my dilema

[foreign]

ok here is my issue. i have a remington sps .308. i had a load developed for it that shot inch groups at 100 pretty much every time. (after joining this site im less happy with my groups) this was before i did some tinkering on the gun.
i had already floated the barrel so that
after doing heaps of reading i took the stock drilled out the bolt pillars, put in aluminium pillars and beded the action. it now fits amazingly snug.
i then got a bipod and found that the stock was no wear stiff enough. so i epoxied in some arrow shafts and now it is way better.
so now i have a bedded and floated rifle . have been doing some shooting and it doesnot group very well now. in the 4 inch mark. thats with a sandbad and the bipod.
the load was developed in colder temp in winter. around 10 c on average. its alittle warmer now. about 16c. the load im using is 45.6gr of ar2208, remi cases, winchester primers and hornady 150 btsp.
would the tinkering i have done change the nodes and such.
im planning to change bullets to the 168sst for longer ranges. hoping to get is accurate enough for 500m shots on animals. kind of want to keep the 150 for under 200m shots since im not sure how the sst will be at closer ranges.

so do i just have to redo the load development for the 150 and i will have to do it for the sst too should i just shoot the sst?will they be ok at closer ranges. . sorry for the lond post. i will come up with more questions as i get replies though.. cheer everyone

 

[royinidaho]

foreign,

From my experience I would suggest that a redevelopment of the load would be appropriate.

As an example, I had a load worked up for a 7 Rem Mag and learned that that it needed a skim bed job. This one, some don't, required a rework of the load and readjustment of the zero.

Hey, ya gotta keep the industry supported.

 

[edge]

What were the groups before the bi-pod?

I am still not convinced that the stock is rigid enough!
If your groups are not just about equal with or without the bipod then you need to correct that first.

I have a Savage with a Tupperware stock. I put a second sling stud just in front of the recoil lug for using a bi-pod.

edge.

 

[old_heli_logger]

Make sure your barrel is clean. My 7mmRM started throwing rounds all over the place until these guys on here convinced me that I had a carbon build-up problem. Nylon brush w/GM top engine cleaner and Wipeout...used alternately until it was truly clean and then my rifle went back to shooting 0.5MOA...
Good luck!

 

[Bravo 4]

I don't think you will have to worry about the heavier SST with a close shot at your velocities. If that's the bullet you want to use then develope a load that you like for it and go do some shooting.

 

[edge]

It depends on what you like your bullet to look like

About 2 years ago I was shooting the 30 caliber 150 grain SST at a bit over 3100 fps.
A friend kicked up a buck and it ran almost straight toward me at less than 100 yards. I shot offhand and hit him just to the right of center taking out 1 rib. The bullet went diagonally through him a small piece of lead core exited the opposite side ham without hitting any bone other than the rib. I found this piece of jacket under the hide at the point of exit:

If I were 100% sure of a 200 yard or longer shot then I would probably stick with the SST but I opted to switch to the 150 Accubond instead.

The SST did go full length diagonally through the deer so I can't complain, but I prefer a bit more retained mass.

edge.

 

[Bravo 4]

I don't particularly like the light for caliber SST's. They do have a tendency, like light ballistic tips, of coming apart at higher velocities. The heavier for caliber SSt's just have a longer shank to keep them together and to push the fast opening mushroom plenty deep.

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

I would get a new stock. I have to agree with the other guys the forearm is not strong enough. Sounds like you did some slap bang work to try and get her shooting better but ended up shooting worse. I have been there before, I had a Savage 110 with one of thouse cheep plastic stocks. I did a wiz bang job to trying to stifen it up but the groups got worse. I broke down and got a Bell and Carlson stock 125 bedded and torqed it up and shot a ragged one hole group at 100yds with factory ammo.

 

[foreign]

wow thanks for all the replys so quickly. so what ive gathered so far is that the sst will be ok but better past about 200m. to have a clean barrel though before i went out yesterday i gave it a good clean i thought.

the carbon build up thing. does 7.62 solvent not disolve it????
a new stock. hmm id like if i can get her shooting again without getting one since the student allowance here doesnt really pay that well.

would load development have been different if the rifle was barrel was dirty apposed to shooting it when clean now

 

[foreign]

and with the stock stiffness. can anyone out there who has a "stiff" stock squeeze the barrel and stock together. i can but it takes alot of effort. i think that the barrel bending contributes to this as well

 

[foreign]

What were the groups before the bi-pod?

I am still not convinced that the stock is rigid enough!
If your groups are not just about equal with or without the bipod then you need to correct that first.

I have a Savage with a Tupperware stock. I put a second sling stud just in front of the recoil lug for using a bi-pod.

edge.

hey edge
the groups before the bipod were in the inch area. now there out around 3inch mark. same area just bigger groups

 

[edge]

hey edge
the groups before the bipod were in the inch area. now there out around 3inch mark. same area just bigger groups

Is the 3 inch group with or without the bipod?

edge.

 

[foreign]

sorry edge maybe im not writing that clearly. before i put the bipod on i had 1inch groups.i then put the bipod on stiffened the forend and bedded the action and then with the same load as before the groups have now gone out to 3 inch mark.

 

[edge]

You need to remove the bipod and shoot again.

Clearly if the group shrinks then the problem is the stock/bipod.

edge.