Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Winchester Featherweight Accuracy Help

That has me thinking there's an undiagnosed pathology.

My 2008 30-06 featherweight is a VERY picky bitch. Only two loads that I've had consistently shoot well on more than one range session were a 200 grain Accubond with 54-54.5(can't remember which and don't want to dig for it) grains of RL17, and a 150 TTSX and 58.5(I think) grains of Ramshot Big Game. Every single other combination I've tried has either been good one day and not the next, or just plain [bleep] all around.

Removing the factory bedding and re-doing it did seem to help some...

Yep, not likely the "problem" is solved with that amount of change due to ammo alone. If that were to actually be the highly unlikely case, that rifle would be sent down the road tomorrow.

Regardless of people who like free-floated light barrels, I've rarely seen on that didn't shoot better with the barrel stress free bedded, with full length or with just a pad near the end of the forearm.

Obviously the action & lug should be correctly bedded as well.

Also, again, if only obviously, the scope & mounts need to be proven as well.

MM

I agree MM.

I don't think he's out of the woods yet for two reasons. First, he shot a single 5/8" group. In a recent test of two different loads in an old P14 with metallic sights chambered for .303 British the average three-shot groups were 2.709" and 3.277". The largest were 4.593" and 5.754". But the smallest were .813" and 0.520". Even this blind hog found a couple of acorns.

The second reason is that all of my rifles except one shoot most loads into group sizes that are at least vaguely similar, not ranging from sub MOA to 4+".

I like to see pictures of these groups.. that will definitely help with a diagnosis of what might be wrong..

Don't suppose he's resting the barrel instead of stock on the front rest or on a hard front rest ?

as a handloader, I'd look suspect at the powder that might be being used in it...

if the 180s shot well... pull some and seat some 150 grain Ballistic tips on top and then try to see how that shoots.
I tend to suspect the powder or charge first, if a round doesn't shoot well to begin with.


I had a Shaw barrel in 223, that I put on a Model 70... it wasn't that much of an accurate rifle at the range..
but in the field it managed to do pretty well at shooting sage rats with my Blue Dot loads...
however after about 600 rounds down the tube... it turned itself into a tack driver all of a sudden...
figured they could have finished the barrel a little better at the factory.

non military, my favorite action still is the Model 70.. push feed or 'classic'...
favorite military is the Springfield and P14 or P17 Enfields.

Agreed. When I was shooting pistols competitively, we had a saying: "Broke guns don't fix themselves."

Stress relieved the barrel and burnt out the high spots on the bedding in one swoop. Also a lot closer to getting that new barrel.

I always start with a good cleaning then proceed to bedding, screws, scope etc.

The BACO Win model 70 30-06 has 1-10” rifling twist. No real surprise that a 180 grain shoots well, or better than a 150 grainer.

Agree trying 165 grain ( go for flat base versions). I have the same rifle ( baco USA Win m70 featherweight 30-06). 57 gr / IMR 4350 with a 165 gr Hornady flat base and 180 gr Hornady w/ 55 gr imr 4350 both shoot near 1 moa ( neither of those are over 1.5 moa on a bad day) for 3 shot groups. Sweet rifle. Currently wears a 3x Leupold.

Agree with earlier comment to check for min / uniform barrel contact in barrel channel. Sometimes a little constant pressure on the bottom isn’t too bad, and may help. Stock/ barrel contact on one side is not good ( relieve the side contact if present). Good luck. Can you repeat those sub-moa group with 180 grainers? That would important to support a benefit, or to show a “ fluke” group. Also, I would try 165 grain loads ( more than one manufacturer if you don’t reload).

Regarding “ simple changing of ammo” and improved groups...
Both my brother and have have Marlin 336a 30-30 rifles ( 1976 vintage, 24” bbl, microgroove rifling.). Received both new from our Dad. Mine has a 4x scope. His has a Weaver 2-7x scope. Mine shoots near 1 moa with 32 grains ww748 and 170 grain Speers. My brother’s Marlin would shoot about 4 moa with Hornady 170 grain bullets and near max loads of 4895 and 3031. We live 500 miles apart. We got together years ago, and shot our Marlins. “See what I mean?” , as he shoots another 4” group. I told him to try my reloads (170 Speer / ww748). He did, and it posted a 1.5 moa group. I shot HIS reloads, and got justunder 4 moa groups. He now shoots the 170 Speer / 32 ww748 load.

Sometimes “ a simple change” can yield an improved group size. Both my brother and I will attest to that.

Well, I figured that that rifle just didn't like that 150 gr. Load. Rifles are individuals, no two are really alike.

Curious if this ever got sorted out.

Bump.

Mine shoots around 3/4" with 165 BT,. day in day out. First load and bullet I tried 57.0 Grains 4350, so I was done. It is all I'll ever need. It was an All Terran FWT with the plastic stock, Bedded and free floated in a FWT walnut stock, Leupold 6X42 in Talley SS mounts. I favor the 165's in the '06. Nosler AB are less accurate in this rifle for some reason. I've fooled around with seating depth and other extreme than cases it makes very little difference.

Still hasn’t been resolved. It’s been shot a few more times. Still inconsistent groups. Shooting 1.5” with other guns, checked scope and cleaned it. Check bedding next?

I am having a similar problem with a 243 stainless featherweight. As I said in my prior post, floating the barrel on a 7RM fixed a similar problem - the 243’s grouping reminds of what the mag’s groups like Omer like.. The 243 is in at the smith getting the barrel floated now.

With the 7RM, I was trying to shoot it with 160 gr partitions - Federal Premiums and handloads and it wouldn’t shoot. After the barrel was bedded I switched to 175s and they shoot well, but I had some left over 160s too and they also shoot well after the barrel was floated. OAL was pretty much the same, though.

I have the same vintage model 70 featherweight. Mine likes 180 interlocks, on top of 48 grains of IMR 4895. Not fast but consistently under an inch. I tried lots of powders and bullet combinations to get it to shoot well. Free floated the barrel, bedded the action, and torque the screws the same always! It was a challenge but lots of fun!

Do like Redneck said and get rid of the factory bedding. Its often inadequate. I've had to re-do the glass bedding on a few EW rifles and BACO featherweights. However, I will say the bedding compound they use is much better than the WRA Olin USRAC hot glue bedding. That chit was so brittle, it wasn't even funny. Before I even shoot a new rifle anymore, I'll go thru it and make sure everything is done to it to ensure it's going to shoot good. This means, checking and torquing all action screws, new glass bedding, new trigger spring (ernie the gunsmith) in the case of the BACO model 70, Clean the hell out of the barrel, dissassemble the bolt and degrease and lightly oil, check locking lugs for proper engagement, check headspace, make sure the mag box isn't binding, Check scope mounts, rings, don't forget about that front receiver bridge screw where the barrel threads are, it needs to be shorter than the rest, so it doesn't put pressure on the barrel/chamber area, too long of a screw there also means the scope mount will not be held in place satisfactorily, loctite those screws, and USE a proven scope. In order to get consistently good accuracy, the whole mechanical package has to be right.

Speaking of picky B’s, my Weatherby Mk V lightweight shot Federal 165 TSX loads and Remington CL 180s better than a lot of high priced spread. It doesn’t shoot the 168 TTSX handloads particularly well either. Nothing really seems to settle in under an inch with various powder/ primer combos. It cut cloverleaf groups with the discontinued Federal TSX load, so the rifle is capable. Worst ammo was Swift A-Frames.... I may just stick with 180 Remington CL factory ammo and call it good. Have also contemplated handloading 165 TSX and see what shakes. I don’t use the rifle much and am tired of fiddling with it. Happy Trails

38 responses and I would’ve expected Tikka mentioned 37 times....but nothing?