rifleman762
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
So I finally got around to replacing my recoil lug non my 300 WinMag w/AccuStock that starting bending under the force of recoil from 200gr bullets at 3030 fps. The lug was fine until I started shooting using my homemade leadsled. I guess the force exerted through the recoil lug into the aluminum bedding block in the Accustock is much higher when the rifle is not free to recoil backwards. The lug was only making contact on the very top edge of the machined aluminum notch in the stock. I guess this sets up some bad vibrations by trying to lift the action away from the stock.
Over the last year my accuracy had been going to the dogs. Factory Federal 180gr Accubond ammo used to shoot about 3/4" at 100m but it opened up to easily double that, on a good day. Something was definitely haywire. My best reloads were struggling to break an inch (200gr ELD-X with 73.5gr of IMR7828SSC). So I bit the bullet and ordered a SharpShooterSupply 0.250" thick recoil lug. When I installed it, I also tightened up the headspace by about .006" to bring the shoulder and belt down to minimum SAAMI spec.
New lug installed compared to old one.
Old lug showing where it bent into the barrel nut.
Homemade smooth barrel nut wrench and excellent 20-ton barrel vise/hydraulic shop press. I used .040" pond liner to help grip the barrel - no oak blocks needed, just old 2x4 with steel plate above and below.
All apart! I had to grind the new lug to the same outline as the old one. Dykem is good stuff.
Results! Factory 180 Accubond at 100m: 0.56"
200gr ELD-X at 100m: 0.49" with 2 of 3 going through the same hole...honest.
Same load at 300m (it was a very gusty day). At first I aimed at the center dot but the bullets landed on the bottom edge. So then I aimed for the top edge of the paper. 0.53" vertical spread and 1.4" group size. Not bad for an almost bone-stock Savage! I will try get it out on a less windy day with a better target to aim at. My VX3 only goes to 10x so an 8" bull would be better.
Over the last year my accuracy had been going to the dogs. Factory Federal 180gr Accubond ammo used to shoot about 3/4" at 100m but it opened up to easily double that, on a good day. Something was definitely haywire. My best reloads were struggling to break an inch (200gr ELD-X with 73.5gr of IMR7828SSC). So I bit the bullet and ordered a SharpShooterSupply 0.250" thick recoil lug. When I installed it, I also tightened up the headspace by about .006" to bring the shoulder and belt down to minimum SAAMI spec.
New lug installed compared to old one.
Old lug showing where it bent into the barrel nut.
Homemade smooth barrel nut wrench and excellent 20-ton barrel vise/hydraulic shop press. I used .040" pond liner to help grip the barrel - no oak blocks needed, just old 2x4 with steel plate above and below.
All apart! I had to grind the new lug to the same outline as the old one. Dykem is good stuff.
Results! Factory 180 Accubond at 100m: 0.56"
200gr ELD-X at 100m: 0.49" with 2 of 3 going through the same hole...honest.
Same load at 300m (it was a very gusty day). At first I aimed at the center dot but the bullets landed on the bottom edge. So then I aimed for the top edge of the paper. 0.53" vertical spread and 1.4" group size. Not bad for an almost bone-stock Savage! I will try get it out on a less windy day with a better target to aim at. My VX3 only goes to 10x so an 8" bull would be better.
