Expected accuracy of featherweight contour

[markg208]

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.....

I'll give it another check tonight

 

[WildRose]

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.

That's very doable today with a properly bedded and floated rifle and handloads with numerous calibers and cartridges.

 

[markg208]

That's very doable today with a properly bedded and floated rifle and handloads with numerous calibers and cartridges.

That was my thinking too but this thing doesn't want to break moa. I still haven't tried many components yet either tho.

 

[WildRose]

That was my thinking too but this thing doesn't want to break moa. I still haven't tried many components yet either tho.

Have a good smith accurize it for you and help you work up a load.

Some will never quite get there but that's the chance you take buying an off the rack/out of the box factory rifle.

That's why for anyone trying to stretch out beyond 300yds I suggest either a semi custom with an MOA guarantee or pony up and go with a full custom.

Honestly the average guy is tickled to pieces if he can get 3 shots into a ten inch pie plate and 100yds.

That will easily give you a clean kill at 100 but much beyond that you're going to do a whole lot of tracking.

 

[Rflshootr]

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.....

I agree. There are so many possibilities. The simplest thing to do is to try a different primer.........or another powder, but I don't think that powder is the problem. Another possibility is too hard of a front and/or rear bag.....and there is wind flags or lack thereof.
It's up to you but I'd try a different primer.

 

[MW204]

I agree. There are so many possibilities. The simplest thing to do is to try a different primer.........or another powder, but I don't think that powder is the problem. Another possibility is too hard of a front and/or rear bag.....and there is wind flags or lack thereof.
It's up to you but I'd try a different primer.

I use a bipod and a semi-hard rear bag and can shoot quite well, but I'm talking out to about 500yds. I've shot out to 1K yds with the same setup and hit what I was aiming at.
I'm new to some of this stuff so what does a hard bag have to do with anything if it sits flat and you're steady using it?

 

[Rflshootr]

I use a bipod and a semi-hard rear bag and can shoot quite well, but I'm talking out to about 500yds. I've shot out to 1K yds with the same setup and hit what I was aiming at.
I'm new to some of this stuff so what does a hard bag have to do with anything if it sits flat and you're steady using it?

It causes the rifle to bounce and be inconsistent...not enough that you can feel it, but it shows on the target. When using bags, you need at least one that isn't rock hard to help soak up vibration from both the firing pin drop and the recoil. Yes they are 2 different occurrences of vibration, or harmonics, if you prefer. If both bags are too hard, it will give you unexplained flyers, and typically vertical in your groups....but not always.

 

[WildRose]

I agree. There are so many possibilities. The simplest thing to do is to try a different primer.........or another powder, but I don't think that powder is the problem. Another possibility is too hard of a front and/or rear bag.....and there is wind flags or lack thereof.
It's up to you but I'd try a different primer.

I've found the "finding the perfect powder or primer" route to really be expensive and frustrating.

The single best thing I ever did was to start putting a light crimp on the necks to ensure consistent neck tension.

If you have already accomplished that and have a really promising load then I find just tweaking the seating depth is usually all it takes.

 

[Willoughby]

This seems interring but I can't imagine it in my mind. Do you have pictures?

text for pics 4o6 283 ten28 Mike

 

[Smith629]

From the looks of the targets your rifle/barrel is pretty much a 1 MOA rifle. I don't reckon that too bad for a feather weight barrel and that might be all your going to get out of the reloading components you're using.
I know IMR4064 has been a staple for the .308 Win for a long time. Not sure about the Bisley or what it is. I would try some more powders close to the range of IMR4064.
I had a stubborn .308 once, could not get it to shoot anything inside an inch and a half. It was a new factory barrel and I tried every powder I had and even bought a couple to try in it. Several different bullets and primer types later I decided to turn my attention to the rifle. I epoxy bedded the action and free floated the barrel, adjusted the trigger to 2lbs and that got it a little tighter, about a inch, but not what I had envisioned this heavy barreled, target rifle was supposed to do. I mean, come on, it's a dang .308. At this point I had spent close to a year troubleshooting this rifle.
In my searching the internet I came upon a gent who used a round headed, brass screw, valve grinding compound and a cordless drill to polish the crown. At first I was skeptical but then figured what the heck do I have to loose.
I polished the crown using the above mentioned items and wa-lah! the rifle thought it was a benchrest rifle! At 100yds it would put five in the same hole, or at least touching; using Varget, CCI BR2's and 175gn SMK's.
Sorry for being long winded but don't overlook the small things and don't be afraid to try something different. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

P.S. About a month after I finally got it shooting I pulled the barrel and installed a Shilen 6mmBR Norma. I still have the barrel and have considered putting it back on a couple of times.

Try Varget and work on moving seating depth. Varget has worked well with several primers in my 308s. I have 5 feather weights with 22 inch barrels a 270 that shoots 3 rounds 140 grain Barnes bullets to .66 and 5 at 1.06. the30-06 shoots 3 180 grain Barnes with Superformance and Federal match magnum primes .75 5 round groups at 1.10 at 2800 fps. The 243 shoots 5 into .6 inch. Finding the right powder, bullet, primer and bullet seating depth combination can take a while. Enjoy the process

 

[Rflshootr]

I just saw something else in the pics that may be suspect but can't really tell. Is the bolt handle touching the wood anywhere in the cutout?

 

[rustyshackleford]

The -06 isn't inefficient, it just was loaded with powders that were 'fast' for the cartridge originally. It got a reputation for being less accurate than the .308Win due to the powders available for it in the first 45 years of its existence. I get less than 1" groups out of it at 100 yards with 180 grain Sierra and Speer bullets in three rifles, and less than 0.4" groups in a heavy barrelled rifle. I shoot IMR4350 and 4831, and am experimenting with Superformance for 200 grain bullets. But off subject. What is the difference between the .308 Win and the Bisley? Is it similar to an Ackley Improved? Also, you have a 1 in 11" twist so I wouldn't go higher than a 180 grain bullet, and I wouldn't use any of the long for caliber bullets in any weight. If the bullet is long for its weight it might not stabilize in a 1 in 11 twist barrel. I know these guys (some of them) are going to say mono and such, but try Sierra 165 and 180 grain Gamekings. Also try Nosler Ballistic Tips in 165, 168 and 180 grain weights, and Speer 165 and 180's. I get extremely good accuracy with these bullets out of all my .30 cal cartridges, in the 1 in 10" twist barrels my rifles have, and they're all high BC bullets for standard copper jacketed lead. Also, try RL 15 in your rifle. You're using a light weight barrel, so something you might try also is to shoot two 3 shot groups with everything the same and shoot at the same aim point to see how they overlap. Let the rifle cool between groups, and mark the two cold barrel shots. Keep in mind however, that a 1" or tighter group is a very good group in a light barrelled rifle, and if it will print under 3" at 300, its a good load for a .308Win. I've suggested shooting at 300yds because some bullets won't completely stabilize at 100 yards but will be on rails by 300. You will have to decide what is acceptable accuracy for this light rifle, but remember that perfect really is the enemy of good enough.

I was being sarcastic about 30-06 being inaccurate and inefficient. People just sleep on it. H4350 has been good for me with 165's-180's but RL-16 has been very nice with 200's

 

[markg208]

I just saw something else in the pics that may be suspect but can't really tell. Is the bolt handle touching the wood anywhere in the cutout?

It was in the beginning but I Reid some sanding and fixed it

 

[MW204]

It causes the rifle to bounce and be inconsistent...not enough that you can feel it, but it shows on the target. When using bags, you need at least one that isn't rock hard to help soak up vibration from both the firing pin drop and the recoil. Yes they are 2 different occurrences of vibration, or harmonics, if you prefer. If both bags are too hard, it will give you unexplained flyers, and typically vertical in your groups....but not always.

Thanks for your reply.