Funny Noise from a 300 Win Mag

[Ganderite]

Hi Ganderite,

I wasn't sure if I should make a post and ask this question, or ask you directly.

I recently bought a new barrel for my Savage 111 action, 300wm, 30", 1" tapered down to .950". I installed it all, and did some load development over the weekend. That all went well. However, I did notice, particularly on certain loads of H4831SC (compared to H1000), that the rifle seems to vibrate? Now, this is my first barrel replacement, and my last barrel was a sporter 24" long and much lighter. I am wondering if what I am noticing is flex in the stock that I am using? Or is that sensation "normal" for the long barrels on savage actions? Did I go too long and heavy for the action?

The stock is a John Plaster Ultimate Sniper (it was what I could afford, and was better than the original savage stock), I am using "The Rock" front rest, and the screw in the rear of the stock for the rear rest. The action has been bedded, and is not loose (I did check that at the range, and again when I was home). Have I reached the limit of this stock? What should I look for in a stock to carry these larger, heavier barrels?

Thank you for your time,

Joe



I will answer on the Forum because others may want to chime in with more info.

That is a much heavier barrel than the original. I assume the rifle is a repeater? I ask, because I use a number of Savage single shot actions, and have a third action screw in the middle of the action.

What do you mean by “vibrate”? Do you hear a chatter? Or a hum?

Try whacking the barrel with the handle of a screw driver. Does the barrel hum like a tuning fork? If so, the bedding is good.

Is there a loose item on the stock that is jumping around with recoil. Maybe something inside a hollow section of the stock?

I have never heard any noise in the Savage after a shot. My FAL and AR-15 – yes, but not a Savage bolt.

 

[cosmic]

Interesting post. I have heard barrels "hum" while firing - in particular a Tikka 695 with a free floated barrel. In the case above, changing to a longer and heavier barrel would likely reduce the resonance frequency and increase the amplitude - thus making the vibration much more noticeable to the human ear.

 

[TrevorJ]

Rifle is a repeater, so no 3rd action screw.
More like feel a vibration, like the stock is flexing after the bullet leaves the barrel. Perhaps it is just the vibration of the barrel (as suggested by cosmic), but I suspect the stock.
I did take a look for anything that might be loose and rattling around in the stock while cleaning up yesterday, nothing found (all the screws were tight, and nothing left in any of the voids in the stock).
I will re-verify that the stock double as a tuning fork.

Thanks!

 

[brybenn]

Put it back in the factory stock and repeat. If it still vibrates its the barreled action. If not it was the stock.

Id first try shooting offhand. It will eliminate the bounce of the rifle. Im not sure about your rest but ive found sometimes the springs in my bipods can seem to ring after the stock on higher recoiling rifles when shooting off a table or tailgate. Offhand this symptom dissappears

 

[TrevorJ]

Put it back in the factory stock and repeat. If it still vibrates its the barreled action. If not it was the stock.

Id first try shooting offhand. It will eliminate the bounce of the rifle. Im not sure about your rest but ive found sometimes the springs in my bipods can seem to ring after the stock on higher recoiling rifles when shooting off a table or tailgate. Offhand this symptom dissappears

Thank you for the suggestion.
This action will no longer fit in the factory stock (barrel is too large for the factory channel). The rifle weighs a little over 7 kg's so it would be hard for me to shoot offhand, and notice anything of value.
I doubt the vibration I am feeling is from the rest, I have shot about 600 rounds over it with this action/stock with a different barrel, and never noticed.
However, next outing I will see if it still happens, and try a different front rest setup to see if it changes/goes away.

 

[Dogleg]

I had a 338 Edge built on a savage and adjustable Sharpshooter stock that vibrated like a cracked baseball bat when shooting. Got Craige of AC Douglas to re-bed it to no avail. Rail screws would loosen, and a couple stripped out before I switched to #8 screws and red loctite. Rifle was 17 pounds.

I never did figure out why, but tended to blame the stock. It shot fine, and I eventually sold it. Its interesting that someone else has a vibrating savage though.

 

[AP]

it would be worthwhile firing the rifle without the the rear butt 'spike' making contact with the ground (or table) ... screw it up so there is no contact and see if this reduces the vibration

 

[walks with loud stick]

I would have to say the barrelled action is not conducting the vibrations to the stock where they will be dissipated/absorbed, but then again everything has its own resonant frequency, so it just might be the two compliment eachother rather than cancel out.

Maybe the receiver needs more contact with the stock, or a different stock all together.

It would be interesting to experiment. Perhaps a different load, or adding some mass to the barrel to alter its resonant frequency.

I should add, this isn't to say the actual frequency is the same but rather they are of complimentary octaves.

By modifying the mass of an object you will change its resonant frequency, if the two main components... stock and barrelled action are not of complimentary octaves, they will cancel out eachothers vibrations.

 

[TrevorJ]

it would be worthwhile firing the rifle without the the rear butt 'spike' making contact with the ground (or table) ... screw it up so there is no contact and see if this reduces the vibration

Good idea. I'll bring along a rear bag as well, and try it with the spike, without, and on a bag.

 

[TrevorJ]

I would have to say the barrelled action is not conducting the vibrations to the stock where they will be dissipated/absorbed, but then again everything has its own resonant frequency, so it just might be the two compliment eachother rather than cancel out.

Maybe the receiver needs more contact with the stock, or a different stock all together.

It would be interesting to experiment. Perhaps a different load, or adding some mass to the barrel to alter its resonant frequency.

I should add, this isn't to say the actual frequency is the same but rather they are of complimentary octaves.

By modifying the mass of an object you will change its resonant frequency, if the two main components... stock and barrelled action are not of complimentary octaves, they will cancel out eachothers vibrations.

Science!

I am still experimenting with loads, and have been sharing that in the reloading section. Plan to keep notes on if I notice differences.

I suspect you are on to something, I also plan on moving the rest further aft on the stock to a flatter section, that is not as far away from the action. Two fold reasoning, one the stock is stiffer at this point, and it's also flat and should track better on the rest. Probably.

 

[TrevorJ]

I had a 338 Edge built on a savage and adjustable Sharpshooter stock that vibrated like a cracked baseball bat when shooting. Got Craige of AC Douglas to re-bed it to no avail. Rail screws would loosen, and a couple stripped out before I switched to #8 screws and red loctite. Rifle was 17 pounds.

I never did figure out why, but tended to blame the stock. It shot fine, and I eventually sold it. Its interesting that someone else has a vibrating savage though.

Yikes, I never really played baseball, the one year I did, I'm pretty sure the bats were aluminum... that said that sounds like it would have been terrible!

I have not experienced anything vibrating loose, yet. If I can't figure it out, I may consider re-bedding, or another stock. It is not really bothersome at this point, it was more of a "huh, that's odd. I wonder if anyone else has experienced that? And what have I done this time?"


Thanks!

 

[AP]

Yikes, I never really played baseball, the one year I did, I'm pretty sure the bats were aluminum... that said that sounds like it would have been terrible!

I have not experienced anything vibrating loose, yet. If I can't figure it out, I may consider re-bedding, or another stock. It is not really bothersome at this point, it was more of a "huh, that's odd. I wonder if anyone else has experienced that? And what have I done this time?"


Thanks!

In the original message it was identified that:
The stock is a John Plaster Ultimate Sniper
I believe that is the one with a butt that looks like a tuning fork ( ie two thin sections) with a recoil pad joining the two 'tines' at the end?
assuming your bedding is ok and the recoil lug is set up tight in the stock (and the action screws arent bearing against the stock holes) that would be where I would be looking. A 300WM generates stout recoil --- if the butt 'spike' is planted hard -- I can see where a lot of energy is getting transmitted through that stock ... and it has to go somewhere

 

[TrevorJ]

Thanks, AP.

You are correct, I am currently using a John Plaster Ultimate Sniper stock. Your description is pretty good, it does look like a bit like a tuning fork. The Spike is not really a "spike", it's a hard plastic disk, on a threaded steel rod (Picture below). I am shooting off a bench, made a 2x6's, and it is free to recoil rearwards. Perhaps it was getting caught on a screw head or something. Definitely something I will look closer at on the next trip.

Borrowed this image from the internets. This is not the savage version, but they are pretty similar.

 

[TrevorJ]

Was at the range today with this rifle, didn't notice any of the funny noises that I heard last time. It must have been a combination of the powder charges I was shooting, and the position of the front rest on the stock. The elevation screw in the back may have also been catching on an screw head on the shooting bench as well. I chose a different bench (I checked for screw head flushness, ha!), and had some higher powder charges to try.

Thanks again for the input.