Horizontal stringing caused by non- floated barrel?

[Robinhood493]

I have a gun I'm having a little bit of trouble with. It is a browning a bolt with BOSS. I am having about 4" of horizontal stringing happening. My vertical is less than an inch. When I was shooting the other day I noticed that the barrel wasn't free floated. Can this cause the horizontal stringing? I ran the OCW twice and I came up with 63.1g of IMR-4350 both times. I didn't have this horizontal stringing before. I found the action screws loose, so I tightened them to 35lbs. I have no idea what it was set at from the factory. It's a wood stock by the way. The first 2 OCW's I ran, 63.1g gave a little less than 3/4" groups, nice and round. I checked the scope mounts and they are tight. I think the scope might be ok cause the gun kicks like a kitten, and I didn't drop it or nothing. This scope has always held its zero for the last 15 years. I know horizontal is usually caused by wind or the shooter. I am capable of shooting at least 3/8" groups on a rifle that is capable. I am very conscious of making sure I have the same rifle placement on every shot, and my body positioning is the same. Any ideas that can help the horizontal spread?

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I'd float the barrel and go from there. It's a no-harm no foul thing with a browning.
My browning 300 win abolt boss stainless lh is floated from the factory, and I lock the boss at ten turns out with loc-tite. I also loc-tite the action screws as they will loosen on you when you are betting your Dad on a 1/2" or less group if you don't.
You don't have a loose enough to be a problem but not loose enough to feel windage screw do you?? The leopold bases/rings will do this sometimes if you don't dang near glue them together with loc-tite. I prefer weaver myself but use leopold on some pipes. My browning has weaver bases and burris rings holding on to a 6-24x b&L elite 4000.

 

[Robinhood493]

I'd float the barrel and go from there. It's a no-harm no foul thing with a browning.
My browning 300 win abolt boss stainless lh is floated from the factory, and I lock the boss at ten turns out with loc-tite. I also loc-tite the action screws as they will loosen on you when you are betting your Dad on a 1/2" or less group if you don't.
You don't have a loose enough to be a problem but not loose enough to feel windage screw do you?? The leopold bases/rings will do this sometimes if you don't dang near glue them together with loc-tite. I prefer weaver myself but use leopold on some pipes. My browning has weaver bases and burris rings holding on to a 6-24x b&L elite 4000.

I tightened the windage base screws as much as I could with a screw driver. They were not loose. I will free float and see what happens. My X-bolt came from the factory free floated.

 

[dbhostler]

Can be caused by many things, bbl. heating and moving, stock flexing, wind, front rest, shooter pulling, etc. It's a process of elimination. Take the BOSS off and try it. See if it still does it. Does it still string after you tightened the stock screws?
db

 

[Robinhood493]

Can be caused by many things, bbl. heating and moving, stock flexing, etc. From what I read, triggers, firing pin springs, unbalanced rifle, load prep. for handloaders, list goes on and on. So it's a process of elimination.
db

I wait til the barrel cools off completely after every shot. I think my reloading techniques should be good cause some ammo I build for other guns shoot good. But you never know. I could be doing something and not realizing it. The thing that gets me is that the rifle used to shoot good with my reloads. The browning rifle have some sort of rubber kind of bedding which I know is not the best, but like I said, it used to shoot. The barrel is clean also.

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

I think its the amount of torque you put on the non pillir beded action.

 

[Robinhood493]

I think its the amount of torque you put on the non pillir beded action.

I set it at 35 in/lbs. What should I back it down to? 25 in/lbs?

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

I set it at 35 in/lbs. What should I back it down to? 25 in/lbs?

I would try it, there is no real set standard but there is what we consider exceptable for most rifles 30 inch pounds for plastic and wood stocks. 60 inch pounds for stocks with pillers or alluminum chassys.

I have also heard of but never trued, tuning your loads with action screw torque. I personaly would do as the other have said and have the stock piller bedded.

Good luck

 

[SBruce]

I personaly would do as the other have said and have the stock piller bedded.

Good luck

As would I.

Some of my factory rifles improved dramatically with bedding and floating the barrel, some there was not much improvement, but it definately doesn't hurt and there wont be any question about POI shift due to barrel touching the stock anymore.

If accuracy drops off after a proper bed and float job, then the barrel is likely too flimsy or light and needs replaced anyway. OR, the problem is scope and/or mount related.

I've been told by a few different reputable smiths, that if the bedding job is done right with pillars and the action is true; then screw torque doesn't matter, just make it snug enough to not come loose without stretching the screws in the process.

 

[Hondo64d]

I have a gun I'm having a little bit of trouble with. It is a browning a bolt with BOSS. I am having about 4" of horizontal stringing happening. My vertical is less than an inch. When I was shooting the other day I noticed that the barrel wasn't free floated. Can this cause the horizontal stringing? I ran the OCW twice and I came up with 63.1g of IMR-4350 both times. I didn't have this horizontal stringing before. I found the action screws loose, so I tightened them to 35lbs. I have no idea what it was set at from the factory. It's a wood stock by the way. The first 2 OCW's I ran, 63.1g gave a little less than 3/4" groups, nice and round. I checked the scope mounts and they are tight. I think the scope might be ok cause the gun kicks like a kitten, and I didn't drop it or nothing. This scope has always held its zero for the last 15 years. I know horizontal is usually caused by wind or the shooter. I am capable of shooting at least 3/8" groups on a rifle that is capable. I am very conscious of making sure I have the same rifle placement on every shot, and my body positioning is the same. Any ideas that can help the horizontal spread?

Have you tried tuning the BOSS?

John

 

[Robinhood493]

Got it all figured out guys. It turns out that the scope was shot.