years straigtning a barrel in a press at the Savage plant.

Geo.

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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CB posted this 28 December 2007

I saw the same picture and article. Savage according to a gunsmith that visited the plant, does straighten each barrel.. I will see if I still have the article. I think I saw it on the savageshooters.com forum..

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