Sometimes I get the feeling that people new to tactical or precision rifles get a bit frustrated that their rifles don't seem to shoot as well as expected. My tip and my encouragement not to give up is best explained by my recent experience:
A few weeks ago I acquired a very nice custom rifle built on a Remington receiver. The rifle had been unfired by the CGN'er who commissioned the build so it was in new condition when it arrived on my door. I was exceptionally happy with the looks features and fit and finish of this rifle and featured it in a review I recently wrote but while the rifle 'showed promise' as far as accuracy was concerned, I felt I wasn't getting all I could out of this piece of kit.
I tried a wide range of loads using 175 and 168g pills and while the rifle produced some .6 and .7 groups, I felt it should do better. Thinking the SEI flash-hider may have not be helping, I removed it but the results were the same - a very solid sub-MOA rifle but not in Coyote or TRG territory. Mmmm - first class components, assembled by a first class smith and not 1/2 MOA kinda left me scratching my head.
This past Friday - at a practice session with other rifles - I had the custom with me and decided that, perhaps, it was me; maybe I just needed more trigger time with this rifle so I used a bunch of handloads I had made up for my ( now sold ) M1A - 155 grainers with a fairly mild load (42.7) of Varget - not expecting anything other than for them to go bang as the idea was for me to train myself for this particular trigger. Well, fcuk me if the rifle didn't just love that loading ! 20 rounds in 5 shot groups at 200 m all groups just outside an inch - I repeated the test with the remainder of what I had available in this loading on Saturday and put all 6 into 1.2" at 200m. Guess I have a 1/2 MOA rifle after all. I shall be fine-tuning around this combo after the Farky match to determine just how good a rifle this actually is.
Point of this tale - don't give up - a rifle that is well made using quality parts will have a load it likes; you just gotta find it
A few weeks ago I acquired a very nice custom rifle built on a Remington receiver. The rifle had been unfired by the CGN'er who commissioned the build so it was in new condition when it arrived on my door. I was exceptionally happy with the looks features and fit and finish of this rifle and featured it in a review I recently wrote but while the rifle 'showed promise' as far as accuracy was concerned, I felt I wasn't getting all I could out of this piece of kit.
I tried a wide range of loads using 175 and 168g pills and while the rifle produced some .6 and .7 groups, I felt it should do better. Thinking the SEI flash-hider may have not be helping, I removed it but the results were the same - a very solid sub-MOA rifle but not in Coyote or TRG territory. Mmmm - first class components, assembled by a first class smith and not 1/2 MOA kinda left me scratching my head.
This past Friday - at a practice session with other rifles - I had the custom with me and decided that, perhaps, it was me; maybe I just needed more trigger time with this rifle so I used a bunch of handloads I had made up for my ( now sold ) M1A - 155 grainers with a fairly mild load (42.7) of Varget - not expecting anything other than for them to go bang as the idea was for me to train myself for this particular trigger. Well, fcuk me if the rifle didn't just love that loading ! 20 rounds in 5 shot groups at 200 m all groups just outside an inch - I repeated the test with the remainder of what I had available in this loading on Saturday and put all 6 into 1.2" at 200m. Guess I have a 1/2 MOA rifle after all. I shall be fine-tuning around this combo after the Farky match to determine just how good a rifle this actually is.
Point of this tale - don't give up - a rifle that is well made using quality parts will have a load it likes; you just gotta find it
Had the same thing with a Tikka. I was pulling my hair out till I hit the right combo. It went from 1" at 100 yds to 1/4".
