Re: My Rifle - UPDATED 12-11-10 (Pics)
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tripwire</div><div class="ubbcode-body">FWIW.........
If that were my rifle I'd first make damn sure I had a clean barrel to start with, yeah I know you said you cleaned it, but I didn't. I'd then adjust that trigger you first said was 3 pounds, IIRC, then said later was 5 pounds, either way it's too heavy for me. I'd bed the action and free float the barrel (get rid of the factory pressure point in the process), BT/DT on shitty stocks like yours and it does work until a better stock can be had. If the forearm is too weak for a bipod then stiffen it. I torque my action screws to 50 inch pounds front and back on a bedded action.
I would then check to see if the mag well was floating (loose) in the stock. If it is binding tight on the action/bottom metal then it will play hell with "groups". I've had to fix this on EVERY 700 I have ever owned, and a couple of Rugers. To make it float requires the intelligent use of a bench mounted belt sander to sand down the bottom of the well a little at a time to allow it to "float" between the action and the bottom metal. Easily done unless you are a hopeless idiot, all you need is a slight amount of looseness. Not rattle loose, just free to wiggle around. The point is not to make a loose mag well for the sake of a loose mag well, it is to ensure it is not binding/bowing the action.
After all that is done I would bed the base to the receiver and torque to spec with an actual torque wrench this time. I'd then mount the ring lowers making sure I pushed them all the way forward in the slot. I'd torque them to what burris says to use but go only about 10 inch pounds past the minimum, I go to 75 on the XTR's. Then with a lapping bar check to see how well they are aligned. If poorly, and a re-mount/re-torque doesn't fix it then lap for at least an 80% contact on the lowers, 95% is better.
I'd then mount a PROVEN/KNOWN scope that TRACKS, (not one that I think is ok because it's cool as shit), and torque the ring tops to the spec., 20 inch pounds. I'd torque in a criss-cross pattern with the same concept that lug nuts are installed on a vehicle. You will find that, especially with six screws, the last one you torqued will be made loose again with the next one. It's not torqued correctly unless all six screws trip the torque driver in the criss-cross pattern.
This takes a few minutes but is the right way to do it on the ring tops. Use a feeler gage to set the XTR ring tops even on both sides before starting to torque and set the screws to lightly snug with a hand driver, as you torque they should then come down evenly if you criss-cross. Start your torque process 10 inch pounds light and torque them ALL to that setting in a criss-cross doing each screw several times before moving up in torque. Then move up 5 inch pounds and torque them all to 15 in a criss-cross, repeat again until you reach the correct 20 inch pound spec.
This is all before I have fired the rifle even one time.....
A better stock is not a bad idea, but not necessary at this point if the current one is bedded and floated. Just went through this with my son's Ruger 77 .308 and its' shitty plastic stock.
I would also shit can the stock riser you made up, can't possibly imagine a proper cheek weld with that mess on there....just MY opinion tho'.
Never assume you are a gooder shot than the rifle itself is, even the best of the best pull a shot now and again whether they admit it or not. I'm guessing that I'm likely a minimum of 25 years, and who knows how many thousands of rounds ahead of you in shooting experience (I've got a JD bottle darn near full of spent primers from just this year), and I'll be the first to admit that I still blow shots once in a while.
Never assume that one certain brand of ammo being good in another rifle/chambering will work also in yours to the same results. When you finally realize EACH rifle is an individual then you will begin to understand this sort of rifle stuff.
All this said keep in mind that the very same winchester power point ammo will do .5 MOA @ 100, 1 MOA @ 200, and 1.5 MOA at 300 out of my kids' Ruger 77. Not the best that rifle can do but it's better than you are doing with yours...which goes to show it's not always the ammo as most have said here.
Just my two and a half cents worth..... </div></div>
Well how big of a factor does torquing the base have to do with it? All of our rifles previous to mine never saw a torque driver/wrench. My dads 7mm Mag still shoots 1/4 inch or so groups with reloads at 100 yards. My uncle's rifle, he never used a torque driver/wrench, even with the stock, he just put a stripe of paint on the screw lining up with the stock, And counted backwards. Anyways. I've felt 50 inch pounds, and its pretty damn tight. I tightened the base to a sturdy tight, but didnt over torque it. could this seriously effect the results? Also, the amount of effort that you are describing with the shitty stock, Whats the point of doing all of that when i plan on getting a new stock anyways within the near future. I didnt just pick out the first scope i found because its cool as shit, i did a ton of research, on a decent scope within my budget and found what ive so far seen as a great scope.
eh. Like ive said previously im going to either buy or get ahold of a torque driver and remount everything but the base, because honestly i dont see it as the problem, idk maybe im wrong about that.
