RL_UA
02-07-2021, 07:07 AM
Hello to everybody!
I'm from Ukraine, and recently became an owner of a Savage rifle for the first time. Model is 12 Varminter Low Profile, .308
I expected much better performance from this rifle, and seems I need to fix something, so maybe somebody can guide me. Just from the box, rifle shoot over 1-1,5 moa groups with relatively good factory ammo, like Hornady BHTP, GGG (european manufacturer) with Sierra HPBT bullets, which I suppose is inadequate for this rifle. My previous rifle, Howa 1500 with 20 inch barrel, with the same twist, shot 0.3-0.5 MOA groups with the same ammo.
Then the rifle was put into an aluminum chassis (local manufacturer V shape support), and the correct torque was used. No much improvement in the accuracy. However, after this I noted that the barrel is misaligned, based on the scope windage elevations, at 3 Mrads.
Unfortunately, we are in Ukraine, and there is no such thing as return rifle to the manufacturer.
Another issue I have noticed is the issue with the recoil lug, it has different thickness. In mm, the difference is up to 0.07 mm (0.00275").
I have bedded the recoil lug (epoxy), and didn't see any serious improvements. I also added muzzle tuner, made by local manufacturer, usually it helps to to tight the groups, situation became little better, groups became 1 MOA or little less, but I still think rifle can do better - guy in my shooting club have the same rifle, which is in the same aluminium chassis, with the same barrel tuner, with the same ammo always shoot 0.5 or less groups.
And the issue is not in my shooting skills for sure... Other guys also tried and results are the same.
Picatinny rail is from steel, and is attached well, with epoxy bedding. Mount is Spuhr, scope is Vortex Viper PST gen II, both are attached with correct torque, the same setup works perfect on my previous rifle.
So the question - can the barrel misalignment cause the accuracy problems, or it just impact the impact point? Any suggestions on what I should pay attention to?
Thank you for any advices!
Overall current look
https://i.ibb.co/tK8wy8C/20210125-140125.jpg (https://ibb.co/DW5P35K)
Barrel can to the left
https://i.ibb.co/ZVZ0k50/20210125-140214.jpg (https://ibb.co/MsXm3rm)
https://i.ibb.co/C2ChcrP/20210125-140237.jpg (https://ibb.co/vYyZFtX)
Current receiver\stock aligment
https://i.ibb.co/n8pBjBw/20210125-140509.jpg (https://ibb.co/3YKvcvT)
https://i.ibb.co/XXv9ckq/20210125-140612.jpg (https://ibb.co/H7k05pj)
Recoil lug. Seems somebody hammered it (tooling marks are under the factory sanding)
https://i.ibb.co/NKyDpqj/20210125-140712.jpg (https://ibb.co/XtC0pPs)
https://i.ibb.co/k3dYkVz/20210125-140731.jpg (https://ibb.co/28bXm0R)
Recoil lug measuremnets
https://i.ibb.co/BfVZTzR/20210125-141158.jpg (https://ibb.co/Gdv2Cxj)
https://i.ibb.co/mXNK3Qr/20210125-141229.jpg (https://ibb.co/qWJ8vbL)
https://i.ibb.co/jLz2Vdq/20210125-141301.jpg (https://ibb.co/D7YyGNm)
https://i.ibb.co/wRzvjVd/20210125-141324.jpg (https://ibb.co/W62TjZH)
I'm from Ukraine, and recently became an owner of a Savage rifle for the first time. Model is 12 Varminter Low Profile, .308
I expected much better performance from this rifle, and seems I need to fix something, so maybe somebody can guide me. Just from the box, rifle shoot over 1-1,5 moa groups with relatively good factory ammo, like Hornady BHTP, GGG (european manufacturer) with Sierra HPBT bullets, which I suppose is inadequate for this rifle. My previous rifle, Howa 1500 with 20 inch barrel, with the same twist, shot 0.3-0.5 MOA groups with the same ammo.
Then the rifle was put into an aluminum chassis (local manufacturer V shape support), and the correct torque was used. No much improvement in the accuracy. However, after this I noted that the barrel is misaligned, based on the scope windage elevations, at 3 Mrads.
Unfortunately, we are in Ukraine, and there is no such thing as return rifle to the manufacturer.
Another issue I have noticed is the issue with the recoil lug, it has different thickness. In mm, the difference is up to 0.07 mm (0.00275").
I have bedded the recoil lug (epoxy), and didn't see any serious improvements. I also added muzzle tuner, made by local manufacturer, usually it helps to to tight the groups, situation became little better, groups became 1 MOA or little less, but I still think rifle can do better - guy in my shooting club have the same rifle, which is in the same aluminium chassis, with the same barrel tuner, with the same ammo always shoot 0.5 or less groups.
And the issue is not in my shooting skills for sure... Other guys also tried and results are the same.
Picatinny rail is from steel, and is attached well, with epoxy bedding. Mount is Spuhr, scope is Vortex Viper PST gen II, both are attached with correct torque, the same setup works perfect on my previous rifle.
So the question - can the barrel misalignment cause the accuracy problems, or it just impact the impact point? Any suggestions on what I should pay attention to?
Thank you for any advices!
Overall current look
https://i.ibb.co/tK8wy8C/20210125-140125.jpg (https://ibb.co/DW5P35K)
Barrel can to the left
https://i.ibb.co/ZVZ0k50/20210125-140214.jpg (https://ibb.co/MsXm3rm)
https://i.ibb.co/C2ChcrP/20210125-140237.jpg (https://ibb.co/vYyZFtX)
Current receiver\stock aligment
https://i.ibb.co/n8pBjBw/20210125-140509.jpg (https://ibb.co/3YKvcvT)
https://i.ibb.co/XXv9ckq/20210125-140612.jpg (https://ibb.co/H7k05pj)
Recoil lug. Seems somebody hammered it (tooling marks are under the factory sanding)
https://i.ibb.co/NKyDpqj/20210125-140712.jpg (https://ibb.co/XtC0pPs)
https://i.ibb.co/k3dYkVz/20210125-140731.jpg (https://ibb.co/28bXm0R)
Recoil lug measuremnets
https://i.ibb.co/BfVZTzR/20210125-141158.jpg (https://ibb.co/Gdv2Cxj)
https://i.ibb.co/mXNK3Qr/20210125-141229.jpg (https://ibb.co/qWJ8vbL)
https://i.ibb.co/jLz2Vdq/20210125-141301.jpg (https://ibb.co/D7YyGNm)
https://i.ibb.co/wRzvjVd/20210125-141324.jpg (https://ibb.co/W62TjZH)