I just built a 280 Ackley with a 26" stainless #7 Douglas 1&9 twist barrel on an old Ruger tang safety with a Boyd laminated stock. My best 5 shot 100yd group, is just fair .965 with 56g H 4831 and 162 Hornandy SST at 2600 fps. If my old chrony is right. I have also tried 139SST and 154SSTs. The 154s will shoot around 1" with 57g. If I up the charge the groups just keep getting bigger the faster I push it with all bullet weights.. I have also tried Imr 4831 and R 22. They do the same the faster it goes the groups get bigger. I have a little over 100 rounds through it so far, doing the old shoot and clean routine. That is another thing, this Douglas barrel is the ruffest barrel I have ever seen. It copper fouls really bad. It looks like it was honed out with 36 grit sand paper. The other day I ran some JB and a little Friz into the barrel to try and smooth it out a little. The Copper fouling does not bother me as bad as not being able to get 2800 to 3000 fps with any kind of accuracty like everyone else seems to be getting. So far I am a little disapointed in this barrel. I would rather have accuracty than speed but I sure was wanting it to be able to shoot a little flatter. On the brite side it is not a barrel burner. I guess it is what it is. Maybe I should try something besides the SSTs.
280 Ackley no velocity and accuracty
- Thread starter Tnwhip
- Start date
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I have a question and a few remedies.
1. Who built it? The post says that you did but I am thinking you sent it to a smith?
2. What work on the gun did the smith do? Did he do all the work including bedding the stock or did you try to do some work on it yourself?
If you had a gunsmith do it and you are not happy with his work, I would call him up and let him know about your concerns. See if he can work on it and see what the deal is.
Chances are that if you sent it to a smith to just get the barrel put on the action and you bedded the stock and other work yourself, then you may have done something incorrectly. I would give it back to the smith and let him know that you are not satisfied with it and ask him to see if he can get it to shoot.
If you put it all together yourself, I would still take it to a smith and see if he can look into it. Can at least have him scope the barrel.
1. Who built it? The post says that you did but I am thinking you sent it to a smith?
2. What work on the gun did the smith do? Did he do all the work including bedding the stock or did you try to do some work on it yourself?
If you had a gunsmith do it and you are not happy with his work, I would call him up and let him know about your concerns. See if he can work on it and see what the deal is.
Chances are that if you sent it to a smith to just get the barrel put on the action and you bedded the stock and other work yourself, then you may have done something incorrectly. I would give it back to the smith and let him know that you are not satisfied with it and ask him to see if he can get it to shoot.
If you put it all together yourself, I would still take it to a smith and see if he can look into it. Can at least have him scope the barrel.
I had a smith that is a good friend of mine install the barrel and chamber it. I installed and bedded it in the stock myself. He has taught me a lot of what I know. This is not my first rifle build.I have bedded 3 other Rugers with no trouble. They are tricky to bed but I am sure that part is done right. My smith lives in Florida and I am in Tennessee so I would have to ship it to him or drive down. I have talked to him and he said to send it down but I still keep fooling with it.
Jerry M
Well-Known Member
Re: 280 Ackley no velocity and accuracy
I suggest that you continue to increase the powder charge .3 to .5 grains at a time until either the group shrinks or you start getting pressure signs. 56 grains of H4831 sounds fairly tame for a .280 AI.
Good luck
Jerry
I suggest that you continue to increase the powder charge .3 to .5 grains at a time until either the group shrinks or you start getting pressure signs. 56 grains of H4831 sounds fairly tame for a .280 AI.
Good luck
Jerry
Re: 280 Ackley no velocity and accuracy
I am still working on it but I have increased the load little by little up to 62.5g with the 154s. The groups just got bigger 2 1/4." I have only gone up to 58 g with the 162s. The groups were 1 3/4".
I am still working on it but I have increased the load little by little up to 62.5g with the 154s. The groups just got bigger 2 1/4." I have only gone up to 58 g with the 162s. The groups were 1 3/4".
After inspecting the inside of the barrel it is a wonder it does shoot inside 3". This barrel is really bad.
fj40mojo
Well-Known Member
I've got a 6.5x55 Swede with a Douglas on it that shoots<3/8".
If the barrell looks bad why didn't you or your smith catch it before it was installed?
WildRose
Well-Known Member
You'll never get a *** barrel to perform.
Time for a call to Douglas.
Unfortunately you'd probably be money and time ahead by sending it to Hart or Kreiger instead.
Let them install a new barrel and true the action.
There's a point at which one is just throwing good money after bad.
I've got a 6.5x55 Swede with a Douglas on it that shoots<3/8".
If the barrell looks bad why didn't you or your smith catch it before it was installed?
Why didn't Douglas check it before sending it out? It should have never left the shop. I have had Douglas barrels that shot good too. I guess we were going on fath. I know they don't lap their barrels but I would think they would at least bore scope them. This barrel has chips in the rifleing.
Unfortunately you'd probably be money and time ahead by sending it to Hart or Kreiger instead.
That is what I have been thinking about doing. Letting the barrel maker install it into the action is the best way to go. I wanted to do that to start with. The only problem is I have not worked in a long time and money is really tight. I may have to sell something first. Money was the reason I got the Douglas in the first place. My buddy did not charge me for installing and chambering and I got the barrel at his cost. I have had Douglas barrels before and they shot good after breakend. Out of desperation. Yesterday I lead lapped it and it does look better but the chips in the rifleing are there and are never going to come out. I am going to see how it does before I send it off.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
Buddy I feel for ya. I'm self employed and my living depends on people having considerable disposable income. In this economy to say the least, that is rarely the case.
I wish I had some sage advice for a cheap, easy, quick fix, but after reading your posts it sounds like you've done about all you can.
Call Douglas on Monday and see if they'll work with you. That's about all you can do at this point.
IF they won't let me know and I'll give you some out of the box ideas to try.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
Krieger, Hart, Shilen, they'll all give a guy his money's worth. Not all of us however can afford to just call one of the great custom builders and get one made to order, but starting with a barrel like this is like trying to build a home foundation on quicksand.
Hopefully they'll do him right and replace this rotted out sewer pipe.
