My old favourite .22/250 is shot out - groups unacceptably wide, can't load 55gn VMax long enough to be 10 thou off the lands.

So the old girl deserves a second life but how well can I expect the rebarrel job to shoot? I did have sub 1/4" groups before - assuming a good quality match barrel what level of accuracy can I expect?

Sub 1/4" groups?
Good luck duplicating that! You did'nt mention what kind of rifle but why not send it back to the factory and see if they can do it again?

It's a Tikka heavy barrel bedded action job - but it's a bit of an oldie. I don't think that Tikka are into refurb jobs. Possibly before they were taken over by Sako and thence by Beretta but not now.

quote:

Originally posted by Pete:
It's a Tikka heavy barrel bedded action job - but it's a bit of an oldie. I don't think that Tikka are into refurb jobs. Possibly before they were taken over by Sako and thence by Beretta but not now.

How about "setting 'er back a few threads and rechambering?

It is usually the throat area that suffers most, so setting the barrel back should fix that.

It won't cost near as much as a new barrel, about $125 is the average cost of a re-chamber job.

You know the barrel is capable of good accuracy, give it a new lease on life.

Ask the smith that does the rebarreling what accuracy he warranties!!!!!
Frankly rebarreling may be great or maybe not so great....I doubt seriously if anyone will warranty 1/4" groups and frankly I doubt you actually had them in the first place.

The accuracy you get from a rebarreling job will normally depend on what you have done and who does it. I honestly do not know if an accuracy gunsmith would work on the action you mention, but if you could find one that will true it and rebarrel it with a quality barrel, you can, I imagine duplicate your original accuracy. I too am a bit skeptical about your 1/4 inch groups,and believe that a LOT of guys claiming that kind of accuracy do not know what a 1/4 inch group really looks like, it is awfully small. Good luck with whatever you do. Bob

Vapodog, 1/4" groups from a 22-250 are not that rare. My Remington VS has no problem accomplishing that with a 55 gr V-Max over Varget.

Chuck

quote:

Originally posted by Chuck Nelson:
Vapodog, 1/4" groups from a 22-250 are not that rare. My Remington VS has no problem accomplishing that with a 55 gr V-Max over Varget.

Chuck

That may be but I assure you that a lot more of them are shot on the internet than at the range!!!!!.....Ever notice that they're always 1/4"....and not .234".....265"...see?

Vapogod,
Internet powder is cheaper to burn, it just takes typing.

Can see your point, and just grabbed a couple of targets out of the desk. One was shot with a 280 rem and 145 gr hot cores and the 3 shot group measures .109 "better than a quarter inch". The next one I shot yesterday with a 7MM rem mag and the ten shot 160 gr TSX group measures 1.31 "about an inch and a quarter"

Chuck

I have shot sub 1/4" groups with several rifles but they are some of the best groups shot with the rifles and are much smaller than the average groups shot with those rifles.Unfortunately many people shoot a 1/4" or 1/2" group and then talk about their gun being a 1/4" or 1/2" gun when on average the groups are usually much larger than that.

I can usually get 1/4" from my factory heavy barrel Varmint model 70 using 55 gr V-max's.
Not sure if its the handloads or the luck of the draw when I bought it.

My question was intended to be about the achievable results of a new barrel - not a discusssion about what constitutes a group. I was referring to groups with overlapping holes in a nice neat cloverleaf - so the space between the holes used to be 1/4" (that's 0.25") or less.

Hmmm...you say 1/4" space between the holes?? this would make the group bigger than 1/4", .250" + .224 = .474 or a little less than 1/2". That is more practical. By the way, Vapodog, any smith worth his salt would not dare to offer an accuracy guarantee without some qualifications. Not knowing what kind of shooter, reloader, etc would put a lot of variables into the matter. I think that the beanfield rifle guy does a guarantee, but I have personally shot all kinds of holes in that one.

Jim

You can never know exactly what kind of accuracy you are going to get from any barrel (factory or aftermarket) until you shoot it, but you can get a good idea based on the tolerances they manufacture the barrel to, and to a lesser extent by the price. If everything else is equal (bedding, reloading technique, shooter, etc...) a new hand lapped match grade barrel with tight tolerances for straightness will probably shoot as well or better than your old one. There are no guarantees, but a match barrel has a higher percentage chance of being exceptionally accurate than a factory barrel. It's also cheaper than a new gun.

Yes, it's possible to achieve 1/4" groups with a good custom barrel in .22-250 if everything goes down well during the rebarreling process and you are blessed with a really great barrel.

You might also be disappointed with the groups you get out of your rebarrel job, even if you buy the best barrel you can possibly afford and have it expertly fitted by a fine craftsman.

There are no guarantees whatsoever that a rebarrel job will absolutely and without fail provide you with the level of accuracy you're looking for. You may need to have it rebarreled yet again if the first attempt doesn't satisfy your requirements.

I just had a new rifle built with a fine custom barrel, and that gun just plain wouldn't shoot with anything you fed it, nor did changing scopes help or anything else. It's getting rebarreled right now, and if that barrel doesn't pan out, we'll rebarrel it yet again.....

AD

Juat to give you an idea of the quirkeness of any barrel, I chambered a Hart barrel in .308 a couple of months ago. It would not shoot worth a damn no matter what it shot. The average group was over 1 inch, out of a Stolle Kodiak action bedded by one of the best guys in the game. I rechambered it to 30X47 and it is now shooting like it should, in the 2s and 3s, but this gun was built to do that. As has been stated on this thread earlier, there are one hell of a lot more 1/4 inch groups on the internet than there are on paper. The average factory gun today is lucky to shoot between 3/4 and one inch. A lot[not all] of these guys should learn how to measure a group, or just stop fibbing about what their gun will shoot. It gives a new shooter the idea that a factory gun that he buys is sub standard, when he starts shooting one inch groups with it, when that is perfectly normal. Remember that a true 1/4 inch gun averages 1/4 inch, not one group in fifty. Bob

b beyer, you are so right.

The longest shots ever made on game have been acknowleged and publicized on the internet.

The tightest groups ever fired have been reported on the internet, and the true mean-average groups are NEVER posted or discussed.

The fastest and most accurate wildcat cartridges in history (they ALL out-perform their counterpart standard factory chambering!) are conceptualized, brought to life, and reported on the internet.

AD

Hey my gun shoots one shot ,one hole groups all the time.

Pete,

Can you see that the barrel is worn or is it just that 55 gr VMax as that's a long bullet?

If your going to have a new barrel put on then contact Tikka and see what they say.



The above groups were fired by another member at 100 yds. using a new 7mm-08 Improved lightweight made on a Rem M7. The bullets are hunting bullets and the loads are hot.

I can't shoot that well myself to be honest. I am more of an offhand target shooter.

So it can be done.

The member who sent me the pictures is a benchrest competitor.

Is that gun factory or has it had work done on it?

Hey guys - look what you did - persuaded me to go the whole hog and invest in a new toy. Well, why not? I'll post a picture when "The Beast" arrives.

quote:

Originally posted by b beyer:
Is that gun factory or has it had work done on it?

I just noticed that this post may be about the 7 mm-08 AI that I mentioned. It's a Remington M 7 action completely rebuilt for the owner by his benchrest gunsmith. It has a 23" fluted Hart barrel and a lightweight stock.

Nobody denies the feasability of reworking an action and rebarreling to have it shoot very well. What we were discussing is the odds against having a gun rebarreled by the factory that made the gun and having it shoot 1/4 inch MOA. 99% of the time it just isn't going to happen. The average factory gun or rebarreling job is lucky to shoot sub one minute. Another quick question. Why do people have fluted barrels installed on their guns? As far as I can see there is no advantage to it, other then appearence, if you like the looks of them. Bob

beyer,

This discussion was rambling and I illustrated small groups. Some before doubted small groups can be done. Whatever.

As to flutes they, in theory, lighten the barrel some while making it stiffer per pound. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

While it may be minimal, a fluted barrel exposes more surface area and cools quicker than a non-fluted of same diameter.

I hope you have good luck with your new rig Pete, what will the 'Beast' be?

Take care--D.