What is going on here? Reloading/stock bedding question

rommelrommel

rommelrommel

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Hi,

I got this rifle third hand, both other owners were gunnutz here. It's a FN Police special (SPR A3 I think) that was rebarreled and tuned at G.A. Precision.

Let me preface this with the fact that I have no experience with a truly accurate rifle and there was some learning how to shoot it involved. This was all shot with a bushnell 10x 3200 and off of cheapo caldwell bags.

Here's how it shot:

FN005.jpg


Top left was 3 shots after I got it zeroed. Working right to left, top to bottom, it then shot a 1.1, 1.2, 1.1. It then shot a .34 with a called flier, but the center of the group started to walk right. Next group was a .84 excluding what I felt was a flier... possibly both were, but again the group moved right. Last group had some slightly sticky bolt, the group def opened up, but was even further right.

I decided to take the stock out and check the bedding as it seemed to be free floated by the barest of margins... this is what I found.

FN001.jpg


The blue spot is masking tape... there is a piece on top that was just sitting there taped down. This touches the barrel and there is a slight wear mark. under the tape is more tape that is hard and seems like it was epoxied down.

The black thing nearer the front I cannot identify. It is very hard and seems to be embedded in the filling material (seems like some kind of high density foam.) It has a very noticable wear mark on the barrel.

A possibly better pic:

FN003.jpg


What is this thing? Did someone try to tweak the rifle with some tension afterwards? Should I take it out? Is it possibly/probably why the POI was walking right? Mounts/bade are fine. Scope is brand new so may have a problem that I don't know about yet.

Thanks in advance.
 
I could see the barrel harmonics being affected by that material touching the barrel. I would remove it carefully. That black glob looks like epoxy that dripped and got left there? The blue tape may be covering a factory hole left by removing a swivel stud. Is there a stud still on the bottom of the stock under that tape, or does it look like it has been filled?

What are you using for reloading components?
A left flyer could be a flinch, not usually to the right, but maybe. or me anyways I find they go left if I am anticipating recoil. Bad habit.
 
+1 for careful removal. If you find that accuracy deteriorates after removal a pressure point can always be re-applied. The likelihood is that no pressure will be necessary if the receiver is bedded solidly.
 
This was a load worked up with virgin lapua brass, nosler 168 hpbt, and rl15.

I think there is a lug of some sort under the blue tape, maybe to do with the versapod. If I take the loose piece off there is more blue tape that has been epoxied or something, if I take the loose piece out it won't touch tho.

The black thing could be epoxy now that you make me think of it... it's kind of embedded into the foam filler but epoxy would eat that foam up to some extent probably.
 
Virgin brass could you be your main problem. When it is fired for the first time, all brass cases will stretch to fill that chamber. They will expand at varying rates depending on what their orig size was. This can 'look' like variations in your charge weight.

Now that your brass is fireformed, size and seat bullets with as little runout as possible. Weigh your charges and keep them within 0.1gr between cases. Go shoot again and hopefully, the flyers go away.

I would wrap some sandpaper around a dowel and just sand the forend open so there is about 1/8" between the barrel and the forend. Space is good.

What you may be seeing, if not the cases or on top of that, is the barrel hitting the stock depending on the load causing flyers. If the action is well bedded, you do not need any forend pressure.

Looks like you have the potential for a very good shooter. Get rid of the variables and build solid repeatable performance.

Definitely check the bedding and make sure that action is well fitted to the stock. having some support under the first 1" of barrel is not a bad idea either.

Looks like 43.5gr has promise. Work up around this load in 0.1gr increments. Yes, you read correctly. Start at 43.2gr and go to 43.8gr in 0.1gr increments.

As long as nothing dramatic changed in your rifle, you will find your load somewhere in there.

If your goal is to shoot LR, test at 200yds or further. The group size may be the same but you should see a difference in the orientation. Some loads will have more vertical then others.
Jerry
 
That is a screw up, clear it out so it floats. Space is good. No one plays with "pressure points" for accuracy any more. That is done by some factories so the barrels line up in the channels when the barrel is crooked or the stock warps.

You said this was a G.A. Precision rifle? Mmmmmm.....
 
Thank you all, it is out now. The rest of the bedding is very clean so this may be someone playing with it at a later date or something.
 
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