My Sendero just wont shoot

[FlinchedAgain]

Hi Everyone, Im using a standard sendero sf11 300rum that wont group any better than 1.3 inch at 100yds Im using Rem brass 215 primers 89 -96gn of Hodgden Retumbo and Berger 210vld,
Ive also tried using 208 amaxes, Nosler brass, ADI AR2217 AR2225 powder, Ive worked up loads with each powder and tried various seating depths, resulting in nothing but a damaged wallet.
All loads have caused cratering of the primer which I have put down to a firing pin/hole issue, there are also small brass flakes left on the bolt face after firing, I know that this is not a good sign but I didnt think it would have too much of an effect on accuracy,
Is it worth trying 180-200gn projectiles to see if it prefers those, or shall I just take it to the shop and say fix it?
Any opinions and ideas appreciated.

 

[P KUNDA]

Absolutely-try other projectiles

Peter

 

[andrew r]

Hi Everyone, Im using a standard sendero sf11 300rum that wont group any better than 1.3 inch at 100yds Im using Rem brass 215 primers 89 -96gn of Hodgden Retumbo and Berger 210vld,
Ive also tried using 208 amaxes, Nosler brass, ADI AR2217 AR2225 powder, Ive worked up loads with each powder and tried various seating depths, resulting in nothing but a damaged wallet.
All loads have caused cratering of the primer which I have put down to a firing pin/hole issue, there are also small brass flakes left on the bolt face after firing, I know that this is not a good sign but I didnt think it would have too much of an effect on accuracy,
Is it worth trying 180-200gn projectiles to see if it prefers those, or shall I just take it to the shop and say fix it?
Any opinions and ideas appreciated.

Hi Flinched again,

I live in HB New zealand and have plenty of experience with Senderos and the 7mm and 30 cals. TXT me and we can have a look at your setup. Theres a few things that can be checked first.

021-2234193

 

[roninflag]

sendero

i think my brothers standard load is 94-96 of re-25 and a 180 accubond. 215 primers. less than an inch in 2 senderos and around a half with the third. they all have a vais installed. roninflag

 

[johnnyk]

Hey Flenched,
One of the worst things we riflemen/handloaders do is get a new bullet and/or powder and expect it to shoot bug-holes in our wiz-bang rifles. Our expectations let us down.
My 700P in 7mm RM did not like 168gn Bergers. "I" really wanted them to shoot. "I" know they're better bullets than the 150gn Ballistic Tips, which by the way shoot into .2's & .3's.
You have to let the rifle shoot what it likes. Sometimes that's hard and expensive to find. Other times it's easy and fast.
3 important things about rifles, bullets and powder:
(1) the rifle has to like the bullet.
(2) seating depth has to be correct.
(3) you have to have the right powder charge.
Note: Without #1, #2 doesn't mean squat!
Without #1 & #2, #3 doesn't mean squat!
Think about it. JohnnyK.

 

[USMC M38A1]

Try another load

I would try some factory loads if that doesn't work send it back to Remington they are very good about fixing their problems .My dad had a 410 shotgun that was old but had never been shot in 11 years ,he bought it second hand it wouldn't eject shells properley he took it to the Remington approved smith and he couldn't fix it and Remington said send it back they rebarreled and put an entire new action on the gun for free.

 

[Lightvarmint]

Hello,

I had similar problems with a 300 Win Mag Sendero Special with a muzzle brake. First thing I did after getting the gun was to completely bed the action to eliminate that variable.

Secondly, I ordered three different weights (180, 190, 210) of Wildcat bullets thinking that at least one of them would be satisfactory. They just did not work in that gun and actually were the worst of all bullets that I tested. They would not shoot under an inch.

Next, I got some standard Nosler Accubonds to try and they were almost as poor (would not shoot under 7/8 of an inch) as the Wildcats but not quite. At this point, I started thinking about what to do about salvaging the project but could not come up with anything since I was using all the cleaning techniques, case prep, load prep that we use in benchrest shooting and still no luck. I even called the powder company to see if they had any issues with this lot # of H1000 powder and the specific lot I had was in the middle of their acceptance standards.

At this point, I was ready to turn a dream of a good deal at $600 for the gun and mounts into a not-so-good deal by having to rebarrel it. The total cost for rebarreling would have been 300 for the barrel, 200 for the barrel crown protection device and 175 for fitting the barrel. Not to mention the action work that would probably have to be done to get the gunsmith to stand by the rebarrel job.

I was sitting at the reloading desk pondering what barrel and barrel weight to use and my eye caught sight of the stack of Swift Scirroco bullets I had. Since I had nothing to lose, I decided to try some and they worked. On three successive days after finding a sweet load (standard powder charge with a specific seating depth for the ogive from the lands) and during very friendly shooting conditions, we confirmed the load by getting the gun to shoot groups in the high .1s low .2s at 100 yards (three successive days) with the factory barrel and the Scirrocco bullets. We then re-confirmed the results of the 100 yard testing during the sighting in at 400 yards.

I knew that different bullets would yield different results with match barrels and chambers, but surely did not expect the factory barrel to do that well with scirroccos since the accubonds and the expensive Wildcats shot so poorly.

Try all the different bullets you are willing to use prior to buying a barrel and sending a gunsmiths child to college. At some point, you should find one that meets your standards unless you have a bedding, stock, barrel or barrel crown issue.

Since I did the above experiment for my one and only factory rifle, I have since tuned all of my hunting partners factory guns as well. I all of my testing of their guns, it was more bullet selection and bullet seating depth than anything else. And, they are very happy with their shooting sticks. You will too once you get the magic load down pat and down range. Good luck.

James

 

[GREYGHOSTt]

just for grins and giggles take your most accurate load and switch primers.
its a cheap test.. humor a old man..

 

[FlinchedAgain]

Hi, Thanks everyone for your input and ideas. The rifle in question has been found to have been bedded very poorly, the problem is now being fixed, hopefully that was the only problem. Cant wait to get it back.

 

[gbraach]

Help me learn something here....

Hi, Thanks everyone for your input and ideas. The rifle in question has been found to have been bedded very poorly, the problem is now being fixed, hopefully that was the only problem. Cant wait to get it back.

What was it that told you the rifle was "bedded very poorly"?

Thanks
Gary

 

[esorensen]

If the bedding will not fix the problem then I would be willing to bet the lugs are not square and the action should be trued. Been there and done that. Spent way too much money and time trying to chase down accuracy issues with loading fixes. It wasn't the loads that were the problem, it was the rifle.

 

[Lightvarmint]

Hello,

When you test your loads next after the bedding correction, don't forget to use a mirage shade. You will get your best results when you eliminate barrel mirage from affecting the image in your scope. Good luck.

James

 

[FlinchedAgain]

What was it that told you the rifle was "bedded very poorly"?

Thanks
Gary

A person who knows about such things, I personally know very little about action bedding.

 

[FlinchedAgain]

Hello,

When you test your loads next after the bedding correction, don't forget to use a mirage shade. You will get your best results when you eliminate barrel mirage from affecting the image in your scope. Good luck.

James

Thanks James, mirages arent too much of a problem around here at the moment, its been raining for two days the drought may have broken, anyway when it stops I'll have my pack on and heading off hunting for seven or eight days, I might even take my fishing rod too, ahh life is good.