Rifle Accuracy, 300 RCM

[LoosingSanity]

I have a Ruger Hawkeye (Compact) in a 300 RCM. This has been the most inaccurate rifle I have ever owned. That said.....
I've installed a after market trigger and worked up several reloads trying to get some good groups. The best I can get is about 2.5 " up and down and 2" side to side. Not too good!
Now I'm looking to re-bed the action in the factory wood stock. The stock seems to be a bit warped and the right contour is touching the barrel. With a slight pressure I can move it over until it does not touch any more. My question is this:
With Acraglas Gel, if I glass bed the stock, with slight pressure to make it even again, will the glass bedding hold the stock correctly and correct the issue? Or will it revert back touching the stock again? I could sand the stock, but I think it might look bad doing it that way. Its a nice wood stock and I'd like to keep it.
What are your thoughts?
I appreciate any input you can provide.....

 

[grit]

You need to figure out what contact is creating the misalignment and relieve these points. Possibly the edge of the recoil lug. Often, the entire action channel is ever so slightly skewed. The key is to achieve proper alignment when you bed without any stress on the action.

Relieve the action inlet for bedding, make sure the barrel channel is free floating, epoxy your pillars in to establish height and alignment, then bed the action. Using this method, the action only contacts the pillars when bedding. A little more attention must be paid to ensure proper alignment. But, the results are a stress free bedding job.

 

[LoosingSanity]

Thanks Grit!
I appreciate your reply. This might be a little harder than I thought for my first glass bedding project. I was looking a little more superficial when the real issue is deeper. I guess I have to learn sometime!
What bedding compound do you use? What do you think of the Acraglas Gel? I've read some pretty good reviews, and sounds like it might be the thing for a beginner.
Thanks for your help!

 

[grit]

Acra glass is not bad. Marine tex and Devcon are good choices. There are some good bedding videos in the video section. There are lots of ways to bed. Just remember the goals, no stress on the action, no barrel contact, and proper alignment (horizontal and verticle). Think about how to achieve each goal. Your imagination is as good as anyones. A few vids and an article or two should give you a good grasp of the processes. Use the search here and on google. You should find a truck load of info.

 

[LoosingSanity]

Thank! I'll do that and I'll post back with the results when I get it done. It might prove to be a real funny story after the fact!
I appreciate you helping me out!

 

[grit]

If you have any particular questions, I'll be glad to help. In fact, I've got a couple to bed in the shop. I'll take some photos as I go.

 

[LoosingSanity]

Thanks for the offer Grit! I do appreciate it. And here goes.....

I've been researching the Internet for pillars. I see a lot for Remington 700 and Ruger model 77 mkII. I have a Ruger Hawkeye Compact. Do you have any idea if the model 77 will work? I don't see any plain old pillars to adjust, or any for Compact Hawkeye. It is only has a 20" barrel, so is it as important to pillar bed? Will a 20" barrel will ever achieve the accuracy of a longer barrelled rifle?
What do you think?
Thanks again!

 

[grit]

I gave my daughter one of those a few years ago. Nice little rifles. If the eye relief wasn't set for her I'd borrow it often. It's very handy.

Brownells carries pillars for the 77. They are the same. Generally, they need to be trimmed to length. I do this on the mill after installation. A hobbiest could scribe a line with an exacto and spin them in a drill against a belt sander, file or sandpaper to get the right length.

A short barrel is more rigid, potentially more accurate. The long barrel lengths are for velocity and stability. I would pillar bed the rifle. The RCM has a lot of potential reach if you can get decent accuracy.

The point with pillars is they don't expand and contract, like wood, changing pressures on the action. Nor do pillars crush and compress like wood. The pillars have value even in the tiny rifle.

An option is to use epoxy pillars. Make some stock maker screws (just long screws with the heads cut off), drill out the screw holes to .5", and fill the pillar holes with epoxy. Make sure to use plenty of release agent. Taping the screws for extra clearance is a good idea. I would use something like Devcon steel for this.

 

[LoosingSanity]

Okay, sounds like I can do that. I'll order and try the Model 77s first and trim for a fit as you suggested. If I mess that up, then I'll try the epoxy pillar method.

I'm excited to hear you like your daughter's compact Ruger. I've been so upset with mine that I was considering getting rid of it, but now I have some new hope with your interest in it.

I shot a nice small buck with it at 365 yards the first season I owned it. Lucky shot! But 2 seasons ago, I missed a monster mule deer buck at 280 yards with this rifle and it still haunts me. Last day of the season. Well, I figured it to be my fault but when I went to the range again, my groups were very erratic. When I first got the rifle, I put about 3 boxes through it before deer season and was 1.5 high at 100 yards. But the groups were about 2 to 2.5" spread with a few flyers. Figure I pulled or something. I should have known..... Still kicking myself! After that season and in the spring is when I fired it more and realised its issues. Again, I should have known.

Well, Thanks again! I'll put some work into it....

 

[craigf]

I have a A-bolt that had similar issues. After glass bedding, the stock was still touching the barrel in humid weather. I just removed the stock, and with a little elbow grease and some sand paper wrapped around a dowel rod removed a little material at a time until there was plenty of clearance.