Torquing Savage Accustock - I wouldn't have believed it!

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Most of you guys probably already know this but I didn't and maybe my experience will be of benefit to some others, so here goes!

I bought a Savage 10 TR last year. I haven't shot it too much but I wasn't very happy with it. My groups were about 1.125" to 1.5" at 100 meters with good bullets and handloads, not very good for this type of rifle.

I did some research on the internet (so it must be true) that told me correct torquing of the action screws was critical for accuracy. Savage recommends 40 in/lbs for both screws but other people were saying its not that simple, you may have to try some different torque values until it shoots well. I read one article by a fellow who claimed to own four Accustocked rifles, he said most shoot best with 35 in/lbs on the front screw and 30 on the rear screw. He said three out of his four shot best with 35/30 in/lbs but he had to experiment with other torque values to get the other one shooting well.

So a couple of days ago I took the action out of the stock, wiped any all oil out of it, set the Accutrigger as low as it would go (3 lbs) while I was at it and got to work re-torquing the stock. You are suppose to do this with the rifle vertical so that the recoil lug is resting on the back side of the recoil slot in the aluminum bedding block, so I started the screws in to the threads then stood it upright. I tightened the screws until they were just starting to tighten then switched to a torque screwdriver and tightened front to 10 ft/lbs, then the rear to 10, then the front to 20, rear to 20, front to 30, rear to 30 then 35 on the front.

So, off to the range yesterday. I loaded 3 military 7.62 x 51 FMJ cartridges as foulers, they shot to 1" at 100 meters but in the past they were shooting more like 2" groups, so off to a good start. Next I loaded 3 handloads with 168 gr Hornady BTHP bullets over 44.4 gr of Varget. They gave me a one hole 1/4" group, so I loaded 3 more and got a one hole 5/16" group, so I cranked the scope for 300 meters and shot a 1.375" group, about .4 MOA!

So all of a sudden this is an interesting rifle! I wouldn't have believed that just torquing this stock the way I did would make such an instant and major improvement if I hadn't proved it to myself!
 
Good to see your results. I bought a torque screwdriver a couple of years ago because I suspected the same thing was happening to a Winchester Model 70 (New Haven manufacture...................3 action screws, a mess if they aren't torqued correctly) and it immediately began to shoot groups about 25% smaller. I ended up getting the rifle to group 1.2" groups instead of the usual 2" groups. Thats good for a CRF rifle if you ask me.
 
When I got my 700 AAC SD, Remington recommended 35in lbs of torque to the receiver screws with the factory Hogue stock. With handloads, I was able to shoot sub 3/4" groups repeatedly. I upgraded the stock to a B&C stock with the action bedded and B&C recommended 60in lbs. My rifle opened up and was shooting 1 1/4" groups. Last time out, I dropped the torque down to 40in lbs the groups closed down to just a little better than MOA during load testing.

I just got my rifle back from Casey so I torqued the screws to 35in lbs again. We'll see how she runs next range visit.

I'm curious as to what other folks theory on torque settings on the receiver screws are.
 
A couple of my "long range" shooting buddies told me about torqueing last year. I torqued my Choate stock on my Savage 111, to 65 inch lbs., headed out to the range. My first 5 shot group at 100, was covered completely with a dime, where as before the best I could get was 9/16 of an inch.

A lot to be said for torqueing.
 
I just got back from the range -
I read this post, did some internet digging, and tweaked my new Savage 12. It has the HS stock, i bedded and then torqued to 65 as per HS instructions and other guru's on the 'net. The first batch of loads shot last week were ok, one good one measured 1" at 200 with 65 in-lbs torque - 0.2 gr powder up and down had decent groups of 1.25 at 200yds.
So today, I backed off and re-torqued to what many seem to feel is best for these rifles - start at 20, front/middle/rear, then go up 5 at a time in the same order, until front is 35, middle 35, and rear 25.
Then - Shot the above 'good' load, 42gr 4064, 168SMK ...YOWSA! 3 shots, 1 hole at 200. Shot again, 2 touching, one 1/4" away, measured 5/8".
So i won't say that the torque was what did this, but it certainly is looking like it had an positive effect - i am thinking this needs to be investigated a bit more -
Lookout 1/2MOA challenge, here I come!
 
I called Stiller to inquire about the torque they spec for the Tac 338 actions and we got into a conversation about using action tq as a tuning variable. He absolutely does not recommend it and claims that an action(if properly bedded) can never be too tight. In the end I settled on 80in.lbs which was the highest setting on my tq wrench. If I do my part it shoots Berger 250s into 2 inch groups at 500m.
 
swissinn said:
I called Stiller to inquire about the torque they spec for the Tac 338 actions and we got into a conversation about using action tq as a tuning variable. He absolutely does not recommend it and claims that an action(if properly bedded) can never be too tight. In the end I settled on 80in.lbs which was the highest setting on my tq wrench. If I do my part it shoots Berger 250s into 2 inch groups at 500m.
Click to expand...

I wonder though, if there is a difference between a flimsy factory tupperware stock and a stiff laminate or fibreglass, in regards to how much is TOO MUCH. I don't think a tupperware stock would handle 80in/lbs well unless it had a full length bedding block.
 
swissinn said:
I called Stiller to inquire about the torque they spec for the Tac 338 actions and we got into a conversation about using action tq as a tuning variable. He absolutely does not recommend it and claims that an action(if properly bedded) can never be too tight. In the end I settled on 80in.lbs which was the highest setting on my tq wrench. If I do my part it shoots Berger 250s into 2 inch groups at 500m.
Click to expand...

Is it possible to glass bed a Savage accustock even though it's in an aluminum block?
 
Ran across another forum today reseaching torquing receiver screws and another guy was using 35in lbs in the front and 30in lbs in the rear screws of his Savage rifle.

HuntersStand said:
Is it possible to glass bed a Savage accustock even though it's in an aluminum block?
Click to expand...

Yup, folks have done it. Not my pics but have a look:

bedding1.jpg


yi6w.jpg
 
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sgt.rock said:
I wonder though, if there is a difference between a flimsy factory tupperware stock and a stiff laminate or fibreglass, in regards to how much is TOO MUCH. I don't think a tupperware stock would handle 80in/lbs well unless it had a full length bedding block.
Click to expand...

I just read a week ago or so that McMillan recommends 45 in/lbs for their stocks. (Of course, I had torqued my McMillan up to 65 in/lbs literally just a couple of days before reading that, based on the recommendations from Choate on their stocks...)

Now I'm wondering if I should back the bolts back down to 45 or just leave them there. Haven't had a chance to shoot either rifle since bumping up the bolt torques.
 
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