Expected accuracy of featherweight contour

[Zorack]

Id

I have a newer fn Winchester model 70 I have pillar bedded put in a timney trigger and had a pacnor super match barrel fitted and chambered with a 308 bisley reamer in the factory featherweight contour. I'm getting 1-1.5 moa with 168 fgmm and have worked up a 1 moa load with 168 Berger classic hunters and 4064 powder. Was kind of disappointed in the accuracy and was wondering if this is on par for this skinny of a barrel.View attachment 324783View attachment 324784View attachment 324785View attachment 324786View attachment 324787View attachment 324788View attachment 324789View attachment 324790

IMO I'd get rid of any bedding in front of the recoil lug. I have rifle that wouldn't group very well and got rid of any bedding material in front of the recoil lug and it dropped to 1/2" group size.

 

[cajun]

Put a pressure point on the end of the forearm. Otherwise you may not have the best powder bullet combo. I typically pick a bullet and try several powders. Noslers accuracy load is a good place to start. Hard to beat varget in a 308.

 

[Schnyd112]

i haven't read all this. Are you using a lead sled? Are you shooting off a bipod? Are you shooting off hard bags? Or bags that hold the rear of the stock? are you shooting prone?

My knee jerk reaction is to stop shooting .308 out of a featherweight. There are easier rounds that perform as good or better. I struggled shooting light rifles and still pull shots more than I would like. .257 roberts, 7-08 and, god forbid, a 6.5 creed, have the same or better muzzle energy and 100 yard ballistics than a .308 with lighter recoil. That short barrel may also be biting you. Any little change is magnified. Your ES numbers look good, you have worked up and it doesn't get better.

I will say my kimber Montana 8400 in .270 wsm is light as hell and it does not like shooting 5 shot groups. It barely keeps 1" 3 shot groups. But that first one out is within .3 moa of zero every time I have checked and it is a killer.

One other thing to try is shoot it at the same target, same rage, same position, cold bore, the next 5 times you shoot. If nothing else, it will tell you it's ability as a hunting rifle. I have never put a 5 shot group on game.

 

[greenejc]

i haven't read all this. Are you using a lead sled? Are you shooting off a bipod? Are you shooting off hard bags? Or bags that hold the rear of the stock? are you shooting prone?

My knee jerk reaction is to stop shooting .308 out of a featherweight. There are easier rounds that perform as good or better. I struggled shooting light rifles and still pull shots more than I would like. .257 roberts, 7-08 and, god forbid, a 6.5 creed, have the same or better muzzle energy and 100 yard ballistics than a .308 with lighter recoil. That short barrel may also be biting you. Any little change is magnified. Your ES numbers look good, you have worked up and it doesn't get better.

I will say my kimber Montana 8400 in .270 wsm is light as hell and it does not like shooting 5 shot groups. It barely keeps 1" 3 shot groups. But that first one out is within .3 moa of zero every time I have checked and it is a killer.

One other thing to try is shoot it at the same target, same rage, same position, cold bore, the next 5 times you shoot. If nothing else, it will tell you it's ability as a hunting rifle. I have never put a 5 shot group on game.

I have had a little sensitivity to light rifles in the 30-06, myself. I don't have a light rifle in .308 Win. The cold bore shot idea is good, and it works.

 

[markg208]

Yes everything forward of the action was free floated when bedded including under and front of recoil lug.I'm not a benchrest shooter but I'm not new to shooting small groups with light hunting rifles. Was just expecting more from this build than I'm getting. I have a stock model 7 in hs precision stock in 308 that I developed a load with this same bullet for that held sub moa CONSISTENTLY out to 900 yards.

 

[markg208]

Here is a seating depth test I shot today at the 44.4 grain charge of varget. I picked 44.4 because 44.0,44.4, and 44.8 all had EXACTLY the same elevation the first 250 rounds on this gun were 150 factory ammo and 100 rounds of 41.5 imr4895 with a 168 smk at 2.8" just to break barrel in and blow the brass out some. I'm letting barrel cool 2-5 min between shots depending on temperature. I am very ocd about cheek weld sight picture trigger control, and follow through when developing loads. These loads were from .010"- .060" off

 

[lancetkenyon]

My. Go to deer. Rifle is a. Weatherby Ultralight rifle. 24. Inch. Krieger flutted S/S barrel,in270. Win! Thin barrel ,550 at the. Muzzle'
10. Or 12. Years ago. I could. Make. One. Hole. Groups at 100. Yards if I. Let the. Barrel. Cool! Now. At 73. I'm. Happy. With 1 And1/4. Groups! I. Learned. Shot. 1.and shot 2. Are. Usually. Fine but. I. Give the. Barrel 1 min. And 15. Seconds. Fir. Shot. 3. And. 1 min snd 40 seconds for all. Shots after. That ! I. Must. Say. Most of my deer are. Shot snd. Killed. With. The. First shot. ,two needed a. Second shot ,never. Fired. A. Third shot ! For Me. Light weight. Thin barrel , let it. Cool

Do you have the hiccups?

 

[DoneNOut]

Do you have the hiccups?

That's quite possibly one of the most annoying posts I've read. PERIOD!

 

[FEENIX]

What cartridge are you loading?

Did you mean to ask me this question or the OP?

 

[greenejc]

Here is a seating depth test I shot today at the 44.4 grain charge of varget. I picked 44.4 because 44.0,44.4, and 44.8 all had EXACTLY the same elevation the first 250 rounds on this gun were 150 factory ammo and 100 rounds of 41.5 imr4895 with a 168 smk at 2.8" just to break barrel in and blow the brass out some. I'm letting barrel cool 2-5 min between shots depending on temperature. I am very ocd about cheek weld sight picture trigger control, and follow through when developing loads. These loads were from .010"- .060" off View attachment 325363View attachment 325364

Looks like no. 4 is your load. Its right in the middle of a node.

 

[Barrelnut]

Well.... IMO, seems your not new to the game and you've gotten good advice above. So, I sincerely hope you figure it out cause that's a beautiful rifle.

 

[MW204]

IDK how a Winchester tightens up, but if it's like a Mauser 98 the inside of the barrel is supposed to touch the inside of the receiver before the shoulder does.
I normally have a 3-5K gap on the shoulder after the inside of the barrel touches the receiver and then tighten it all up.
Also if it's like a Mauser the very outside edge of your threaded barrel needs to be relieved so it's touching the flat part of the receiver instead of the rougher untouched outer portion of the receiver on the inside.
I hope this makes sense because if the barrel is supposed to touch the inside of the receiver first and it doesn't it lets your barrel move around ever so slightly causing moa issues.
Don't ask me how I know this. ;-)

 

[markg208]

IDK how a Winchester tightens up, but if it's like a Mauser 98 the inside of the barrel is supposed to touch the inside of the receiver before the shoulder does.
I normally have a 3-5K gap on the shoulder after the inside of the barrel touches the receiver and then tighten it all up.
Also if it's like a Mauser the very outside edge of your threaded barrel needs to be relieved so it's touching the flat part of the receiver instead of the rougher untouched outer portion of the receiver on the inside.
I hope this makes sense because if the barrel is supposed to touch the inside of the receiver first and it doesn't it lets your barrel move around ever so slightly causing moa issues.
Don't ask me how I know this. ;-)

I don't know. I hope it's done right lol

 

[MW204]

I don't know. I hope it's done right lol

I can tell you this, I put a Mauser 98 together this year, it's been about 10 years since I built one, and I was having the same issue you were having no matter what I tried, bullets, primers, powders, seating depth and I decided to take her back down all the way to figure out what was wrong.
I too had about 300 rds run through it before taking her apart. Once I took it all the way back down I discovered I was touching at the shoulder first and then after fixing that problem I painting the end of the barrel threads and I found out I was touching on the very outside of the barrel threads on the rough part of the receiver instead of the flat portion that the barrel was supposed to be touching first. Once I fixed these two issues I put her back together and I started shooting sub moa with a couple of loads.
If you can't take your barrel off take it back to your smith or another one and have him check it out. It doesn't take long to remove a barrel but if it has the same problems I had well then he'll have some metalwork to do, which again is not much except he'll have to time it so your barrel lettering will be back where it is.