Accuracy Issues with "turn key" 1000yd rifle

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Wyowelder

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Mar 22, 2017
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Hello everyone, longtime follower but this is one of my first time posts. Last fall my wife purchased me a custom long range rifle that was set up with optics ready to go (wont name them yet, hope they make things right) and I can't seem to get it to shoot less than a 3 to 4 inch 3 shot group at 100 and 200 yards with their provided load 20190727_104830.jpg 20190727_104837.jpg 20190727_104918.jpg . After checking the usual, scope mounts, action screws, shooting it clean, fouled etc. I found about a 2" crack in the synthetic stock in the top of the grip behind the back tang . It looks like it's the seam where the two molds came together. After noticing the crack I pulled the action out of the stock and found that it is not bedded, just a bedding block and it looks like the action has been able to move from the markings. What are your thoughts?
 
Looks like the stock & bedding block was put together by a kindergarten paste eater with obstinate defiance disorder. That squeeze out, mmmmm. Those gaps, tasty. What I would do normally, even with things with bedding blocks, I'll do a skim bed with devcon or similar 2-part epoxy including fully bedding the recoil lug. So to my tastes I'd have the broken and substandards stuff replaced and then I'd break out the epoxy and Pam cooking spray anyway.

The whole stock as it sits though would be a non-starter for me and I'd never use it because you really can't easily repair a bad epoxying in of a bedding block. One does it right the first time specifically to avoid that exact situation. What do I see that burns my biscuits? There are unfilled areas around the bedding block and there's squeeze out everywhere there's not a gap. That, to me, is a sign of a craftsman (term used loosely) who was having a bad day or more likely who never was a craftsman to begin with. I'd also be curious about the marks from the bedding block on the receiver. Looks like the assembler went gorilla mode with the torque wrench. It looks like more than just a little grime. Replace the stock and it might just shoot lights out.

Basically, new stock time at minimum and in your shoes I'd say, new rifle time because a gunmaker making promises about performance doesn't get to then hollow out a turd and then polish the surface up before selling to someone who was trying to do me a very lovely and sweet solid. Let the maker have an opportunity to make it right and let them know that it's not just you they've failed, it's the person who got that for you as a gift and who now has had their heart broken a bit by the resulting drama. If they don't make it right put 'em on blast.
 
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I gave up on getting my aluminum bedding block rifles to be completely reliable and now have them skim bedded after confirming that, like the ones I had before, they seem fine and then they're not and then they seem fine and then they're not... It was so frustrating and having them skim bedded removed all that frustration.

I just don't understand how an aluminum block could be truly reliable without it being either machined to exactly match the action or properly skim bedded. Personally I've never seen it happen yet.

Torquing a round receiver bottom into an aluminum v-block never made sense to me because even minuscule shifting or movement of the action in the block after tightening is totally unacceptable. There is a good reason that many benchrest shooters glue their action into their stocks.

Sorry... I didn't mean to hijack this thread and I also think the rifle maker should fix all this properly and if they don't their ineptitude should be exposed for all the shooting world to see. This is completely and utterly inexcusable.
 
Wyowelder said:
Hello everyone, longtime follower but this is one of my first time posts. Last fall my wife purchased me a custom long range rifle that was set up with optics ready to go (wont name them yet, hope they make things right) and I can't seem to get it to shoot less than a 3 to 4 inch 3 shot group at 100 and 200 yards with their provided loadView attachment 142951 View attachment 142952 View attachment 142953 . After checking the usual, scope mounts, action screws, shooting it clean, fouled etc. I found about a 2" crack in the synthetic stock in the top of the grip behind the back tang . It looks like it's the seam where the two molds came together. After noticing the crack I pulled the action out of the stock and found that it is not bedded, just a bedding block and it looks like the action has been able to move from the markings. What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...

IIWY, I would have them fix it, but that's just me.
 
I agree with a Feenix. I'd be surprised if what appears to be a materials defect issue wasn't immediately corrected by the maker at no charge. While I generally skim coat rifles with bedding blocks, I have owned rifles that delivered excellent results without being skim coated. It's easy enough to test the contact surfaces with some bedding black or lipstick.
 
The question is, how did that ever get out the door in the first place? They have to know that gunnies buying moderately expensive rifles are very often nit picky types for whom aesthetics matter nearly as much as performance. It's not just an assembly fail, it's a QC fail. You can have all of the former that you want and if you don't have any of the latter nobody will ever know. Do it the other way around and everyone will know quickly and soon you won't be manufacturing much of anything.
 
Ugh. I hate to see/hear about issues like this. I, personally , would box the whole rig up and send it back for a refund, and never look back. If not able to do that, I would send it to a competent gunsmith to evaluate and advise. Totally unacceptable to receive a "1000 yd set-up" and not even skim bed the action. Good luck sir.
 
I guess I`m turned different, why would you not go ahead & mention the maker, then his solution after you notify them?? I`m surprised by so many posts like this, Kinda scary a high $$ gun gets delivered like this! I guess I`m gullible in thinking you should get what you pay for.
 
Cinchy said:
I guess I`m turned different, why would you not go ahead & mention the maker, then his solution after you notify them?? I believe in bragging a great item up, & I darn sure will give a bad review if I receive a poor quality item! I`m surprised by so many posts like this, Kinda scary a high $$ gun gets delivered like this! I guess I`m gullible in thinking you should get what you pay for.
Click to expand...

I agree...
 
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