In trying some loads for my 7mag, I get repeatable 3 shot groups of two almost touching and one about 1.5-2.5" away. Any ideas?
No similar problems with my other rifles.

Barrel touching stock?

First shot, last shot, is the "flyer" always the same location? Could be bbl. heating, stock touching, high spot in bbl. channel.

relax.....then take an actual 10 shot group.....you'll see things from a different point of view!

I agree with Vapo, I only use the 3 shot string from cold barrels to give an idea of hunting world accuracy. For overall best, use a 10 shot slow fire and see what happens. I'm sure there are many "accurate" guns that open up when warm.

Barrel is touching stock slightly. Use Inletting Black, white, or Gold and you will find it. Good shooting though. I like groups to clover leaf or circle. I feel this is good indicator that barrel fit is perfect.

All the shots were in 30 degree weather, no wind, 3 minutes between each shot in every three shot group and at least 15 minutes between groups. Interestingly 4350 was the powder with these groups, and RL22 produced really big groups (3"+) with none touching. Using 154gr Hornadys. Ruger tang safety with tip bedding cleaned up but still touching.

Maybe uneven pressure at tip? Scope problem? Sounds like load combo should deliver all three.

I suspect that you want to believe that the rifle is telling you that it is a 1/2 gun. What it has told you so far is that it is a 1 1/2 to a 2 1/2 inch gun as it currently sits. The real test, as has been mentioned already, is to shoot at least a 5 shot group, and then if it shoots 1 1/2 inch, try to repeat it. For load development I do not shoot 10 shot groups.
Peter

quote:

with tip bedding cleaned up but still touching.

get rid of it.....not touching is the way to start!

Another option is to experiment with the bedding before taking a course of action. You can add paper shim to the tip bedding to see if the gun wants more pressure. You can put a cardboard shims under the front of the action to simulate free-floating. When you find what the gun wants, then you can take remedial action.

I just noticed the mention of the tang safety. Very accurate for an older Ruger. Original barrel?

Did you try to pass a folded dollar beetween your barrel and the stock ? Some times you can find a high spot that way , and just sand it out.
Also how many bullets have you tried. I have awllays had a devil of a time with that 154 grain hornady. And that is from at least 5 or 6 rifles in at least 5 different 7mm cartridges.
I recomend you try a 160 grain bullet , and the 3 that have shot best for me are the 160 grain accubond, balistic tip and the sierra 160 grain hollow point game king.

I have seen some of the older rugers shoot very well.
i remember many years ago my 1st 3 shot sub MOA group was with the tang safty 300 win I sold to go to truck driving school.
As far as shots in a group go, I would stick with three.
never had 10 shots at anything I can think of.
And if I can't kill it in 3 it just ain't my day !
...tj3006

This is an original barrel. I bought the rifle used and it appeared to be very lightly used. I have never had a problem with the tang safety Rugers. Love the triggers! If I keep the rifle, I plan to slim down the forend as it is too chunky for my tastes.

I've tried lighter bullets with no luck at all. I am working my way towards 160s, but since I would use this rifle mostly for deer, I was trying for a little lighter recoiling setup.

In my experience with the 7, mag
a 160 grain bullets works very well from deer to elk.
Out here in orgon, we shoot mostly mule deer.
The avarage size of lets say a decent forked horn mulie in eastern oregon is somwhew beetween 120 and 140 lbs.(just an educated guess) Big ones go around 200 to 240.
A standerd cup and core 160 grain bullet pushed at somewhere around 3000, will do a great job on deer of that size, does prety well on elk too.
But what is ipmportant here is that I allways seem to get great acuracy with 160 is a 7 mag of any stripe.
If the recoil bothers you, I recomend you get a ..270 .308 or a .257 roberts.
All those rounds and a bunch of others are danndy deer slayers.
You can allways back off a little on powder charges with your 7 mag.
As I remember that old red Ruger recoil pad aint a whole lot softer tahn the wood its screwed too.
You don't want to develop a flich, so don't be afraid to stick a paper back book beetween your shoulder and the but...tj3006

T.J.: I bought this rifle for use on an Elk Hunt several years ago. Out east I use my 308,35 whelen, and 358 for deer. In fact my 308 has taken several Mulies, but I am looking for a little more accurate rig for those longer shots. To that end I am playing with a 2506 (very accurate and fun to shoot), a 280 mtn rifle, and the 7mag. Don't know yet which of those three I will keep and which will go.

Float it and go to the 160 TSX. Done.

quote:

Originally posted by Buliwyf:
Barrel is touching stock slightly. Use Inletting Black, white, or Gold and you will find it. Good shooting though. I like groups to clover leaf or circle. I feel this is good indicator that barrel fit is perfect.

I'd look at the amount of torque on the screws too. Over tightening the rear screw will cause you some headaches in the accuracy dept.

Tang safety Rugers with sporter weight barrels do not like to be free floated. The angled front action screw has something to do with this. I have a little tunig system for Ruger tangs that has worked on every one that I have owned. Here is what to do:

1. Make sure that the barrel is totall free of contact between the action and the prressure point at the fore end.

2. Take the action and barrel out of the stock
3. When putting the action back in, tighten the rear screw first, and snug it up real good.

4. Insert a business card between the barrel and the pressure point at the fore end.

5. Tighten the front action screw so it is just tight enough so that the business card will pull free.

The front screw sometimes seems that it is barely tight enough. Don't let this worry you, and be sure to use finger nail polish or a non-permanent grade of lok-tite.

If this fails to show any improvements in your "flyer" shots, I would suspect that the powder charge is just at a point where there might be a pressure spike showing itself. Do you know how far off the lands you are loading?
I have had two Rugers that had VERY short throats, so short that even factory ammo was into the lands.

Bear Kodiak: Wouldn't removing the business card essentially free float the barrell?

As far as the distance to the lands, my comparator and I had a disagreement so I set the distance by trial and error. Ended up at the cannelure. All the reloads were .003 or less concentric.

No, it will not totally float the barrel. By being able to just remove the business card, it will put the right amount of pressure on the barrel from the fore end. It should take some force to remove the card.

Try floating your barrel if its not floated. sounds like its touching the stock.

I would try a different primer first, then start messing with the bedding/mechanical issues.

I would bed the action and 3 inchs of barrel in front of the action then free float the rest of the barrel barrel. In my big game rifles I use shot shot groups I see no reason to shoot 10 rounds groups from a big game rifle.

My varmint rifles are a differant manner.

quote:

Originally posted by Westernmassman:
In trying some loads for my 7mag, I get repeatable 3 shot groups of two almost touching and one about 1.5-2.5" away. Any ideas?
No similar problems with my other rifles.

West,
Read through the posts - Really need to ID a patern, if any, to the "flyer". Which one of the 3 shots is the flyer?

Like:
If always first - Could be cold barrel or clean
If always second - ???
If always third - Could be barrel heating up i.e. barrel or bedding
If random could be that's all you'll get

PS: I too will shoot 2 or 3 shot groups working up a reload for pressure and velocity. But switch to 5 shot groups for working on accuracy.