As a few of you know I've been playing with a 12" Bullberry Contender barrel in .17 Ackley Bee. I haven't gotten to shoot it much, but my best shooting load (10.5grs IMR4198), seems like it WANTS to shoot. It will shoot three good shots, and two bad. I looked back at the last times I shot it in March and August, and the groups were exactly the same. I assumed it was the scope or mount, so I checked the mount and put a 24x rifle scope on it in place of the old beat up 2x6 Bushnell.
I shot it today almost sure it would prove to be the scope. No such luck. Now I'm confused. lol

March 6x pistol scope, 100 yards.


August. 6x pistol scope, 100 yards.


Today. 24x rifle scope, 100 yards.


I have too look into cleaning / fouling patterns a little more, but all three were shot with the barrel indifferent states of clean/unclean.
Three will go in, and two just wont. There doesn't seem to be a pattern to it either, which confuses me even more. It's random which ones go in and which don't. All it's groups look just like these (unless I screw up). I guess I could just be unlucky... it wouldn't be the first time.

Hmmm.....

[ 09-30-2002, 03:16: Message edited by: cas ]

Sorry Cas
Thought for sure you'd find out it was the scope!
Could it just be you? Don't know what else to think!
Rich Jake

Using the big rifle scope is a snooze. Arm over top with no movement at all. Would get real boring real fast shooting that way all the time.

I think next is a bunch of groups all cleaned exactly the same way, fired same amount of times... blah blah blah... I haven't been group matching all componants (cases) either. That's next too.

cas, what kind of primers are you using? Isn't the bee off of the hornet case? If so maybe you have to much primer and it is blowing the powder out rather than burning it? Have you chronoed any to see if they are erratic?
Seems like Don Shearer, had said somthing in the past about too much primer in the hornet cases, and went to I believe a small pistol?

Maybe you are jerking the trigger from all of that recoil and muzzle blast??
Jeff

Noop... the .17 Ackley Hornet is on the Hornet.... the .17AKB is from a .218 Bee.

I'm using standard Winchester small rifle primers.... I've always had great results with them in other small rifles.. so I stuck with them. I have read Ross Seyfried say the same thing about using small pistol primmers in the Hornet.

hey ?? is that the wabbit ???
i just might have a chanch ??? [grin]
shure wish i could help,,,, with yer groups,
beats me too ???
???? leaves alot of powder in the barrel after three shots ??? but then again,,you said your cleaning it,,,
heck...just dont know..
buckweet
p.s. trade fer a .41 mag ??? mssmagnum says hes got one that wont shoot either...[grin]

Nah... that's a wrong sized squirrel from he last postal match I shot. Im not in this one as I don't have any guns that want to shoot.

cas do you have another forearm you could try. I have a .30 24" heavy varmint from fred that I had the same problem with. I changed out scopes and went through a ton of reloading components before I got it to settle down by swapping forearms. Upon forther examination there was some wood to hanger bar contact on a corner of the hanger bar. I have removed some material with a dremel tool but have not tried it out as I am about to take it on an elk hunt.
Dave

Dave,,, I have NOT tried another forend.. hadn't thought of that. The one I'm using was dedicated to that barrel early on, "free floated" and (sort of) pillar bedded. It's solid with lots of room to spare... but I will try it.
Yesterday the first group I fired was around 1 1/2" because of the new scope and shooting style. I'd let the barrel touch the sand bags ever so slightly. Made a world of differance.