Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Accuracy question

I'm betting it's the scope.

Ok I have a couple of Zeiss diavari and another V8 I can try after following the directions of degreasing and retorque. Thanks

No sarcasm implied or intended, but have you called Robert?

You know the rifle can/did shoot well with the load you have. I have had a couple scopes go squirrelly on me and they went back to the manufacturer, but I knew it was the scope. You can do a ladder test and see if the adjustments work, or put another on it to get that possibility out of the way.

I use a Hawkeye borescope so I know what the inside of the barrel is doing. Robert built a 308 for me years back and it was a rifle that never disappointed. It started to not shoot as well around the 750 round range. About that time, my shooting partner and I purchased a decked out Hawkeye and surprise surprise, it was carbon fouled for the first 6" of barrel (Krieger). It was a pain to remove and I never trusted a clean patch again without having a look. Now, when I stated "not shoot as well", it went from basically a hole for 5 to a bigger hole for 5. I've personally never seen any of my rifles go from their usual accuracy to large groups just from a dirty barrel. Point I'm making in a long winded way is unless your barrel is slathered in copper (it's possible), going from bugholes you say to 2" ain't just from a dirty barrel.

Robert may be "interesting" but he builds fine rifles and knows how they tick.

I used a lot of Ballistol over the years, but only as Moose Milk for my BPCR's. Bore Tech or Sharp Shoot R products have worked well for me for smokeless. I don't trust any of them until Mr Hawkeye says they work.

The preceding is worth every bit you paid for it😁😁😁

Yes sir Robert or his new partner I think John? Will gladly let me send them the rifle to address and correct the problem. Only reason I'm working with my local smith is I'm still a bit skeptical on sending it. Waited over 2 years to get it here to central Texas brand new. Original agreement was for Robert to do barrel break in and load developments but never got that far. J Earl Bridges (my smith) complimented the build after examining everything including bedding. Again wary to send it back to Georgia not having Any way to verify a turn around time.

I do understand your issue with shipping it back and i am familiar with turn around times and frustration there of. I'll leave that at that.

Everyone has their own way of doing things but I pick a torque setting for action bolts and stick with it. Your rifle recipe lists Surgeon action and unless they have started making the RSR/RLR again, your scope mount and recoil lug are integral so no issues possible there. I know every barrel maker makes a dud every once in a while, but it shot good initially, so probably not there. RG does a good bedding job (it's prep work and tedious bit not hard) so probably not there. Bottom metal may give issues but mainly in feeding and OAL, not extreme accuracy problems. The scope is a definite maybe but you can test that easily. Since all we can do here is make educated guesses, knowing your rifle recipe and it shot well I initially, then something changed later. I used the word slathered when I mentioned copper fouling and I suspect that is where your problem lies. I don't know, but I suspect it. A proper copper cleaner is must on my shelves.

If you have already taken it to another gunsmith it's in his hands, so to speak, now. I hope it gets sorted out soon.

Betting the scope went south....

Yep swap the scope. Happens all the time.

Not being right there to look at the rifle, I think you answered your question right there. As others have stated, neither of your choices remove copper. Others have chimed in and given great recommendations for copper removal.

I'd also take a hard look at the Zeiss scope. I've had more than one go belly up in the last few years. Your mileage may vary.

Best of luck!

Thank you. Did a lot of cleaning today. Considerable amount of blue color on patches so hopefully have one problem out of the way.

Decreased and retourqued. Will be removing 36 mm rings soon and go back to my 30 mm rings to try a zeiss diavari 4-16x50 for the different scope test.

The last 300 win mag LR gun I had built was finished by an AMU armorer. Remington 40x solid bottom, Kreiger barrel, Mcmillan A-5 stock with a custom aluminum bedding block.. All I ever shot out of it was 210 bergers and a LOT of VV 160. Heavy bullets and a large powder charge will eat a throat out PDQ especially at 25 rds per match in 15-20 minute time frame. I sold it with 1800 + rounds down range and it was still a 1000 yard 1/2 MOA machine after all that.... Bet it's the scope or bedding.

Scope or mounts.

For copper removal clean the powder out first then use wipe out, squirt it in the barrel and leave overnight. Patch bore in the morning and you're done.

Copper fouling isn't causing this though.

Ballistol isn't really a solvent, and certainly not for copper. I believe its main ingredient is mineral oil. It's popular in black powder circles, but there are better products for modern arms.

As others have noted, swapping scopes is an easy and fairly conclusive test of the scope in question. And it's true, even high dollar stuff can puke.

Paul

I've used lots of cleaners kroil works for me

Scope or loose fastener. Guessing it's the scope.

For copper fouling, the best I've used has been Montana Extreme Copper Killer. You can leave it in the bore for long periods of time. Use in well ventilated area though, as the smell is pungent.

If your positive it's not fouled really bad then my guess could be a combination of a little throat wear and barrel speeding up, most will after about 100 rounds some take more than others depending on the interior finish and some speed up more than others. My suggestion is have a dummy round made up to know how far your off the lands so you have something to reference to when stuff like this happens. I would check about every 100 rounds some wear more than others.

From my tests the barrel has sped up. Plan to shoot some different hand loads to see what it currently likes the most. Thanks for your input.

Some good advice given here. One thing not mentioned, and maybe it doesn't apply, but how many rounds were you firing at a sitting? In other words how hot were you running the barrel? From what you have said I'm assuming you didn't abuse the barrel by firing too many rounds at a time and over heating it. If it was me I think I would be checking the scope first.

JIm

I'm going to take a different tack and postulate that the 300 WM has made you develop a flinch over time!








JK. My bet is on a broken scope, too.