.223 Match ammo?

[HARPERC]

A little far for me to be much help. If you were closer I'd help you put some loads together, but at this point I'm thinking more about rifle or scope issues.

As far as naive I think most of us have had our less than stellar performers. We try to put the odds in our favor with top end equipment, and still there's that one that slips through the quality control process even then. First rifle I ever owned was the worst, I've ever owned, by the time I change everything on it to make it work it was a full custom.

How many rounds down the barrel are we looking at?
What is your cleaning regimen?
What is your accuracy goal?
How do you intend using the rifle?

Good luck!

 

[Idgunner]

I've put a couple hundred rounds through it. Each time I use it I clean the barrel with a wire brush dipped in solvent then run dry patches through until they are clean.

I want it to hold 1/2 inch groups at 100 if possible. I intend to use it for coyotes and I don't want to either wound them or educate them. I want them dead with one shot.

 

[HARPERC]

I appreciate your goal, I'm usually the one receiving the "you know minute of coyote is bigger than you think" but figured we'd get that out of the way. I don't know Savages much but is there contact in the fore-end?

Is there a pattern to your groups, vertical, horizontal, or just splattered around?

Point of aim walking especially with heat?

 

[Idgunner]

Can't say that it is temp related. Groups are just splattered with no horizontal or vertical pattern. The barrel is free floating.

 

[Idgunner]

I've decided to reload to see if I can find the magic recipe for this rifle. If that does not help then I will hand the gun over to a gunsmith for some serious work.

I've bought a four die set of Lee rifle dies, a box of 69gr Barnes Match Burner bullets, two pounds of H335, a vibratory case polisher and a new Dillon 550B reloader. I will pick up a pack of CCI primers and get started reloading.

My plan is to measure the distance to the lands and set the bullets in the cases just shy of the lands with no crimp. I may do a full length resize the first time and then just neck size after that. I'm going to start with minimum load and move in 1/2 grain increments to max load. Depending on when I get all of this done and when the weather cooperates to allow me to head to the range it could be another two weeks before I can report back how things go.

My new adventure is about to begin.