Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Thanks for the help

You may remember my recent thread, Disect the Target

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...15022979/dissect-the-target#Post15022979


I want to let you know that I was out with the Ruger American Predator again this weekend for the first time since that thread.

In the interim, I had:

1) Removed the sling studs from the forearm
2) Retightened the screws that hold the stock on.
3) Rearranged the bench a bit
4) Brought out ammo loaded with BL-C(2) instead of H4895

The results were quite positive. I think #2 had the most to do with the tightened group. I'm back down to a solid inch at 100 yards with 5 shots. 2 shots were nearly through the same hole. At this point foreward, it's going to be more about me and my hold than the rifle or the load.

Thanks y'all for taking the time.

Yer welcome there Studless.

That sounds like a fine shooter...now. Well done, Shaman.

OK. So let's just say I'm right and #2 was the answer.

Here's the deal. The Ruger American has two screws that afix the rifle to the Boyd's stock. One is just ahead of the mag well and the other is just behind and doubles as the front screw for the trigger guard. The rifle is bedded per instructions.

When I screw the rear screw down to what feels like a reasonable tightness, the bolt is frozen. What I did to remedy the situation was tighten the rear screw until the bolt is frozen and then slowly unscrew it a bit of a time and test the bolt until it can open. That is okay for now, but there must be a better solution.

(Or maybe I should leave well enough alone)

The front and rear screws go through to metal blocks that also form the front and rear of the mag well. I'm thinking I could heat the rear block until the epoxy releases. Then I could grind out the epoxy and re-bed this block so that it somehow sits a tad higher and allows me to tighten the screw without binding the action.

I guess I could also butter up the rifle again with release agent and epoxy a shim to the block. I'm thinking a matchbook cover's thickness of folded aluminum foil buttered with epoxy would do it.

Advice needed.

If everything else is ok as it sits, maybe shorten the screw a bit?

You cannot be satisfied until you get three shots touching every time! Otherwise how do you expect to eye shoot sparrows at 100 yards?