Going to have to bed my Hawkeye

JasonYuke

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Man, pie in the face after on a thread earlier this month saying I have 2 ruger M77 IIs that shoot well.

I bought a ruger hawkeye earlier this summer in a 300 WM, a hunting rifle.

The first trip to teh range i stuck with RL-22 a flew 30 down the pipe wit 1.5 moa and a few 2 inch groups of 3.

This time I floated the barrel, and went to 50 yards to try and develop a hunting load that woul dbe acceptable.

I only shot groups of 3 and a total of 3 shots

Stuck with teh same bullet that shot best at the range before which was a 180 sp hdy.

This time i shot H-4831 sc H-4350 and RL-22

What was happening was odd but I seen it before. I think its a bedding issue in a big way for this gun.

It seemed like all three types of powder acted the same. Mind you I did shoot some 1 inch groups at 50 yards there was a pattern.

With a cold barrel it was dead on, the second shot would cut the same hole the third would shift always high and to the right.

Now if I did not let the barrel cool it would continue to verticaly string, not by much but would throw 3 shots at different points of impact with in 1 inch.

RL 22 was the best and had teh least movement but it did move, and would do the same cut the hole than string!!!

Sounds like a bedding job,

What do you guys think.

BTW floating the barrel had no effect on what was happening.
 
It seemed like all three types of powder acted the same. Mind you I did shoot some 1 inch groups at 50 yards there was a pattern.
With a cold barrel it was dead on, the second shot would cut the same hole the third would shift always high and to the right.

this is a hunting rifle, no? if the first and second shots are dead on, whats the problem?
 
I once had a Ruger 77 MKII in 270 Win. It shot not too bad right out of the box. I tried to improve it...so I bedded the action and free-floated the barrel....big mistake. The square flat bottom receiver did not do well with bedding. It shot worse after bedding. Still think that the Rem 700 cylindrical bottom is far easier to bed and get to shoot.

my $0.02
 
My Sako puts the first two together, third always 1/2 in to the right. Barrel's heat and POI changes... nothing wrong with the rifle...
 
I wouldn't bed a Ruger if it shoots that well already. Nothing wrong with your group from the sounds of it. But if you want more info I would moive/repost this in gunsmithing and you might get a few more ideas
 
Guys each is to his own, but my guns have to shoot, hunting or not or they get traded in or I just cant live with it.

Its a simple bedding problem, I understand Ruger does not take the time or spend the money to do the job right but there are many flaws in the bedding of these rifles.

I have it bedded now, it it was one hell of a job,!!!!!!!!!! very messy but i know it will be worth it, I bedded the front screw about 2 inches into the barrel tapper about 1: 8th the diameter of teh barrel, I then bedded the tang screw, took lots of accu-glass for this one specialy in the front.

I just yanked it apart an hour ago and it looks great! it al fitts back together very tight, the barrel is as camando as it gets to the tapper.

I have yet to see a gun shoot worse by free floatng and bedding, I have seen some shoot no better. If this does not work than I am at a loss!


BTW those groups were only shot at 50 yards with BR equipment, 1 inch is not good enough at 50 yards!

But what does excite me is that there was about 10 holes that layed over each other a the same point of impact that COULD maybe make this gun a real tack driver.

This is what I live for in a hunting rifle or a benchgun, maybe its just me but i cant handle a gun that does not drive tacks, It means nothing to me!
 
Guys each is to his own, but my guns have to shoot, hunting or not or they get traded in or I just cant live with it.

1 inch is not good enough at 50 yards!

This is what I live for in a hunting rifle or a benchgun, maybe its just me but i cant handle a gun that does not drive tacks, It means nothing to me!

+1
It's gotta shoot consistant. If I have to lug a heavy barrel around with me everywhere then so be it.
 
Well its bedded and shot, and to be honest I could not be happier with this rifle now. Was alot of work and time but it works the way I need it to

It shoots sub moa for 3 shots with RL-22 and Hornady Interbonds!!!
 
Glad it worked out for you, I have 2 Rugers that I have had to re-bed many times to get it right. Like you the correct answer for both of them was to also bed in front of the action screw to alleviate the canting that happens when the angled screw is tightened. Then I needed to try shooting the rifles tightening the action screws different amounts in different order. After all that I NEVER want to take them apart again.


One of the rifles is a 270 I got when I was 14, it used to shoot all over, I just fired 3 shots of WIN 130 factory's out of it yesterday and was happy to see a ridiculously small group when I walked up to the target...and to think I almost gave up on that rifle so may times.
 
ROA, sometimes they just need a little TLC!

They make a good barrel, but out of the box ruger has never won many awards.

I set the middle screw just snug also bedded the tang!

This makes 3 rugers that I have now respectable!


Best regards
 
Are Rugers that hard to get to shoot? I heard a lot of guys complaining of them out of the box... I would like a 257 Roberts in the Hawkeye, but not if they are that poor out of the box that they need to be bedded to shoot.
 
i think most production rifles benefit from bedding. new rifles i always shoot unbedded with presure point intact. some are great, some ok and some horrible. most get bedded. i have a pacnor barreled ruger ss that shot like crap untill i bedded the lug and three inches of the barrel. it wasn't much better tha a 2 1/2 to 3 inch rifle. now its average is just above an inch. i have a synthetic rem mountain rifle that is bone stock unbedded it shoots 140 bt or acubond around the 3/4 inch mark. i was going to put this one on a mac edge stock but i'm afraid it might not shoot as well. once bedded if it still won't shoot then you probably have other problems as well.
 
Man! thats the million dollar question, they are hit miss, I guess about 50-50!

Its something you just have to try but when you buy it expect to have to do it!

Well if its 50/50 to get them to shoot out of the box... I guess that speaks of their quality.
 
Are Rugers that hard to get to shoot? I heard a lot of guys complaining of them out of the box... I would like a 257 Roberts in the Hawkeye, but not if they are that poor out of the box that they need to be bedded to shoot.
Not too many folks disappointed by Savage out of the box accuracy.:D
 
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