Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints If this rifle doesn't shoot NOW, it ain't gonna!

Been trying off and on for a year or more to get my friend and pastor Owen's Garcia era Sako L-461 in 223. Gorgeous little rifle with nice color to the wood, looks just like a miniature Weatherby Mk V Deluxe. BUT....

Two scope, a re crowning, and other various measures later it is still only shooting into 1 to 1.25 inches. OK for a big game rifle, but not quite up to snuff for snuffing out long distance ground squirrels.

So, I just re bedded the reciever and tang area, made sure the free floating is clear of the forend wood and loaded up some ammo that will really tell us.

Lapua match brass, CCI BR primers, VARGET powder, and Berger Match 52gr HP bullets. Loaded up a few in several powder charges. If this rifle does not print into 3/4 inch or better, then it is going down the road.

Safariman: I have been shooting groups for over 50 years now and a while back I fired the smallest group (5 shots at 100 yards) I have ever done with an all factory stock Rifle.
My loading was rather close to what you have now cooked up for that L 461.
My loading was: Berger 52 grain MEF bullets, LaPua brass, Federal 205 M (match) primers and 27.3 grains of H 335 powder.
The resulting group (5 shots at 100 yards) measured .121".
My Rifle/scope is a Remington XR-100 with a Leupold 8.5x25x40mm variable scope.
Anyway if you have access to H 335 powder please give that a try - it may help.
And when all else fails (and I hope it doesn't!) maybe ADD more scope power.
Best of luck in perking up that Sako a tad.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Oh yeah, the Bergers are just touching the lands and grooves of the barrel. Last chance for this rifle before it gets sold or re barreled. Here's hoping....

Thanks Varmint Guy. Not going to put too much more scope on it as it doubles as his (4 of em!) daughters' big game rifle with Barnes 50gr TSX's. Also it is a lightweight walking type varmint rifle. Might go with a 4-12 or 4.5-14, but that would be the most.

Don't give up on the rifle. I didn't get much great accuracy with Varget in my 223. I switched to H335 for 40 grainers and AA2230 for 65 gr Sierra GKs, and the rifle loved the loads (both of which are near max).

Good point. When I checked the tightness of the barreled action after re inspecting my bedding job, I checked the scope base screws. The guy that owns this rifle is a pretty good DIY ma who makes knives and re finishes stocks pretty well, and he had moved scopes around since I last worked on this rifle for him, but lo and behold the scope BASE screws were quite loose and even the scope mount screws were not nearly as tight as they should have been. They are all locked down pretty well now and I am surmising that Owens last group shooting was dissapointing in part due to the loose scope bases etc.

Even if Varget is not the BEST powder for this rifle, with the Berger match bullets and loaded out to touch the lands etc. this rifle ought to shoot at least sorta well.

I am a believer in the idea that really good barrels will shoot any reasonable load pretty well, and really shine with a tuned and preffered load. This one goes into 3/4 of an inch tomorrow or it goes to a rebareller or to a sale.

Don't get rid of it, before I get up that way and get a chance to look at it...I have some loads that even a shot out 223 will shoot pretty well...if it won't then the barrel is shot out...big time...

to tell ya the truth tho, I put a barrel on a Model 70 that only shot 1.5 to 2 inch groups at 100 yds... but taking it out after squirrels, and it would do as well as even my most accurate rifle...after about 600 rounds thru it, groups started tightening up dramatically...If I would have hand lapped it when it was put on, that cycle probably would have been shortened...

but I wouldn't let a Sako action like that go at all...

If it doesn't shoot, and Owen does not want to spend the money to re barrel, I will try to snag it for SURE as it also has pretty specatular wood, too. High figure and high color wood is my downfall. Add in an L-461 action and I get all worked up and anxious!

We will definately take it out and try it with your loads when you come up.

Years ago I had a heavy barrel 25-06 (14 lbs) that didn't shoot well until I put 1,000 rds. through it.

Point taken, and true of many barrels. This is a pretty old gun, though. More likley a worn barrel than a barely used one. I/we COULD firelap it before discarding it if it does not shoot up to snuff today, I suppose.

One more bore swabbing in a minute, then off to the range we (Owen and myself) go. Range report to follow.

are you planning on telling the new owner this, or gonna let them find out on their own?

Sorry wrongway, all I can see of your post is:

****you are ignoreing this user****

I am sure that whatever you added was VERY informational, useful, complimentary and kind hearted.

you spelled "ignoring" wrong, dummy.

Which means he took the time to type that out. Which means he's also not ignoring you.

Why make the effort to lie about that?

Tru-that.

just another lie from marky mark.

UBER

Uber weird

Par.