Accuracy is not real good with my AV finnbear. When I first got it accuracy was terrible, glas bed and removed pressure points. The barrel is now totally free floated. I seem to not be able to get under 2 inches at 100 yds.
My quetions are should I rebed and bed in front of the action or insert pressure point?

Do both or which one first?

Thanks
Duclinea

Dulcinea--

<<Trying to keep patient>>>

HOW does the gun shoot? What are the symptoms? What shape are the groups? What pattern do ten shots form?

Without KNOWING how the rifle is acting all you can possibly get is wild ass guesses by people repeating what they've read *guessing* what MIGHT be wrong.

*Information* brings answers.

[ 06-11-2003, 20:16: Message edited by: JBelk ]

Guesses are cheap,so I'll buy a couple.

Loose rings
Fouled bore( or worse)
Puked scope
Loose action screws
Or a load it simply don't like

There....I've my quota of guesses for the day..................

My brother in laws favorite guess
"loose nut behind trigger"
My guns have that problem alot.
Jeff

DULC.... YOUR PROBLEM COULD BE ONE OF SEVERAL, I,M
NOT GOING TO GUESS. E-MAIL ME I'M WEST OF LANCASTER PA. MAY WE CAN LOOK AT IN ONE WK END. NOT IN BUSINESS ANY MORE, JUST BUILD FOR MY SELF AND FAMILY. BESIDES RANGE IN NEXT TO MY HOUSE,THAT ALWAYS HELPS

What shape are the groups in?? That is your first clue, be sure and know which shots are number 1,2,3,4 and 5....then let us know...The shape of the group and how they are landing is your best clue to the problem....

Some guns just shoot 2" groups and if they are nice round groups then I wouldn't worry about it for hunting big game...

Most guns either shoot or don't shoot and trying to make a bad barrel shoot is a pain and that barrel, even if you find the right load, will always give you problems...

When I properly bed one and it doesn't shoot pretty much like I want it too then I will more than likely just rebarrel it with a Lothar Walther barrel and be done with the bitch.....if it shoots 1.5" or 2" then I will try to tweek it, if not then rebarrel it..I hate a grumpy barrel.

I guess I have done right by saving almost all of my targets from the past 3 months.

How does it shoot? I can't measure the trigger pull but did adjust it lighter, it is crisp and light and I enjoy shooting it. I have had people watch to see if flinching is a problem and everyone says I dont flinch.

What are the symptoms? At first it just sprayed shots everywhere, so I(please don't laugh)took the bolt out and sighted down the bore and looked in the scope, the cross hairs were about 18 inches above the center. Took the pressure points out and the barrel was still against the stock. I relieved the channel a bit and glass bedded the action.
There was immediate improvement.

The shape of several shots is always oval vertically, with two groups but not with two shots here then three shots there. Two shots low two shots high then one low again or any combination thereof.

The pattern of ten shots? Ten shots on purpose at one target showed a definate vertical string.
But they did not climb the ladder in order
of firing. Barrel is still floating after ten shots over a period of time.

I have tracked each shot 1-5 and one and two don't always go the same place nor do any of the others follow a pattern.

I have tried H4831,H1000,RL22,RL25,Retumbo and IMR4350. The slower the powder the less accurate.IMR4350 gives the best so far.

I was actually going to accept my latest try and was shooting 200 yds to see how that was. Not good so here I am.

Thanks for putting up with my long post

Dulcinea

The accuracy of my Finnbear 7mm Remington Magnum went to pot, then I tried shooting heavy 175-grain bullets and the groups shrank to 1/2 m.o.a. Go figure.

A friend's Finnbear 7mm Rem Mag also had accuracy problems. Then he found that one of the locking lugs on the bolt wasn't making contact. He had it lappped out and did as you did, relieving any contact barrel points, and groups instantly shrank.

Another possible culprit is the barrel. It might be heating up and warping. The only solution there would be to get a new barrel.

Something else you might consider (but I'm sure you probably have) is the stiffness of the stock forend. You may have cleared up all the contact, but when the rifle fires, the barrel whips around and might actually hit somewhere on the stock. That can be checked by wrapping your hand around the barrel and stock at the forend, trying to "pinch" the barrel against the wood.

Let us know what you find out.

I think for actions like the Sako Finnbear with the font screw right at the front of the action that are better bedded with an inch or so under the barrel.

A quick check you can do for bedding is shoot a few shots from your rifle then loosen the back screw and shoot. If the shots start to group and especially if the point of impact changes then you have bedding problems.

Scope mounts can also bea problem with Sakos and expecially the earlier Sako made mounts with the windage screw on them.

By the way, what calibre is the rifle.

Mike

3oo win mag
thanks

What bullets are you shooting? Try a different bullet weight and brand. I usually start out with Sierras to establish what kind of accuracy the rifle is capable of, then go from their. Flinch

Check the lugs on the bolt. My AV had one lug catching the blunt of the recoil. I'm still working on it.

Thanks for all the help so far, I have been going through things one at a time.
I have noticed one thing, when I take the action screws out every thing tilts to the front. I guess that could be simply the weight of the barrel doing this but I welcome comments.

Thanks
Dulcinea

Next thing to check. Locking lug contact, solid jug 80-90% contact. Split lug 0% contact. I searched on locking lugs and realize there is more to it than simply lapping the lugs.

Comments are still welcome,and I am almost to the point of saying who wants the job and how much!

Thanks
Dulcinea

Dulcinea
If you can find someone willing to work on your lugs, let me know. Maybe we can get a quantity discount.

Dulcinea---

Shots bouncing back and forth high and low is almost ALWAYS action bedding.

To understand it picture *WHY* bedding is important.

Bad bedding means the bolt is not contacting the action solidly. THAT'S WHAT ACTION BEDDING DOES.

The lugs are not contacting the action properly and that's what's likely causing the verticle stringing.

If you fit the lugs without fixing the bedding the problem will show up everytime the bedding changes (every day).

The metal work HAS to be right FIRST, then the action should be bedded STRESS FREE. That means WITHOUT screws.
(I can't believe how many screwed up glass bedding jobs are done every year.)

Once the rest of the rifle is fitted correctly THEN the barrel channel changes will make a difference.

Bedding problems are actually problems in the metalwork and has to be addressed as such or it's easy to chase problems for months with nothing but inconsistantcy to show for it.

OK, I will work on the bedding first. I have already done it twice to this rifle the first time was not right and I new it. Obviously the second time was not good either.
If there are links out their or someone would like to guide me I might try it again.
I will consider a gunsmith if someone could recommend one who would do this with out waiting 6 months.
Thanks
Dulcinea

Forgot to mention, I have done bedding before with acceptable results, not many guns but I have done it!

A thought, if you have not already done so. If your SAKO has a flat recoil lug like my L579 does, relieve some material from under the lug. This helps the action seat better. I also have been using a torque wrench to tighten down my action; about 30 inch-lbs. A friend advises to partially bed the barrel to the end of the chamber. This worked on my Sako. The group size was cut in half when I did this.
Ron

Thanks for all of the help. The Sako went to the gun doctor. The one I chose does about 80% of his work on benchrest guns, he understood my comments and liked the fact that I had targets along so he could see what was going on. The complete action and chamber section of the barrel will be pillar bedded and it will only take two to three months.

Thanks
Dulcinea