Can't get a grouping

Pioneerman

Pioneerman

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Nanaimo Vancouver island
I know I know you are going to start off saying it's me, but this time it is not the case. A friend of mine gave me a Rem model 700 22-250 that was given to him by his boss years ago. Neither of them had shot it, so no help asking them. I went to the range and couldn't get a group if my life depended on it. So I thought maybe the scope, so I pulled it off and dropped on another one from my 300 mag and the same problem. All things are tight, mounts, scope, barrel and action to stock. The barrel is floating , not touching anywhere. I am only hitting the paper with two of three shots, and this happened a couple times. My friend shot it, and had the same thing. I shot my 300 mag and 416 mag and everything was as it was suppose to be. Does anyone have any suggestion what to check now. other than sending it to someone I am lost.

FYI these are factory win 55 grn psp loads, could it be that this gun doesn't shoot these factories that well ? I have loaded my own for 30 years, these are the first store bought I have used since I started, at least i have some brass now lol.


Thanks for your help....Mike
 
Neither your friend who gave it to you nor his boss who gave it to him had shot it. But do you know whether anyone shot it a lot before them? Is it possible the barrel has copper fouling?
 
Just double checking here. You pulled off the scope, and the rings, made sure the base screws were tight, and then put the rings back on??

I know a guy that looks like me:redface: who had some pretty poor groupings until he pulled the scope, rings, put loctite on the base screws and put it back together.Who would have guessed!

What size of grouping and how far?

Is it possible the problem is throat erosion, or a shot out barrel? Food for thought.
 
"...a Rem model 700..." Which one? Is it used or relatively new? How heavy is the barrel? How's the trigger?
"...only hitting the paper with two of three shots..." Distance? Off a bench?
Clean it well before you do anything else. The normal thing would be to change ammo, but if it's throwing a shot off the paper entirely, the bedding is likely off. Take out the stock screws and see if the action sits in the stock with no fore and aft wobbling. A high spot under the receiver might be the culprit.
Glass bedding it and putting in a pressure point(not all rifles, even M700's, like a floated barrel) might fix it.
 
Thanks for all the ideas, but I did have the whole thing apart and checked it all for tightness when taking it apart and putting it together, but still no luck. the gun might be 15 years old(guessing), but not a mark on it or even any wear marks, so it wasn't abused. I did clean it very well before and after range and still no luck. The shooting was done from a rest in a bench at the range and as I said I shot my 300 win mag and my 416 at the same time and they group perfectly as always. I will take it apart again and check everything. I doubt very much at all that it is shot out, although I don't know, but it again is immaculate condition , but I suppose a gun smith could do actual checking for that kind of wear. Thanks for your ideas I will start at the beginning again.

Mike
 
Looks like you have cover most of the things that can go wrong with a 700 when accuracy goes to ####. Different ammo would be the next cheapest step. You did mention cleaning it before and after shooting, did you use a good copper solvent? Also the 700's front action screw comes up through the action. This will allow solvent and or oil to creap down the action screw into the bedding.
 
get a magnifying glass and have a close look at the crown,also check the rifling and throat,can you feel a bulge as you run your hand the length of the bbl.?
 
Pioneerman said:
. the gun might be 15 years old(guessing), but not a mark on it or even any wear marks, so it wasn't abused.
Click to expand...

I would drop a slug into the chamber and measure what the overall cartridge length should be. Second I would try to measure the twist rate and using the Greenhill formula (150 D squared/twist) determine what the longest slug is that the barrel will stabilize. Try shooting the gun at 25 yards and check for keyholing.

cheers mooncoon
 
The twist on that vintage 700 22-250 barrel is 1 in 14. It should handle normal 55 grain bullets. For a rifle to spray off the paper I am still going with a damaged barrel is the cause. That is assuming the mounts and scope are good...

Try loading a warm load with a 52 or 53 grain flat base match bullet. If it does not shoot that, it won't probably won't shoot anything.
 
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what ammo??

Pioneerman said:
Ok thanks again for your help. And yes I wasa trying to get close on paper at 25 yards, and no key holing or at 100, for the few that hit the paper. I will pull it all apart and start fresh again. thanks
Click to expand...

what factory ammo are you using??? it is possible that the jackets are separating from the core after they leave the barrel, this can happen when thin jacketed HP varmint bullets are driven above 3700-3800 fps or when the rifling is rough enough to score the jacket.

just another thought, do the fired cases look similar to the factory cases, and you don't have some sort of un marked wildcat or even a 250 savage barrel???
 
I have the same vintage of gun mine would not shoot 55 good until i got it hot enough to hamer the primers back not good right now shooting 52g HPBT Match Sierra 34.8g Varget and Fed 210 primers shoots 0.61 inch at 100 yards hope it works for you
 
poor group

Hi there it's a slim chance but try this. I am a retired gunsmith. A few years ago A customer brought me a rem that did not group well ,when I slugged the barrel I found that the barrel said one cal but it was another. Never know worth the time
 
Look inside the barrel at the muzzle and into the light.You will probably see a dark ring inside close to the end of the barrel.I have seen this many times it is a bulge that maybe can't be seen or felt on the outside.Take it to a gunsmith and have the barrel shortened or replaced.
 
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