New SPS 25-06.. not shooting very well..?s inside

[joshua99ta]

ok guys I went wednesday and picked up a new 26-06, i put a bushnell 4-16x50 4200 elite on it. I picked up a box of fed premiums w/ 100 gr tsx's for sighting in. Brought the rifle home and shot it a few times. I couldnt get the rifle to shoot very well. I did get a group of 1.391" @ 100 out of 5 shots 3 landed in this area.

well i was thinking its just the factory ammo producing the flyers. so I went inside and loaded up some 100gr nosler e-tips, starting w. 48.0 grs of imr4350. went up in .5gr increments to 50.0 grs. all loaded to 3.182" length. I took her back out and layed out a blanket and dropped down to the prone position(first time to ever try the prone position, which I really did find to be much more steady on the target). Started shooting. The first 5 of 48 shot ok with some flyers and 2 landing about 1" from each other. moved up to the 48.5s and had 2 come on it to about 3/4" still having some random fliers. moved to the 49.0, had 2 land in between the 2 previous rounds that were close(had them marked). then moved to the 49.5gr and they opened up a little but not much. went to the 50 and most of them were fliers and didnt group at all.

So I'm HOPING my problem is in the factory stock. I called a local gunsmith and asked him about bedding the stock, I was just looking for some pointers(never done it). and he starts telling me its more of a waste on a plastic stock. he tells me he would do a pillar bed but thats all he would even recommend. He did say that he would look into buying a aftermarket stock, which was weird b/c he said to give cabelas or midway a call.

I did check the torque on the bolts, checked em to 55in lbs and 27in lbs.

after looking @ the stock I was thinking that I'de be much better off to go ahead and buy a decent stock than even bothering with this factory stock.

what you guys think I should do?

 

[RT2506]

To shoot for groups to really see what a rifle will do you need to shoot off a bench rest with the rifle rested at the forearm and at the butt. Those "fliers" are most often shooter era.

 

[BCinKS]

I have the exact same gun. I have tried a ton of different loads with mine with some groups being 5/8" - 7/8" 3 shots. I put on a Sims barrel resonator and it has helped some but its just not consistant! I too think its the stock ,i am thinking about a Houge piller beded stock, they are only $110 at Midways.

 

[str8shoot]

I've thrown 2 700s into H-S precision stocks, they improved the accuracy of both rifles. One is a Bdl 7 mag and the other is a sps 22-250. They have aluminum bedding blocks and are pretty nice for about $300. Bell and Carlson makes a similar stock for a little less but, i don't have any experience with them. My other 700 is a 25-06 sendero, it came with a h-s stock. If you buy something without an aluminum bedding block, I'd plan on bedding it. Those sps stocks are junk, I'd replace it. You got a decent scope, that sps will probably shoot with a decent stock properly bedded.

 

[Loner]

Rubbermaids either shoot or they don't. I bedded two of them before tossing them
out. Didn't bother to even try on the last one I acquired.

 

[Tikkamike]

+1 on the stock have it recrowned also maybe?? its comon for them to be uneven from the factory

 

[Nape.270]

I have a sps in .257Weatherby.

Get a new stock have it beded a trigger job and some hand loads and she will shoot.

Well mine dose.

 

[highridge1]

Go 40 inch lbs on both action screws not different torque values. My rem 700 300 ultra with 40 inch lbs on both action screws and factory stock goes 3/4 inch 5shots.Rifles don't always need a new stock to shoot well,in fact they usually don't. Why do you have your action screws torqued to tifferent setttings?

 

[shortgrass]

Evenly torque the action screws, 40 inch lbs. should be a about right for that plastic stock, make sure the trigger and safety operate properly after doing so (with the rifle not loaded). Remove the little 'bumps' at the forward end of the barrel channel. Shoot your groups from a bench with the rifle properly supported (the bench needs to be solid, too). Do something about the 7lb. factory trigger. Do not get the barrel too hot (I only shoot 3 shot groups when using sporter weight barrels and then let it cool). Shoot no more than 10 rounds before cleaning the barrel. Re-crowning isn't a bad idea. A good stiff stock isn't a bad idea either. Check the scope mounting system and make sure it is solid, avoid over torquing those screws (Leupold puts the torque specs on the package) I recently removed a nice $1200 scope from a rifle and the ring screws were way over torqued to the point of crushing the tube beyond repair (I had to mill the heads off a screw on each ring to release enough tension to back the opposing screw out!). That 'smith probably sent you elsewhere for a stock because many times you can get it from a stocking retailer now (deer season is right around the corner). If he orders one from the factory expect to wait 6 to 8 weeks. Cabellas gives no discount to FFL holders....

 

[Oliveralan]

Maybe it's just me but it's unclear how your benching the rifle, or prone, your using a bipod and rear bag correct? Or like a bull bag in the center? Basically is the rifle steady? Also factory bores can be pretty rough, give it a real tough cleaning with a bronze brush and some good solvents. Then try again, should help some. Use tangent ogive bullets, less sensitive to seating depth and generally easier to get to group. Also, what is the twist rate? Are you use your stabilizing the bullets? Or maybe overspinning them?

Check if the barrel is free floated, run a $ bill around the barrel like a "U" and check to make sure there is no contact between the barrel and stock because that causes fliers.

Finaly, uneven or unconsistent grip, or grip pressure can cause fliers, make sure you don't have too much finger on the trigger. Are the fliers in the same direction generally?

 

[Firecat]

I bought an sps 30-06. I got a new remington take off stock off of ebay and bedded it. It will be going in this week to get re crowned.

 

[RT2506]

Many factory rifle barrels need quite a few rounds through them to slick them up so they will shoot well also. I would do one of those break in methods that are out there. Shoot a few shots and clean over and over etc. Sometimes it takes 100 or so rounds to slick up things so the rifle starts to shoot really well.

 

[Tikkamike]

Also you might try David Gibbs lapping bullets. I have used them on a few guns. I clean every 5 shots rather than every 10 like they reccomend. I have had good luck smoothing out those tool Marks.

 

[Tbone]

In the past, I have found that some rifles need to be "smoothed-up" a little before they'll group. I have used Lyman Turbo Cloth, cut into patches that will fit the bore tightly and ran them thru, back to front only. This cloth is treated with a very mild polishing compound. Most cantacerous rifles, after cleaning, were shooting well after a few patches have been pushed thru the barrel.

Of course, as stated in above posts, there are a multitude of other problems that could be causing your groupings.

Best of luck,