When I last posted the stock had cracked after all of 12 shots and I was waiting for scope mounts.
I repaired the stock and bedded everything, pillars, crossbolts and lugs.
Next was the Leupold QR Mounts and rings that I put on, mounting a 6X42 Leupold scope that wasn't busy. Plus while working up loads I didn't think the extra power would hurt anything. A 1.5-5 Leupold will go on when I can afford it.
A new problem showed up when the scope ran out of adjustment before I could get the POI up to the center of a target at 100 yards. I e-mailed Leupold and they said they have heard of this problem before and they believe Winchester has gotten sloppy about their deminsions. They offered to check my scope over and suggested a shim under the rear mount.
I wasn't comfortable with a shim on a gun with this much recoil so I went about it a different way. I removed .008" off the bottom of the front mount. End of that problem.
Using 81 grains of Reloader 15 and 350 grain Speers I got 2463fps and a .503 three shot group!
After a good cleaning and using the same charge of Reloader 15, 350 grain Barnes X's gave me 2477fps and a .674 group!
Since this is about three times as much accuracy as I feel I need, and the gun doesn't have a 100 rounds through it yet, I am pretty happy.
I just hope all the bugs are worked out!
Joe.

JMac,

You'd better test that rifle VERY carefully for cold zero.

My M70 was below paper also - even after POI climbed six inches in the first three shots as the barrel warmed up. Shot great groups, after it was warm, though.

Don

IMHO every DGR should have the receiver surface ground on a surface grinder, and have hand fitted Scope basis in order to return to perfect zero with detachable mounts...or to maintain zero with any mount..Its just good insurance. It seems to me most receivers are out of sink to one degree or another and I have ground a bunch of them.

------------------
Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Don, if I remember right, yours was changing a bunch as it warmed up. This one doesn't seem to be moving enough to matter, if any.

Ray, I suspect your right, on a purpose built gun. I know Remington used to use a belt sander to do final profiling on their receivers. They can be all over the place as to diameter. I imagine Winchester uses like processes to finish their actions.

I'm just in the beginning stages of planning my first trip to Africa and have at least a year or three to try to wear this gun out. We'll see what can go wrong next.

Joe.