Factory Rifles, sometimes you get lucky

[Ugly Dog]

Ok I'm going to go out on a limb here. I honestly have never had a rifle that I could load for that I could not get to shoot MOA or better with some work. I have had few that it took some extra work and a lot of patience with. If I took the time to work up a load, stock work, bedding, trigger work etc and limited them to the number of shots related to the barrel dimension. For example light barrels limited to 3-4 shots and heavier barrels to more. They did shoot moa.

Again rimfires are not included in this.
Maybe I have just been lucky and patient.

Guess I've just been lucky or incredibly stupid with patience. I cannot attest to factory loads in very many as I roll my own

 

[john k]

Contact Browning and tell them what problems you're having with the rifle, and get them to email you a shipping label. I had a similar problem with a X bolt, and after they examined the rifle, they couldn't get it to shoot either. They ended up sending me a new rifle

As sated above i got lucky with the Rem 700 in 7mmSAUM but i got unlucky with my latest rifle. I have been fascinated with the 6.8 Western since i am a fan of the 270 Win and the 270 WSM. I have never owned a Browning rifle so I saw an X-bolt in 6.8 Western so i bought it. It has been a great disappointment. Two to three inch groups with the two factory loads i have tried. I am a handloader so i have tried a number of bullets and powder combinations. I think i have shot one three shot group close to half an inch most are one to two inches . I am ready to get rid of my first X-bolt

I would follow the advice of 6x6 elk. I've shot/loaded/hunted with numerous Browning BAR, A-Bolt, and X-Bolt rifles over the last 30 years and have had only one not shoot very accurately. Granted I have bedded, worked triggers, and load developed with most of them. Send it back! I would be surprised if they did not address the issue. Good luck!

 

[Shortmagman]

As stated i thanked 6x6 for his advice . I sent my Browning x-bolt back. Yesterday I got a call from my dealer-Browning sent me a new rifle no questions asked. I now need to shoot the new one and see how well it does.

 

[JiggyIi]

I've been lucky with Browning rifles. Even had a BAR in 7RM that would shoot sub MOA. It really gets you thinking when you pay more for a custom action than a very nice factory rifle. Oh well, sometimes you just can't leave well enough alone. There is more to this hobby than shooting tiny groups.

My BAR Safari II in 270 with the Boss is spooky accurate & shoots 130's & 150's to the same POI
an old gun writer says many 270's do this

 

[6x6 elk]

As stated i thanked 6x6 for his advice . I sent my Browning x-bolt back. Yesterday I got a call from my dealer-Browning sent me a new rifle no questions asked. I now need to shoot the new one and see how well it does.

I'm glad it worked out for you. I've been happily surprised at what some of the companies will do for you if you contact them.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

I must say I lucked out once!!! In 1979 I purchased a new Weatherby Mark V in 270 Weatherby Mag. with a 26 Inch Barrel. Mounted a Leupold 3.5X to 10 X on it. With my hand loads of that time, I could make 3 bullets holes touch at 100 yards. It was really very common for me to do that . I used the old Orange Caldwell front rest. I didn't even know about a rear rest at that time. A Bench Rest shooter who would see me every Tuesday, told me way back then, " Don't shoot that rifle too much, you may never get another barrel to shoot like that one." Factory , out of the box , it was some shooter . I still love and shoot that rifle a lot!! I have used it to take 2 Mule Deer,. One antelope a small Spike Bull Elk, and to hit steel plates at 1000 and 1100 yards at the LR Bang Steel Shooting School. I put a Leupold VX 3 8.5 X to 25 X Wind plex on it for that LR Shooting.

 

[Welding442]

Tikka ctr in 6.5 cm 20" barrel shoots sub moa all day with factory 143eldx ammo

 

[JiggyIi]

OK for all of you out there. As you know I like accurate rifles and do my best to make factory out of the box rifles shoot under 1 MOA. I sold the 300 WM and I'm looking for my next challenge. I am hearing all this hype about the 6.8 Western, as well as it's miraculous claims to fame. cirica the 6.5 creepmore. Being somewhat of a connie sewer of he .277 caliber the 6.8 seems interesting. I have actually bought a set of RCBS dies in 6.8. Here comes the rub. I am not a fan of Browning, especially the X Bolt. To my way of thinking they are way overpriced. Conversely the Winchester XPR does not interest me at all, too cheap looking and will probably drop a zillion dollars on resale. The only rifle chambered in 6.8 that is the slightest bit interesting is the Winchester Model 70. Herein comes the rub. I love the Model 70, have two of them and they both shoot way sub MOA. The Model 70 that is chambered for the 6.8 Western is the Super Grade Maple that is absolutely gorgeous but it goes for some $1700. I buy, play and sell. What are your thoughts of a Model 70, which hold value and even appreciate over the years. Will the 6.8 cambering turn it into something not salable or costing a small fortune to sell when I am done with it. Your thoughts?? View attachment 441419

Watch out & buy a 270WSM THE 6.8 is a shortened version. The price should be better also

 

[Laguna Freak]

Mine is a 1998 Steyr Pro Hunter 30-06. It still shoots those tight groups 25 years later.

 

[WinMag4me]

Personally I always challenged a factory rifle to find what I may do to improve accuracy.
I find it educational and far less expensive than a custom order what I expect rifle
I am not dissing custom rifle makers
I just enjoy the challenge of improving a factory

 

[Shortmagman]

Update on my Browning X bolt in 6.8 Western. I have gotten the time to shoot it with both hand loads an yesterday I shot the Browning factory 175 Tipped Sierra Game king. To say the least i am quite pleased with the results. Here is a couple of targets. The one on the left is my load with 170 Bergers. On the right 175 factory load

 

[manitou]

.

 

[quigley257]

The rifle that springs to mind for me was a first generation Remington 700 Sendero in 25-06. I topped it with a Bausch & Lomb Elite 4000 6-24x40AO scope. I used it for deer hunting as well as long range varmint shooting. It shot extremely well with 115gr Ballistic Tips over a charge of Reloder 22. I remember shooting at a public range in Minnesota where a fellow a few spots down from me was watching my target through his spotting scope, unbeknownst to me. When I finished my 10 shot group, he came down and asked all sorts of questions about my setup. When we got back from retrieving targets, he dug a nickel out of his pocket and covered my group completely. That was the beginning of my journey down the road of long range shooting. I used that rifle to make my first 1000 yard Prairie Dog kill in the early 90's and subsequently burned out the barrel by over-zealous PD shooting. It lives on as a 280 Ackley Improved which shoots okay, but nothing like the 25-06 did. Another one is a $200 Cabela's special Savage 12FV in 223 that I have shot more groups under a quarter inch than probably any other rifle, with many being in the 0.1" range. To look in the bore with a scope, you'd never believe it's an accurate rifle. You just never know. Some times you get a good one right out of the box.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

M700 SS 7RM with laminate bedded stock
66.5 grs IMR 4831 and 140 accubond
200yds
was my go to gun until I found Rich Sherman.
Seems a lot of decent hand loaders "got lucky" with older 700's