I would play with the torque on the action screws.

I have been playing with my 280 remington for awhile now, and still cannot get it to shoot well. The barrel is floated, but I have recently experimented with a pressure point in the barrel channel, too. No better results. I have tried at least a two dozen different loads (powders, bullets, primers, seating depths, etc.) The gun may throw two shots within a half inch, and then the third is off by 2 1/2 - 3 inches. It may throw a scattered 3 inch group, or worse. I had one group with one shot 6 inches high, the next 4 inches high, and the next 2 inches low! I have checked the mounts and rings, and everything is solid.

Given the information provided, does anyone have anywhere else for me to look? The gun is an argentine 1909 with a Douglas barrel, and a Leupold Vari-X III 4.5 - 14 x 40. I have sent the scope back to Leupold to verify that it is ok....

Thanks

Jasper_243

I've found that it's pretty easy to "spring" or "tweak" Mauser receivers. Your 1909 action assy (and all military Mausers) originally had a ferrule/spacer that fits in the stock that regulates the distance between the tang and the triggerguard. It was the original pillar bed. In other words, with the ferrule in place you can't over torque the rear tang screw and spring the receiver. The mag/trigger guard assy has to be properly seated to the bottom of the receiver. The easiest way to see what's going on is to remove the action from the stock, attach the trigger guard, snug the front screw first, and then the tang scew. Without the ferrule/spacer/pillar you will quickly see how easy it is to "spring" the receiver with very little torque. Overtorque on the tang screw can create accuracy problems. Paul Mauser had a reason for each and every design detail. Hope this helps.

Are you still using the original mainspring? if so try a new one, springs get weak with age and will give erratic ignition. You didn't say anything about the stock other than it is free floated.

I know it is a long shot but try a different scope any way, yours wouldn�t be the first to come back with a clean bill of health but was still sick. This is especially true if there is no rhyme or reason to your groups. Another simple thing would be to have it recrowned. One rifle that I had that gave the oddest groups had a bad crown. It was always a good shooter. After screwing up the crown and not realizing it I started with glass bedding and free floating that didn�t work thin I started screwing with the pressure point that didn�t help. Next I took it to a real gunsmith and it took him about five minutes to figure it out. The sad thing is it didn�t look bad to my untrained eye.


Shawn

Thanks for all of your help.

Duane-I just installed a Wolff replacement striker spring this morning. It seems to work fine, even though it has a few more coils (longer) than the original. I hope to actually shoot the gun this weekend.

Wally- I will check the recoil lug. According to your post, it is not supposed to touch the bedding under it?

Craigster- I see what you are saying about springing the action. The action screws do act funny, as the rear one tightens stiff most of the way in, and the front screws in easy until the last turn or so.....I built a little spacer out of masking tape and placed it under the action where the rear screw comes in. It seemed to help with a gradual, even tightening of the action. We'll see.......

Jasper243

Either a scope or bedding problem. Assume you have eliminated scope and mounts as problem.

I strongly suspect:

Bottom of recoil lug is bottoming out in the bedding.

Or magazine is making contact with receiver thereby ruining proper bedding,

Wally

Jasper,

It's not difficult to put a bushing around the rear screw. I have used a cut off 06 case for the tube. Once you have selected it drill out the hole larger in the stock and fit the tube.

Be careful and drill out the hole in the stock one size at a time as a large drill in a small hole may grab and travel in wood.

I would glass bed the action, if that didn't work let a gunsmith take a look at it....and remember you could just have a bad barrel, that happens...

90% of the time if I have a troublesome rifle, I just have it re barreled, I don't want a finicky troublesome rifle that gives me fits...not worth the trouble. Mostly a rifle will shoot or it will not, regardless of the BS...Most need a little tweaking but a good barrel will shoot pretty well under most all circumstances..

Everything under the guard screw needs to bottom! If it was a model 70-0 or 70, then no, but the Mauser has to be bedded to the bottom of the recoil lug. To get back to your problem, I would bet it is bedding. The action should be fully bedded with the bushing at the rear guard screw. Be careful though, you want to bed/glue the bushing in place when you bed the rifle. If not, the bushing may be too long and you will be clamping on the bushing and not on the bottom of the bedding. It could be loose in the bedding at the rear guard screw.

I have not bedded the rear bushings and neither did Mauser nor High Standard. I just let it float. If the compression is too little file or turn it back some. If it's too tight make another one.

As to the topic that a barrel either shoots or does not shoot is debateable. I have found that many factory barrels will at least shoot a couple of shots to the orginal point of aim and that's enough to bag almost anything.

Of course a fine barrel is "better" but I get the most enjoyment out of fiddling with rifles and trying to get them to shoot. It's a hobby all in itself.

Many don't have time for this nor for scouting or target shooting or whatever. I just enjoy it.