I like these, but contrary to what I have heard, had never had one that was very accurate with the factory barrel.
I've had one for more than 25 years, have read everything I could find on them and you are the very first person I've ever read who didn't wax ecstatic over the accuracy.
Guns and Ammo:
"using some fairly elderly 130-grain Remington Bronze Points, I managed to get a couple of 2 1/4-inch 200-yard groups. It'd been some time since I'd shot the rifle, and the trigger wasn't quite as light as I'd have liked. Then I switched to Winchester 130-grain Power-Point Plus loads, and the rifle still held in there at two inches even. Then I moved the target back in to 100 yards, and going back to the Bronze Points, I was rewarded with the best "light sporter/factory ammo" three-shot group I can recall--a scintillating half-inch."
http://www.gunsandammo.com/content/jc-higgins-model-50?page=3#ixzz1M40iJXz4 My experience was unusual in that my first Model 50 was my first centerfire rifle. I'd read about one inch groups and after shooting factory ammo in my 50 I wondered what the big deal was because it shot everything under an inch at 100 yards. With ammo it liked .6 to .75 groups were expected. It wasn't until I got a few more sporters that I realized just how special it was.
I once was checking the zero prior to deer season when there was a hard core benchrester on the next rest. He had the full regalia; a scope and 6mm PPC rifle that cost more than my car; three sets of wind flags on the 100 yard range, a portable press to tweak his handloads.
When the bell rang and we changed targets he noticed the sub inch groups and said "Those look pretty good, what are you shooting?". You should have seen the look on his face when I told him "Factory ammo from my Sears 30-06.".
