hey guys,

I am having a ton of trouble with a couple of rifles. They both used to shoot very accurately, but they both spent about ten years in the safe, and now when I have been trying to do some load development with them I am lucky to get 3" groups. Both rifles used to shoot right at an inch with factory ammo. I double checked my handloads against factory loads just to make sure. The factory loads did much worse than 3". Both guns were cleaned thoroughly before heading out. Any other ideas guys?

Thanx,
Mark

Have you checked the action screws to see that they are properly torqued down? The wood could conceivably dry out and shrink over that amount of time (but surely not in a place called "Buckeye, Arizona!) You might also check the bedding to make sure that the forearm has not warped over time and is bearing heavily against one side of the barrel.

Have you swabbed the bores with an appropriate solvent, then run several dry patches through before going to the range? Did you shoot a couple of fouling shots before trying to shoot a group?

Finally, check the scope mount screws to make sure you don't have some unanticipated looseness there.

As Stonecreek says, the wood may have 'changed dimensions' over time. Maybe the action hold down screws are not as tight as they once were? Then again, are you sure the barrel packing hasn't disintegrated in that time? I have even seen a fore-end being packed up with woodborer dust! (Funny enough, it was not from the stock itself - I think that was also cork packing).

Well I checked the gun over, and everything seems to be in order. The scope is snug, as well as the screws that hold the stock on. I ran a buisness card down the length of the barrel and it seems the barrel is still floating freely. I am not sure what barrel packing is though. Any other ideas guys.

thanx,
Mark

Guns that used to be accurate but are not now...it has happened to me many times:
1) Loose scope mount to receiver screws [not ring to scope or ring to mount]
2) Copper fouling in barrel
3) Too windy
4) Cheap scope will not hold a zero with high recoil.
5) I am not consistent shot to shot in how I place rifle in the shooting rest.
6) I remember the rifle better than it ever was.

Have you been shooting other rifles right along so that your bench technique is up to the task?
If so, I can only echo what the others have told you. But assume nothing. I'd take the rifles apart. And check any bedding. It can shrink over time. Take the scopes off and re-mount them. It only takes a minute amount of movement to equal 1.5" (either side of center)at 100 yds. A in-depth cleaning of the bore. And so forth.
And, just for fun, you might want to try a couple of those biz cards between the barrel and the stock about 2" from the front of the stock.