Wandering Bullets, Sako 61-R...

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JasonYuke

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I decided to brush the dust off an old, but like new, L61-R finnbear chambered in 30-06 which I never did much with. I mounted a Burris FF-2 scope which was an extra scope I had kicking around never out of the box.

Range report, help me decide what to try first...

First shot at 100yards out of the barrel 1 inch low, 2nd and 3rd were 1 inch right but touching

I switched loads and shot a 3 shot group, no real pattern but triangled at about 2 inches.... Let the barrel cool a bit

I adjusted the scope went back 2 the first ammo I used and cut the first 2 shots touching, thats when things went sideways...

By this time pipe was getting some heat in it, I let cool for 5 mins, (not cold, still plenty warm) and way it went 2 inches up, than 1 inch left and than 1 back in the same hole of the first 2.

I tried other ammo and found the same results after lots of heat it moved big time.

I am used to having wandering projectiles with barrel heat, but this sucker really is a mover, 4 inch circles when hot..

I tore the 61 apart and really had a good look, everything was tight I tracked the scope on my bore sighter it seemed fine, checked the rings, and base sako screws to the receiver seemed all good. Even the through bolt for the recoil lug seemed fine

The only thing I think it could be, because the bore is mint, and the crown is perfect, very poor bedding i think. Nothing is free floated on the 61, it touches all the way down and seems tight on the forend..maybe even pressure, hard to tell

Has anyone ever seen this much wondering from heat, I have seen some before but not like this,,,, from 1.5 ich groups cold to over 4inched hot...

Or am I missing something
 
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I love those things...they're great rifles! The first thing(s) I'd do is bed the action and relieve the stock behind the tang by a few thou. They seem to like to crack the stocks there.

The next thing I'd do is relieve the barrel channel. Not by much - just enough to slip the customary sheet of paper between.

Try it free floated, and if it still misbehaves try bedding the first three inches ahead of the receiver, and give it a 'pad' of bedding compound right at the fore end tip - not upward pressure, as much as an inch or so of stabilizing contact.

That long thin barrel must really get a case of the vibrations when it's fired....I have an L61 in .338 that I had shortened - after we took 3" off the barrel, the groups got a lot smaller. Also, the longer the barrel, the more deflection one would expect from heat.

I've never seen one that wouldn't shoot very well with a bit of minor tweaking. I've always felt that those Finns did wonderful metal, but their stock fitting skills were a bit lacking.

Oh - and as a last resort, you can always trade it to me! *L*
 
If there was still quite a bit of heat the problem could be expansion and loss of tolerances, I work on equipment with tight tolerances for instance bearings i install need a bit of heat 100 degrees to install makes them slip right on but to pull them with out heat you would break 3/4 inch drive sockets. Let the barrel cool some rifles can only take 3 or 4 rounds before deviation will start.
 
Three shot groups from a standard weight rifle shouldn't make the barrel super hot.

W had some issues with an AV, I relieved the barrel channel and bedded it. Problem solved.
 
In the mid 1960s I bought a L61R in 270, directly from Finnland, as there was no Canadian distributor at that time. I was in the gun business at that time and was sighting in a number of rifles for customers. Most of the rifles out of the box, of various makes, would walk the bullets as the rifle warmed up. The really only exception I found was the Schultz and Larson rifles. I shot them in 7x61 and 308 Norma Magnum and they would all shoot into a small group, without changing poi as the barrel got hot.
The Sako was touted as being very accurate, so just before I shot it, I think I said out loud, "please don't walk the bullets!"
No luck. After three they just went up and off the side a bit.
I tweaked the bedding, much like described in the preceding post, with a bearing point at the front of the stock. Got it. It shot great little groups, five shots, or more. No more changing impact as the barrel warmed (got hot) up.
 
I read "wondering" and was going to suggest different bullets. Then I read the post. Lots of good advice already posted with regard to bedding, which is also what I would recommend.
 
Well I have taken it down tonight, shaved it to paper fit under the barrel to 1.5 inches before the lug on the barrel..

I may also just skim a few 100ths down and throw some accu-glass under the threaded part of the barrel (call it a minor bedding job).

Can not do too much with the rear of the recoil lug on the 61s.
 
OK, you have gone to the range with your rifle with a free floating barrel. If it shoots well, good.
If you are not too happy, fold up some paper and push it under the barrel at the front of the wood, so as to create a bit of pressure. Try that.
 
Has that rifle got a flat crown? It may look good, but it is usually worth the little $ to have a proper crown put on them. That is one downfall of the older Sako's IMO. I did that on a 300 WM TRG-S that would wander a bit & it seemed to smarten it right up.

I have all my Sako's free floated with a 1" bedding pad at the barrel shank & they all shoot quite well.

How bad does it copper foul & how fast does it heat up? I ask because I had one that shot good cold like you say & then opened up. Closer inspection showed a buldge on the side of the barrel just ahead of the forend. Needless to say it got swapped out for a custom.

Check that out. If it is buldged give Ted a call & build a custom. That is a fabulous action to do it on ;)
 
H4831 said:
OK, you have gone to the range with your rifle with a free floating barrel. If it shoots well, good.
If you are not too happy, fold up some paper and push it under the barrel at the front of the wood, so as to create a bit of pressure. Try that.
Click to expand...

Wil do, have not shot it since, but good idea
 
Business cards are good to use to increase pressure at the forend. Slip 'em in one at a time until the rifle behaves the way you want it to. Then measure the thickness and you know how deep to make your epoxy forend pad.
 
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