Expected accuracy of featherweight contour

[markg208]

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.

Thanks I'll look into that

 

[MW204]

Thanks I'll look into that

Do you know if the inside of the barrel touches anything or is it like a Remington where it tightens up on the shoulder?

 

[markg208]

Do you know if the inside of the barrel touches anything or is it like a Remington where it tightens up on the shoulder?

Off the top of my head I'm not sure but I think it jambs up against action face. I have a few cz527's and I think they do like you are talking about

 

[MW204]

Off the top of my head I'm not sure but I think it jambs up against action face. I have a few cz527's and I think they do like you are talking about

This could be your problem then.

 

[Swiftkill]

Don't mess with your crown. You have groups with bullets through the same hole. You just have to get your consistency better. Oh and try torqueing your action screws to 40 in-lbs and tighten them to 25 or 30 in lb then take up the rear tang first and alternate in 5 # increments 35 rear 35 front 40 rear 40 front. Since you are only glass bedded I would not go to 60#. Maybe 50# max, but I have settled on 35 - 40 and that works for me.

 

[markg208]

Don't mess with your crown. You have groups with bullets through the same hole. You just have to get your consistency better. Oh and try torqueing your action screws to 40 in-lbs and tighten them to 25 or 30 in lb then take up the rear tang first and alternate in 5 # increments 35 rear 35 front 40 rear 40 front. Since you are only glass bedded I would not go to 60#. Maybe 50# max, but I have settled on 35 - 40 and that works for me.

This rifle is pillar bedded

 

[nksmfamjp]

Thanks for giving so much data to review.

My notes:
IMR 4064
Seat depth
2.806 - 1.0" 5 shot @ 41.4gr
2.836-2.776" - 1.3"



Charge
43.9 - 0.7" @ 2.806 3 shot
45.1, 45.5- 13ES horizontal strings


Seat depth @44.9gr
All crap 2.816", 2.806" best

VARGET

Charge
44.8 - 2.810" - 0.5" 3 shot
44.0 - 45.2 sub moa
43.2 - 1 es
44.4 - 10 es
45.6 - 12 es

Seating depth @ 44.4
2.816" sd 6.1 grp 0.9
2.796" sd 15.6 grp 0.7

This bullet is shooting it's best around 2.796"-2.816". It is just a 0.75 moa bullet in that rifle. You probably need a new bullet to get smaller groups.

VARGET is giving you better and more consistent ES. The loads around 44-45 gr seem to be giving good results.

I'm not sure you don't have a primer issue. Your barrel, bedding and stock are very nice. You have some amazing 3 of 5 groups. This is usually an instability.

First, I would shoot 5 groups of 5 shots each with VARGET 44.4gr and 2.796" oal. Is that repeatable? Is Sd ok on 25 shots? …might repeat with the 2.816" load.

Then, I would try seating the current primers to 0.003" crush. Basically, measure 5 primer pocket depths and 5 primer thicknesses. Then subtract to find nominal depth. Then add in some crush like 0.002-0.004". Try to make this consistent.

Then I would try a batch of new primers and do an ocw from 43.5 - 45.5gr. Did flyers and sd improve? If so, keep new primers.

Last, I would try a 3 bullets at 3 seating depths off lands at like 44.4 charge weight….was one of those consistently better?

Good luck.

 

[markg208]

I've got some 155 Berger vld's and 168 eldm coming to try also

 

[Lenny Foffa]

Love. All. The. Pictures of the. Excellent. Light. Weight. Rifles ! I. Learn. Much form you guys ! Here's. Mine. Weatherby Ultralight 5 3/4 pound. Rifle with a 24 inch Kreiger( Spelling)S/S. Fluted. Barrel ! .550 at the. Muzzle! In 270. Win! Usually. With a. VX3 2.5. To 8X Hydro dipped snow. Cammo for about 3. Years ! No. Good reason , I just love to. Fiddle !!

 

[markg208]

Love. All. The. Pictures of the. Excellent. Light. Weight. Rifles ! I. Learn. Much form you guys ! Here's. Mine. Weatherby Ultralight 5 3/4 pound. Rifle with a 24 inch Kreiger( Spelling)S/S. Fluted. Barrel ! .550 at the. Muzzle! In 270. Win! Usually. With a. VX3 2.5. To 8X Hydro dipped snow. Cammo for about 3. Years ! No. Good reason , I just love to. Fiddle !!

How does it shoot?

 

[bamban]

I've got some 155 Berger vld's and 168 eldm coming to try also

If you are just after bragging rights group, try the Berger 150 flat base.

 

[markg208]

If you are just after bragging rights group, try the Berger 150 flat base.

What I'm after is a load that will CONSISTENTLY group 3/4 moa or less. Id like to be confident in this gun to take a deer out to 6-700 yards.

 

[bamban]

What I'm after is a load that will CONSISTENTLY group 3/4 moa or less. Id like to be confident in this gun to take a deer out to 6-700 yards.

I see, good luck.

 

[Bob Wright]

One thing that keeps jumping out is this set of groups. There are groups within groups. I've run into this myself on some customers guns. It points to another "recoil lug" or even the shooting setup between cooling the barrel as another posted.
"Another recoil lug" is anything in the bedding that is "not the recoil lug" such as take down screw binding on the stock, trigger clearance.... Anything.....