“My rifle shoots .2s and .3s” ... huh?

[Rick Richard]

I love my 6.5x47 as well. Usually shoots tiny groups too. I only have 107 rounds through it with the 140 Berger hybrid. One group on the last outing looked like a 45 caliber hole with five shots. I stopped shooting after that group in fear I would mess it up with a flyer lol.

Try playing with some Berger 130 VLD Target. You might be surprised how well they shoot at 300 and further.

 

[Arapaho]

Try playing with some Berger 130 VLD Target. You might be surprised how well they shoot at 300 and further.

I have shot some 130s but in another chamber. I have two 47s one is on a Remington action with a remage set u

Try playing with some Berger 130 VLD Target. You might be surprised how well they shoot at 300 and further.

I have some 130s, just haven't had a chance to play with them. I bought a defiance tenacity and had a 27 inch Brux, heavy varmint, chambered and it shoots 140s so well that I stopped there lol. What powder are you shooting with the 130s? I'm shooting h4350 and BR4s with the 140 hybrids. I tried several powders in my other 6.5x47 (varget, vihta vouri, h4895 and reloader 16) h4350 shot the most consistent.

 

[sp6x6]

Interesting thread.Its the journey. Dont discount the bench shooters,they are the reason alot of where we are as a group.They do shoot tiny.Alot of the post you can kinda sort out ,particular if you been here awhile.Many years ago Joel Russo posted a 4 shot group at 1680 yrds 3.8" with his 338 big baer.Not long ago he posted a group shot with 6.5#,6.5 prc I think-3 shot 4,1''@1571WOW. I got a factor 223 to shoot 4-.25 @ 100.Best with my 338nm,hunter off bipod,was 3-1.125''@400.I shot that rifle into 6'' one day with Tom Mousel,3 [email protected] was putting 5 shots in the .3's.Ive been lucky to meet and shoot around really talented people. Tom and Leo. Steve,Rocky Mtn on here,meet many years ago as bowhunters,we shot on local and state level at different things.As I progreesed to a 300 shooter,then to target panic,Steve helped me through.Shot with guys that shot 60x and 30x archery,Vegas.Its always good to try and improve. Now that Im older Im probably the worst shot Ive been in my life,but that hasnt really mattered to the last 20,6x6 bulls I shot.

 

[J E Custom]

What is a ballpark figure of what a chamber setback costs? I've never had one done to a barrel before.

It depends on the smith. It requires that the shoulder be set back one thread depending on the TPI of the action threads, if it has a recessed bolt, the breach has to be set back the same amount. and the chamber has to be deepened . Everything else is pretty much the same. It is also a good time to reset the head space to correct any wear on the lugs.

It should cost less than $300.00 dollars depending on which action. and which reamer he has. there are a lot of steps required but minimum labor hours.

J E CUSTOM

 

[J E Custom]

Thanks so much, JE Custom for posting these groups. Groups like yours come as close as humanly possible to showing the real potential of the gun/ammo capability. It is also true that test groups like this are difficult to achieve due to the bad days exceeding the good days for most shooters. You are better than most shooters. And it is precisely because of that, there will always be a percentage of disgruntled folks who mutter "pure luck" under their breath every time they see such a group. It just chaps their hide to see that anyone can outshoot them so thoroughly.

Speaking of good and bad days, yesterday I shot the same rifle/ammo that shot the 0.212 MOA last week. It measured about 2.5" @ 200 Yards. It was the last group I shot with that rifle for the day because I was finished marksmanship-wise. I had to shoot my carry pistol after I put my rifle away just to get the bad taste out of my mouth!

Everyone has bad days, the trick is to recognize when it happens and just move on. When I was competing, I learned to call my shots. I could normally call where the hit was before the bullet reach the target. With an accurate rifle it is a lot easier to know if the hit was your fault or something is wrong. When It happens to me I shut any testing down and resort to plinking or shooting some of my not so accurate hand guns like you did.

As they say, It's time to have some fun and burn some ammo.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Rick Richard]

I have shot some 130s but in another chamber. I have two 47s one is on a Remington action with a remage set u
I have some 130s, just haven't had a chance to play with them. I bought a defiance tenacity and had a 27 inch Brux, heavy varmint, chambered and it shoots 140s so well that I stopped there lol. What powder are you shooting with the 130s? I'm shooting h4350 and BR4s with the 140 hybrids. I tried several powders in my other 6.5x47 (varget, vihta vouri, h4895 and reloader 16) h4350 shot the most consistent.

H4350 out of a 26" Barlein barrel

 

[Grizzhunt]

My best is five shots, 0.135" (0.129 MOA) center-to-center from a heavy, lefthanded Sinclair machine rest and a B13 bag out back. 100 yards. Shot from a homebuilt bench. I kind o' remember it was 64.0 grains of H-4831 that was manufactured about 1963. 180-grain MatchKing bullet. 1:10 twist. The cartridge was my .300-caliber mildcat. I don't remember which scope I used. It was probably a Vortex Viper PST 6-25X Gen 1. I went and bought a really good scope after an excellent gunsmith turned a good rifle into a superb piece of machinery. Second attached image is the rifle I used. Millett scope was replaced with the aforementiond Vortex.

I have no idea how I managed to shoot such a tiny group. I have never shot so tiny since. I was getting down into the .200s before I gave the rifle away, but never below like the pictured group. Just luck and the proper conditions, I guess. Mostly luck...

On this very same day from the very same bench, my good friend JR shot a 0.086" group of five shots with his 6mm 40X. Best he's ever done, too...

I've never seen any one take an average. That's a heck of a group but looks like .33 to me

 

[Grizzhunt]

I will explain why I use a lead sled for the non believers. There are other systems that do the same thing as long as they have this feature. Over the years I discovered that if the front rest was not placed in the exact spot on the forearm it could shift the POI .

Every time you fire a rifle it moves and it is very hard to return it to the same exact spot. The lead sled has a fixed but stock placement and an adjustable front rest. Once it is set the distance between the front support of the rifle and the back remain the same. I also adjust the front rest fore and aft to find the sweet spot for supporting the rifle.

This has a major effect on consistence so I use the lead sled for this reason . I am not very proficient with a bi pod because I cant seem to pre load the by pod the same so I have trouble using it to it's full potential. I prefer the sand bags for use when setting up test loads for longer distance because i can center the front bag over the front action screw so I don't preload the forend.

Like everything in this sport what works for some it doesn't work for others so I like the results I get and use the best rest I have for hunting.

J E CUSTOM

It makes very little sense to not shoot your rifle how your going to shoot it in the field. If you can't shoot of a bipod and a small bag what are you going to do in a hunting situation. I know your not going to lug your lead sled around with you on a back packin hunt.

 

[Grizzhunt]

I'm not they guy that sits at the range chasing a tighter group. For me I would rather have a low ES and would hope for under 1/2" and hit within a 1/2" of where I was aiming. All my rifles are set up for hunting and I never shoot factory ammo with the exception of my new built 300 prc but at that I'm not shoot factory any more. I shoot siting at the bench off a hatch out west bipod and usually just a rear bag, I don't have a good rear bag it's just an old front bag I have and I turn it on it's side. I vary rarely shoot a 5 shot group it's always just 3 for me. In a hunting situation if you need 5 shots you've done something seriously wrong. None the less I would put a few of my rifles against almost any with the same style of rest. Target paper is a 300 prc white paper is a .243, both 3 shots.

 

[David Emerson]

Equipment will take you so far. After that it is the nut behind the butt

 

[J E Custom]

It makes very little sense to not shoot your rifle how your going to shoot it in the field. If you can't shoot of a bipod and a small bag what are you going to do in a hunting situation. I know your not going to lug your lead sled around with you on a back packin hunt.

As I said before, I am trying to find out how well the rifle shoots. I already know how well I can shoot and it is different almost every time. To me it's like going hunting without siting in, and you don't know where or how well your rifle shoots. I not only know how well it shoots, I also know exactly where it shoots

I have found that In the 50+ years that I have been hunting, rarely is a shot in the same position or under the same conditions every time, so by knowing how well the rifle shoots, I can decide whether to take the shot or not based on the position I would have to shoot from, and the conditions I would be shooting in.

In other words, there is not any system or rest that would work for all shots and I have never killed any game shooting off a shooting bench, but if I could carry a bench and a led sled hunting then I could plan on shooting 1,s and 2,s on game. So knowing how well the rifle shoots makes it easy to decide If "I" can make the shot under the conditions and with the rest I have.

When I trained in the military we were taught to use what we had and the best position for the shot, were not afforded the luxury of sand bags, by pods, lead sleds and shooting benches. the only aid we had was a sling and it served more than one function.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Grizzhunt]

As I said before, I am trying to find out how well the rifle shoots. I already know how well I can shoot and it is different almost every time. To me it's like going hunting without siting in, and you don't know where or how well your rifle shoots. I not only know how well it shoots, I also know exactly where it shoots

I have found that In the 50+ years that I have been hunting, rarely is a shot in the same position or under the same conditions every time, so by knowing how well the rifle shoots, I can decide whether to take the shot or not based on the position I would have to shoot from, and the conditions I would be shooting in.

In other words, there is not any system or rest that would work for all shots and I have never killed any game shooting off a shooting bench, but if I could carry a bench and a led sled hunting then I could plan on shooting 1,s and 2,s on game. So knowing how well the rifle shoots makes it easy to decide If "I" can make the shot under the conditions and with the rest I have.

When I trained in the military we were taught to use what we had and the best position for the shot, were not afforded the luxury of sand bags, by pods, lead sleds and shooting benches. the only aid we had was a sling and it served more than one function.

J E CUSTOM

That's what I'm sayin. In a hunting situation it doesn't matter how well the rifle shoots it's how well you shoot the rifle. Using a lead sled isn't going to show you anything that's going to help you when you can't use it. I feel it's a lot better to shoot how your going to need to for what the rifle is built for. My $.02

 

[mountainman56]

I gotta agree with finding out, in whatever manner works best for you, what your rifle is capable of. I use a front rest and a rear bag almost exclusively at the range. I have a led sled but seldom use it. My friend bought one of those fancy strap your rifle in fore and aft, roller mounted, remote trigger firing stand beside it and shoot gizmos. We messed with it all one afternoon, never shot anything better than we did off the rest and it was a PITA to use. It sits in his garage now covered in spider webs. My point is I want to know what my rifle is capable of. I know I'm the weak point but it builds a great deal of confidence when I know my rifle/load combination can put them all in a little bug hole.

PS: I still practice offhand too.........when nobody is looking

 

[Savage 12BVSS]

I believe this thread started because some shooters made claims what their rifles would do under ideal conditions. Not out in the field on bipod or resting on a limb, under ideal conditions. I see what every rifle I build will do under benchrest conditions, use a Caldwell rock and sandbags on a concrete anchored bench at 100yds. Wouldn't expect as good of groups in hunting conditions. Don't matter to me what you use as a rest or how many shots in a group, its your rules and your gun. If it shoots two's and three's than so be it, any answer that includes field conditions would be your handicap not everyone else that posts. My one gun shoots targets like my avatar, don't claim it does that while coyote or groundhog hunting, but it's capable of doing it when the conditions are good. Dave

None the less I would put a few of my rifles against almost any with the same style of rest. Target paper is a 300 prc white paper is a .243, both 3 shots.

I see you also see what your guns do at the end of your post. Good groups Dave