Re: What to try before I give up on this rifle?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: YAOG</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Marksman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Over a year ago I had a 6.5x47 Lapua "built" on an FN action I bought from CDNN. I say "built" because I used a local smith and essentially just had him chamber and install a barrel. No truing work was done to the action, and I can't comment on if the smith has every really specialized in anything more than hunting rifles. I used a Brux barrel, and now have around 300 rounds down the rube. The stock is bedded and pillar bedded as well.
The reason I'm upset with this rifle is that I've never been able to get good repeatable accuracy out of it. This last weekend I tried working up two more loads.
120gr Nosler Btips went around 2"
120gr Prvi Bullets went around 5"
Past shooting data:
120gr Amax between .5" and 1.5"
123gr Scenar between .5" and 1.5"
108gr Lapua factory ammo around 1"
Right now I'm trying to decide if there's anything else I should play with? Or should I start looking into sending it to a smith for a re-barrel or just a barrel set back and action truing? </div></div>
You don't mention anyother specifics of your rifle so I'll go with the generic "start with the basics and work backwards from there."
Check your scope, rings and mounts for correct alignment and torque free tube installation. Confirm your mount and ring fasteners for correct torque values. If you don't know find out and make sure you have torque drivers with the correct range, most and recent calibration. Confirm that your scope is repeatable, test it on a larger caliber weapon with more recoil. After that check your brass and bullet runouts. If all of this stuff is GTG and another better shooter has similar results on paper on the same day as you get the rifle checked out by another gunsmith who can accurately check the rifle, chamber work and bore concentricity.
HTH!</div></div>
YEP!
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bignada</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Don't know you and your info about the rifle is very sketchy...
What is the chamber dimension, particularly OAL. For best accuracy ought to be .0005 over Go-Gauge or SAAMI minimum.
Is the barrel free floated? Is action skim or hard bedded, with pillars? What torque values are you using for action screws? Have you tried varying the weight values? Try 45ip front and 40 rear; then reverse.
What is your scope mount system? Got GOOD scope base? GOOD rings and a Quality Scope? Have you got another scope to try?
Got any precision tools? Check your base for error. I owned a "premium base" once that was .05 out of square; slots were machined on an angle... Just buying "the Best" doesn't make it so.
Shooting handloads? Try varying seating depth.
Any chance your crown is damaged?
Have a good trigger and is it manageable for you?
Shooting a magnum w/o a brake?
What you using for an aiming point? Use the bottom corner of a square and be sure of your reticle alignment and release on every shot. Try shooting rifle in free recoil.
Try a bottle of Barnes CR10 and clean all the shit out of your barrel and then repeat your break-in.
Borrow an RCBS Precision Mic or a Wilson Case Gauge and measure/write-down your case dimension before and after firing. Use virgin brass to measure OAL chamber length. Might need to set barrel forward a revolution or maybe two. Who Knows until you measure?
Just guessing but scope & mount system is likely culprit.
good luck
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And YEP! +1 for what both those guys say.
Also, we have to troubleshoot you. What else have you shot? Do you have a coach? If you've been shooting something .5 MOA in the past? How far have you extended out? I find a lot of times it's me. I don't get the parallax right or shark-eye the shot (eyes roll up in head, body pushes forward anticipating the shot) don't double check scope-eye alignment. Even though you're supposed to have a clear pic at the very point you achieve full sight picture I find I pull the trigger when there is a blur on top or bottom because I'm focused too much on the target and not the whole sight picture in the scope.
I'm also interested in which FN action you got? Is it the modern one or one of the older '40's-'50's actions? The old Mauser style. Those are good actions but you need to check they are true. I should say the same thing about the modern FN's. Get them to a gunsmith and check that they are true.
In all honesty you shouldn't have to deal with a gunsmith who does work for you he can't guarantee either. I have a guy around here who does great work for decent prices and I KNOW what he gives me back is good to go. I had another guy around here cost me twice as much and told me he can't guarantee anything because he didn't provide the barrel. Well it was a Shilen and it shoots great. But I won't give that guy any credit for a great job. Or, go back to him. Not when he tells me he ain't sure about it. Who does the work really matters. And, what they'll stand behind matters too. The guy I like here is Jim Kobe. He posts on here sometimes. He may be pretty busy though.
