I'll start this off by saying I'm not new to reloading, or tuning rifles. Been doing both for 20+ years, and generally I can make things shoot pretty well, but I've got a rifle that's bothering me.

A good long-time friend of mine just bought a new Savage model 12, heavy barrel .22-250 in the tupperware stock. He is one of those guys that can appreciate a good shooting rifle, but just really doesn't know how to make it happen. Anyways, he drops it off with me to tune up and develop some loads for, just like I did with his .308.

I have reloading components for it but was going to do the initial zero work with some cheap factory loads, some Wolf 55 grain stuff. It was keyholing them at 50 yards, and spraying them like crazy. Big groups I could understand, but keyholing? Just didn't make sense to me, but I blew it off as cheap ammo the gun didn't like. So I had some Federal Premium factory ammo, loaded with a Sierra 52 BTHPM, thought I would give it a go. Popped a few of them through there, and same thing. It did actually shoot a group, three in about an inch, but not good at all, and you could see some of them keyholing a bit also.

What could be causing this in a brand new rifle, with moderate weight bullets? I might could understand if it was 70 or 80 grain bullets, but 52-55? It seems to me it's got to have a bad barrel, I can't think of anything else that would make one keyhole like that.

Might sound plain crazy, but have you checked for twist?, As in is it fully formed?

Yeah, I did look down the bore, nothing too obvious. Gonna take a better look at lunch though. Rifleing looks full formed, couple of small machine marks in the bore, but nothing that should be doing this.

One thing though, that I really do need to check out better. There is a place, right at the muzzle, where it appears the barrel is picking up copper, across two lands and one groove. Actually quite a bit of copper, especially for being right at the muzzle. May need to call Savage and see if they will take care of this issue. Every Savage I have ever dealt with would shoot damn good, given a chance.

Call Savage. They will make it right. Great people

Well, it is going back to Savage to have them look at it.

I cleaned it at lunch, and it cleaned real well, except that last 1/4" right at the muzzle. After I got it clean I looked down it real good, and the last 1/2" or so of barrel seems to have several abnormalities in it. I called Savage and they said send it back for the gunsmith to look at it. Tomorrow I am going to shoot a couple targets with both types of ammo to put in the box with the rifle when we send it back. Should know something in 4-6 weeks. Thanks for the input guys.

Please let us know how this turns out.

Bob

Will do Bob. I will bookmark this thread, and try and come back to it when the rifle comes back. I shot a 5 shot group with it at 50 yards this afternoon with the Federal Premium ammo, and 3 of the 5 shots were keyholeing to some extent. I was wrong on the bullet though, it wasn't a 52, but a 55 grain Sierra BTHP. Group was about 1.25", which suprised me considering the way they were flying, 4 went into probably .75". But still this barrel isn't right. It's going back. If I get a chance I will post up a pic of the target I am sending back with the rifle.

The Savage forums might have some information about any manufacturing problems for savage rifles.
http://www.savageshooters.com/
My two Savage rifles are great. I suppose with all the rifles they make there might be the odd fault.

I'd suspect a 1/14" twist, and too-long of a bullet. Try some 50-or 55-grain flatbased projectiles.

Savage uses several different rates of twist in their rifles. If you are shooting long bullets in a slow twist don't expect them to stabize.
Take a cleaning rod and mark it with a majic marker or masking tape. Then measure the twist with a tight patch pushed down the bore.

Longshot

These are 55 grain bullets, in factory loads, if it won't stabilize them, the rifle isn't worth having.

I am sure they will set it right. Every Savage I have ever dealt with up untill now would shoot very good.