Bedding my Savage accu-stock

[Metal god]

yep I chrono and I'm going to do what 4runnerman says to do .Just find a load that worked in the past and go for it . I just went back and looked at my notes and found a load that has shot well on more then on occasion . It's also a load that has the velocity I'm looking for with the components I want to shoot . 175gr smk , 40.5gr IMR-4064 with a velocity of 2560 . That load has shot .5 moa once and .75 moa a couple other times . I should add I have notes showing it shoot 1.4 moa a couple times as well . Two of the best groups were before I started looking at the torque issue and the rest were after. One sub moa and a couple over moa . The velocities have been pretty consistent with them staying in the mid 2500 area .

I'm going to load 50 rounds of that load and do the torque thing . Once I get that working I'm going to work up all other loads to that torque .

Well that's the plan anyways Watch I won't be able to get that load to shoot worth a darn but I'll get something else to shoot great that never has before .

[4runnerman]

I know it will come together for you Metal. It's a savage. Keep us posted.

PS- I want to see those pics of one hole

The work up other groups I can't say much. I have 9 Savages and I shoot 9 different loads. One load per rifle ( never have to re sight in ). I find the best load for each one and that is the only one I shoot in that rifle. Sounds silly,but works great. I want to bring the BR for Yote hunting this year. There are lots of times I could shoot one at 600 yards plus,but with the 223 I just don't.

[Metal god]

You did see the pics you just don't remember

GMM shot count 260

GMM shot count 13 , 14 , 15 first shots ever taken at 100yds with rifle


This was pretty good for 300yds .33moa My load shot count 700-ish


I was shooting groups like this all the time .5 moa shot count under 100

.6moa


And the thread that started me on the path Im on now
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=533726

[4runnerman]

No No-- I mean the new Pic's you are going to show us when this is all done

[Metal god]

UPDATE-ish

I don't want to get to happy but I did have an encouraging day . I started the day out by doing the torque test and for the most part it went as expected . I took 50 rounds of a believed good load to do the test . It took 48 of them to confirm a torque setting . I went thru the torque spectrum pretty quick . 15 thru 50lbs in 5lb increments shooting 4 shot groups . Two settings and really three were good , 20lbs .5 moa , 35lbs .85 moa , 45lbs .6 moa. I went back to confirm each were indeed good torque settings . I settled with 45lbs as being the most consistent . I wish I had more rounds to shoot just to be sure .

I then went ahead and shot 3 different load workups I brought as well . One I had done before and the other two were new-ish . I had worked with parts of them before . Different cases and bullets this time . Anyways those all went as one would expect with some loads being better then others .

I guess what the 2 most encouraging things I got from today were . The rifle shot sub moa many times today . Both with the load I already knew should shoot well . As well as the other three load work ups . They all had at least one sub moa group . That in it self would not be all that great but I was not shooting well today A good 1/4 of the groups I was calling bad shots . I had one of my "Can't keep the reticle still days " I get that every once and a while and today was one off them . If I were shooting my best-ish today I think a good 1/4 to 1/3 of the groups today would have been better .

Don't get me wrong , I shot OK it was just hard to do so . Most days I can lock in pretty well ,not so much today . I had to just stop unload step away relax comeback and start over a few times .

The fact I was having trouble and was still able to get the rifle to shoot better then it has in a while was encouraging . I did not shoot one group over 1.6 moa all day . All groups were 4 shots in 2 min or less .

I will add that I shot with out the muzzle brake for the first time . the rifle seemed to shoot fine but I did notice I needed to find the target for the next shot more often then before . To say find the target may be a bit over stated . When I would come back on target after recoil I was looking at the targets on the lane next to me . It was always the lane to the right . I know that means I need to adjust my hold in some way so I come back on target . I'm just not sure what to do to fix it .

In closing It appears all is not lost and I may be dialing this thing back in . ( fingers crossed )

[4runnerman]

Sounds promising Metal. Now you were 5 inch lbs heavier in the rear than the front and always tightened the rear first?. As for a bad shooting day-- Hey we all have them. Somedays I wonder why I even keep shooting. Now if you were having a bad day--That could have made a big difference. What ya shooting for a scope and what power?. I try do all my load work up at 300 yards, That will give you a better look at whats going on. The reason I ask on scope is---Aim smaller -- Smaller groups. My 300 yard bullseye is a Pencil I put in middle of bullseye and drew a circle around it. Now I run a 8-32 x 56 scope,so 300 yards is easy to put crosshairs in that circle. Don't give up,It will happen.

[Metal god]

I have a lower end Vortex 6-18x44 . It's pretty good for the price and very clear until 16x then starts to haze . I've always shot at 12x no matter what distance . The 300yd target that's stuck to the plate above is a 3" shoot-n-see . That's what I like to use for my 300yd targets . At 12x I don't have a problem getting my crosshairs on it .

Here's a perspective pic of how big they are , Think can of chew
.


I do shoot 300yds often but not on load work up . Maybe I'll give it a try

[4runnerman]

Those are nice scope from all I hear. I only do load work at 300 yards for this reason ( a lot of people disagree with me here ). If a bullet is going to go south so to say on you 100 yards will not show you. Example- I have maybe 5 different loads in my 308 that will make one hole at 100 yards,but take them out to 200 or 300 and they fall apart. Only exception is my 223. I do that one at 100 yards because i very seldom shoot it past 200 at Yotes. So much for shooting today, Must be 35 mph wind here today.. Maybe do the $20.00 and go to indoor range with the 45 today. I know it will come together for you Metal.

[semi_problomatic]

Glad your rifle's doing right metal.

4runner, that sounds like a really good practice. 300 yards would help highlight good groups on an accurate cartridge. On my .308 I had no trouble telling which loads did what because the spread went from 4.5" down to 1.5" and back out. My 6.5 seemed to like everything with only a minor spread in group but a steady rise in poi. How do you handle wind changes? Even a 5 mph wind straight across could move your bullet 3", how do you adjust for it?

[4runnerman]

Semi-- Good question,because my main issue I have is doping wind. I am fortunate enough that where I am I get to range about 5 AM. Most days I can hold my Bic lighter up and light it with out the wind blowing it out. I also put out wind flags. For my testing I never shoot on windy days. Once I have found a load then I shoot no matter what,rain,wind,snow. I have so much to learn about doping the wind. I am also lucky enough to shoot with some very awesome people. I listen, I implement what I have learned, Oh Hell I will just say it--I am OCD to the max. when it comes to shooting..

I shoot with a bunch of Bench rest shooters and F Class, The commander of the Red River Swat Team, 2 police Snipers and the ATF agent for Minn. I am surrounded by knowledge and eager to learn. I know ATF guy, But hey, hey shoots like WOW. I also get a shot now and then to shoot with the old timers.
Old military rifles,open sights and dinosaur ammo. Man those guys get my respect. Rifles look like the termites have already left,but they shoot 3 inch groups at 300 yards with them.

[semi_problomatic]

Gotcha. I've always done my load developement at 100m because I was worried external influences would mess with what I was seeing. I'm going to have to try 300 for the 6.5 and see what it looks like though.

[4runnerman]

Semi- Those forces are there at 100 or 300. But I know what ya mean. Since I don't hunt at all any more,All my rifles except the 223 are zeroed at 300 yards, Makes for a fast change to 600 or 1000 yard matches. I plan on hitting all the 1000 yard ones next year. I ordered a new barrel that should be here in a week or so now. Going to get my action squared and trued while I am at it.

Been looking at a 6.5 too. What is yours?. Creedmor or 284,?.

[Metal god]

I'll jump in here if y'all don't mind

My next rifle if not a 6.8 spc build will be a 260 Remington for shooting comp . I want to stick with the 308 case so when times get tough again I can just neck up or down to what components are around . Most likely get a 243 some day soon . As for the 260 , I'm looking at the Savage Model 12 target rifle that comes with the target accu-trigger or just build one using a Savage action . I had been looking at getting a 338 Lapua for my next bolt gun but now I think I could get more use and have more fun with the 260 .

[4runnerman]

Good choice Metal. I have a 223 and a 308 in the model 12 FVSS. They both are tack drivers. I did order new stocks for both,but that was just because. They shot great before that to I just wanted to dress them up some. The 308 is sporting a Cobalt Blue Thumbhole Varmint Stock from Stocky's Stock. That was my FTR rifle. I am not sure if you saw the post from a while ago,but I had the chance to shoot the Savage 338 Lapua here about 3 weeks ago. Man what a rifle.
Felt like a sledgehammer hitting you. Loved every shot and man was it accurate. Lot's of powder and one spendy gun to shoot,but what a blast.
I see ( just got up) there is no wind at all today,flags are just hanging limp. Time to pack up and get to the rage real fast.

[Bart B.]

If one sets the target range focus on their high magnification rifle scope to about half to two-thirds target distance, they can see the mirage (heat waves) wrinkling across the field of view in the scope. And their direction shows which way the wind's coming from. As those wrinkles speed up, hold upwind into them, if they slow down then hold downwind with them. With a bit of practice and astute observation, one can minimize horizontal shot stringing by doing this.

For a given amount of wind drift for a bullet at some velocity, the full amount will happen when the wind's from 3 or 9 o'clock. If the wind's from 2, 4, 8 or 10 o'clock, the same cross wind speed's worth almost 90% as much. But winds from 1, 5, 7 or 11, the wind's worth half as much.

[Metal god]

UPDATE

Went the range yesterday to confirm my loads and to make sure the rifle was still shooting well .

Long story short

Torque is 40lbs in front , 45lbs in back and the rifle is shooting very close to as good as it has ever shot . I now have 3 confirmed sub moa loads with one shooting crazy good . I shot a few 4 round .5 moa groups with 178gr A-MAX , 40.5gr IMR-4064 , Rem case , WLR primer . The other good load is - 175gr smk , 40.7gr IMR-4895 , WCC case , WLR primer .

In closing I'd like to thank all you guys for helping me out here

Special thanks to Bart . 4runnerman and semi_problomatic

[4runnerman]

Hey Buddy- You ar not off the hook yet . We still need pics of that one hole group. Glad It is all working out for you.

[Metal god]

Still waiting to get my computer back from a friend that's trying to get rid of the virus . I'll upload all the pics I've taken when I get it back . No one hole groups in a while but have had many with all 4 shots touching lately . I had one group the other day that was .5 moa and not one shot was touching the other . The group made almost a perfect box

[Metal god]

I thought I'd post the pics some of you wanted to see

First up group comparisons
Gold metal match before stock issues



After


These next ones are just inconsistencies
175gr smk

[Metal god]

178gr A-MAX



This was the test with model putty to see if the recoil lug stayed square and tight to the block

[Metal god]

Muzzle with brake off . Sorry you have to go to the other side of the room to view some of these . Not sure what's going on with the format .



180* turn