I built my first full stocked rifle in the early eighties using a [bleep] 90% stock and a Mark X Whitworth barreled action. Following the advice of a knowledgeable buddy, I bedded it from 'appetite to azzhole'...full length bedding from the tang to the end of the barrel. It is a very accurate rifle and accounted for many whitetails until it slowly drifted to the back of the safe. Now I take it out once a year out of respect.
Since then, I've owned about a dozen or so full stocked rifles and found that average accuracy is about the best one can expect from them without a lot of work. The single exception is my CZ550FS in 6.5X55 which will go under MOA consistently. Between myself and friends, I've seen the results of shooting both M77 and No 1 RSIs and not a single one of them would shoot MOA without serious bedding work. Please understand that not a one of those FS rifles was unusable WRT accuracy (phooey or not), they just wouldn't produce 'wallet sized' groups. When carrying one, I just hunt places where shots won't exceed the rifle's capability.
flintlocke, you are absolutely correct about the excessive free bore in Brno, and other European, 7X57s. I got my first 22F 20 years ago and was checking it out while waiting for the scope rings to come in. I checked length to lands in it and found I could not seat a 139 gr Hornady out long enough to reach the rifling....by a lot! My thoughts were, "Oh well, at least it looks good". I was blown away when it shot acceptably despite the free bore. The second 22F is an 8X57 and did not have a free bore issue.
This 7X57 is like the first. Even tried a 175 gr Hornady RN and couldn't reach the lands with it. So far, I've tried 139s, two different 160s, and the 175s using 3 different powders. Groups are in the 2 to 3" range except for a H414/139 load. It measured 1.75". I still have a few more tricks to try, but if I don't find that 'magic' load, I'll take the best one and shoot some totally cold bore groups (one shot every day) and see if I can depend on the first shot going to the same place. If that's the case, I can certainly live with it. I have no interest in rebedding or altering this old classic so that it will shoot bragging size groups. It is a hunting rifle, not a bench rest rifle!
I'm glad that y'all are getting exception accuracy with your FSs. I wish mine would consistently turn out MOA and better groups but they don't. I've just found that the full length stocks add too many extra variables that affect accuracy. If I did a lot of extra work on them like the first FS stock I built, I have little doubt a big difference could be noted. These days, if I can get acceptable hunting accuracy, that is enough. Especially with the old classics that I don't want to modify. My first two 22Fs and my 1903 M-S do the job and won't be touched. This new one will do so too when I get it figured out.
Last edited by Hook; 10/26/23.
