Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters What are The variables in .22LR accuracy or do I just have a problem child?

OK I am at "wits end"....bought a Browning A-bolt in .22LR a few years back - knowing that some had accuracy issues - and found out quickly that this was one of them. I thought the cause was easily fixed because the flaw was an obvious rifling issue (i.e. the first couple of inches from the muzzle was showing pretty severe tooling marks? in the bore). So I cut this area off, shortening the barrel to 19". This did not help....so I floated the barrel and bedded the action...accuracy stayed the same (avg. >3/4" at 50 yds - which is not acceptable accuracy for the type shooting I do, which is offhand matches with sporting rifles and NRA silhouette). I REALLY like the way this rifle "handles" offhand and did not want to "give up" so I had it rebarreled with a pac-nor barrel (3-groove) and had the chamber cut with a lilja match reamer. The problem "had to be solved now" - NOT. The rifle shoots pretty much exactly the same???? I have tried dozens of different brands of rimfire ammo that shoot in my various other .22s, I have shot rifles side-by-side to eliminate wind as the factor - I am at a loss. It will shoot two or three pretty much in the same hole then a flyer or two that opens the group up to 3/4" or greater. The only thing I have NOT investigated is the bolt. I have tried torque differences in the action screw and the other things mentioned.......any input is welcome - at this point I have come to far and have resolved to either make this thing shoot or figure out why it won't.

Thanks,
PennDog

Not a clue.I am assuming you have other 22s that shoot reliably?

Have you tried sub sonic ammo? I have one rifle -- a Martini -- that loves the stuff and does clover leafs wit it. Hates my other fodder.

1B

Yes I have (or have had) several other .22s that are know for their accuracy (i.e. cooper, anschutz, remington 40X, winchester 52 etc...) so I do know what they "should" shoot like. And I did literally try dozens of brands of ammo (I did not try them all but pretty darn close). I know the obvious answer (get rid of it), but as I mentioned I like the way this one "holds" and I do NOT want to be "beat" by an inanimate object . Plus I am figuring that I will gain some knowledge along the way .

PennDog

It is a jinxed gun get rid of it. did you change scopes? change shooters? you have changed most things that would influence the bullet in a rimfire, now think outside the Bun.

How about main firing pin spring? Inconsistent ignition (lock time) can cause the sort of flyer you described.

I don't know much about the Brownings, but I have a CZ that went from dog to diamond with a trigger tune and main spring replacement.

Call these folks, they don't have the A-bolt listed, but they may have specs for it.
https://www.jnpgunsprings.com/index.php?cPath=15

Here's something nobody ever mentions: bullet diameter. Cast bullet shooters know how vital proper buller diameter is but somehow that knowledge never creeps over into rimfire ammo. I measured more than dozen different kinds of .22LR ammo once and discovered bullet diameters from .221" to .224". That's a huge spread. I was not surprised to learn that the cheapest, discount ammo had the smallest bullets and the premium target stuff had the largest. In my rifle, the smaller the bullet, the worse it shot. And vice versa.

I never got around to doing an article on it, but that's what I found.

Thanks guys for the ideas.....keep'em coming. I have changed scopes and shooters and most other "easily" changed variables. The firing spring was one thing that I had'nt thought about. The ammo should have been covered in my testing of various makes from "Blazers to Lapua X-Act" (that does explain some things though Rocky!!).

Rocky - please write the article on your 22 rimfire rifle experiences. I think it will be beneficial to all.

Rocky,

Another major factor, often relating to bullet diameter, is the length and diameter of the chamber throat. For decades target .22's typically had much shorter throats than sporters, so the soft bullet would either touch or actually jam into the rifling, exactly like we often seat bullets in black powder cartridge rifles. Sporter .22's often had longer chambers, to allow for a little more fouling.

In recent years, however, more manufacturers have used target-type chambers in .22's. I still have a little home-made gauge around somewhere to indicate the length of a .22 Long Rifle chamber, and when using it I found several newer rifles with shorter throats, including my Kimber Hunter, now unfortunately discontinued. It's one of the most accurate .22's I've ever owned, even more than my Anschutz, and I suspect the reason is the target-type chamber.

Is it always the same rounds that are out of the group. i.e number 4 and 5 or 1 and 5 etc. or is it just random. Have you checked rim thickness? Does the rims fit the bolt face. Since you've changed everything else (scope, shooter, ammo, barrel) it's got to be in the action somewhere. Locking lugs?(does it lock on the bolt handle? is the bolt handle touching the stock?) Just random questions that come to mind.

Yes indeed, chamber dimensions and rim thickness can matter - and both have been examined. But I've yet to see anybody look at bullet diameter in the .22LR despite its known importance in lead-bullet accuracy. Also, in a given .22LR rifle, the only non-gunsmithing change we can make is ammo substitution.

I've stopped writing articles. Any other writer who wishes to run with this story idea is welcome to it.

I found the specs for the rifle and it says 2 rear locking lugs. I'd check to make sure that the lugs have equal contact. And Rocky's idea about measuring bullet diameter is worth doing as well.

22's can be finicky. Only thing I can think of that has not been mentioned is the magazine, do the rounds enter the chamber centered? I had an issue with my High Standard Citation, the magazine lips were out and the bullet would get shaved/dented a bit entering the chamber. Not good for accuracy. My Sako Quad with a Lilja barrel has a very tight short chamber, if I chamber a loaded round odds are I can not extract it as the bullet is into the lands. Funny my Martini model 12 loves the cheap lighting's as much as Eley match, one never knows what a 22LR will like best.

At some point you must get tired of throwing good money away.

Buy quality, like a Kimber or Annie.

I do not own an A-bolt, and am not familiar with its locking mechanism. An issue with a Ruger 77/22, which has a split bolt(rear portion can rotate while the front portion does not), was headspace. If cartridges are not firmly and consistently seated in ones chamber, then things can go to hell. A mid bolt shim (0.007") that snugged everything up brought it around.

Does the bolt seat firmly on closure, or is there potential for some play?

One might measure rim thickness, select a set of cartridges with the maximum measure, and give those a run.

If the high end target munitions won't perform it's likely a rifle issue.

I'm just fishing though.

Good luck

Thanks for all the input guys these are some great suggestions!! and Pal I have been accused of having "more money than brains" (which if you knew how much money I had you would feel pretty bad about my intelligence )....the sad part is I have a handful of .22's that will shoot to the degree of accuracy that I want - this is more about the challenge than anything else.....I want to know WHY it is not consistent, again I know but have never had a gun that I could'nt get to shoot - this one just has me stumped.

PennDog

Be sure and let me know if you ever figure it out. Preferably by PM. I'd really like to know the answer.

Please post the answer public, we all would like to know. Hope it all works out.

Penn--I do know what you mean. Once I have my mind made up to do something, don't anyone get in my way. Tenacious as a body crab.

But it's OK to admit it when you know you've been whipped.