Savage 110 accuracy issues

[Zach270Win]

I have a Savage Model 110 chambered in .270 Winchester that is not shooting like it used to. Im lucky if I get a 5 inch grouping at 100 yards, the rifle normally shoots any were from 1 inch to half inch groups depending on how well I shoot on any given day. I first noticed accuracy issues last hunting season, and I thought maybe it was the scope. I put a new scope (Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40) on it and went to the range today, since it wasnt bore sighted I first shot at 25 yards to get a rough zero. The rifle has a bipod on it and I had the rear of the stock sand bagged and at 25 yards the group was roughly 3/4 of an inch. I took it out to 100 yards and the grouping opened up to 5 inches. The ammo is my own handloads that have worked great for several years, I'm using Hornady 130 grain SST's. The rifle itself is seven years old, and I've maybe put 400 rounds through it at the most and have always cleaned it after every time shooting it. I checked to see if the stock might be touching the barrel and my dollar bill slid freely between the stock and the barrel.
Any suggestions on what to do?

 

[trailrider121]

So much to check out.Check the action screws, maybe loose? Remove barreled action and clean. Is the rear tang floating? Maybe try a factory box of ammo and see if that helps verify its shooting good.

Welcome to the hide BTW...

 

[Danley]

Don't overlook the crown ... Or maybe the rifling inside the barrel is pitted? I've seen this happen on a fairly new stainless barrel (less than 150rds) where there was literally small chunks of rifling gone.

 

[Temp9]

Bases, rings, etc. tight? If not, tighten. If so, is the scope verified? If not, put your old scope on and try again.

 

[Rhyno]

Clean it, get a good solvent and get all the copper out.

Start eliminating variables :

Did it happen after you put the new scope on?

Check your hand loads

Check the screws on the action and the scope.

Try a different scope, might have gotten a bad one.

Have someone else shoot it.

Use sandbags, especially up front. I've had bipod bounce mess me up.

 

[TexasMade]

My savage did same thing and it ended up being action screws. So I would check that first. Then I would scrub the barrel good with a solvent with the proper equipment like a bore guide and coated cleaning rod. If no such luck, check your rings and bases and if you have a rail where your rings attach. Something is not tight or dirty I would say.

 

[Ring]

scope base screws as well...

 

[Zach270Win]

I checked the action screws, base screws and they are all tight. The rear tang is not touching the stock. The rifling appears in good condition, and so does the crown. I was having this same accuracy problem with the old scope (Bushnell Banner 3-9x40mm). My handloads shoot fine through my mothers (Im 19 years old and just graduated from high school) Model 700 BDL, dont really know if that determines if they aren't the issue.

 

[trailrider121]

Did you check scope base to action screws?

 

[Zach270Win]

Yes I checked both the actions scews and the screws for the scope bases. All of the screws were tight. The only thing I can think of is that there could be to much copper fouling in the bore which was suggested in an above post and by a friend of the family.

 

[kmose73]

How many rounds through the gun?

 

[trailrider121]

Well sounds like it may need a good scrubbing with some copper remover.

 

[Zach270Win]

250-400 rounds through the rifle, and I always cleanded after I shot it but I know that doesnt remove most of the copper fowling so it sounds like thats my next step.

 

[ArmyJerry]

That barrel is just broke oin with 500 rounds through it, should be doing 0.5 to 0.75 groups on a bad day. Is it an accustock? Accutrigger? Take the action screws out, google the torque method for your stock you will see a good Youtube on it, reinstall the screws using teh proper method, look at Lonewolf youtube on mounting scope rail and rings, he covers that pretty good, try a different scope, not likely a Vortex is messed up but eliminate the possibility anyway. The savage is a littl eshabby on the finer points of fit and finish but they are the best shooting mass produced rifles made in the world.

Jump on Savage Shooters forum if this does not fix teh issue, it the realm of the barrel nuts over there.

 

[Rhyno]

That barrel is just broke oin with 500 rounds through it, should be doing 0.5 to 0.75 groups on a bad day. Is it an accustock? Accutrigger? Take the action screws out, google the torque method for your stock you will see a good Youtube on it, reinstall the screws using teh proper method, look at Lonewolf youtube on mounting scope rail and rings, he covers that pretty good, try a different scope, not likely a Vortex is messed up but eliminate the possibility anyway. The savage is a littl eshabby on the finer points of fit and finish but they are the best shooting mass produced rifles made in the world.

Jump on Savage Shooters forum if this does not fix teh issue, it the realm of the barrel nuts over there.

Savage factory barrels are known for copper fouling badly, at least that has been my experience and many others from my research, so I would definitely try a copper solvent.

Otherwise they're dang good rifles.

 

[Black-X]

5 MOA would be more than reason enough for me to take it to my gunsmith and have it looked over.

 

[The_FNG]

Get some factory ammo, i've never had luck with SST's.

 

[Zach270Win]

My rifle has the accutriggar but not the accustock since that didn't come out till 2 years after I bought my rifle. I've had great luck with my SST's and so has my family, its not the rounds themselves, and I've had less luck with factory ammo. Although I can't find any SST's in the stores still so I may end up switching to 150 grain Accubonds from Nosler any ways. The new scope was me trying a different scope as I was having the same problem before with the old scope, I could try and see how the scope does on another rifle but I'm 99% sure that its not the new scope.

 

[Zach270Win]

Ran some copper solvent through the bore of the rifle, I'll take it shooting this weekend and see if it helped.

 

[Zach270Win]

Went and shot my rifle today. The copper solvent did the trick, I was getting one inch groupings with 130 grain SST's and 54 grains of H4831. I also tested some new ammo using Nosler 150 grain ballistic tips with a max load of 55 grains of H4831 and got a .8 inch grouping. Thank you for all the tips and advice given.