Fire lapping results

[westcliffe01]

It certainly sounds like you had a condensation issue causing the rust in the bore. Now consider that the moisture could have had an influence on the stock. Are you sure the action is still properly bedded ? Action bedding has a very significant effect in the bigger calibers. On every gun I had major issues with, contact between the barrel and the fore end was always an issue. Worst when the contact only happened part time.

Did you have anyone else shoot the gun ? A set of fresh eyes may readily recognize things that you can't see yourself, because you have a certain picture in your mind of how this rifle was. The scope sounds highly suspect. Put on a decent scope which you can borrow from one of your other rifles and then check over all the basics thoroughly: Action screw tightness, how well the action is matching the stock, trigger pull/weight/overtravel, what kind of rest you are using and whether the barrel remains free floated when on the rest in shooting position etc.

Please do that before you potentially ruin your throat.

 

[1tonpower]

Here's a pic of the rifle. I was using this scope on my weatherby vanguard .243 earlier this year. The scope held it's zero fine on that rifle. And I was able to dial elevation out to 450yards. Thats as far as i can shoot. It tracked like it should and It would return to zero. I don't have any doubts in this scope.

The trigger on the .308 is nice and crisp. All my shooting is done off a Harris bi-pod. I was using a rear bag for these groups. Shooting prone,body inline with the rifle, finger applying slow steady pressure, I fire at the Bottom of my exhale.

My next trip to the rang I have someone with me and have them fire a group or
Two.

 

[westcliffe01]

Shooting from a bipod is the worst for having intermittent contact between stock and barrel. You say this is a synthetic stock ? My Remington 700 SPS varmint stock warped. I was not the first owner and it was warped when I got it and the best grouping I could get was about 4". The bipod usually attaches to the first or second sling swivel which is way out front and thereby put a lot of bending into the fore end.

Try setting the rifle and bipod up on the kitchen table in shooting position and hold it like you do at the range and then have someone check if the barrel channel is free floated. I would not use a dollar bill, a better thickness is a playing card. A dollar bill leaves no margin for error and that does not make for reliable function. A dollar bill is fine for checking the seal on my wood stove door, but I don't like those sort of clearances on my free floated parts...

In my case, the fore end was twisted to the right and putting pressure on the barrel. Bear in mind that this was a heavy 26" varmint barrel with a tiny 224 bore. One would not think a floppy plastic stock would have a big effect on it but it did. I think the original owner tried everything he knew to get the gun to shoot and traded it in because he gave up. I sanded the barrel channel with a 3/4 hardwood dowel with 80 grit belt sander paper (the long length makes it fast work) and by the time I was done, I had taken over 1/8" off the left side of the stock. So the fore end was no longer symmetrical, but I had a nice uniform clearance and ever since that gun has shot 1/2" groups every time out.

So one guy gave up and probably got hosed on the value just because of a stupid warped plastic stock. I would say that as the caliber goes up, it just gets harder, particularly with any stock related issues. So check the stock, because it may be key.