Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting rifle grouping

i have a ruger mk2 stainless with all weather stock stainless barell.30-06.. about 15 years old....it used to shoot 1/2" groups when first purchased..
last few years accuracy has went down hill it has been bumped and droped a few times.... was shooting 6" group at 100...cleaned and removed copper fouling ,,replaced scope..and got it down to a 3" group at 100 yards..
any idea what is going on here?
gunsmith said crown and rifiling looks ok. i just dont see how i go from 1/2" to 6" pattern.

Tighten the rings and bases and check it again.

Do you reload? same ammo/bullet?

Check the front action screw the rugers are notorious for the front action screw not holding over time.

Put a different proven scope on it and have someone else shoot it with premium factory ammo.

Betcha it comes back.

If you've done the obvious, check the scope mounts for fine cracks. If you have the means, buy another set and try them.

HAVE CHECKED THE MOUNTS AND RINGS..... SHOOT 150 WINCHESTER BALLISTIC TIPS...GUNSMITH TOLD ME THEY MAY HAVE CHANGED THE LOAD YEARS BACK? WICH WOULD CAUSE IT...BUT I HAVE TRIED EVERY BRAND AND GRAIN BULET THEY SELL. SHOOTS 150 BEST. HORNADY AND WINCHESTER. 168 GRAIN SHOOTS OK TOO.
SCOPE WAS LEUPOLD VX2....PUT BUSHNELL 3200 ON IT AND IT HELPED SLIGHTLY..MAINLY BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE CROSSHAIRS IN THE BUSHNELL BETTER..
WHAT FRONT ACTION SCREW ARE YOU REFERING TOO??

ooppss did the CAPS thing again......i will send you guys some earplugs and sunglasses...lol

should be in front of the trigger guard.

sidepass

Front action screw at the front of the floorplate or where it would be if you are running a blind mag.

+1

I read your response to calvin saying you checked the rings, but go ahead and replace them. You may not be able to see a problem that could be there.
Also, when removing and replacing stocks, sometimes they don't go back exactly the same way. Is your barrel touching the stock anywhere?

Front guard screw is located under the floor plate. Open the hinged plate..it will be in front, and runs at an angle up and into the recoil lug. Check the rear screw while your at it. They need to be tight.

Right, check the screws BUT if that fails AND you have dropped the gun, try changing the scope to one you KNOW works 100%.

All weather stocks can warp too. Check that the barrel is free floating or that it doesn't have improper contact with the stock.

lots of good ideas. my bet is if cleaning helped it that much-clean it again, and again and again. untill you can soak it in solvent and push a plastic jag thru with no blue.

MERAMECMAN,

Dropping your rifle is not conducive to accuracy. I suggest you stop doing that. You might want to examine the barrel crown for damage as well.

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try dropping it again may fix it! clint

+1 on checking the action screws. Rugers with that angled front screw are notorious for not shooting well without proper torque on the front screw. Check the crown to make sure that it isn't damaged as well. There will be an answer, sometimes it is just a challenge to figure out. Good luck!

I would re start from the mounts up.

if all the normal problems arent it. My buddy had a Ruger once that got wet and the wood swole up and was touching the barrel.

Just snug the middle screw up. It'll help I promise. Hard for me to believe a gun that's been hunted with for 15 years still has a great crown.. You must treat your rifles alot nicer than I do.

The rifle is 15 years old. How many rounds a year do you put through it? Is it possible the barrel is worn out? For example if you shoot 300 rounds a year it would have 4500 rounds through it and the barrel is sure to be affected. Just a thought.

Jim