At the end of my noose

[Hunterjones]

I'm not saying to give up EASILY but I am saying that the reason most of us hunt, shoot, reload, etc is to have FUN!!!! If you really like that particular Model, Brand, Caliber, there are probably 5000 more of them out there exactly like the one that's giving you issues……

 

[Hunterjones]

I also remember a story that a Cabela's Gun Library manager told me about a guy who bought a gun that shot well at first and he brought it back because accuracy was waning only for them to discover that barrel was beginning to come loose at action…….

Yeah. How about that???

 

[Hunterjones]

One of said rifles I gave up on was made by a Finnish company that had recently been acquired by an Italian company. After much complaining about accuracy deteriorating (rifle had 5 shot accuracy guarantee) in under 200 rounds they had me send said rifle back. They kept it for about 7-8 months with no contact except me contacting them and they finally asked me for my receipt so they could REFUND MY MONEY. No offer of a replacement. I found out a few years later that they had a batch of bad barrels during the time of my purchase and had a couple of barrels explode with at least one causing fairly serious injury to individual firing it. Just thought I'd share this story with OP.
This rifle went from the first 3-4 groups of factory ammo when brand new shooting ragged holes at 100 yards to 1.5"-2.5" after 20-30 rounds thru it………….
I never found out exact deal with the bad barrels but I honestly believe that the first time or two the barrel heated up cause it to stress relieve and something was done improperly during manufacture. Metallurgy, heat treat, SOMETHING

 

[Hunterjones]

It very well COULD be as easy as bedding or cleaning. Just sharing a little insight from my past that shows that SOMETIMES it is something totally unexpected. This last scenario puts me at around a half a percent on rifles I've owned with something as serious as an acknowledged defective barrel.
I think we've ALL probably owned at least a couple of "dogs" that just flat out would never group ANY load well EVER. You know, very consistently shoot almost every load at 1.5-2 MOA

 

[Shane Lindsey]

From this siteView attachment 446410

I recognoze that. I put that info into my phone for reference.

J.E. Custom-RIP good Sir!

 

[sable tireur]

I never found out exact deal with the bad barrels but I honestly believe that the first time or two the barrel heated up cause it to stress relieve and something was done improperly during manufacture. Metallurgy, heat treat, SOMETHING

It was the metallurgy. Their steel supplier found a tad too much sulphur in the alloy which caused a weakness in those barrels. The recall was massive! Lesson learned I hope.

 

[TxPhred]

Kind of long post. Lol.
Wby vanguard deluxe 338win. When I got the rifle 6 years ago. Did load development with 230eldx hybrid 100v. Shot well under 1moa. Loaded up bunch. Fast forward to 3 years ago. Took it apart to clean. Found the stock had cracked. For recoil lug back to cross bolt. After searching for a year for a correct replacement no luck. (Barrel channel list as #2 but that fat 338 is more like a #3.) So I picked up a deluxe stock and sanded it out to fit. In doing so I ended up floating it. Shot like crap. Stripped and rebedded action. Fits like glove. Shoots like crap 3moa. Added pressure to Barrel 3 businesses cards thick shoots like crap. Sanded back out. Started seating depth test. All of the rounds I had loaded previously were 10k off lands. Cleaned barrel then did 3 Shot depth changes 15, 20, 20, 25 all the way to book spec Shot horrible shoot consistent bad 2moa at best. Changed powder to 7828ssc did a quick 2 Shot load development at 20k off lands 2moa+. Picked up a box of 180 accubonds Did load development with h4350 20k off lands. Shot bad but not as bad. Took the best group. Did seating depth test. 5k- book speck. Got one group that looked promising. Could not get it to repeat. Same lots of powder same sleeve of primers 215 same old stock r&p brass. Changed brass to new win and primers to cci250. No change.
I have taken rifle apart inspected everything. Re torque action. Pulled scope re torque rail screws picked up new vx3 3.5-10x50 scope mounted tq rings to spec. Even pulled the new scope put it on a different rifle and it works as it should. I'm at end of my rope help. I did notice there was a tight spot when I was checking float. Pulled stock found it'd the swivel stud. Could it be hitting and screwing up the harmonics? Don't see any marks on barrel. Time to rebarrel????

Please check your firing pin spring. You might be getting improper ignition from an old spring or get it and the bore it rides in a good cleaning. This is often overlooked. Good luck. I hope you find a solution soon, since you seem to have done everything else.

 

[Bret GRAVELINE Graveline]

Yeah. How about that???

I also remember a story that a Cabela's Gun Library manager told me about a guy who bought a gun that shot well at first and he brought it back because accuracy was waning only for them to discover that barrel was beginning to come loose at action…….

I ran across a Kimber M84 in 308 with the same issue,

 

[Hunterjones]

I ran across a Kimber M84 in 308 with the same issue,

Further proof that occasionally things that are very unexpected so actually happen

 

[Hunterjones]

It was the metallurgy. Their steel supplier found a tad too much sulphur in the alloy which caused a weakness in those barrels. The recall was massive! Lesson learned I hope.

Well that is good to know. I had heard about the recall but never knew the whole story. It's a shame because that rifle felt SO GOOD in the hands and was good looking too. SS fluted barrel. Rubber inlays in a good looking synthetic stock…..

 

[Hunterjones]

Anyone hear any news about this thing??? I'm super interested to see what transpires….

 

[SouthLoganCountyShooter]

Will see today. Stripped beding rebed action. Rebeded barrel. Bore was extremely dirty took 3hr to get clean. Is this a Hornady bullet issue with eldx? I cleaned the bore exactly 50 rounds ago. Took 60 patches with barnes bore cleaner and ended up having to use a bore brush and scrub it. Going to do a load development with 180 accubonds today. We will see.

 

[Hunterjones]

Holy Cow!!!! I'd be quite surprised if the cleaning doesn't make a HUGE DIFFERENCE!!!!

 

[Shane Lindsey]

I would give it about a week to shoot it if you just bedded it. Let it completely cure.