Maintenance!

[skipglo]

I recently had a good friend bring me his rifle to help him figure out why he couldn't get it to group shooting ANYTHING he said. Although he's 25 years younger than me, he's an extreme hunter and very good reloader.....but...
Here's the but
Gun would shoot a good group for 2-3 shots and then throw bullets 4-6" apart is what he said. First thoughts.. obviously something is loose. Yuppers...his action screws were finger tight!
Fast forward three weeks..gun won't shoot again....shame on me too...I immediately found his first problem, tightened his action but looked no further myself for any OTHER ISSUES! After all...how many things would be loose...right? Wrong...this time I look at it...scope bases are loose too,...locktite and torque them down...go to the shooting bench fire a round... need to adjust windage a couple of inches now that everything has been tightened. ...windage knob on his NX8 is free wheeling...sweet HAYZUS! Tighten it too...I was thinking at this point maybe I should just hit him with a solid BUTT STROKE TO THE FOREHEAD! A little maintenance goes a long ways! I learned many years ago...of course the hard way....to regularly take my Fat Wrench to all the screws on all my rifles I'm going to shoot and right before hunting I remove my scopes and check the bases! Just me..

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I had a custom action that would periodically loosen. Although it isn't recommended, I put Locktite on the action screws. It worked out fine.

 

[jseandsje]

In this world of AI solutions, and ballistic solvers, you shouldn't even have screws on a rifle!! Because the basics are lost in just about everything.

 

[memtb]

I recently had a good friend bring me his rifle to help him figure out why he couldn't get it to group shooting ANYTHING he said. Although he's 25 years younger than me, he's an extreme hunter and very good reloader.....but...
Here's the but
Gun would shoot a good group for 2-3 shots and then throw bullets 4-6" apart is what he said. First thoughts.. obviously something is loose. Yuppers...his action screws were finger tight!
Fast forward three weeks..gun won't shoot again....shame on me too...I immediately found his first problem, tightened his action but looked no further myself for any OTHER ISSUES! After all...how many things would be loose...right? Wrong...this time I look at it...scope bases are loose too,...locktite and torque them down...go to the shooting bench fire a round... need to adjust windage a couple of inches now that everything has been tightened. ...windage knob on his NX8 is free wheeling...sweet HAYZUS! Tighten it too...I was thinking at this point maybe I should just hit him with a solid BUTT STROKE TO THE FOREHEAD! A little maintenance goes a long ways! I learned many years ago...of course the hard way....to regularly take my Fat Wrench to all the screws on all my rifles I'm going to shoot and right before hunting I remove my scopes and check the bases! Just me..

Being paranoid and having a negative attitude about life in general, may have some benefits…….example: "what can go wrong - will go wrong"!

So, with my rifle…..nothing is left to chance. All, and I do mean all, screws/bolts are LockTite'd (yes even the action to stock bolts). The receiver has been drilled/tapped for larger screws…..theoretically increasing their shear strength against heavy recoil or a dropped rifle. Scope base LockTite'd to reciever and scope LockTite'd in the ring bottom saddles!

I have a fully bedded synthetic stock…..fully bedded means no debris or freezing water in the barrel channel to alter pressure points. Plus, in wet conditions the synthetic stock will not have the possibility of swelling/shrinking that a wood stock "may" experience!

I have 2 scopes set-up in quick release base/rings and zero'd, should both fail the rifle has irons with a 2 leaf folding rear, my loads are developed on a hot day to eliminate an unwanted pressure issue on a hot day while hunting, and I keep electrical tape on the muzzle no matter the hunting conditions while keeping a partial roll in my day pack!

I also carry 48" long shooting sticks, capable of shooting over much smaller grasses/brush and can work well on steep downhill shots!

And as it is primarily used for big game, I zero at 300 yards. If the rangefinder fails…..I can "hold on hair" out to an estimated 400 yards. Yes, ranging will be a "guestimate"……but, for years I would pick out a distant object, estimate it's distance and step it off. I actually got pretty good at it. However, if hunting with my wife, which is a constant…….we will have two (2) rangefinders!

Yes……paranoia is alive and well, constantly living with me! memtb

 

[436]

Being paranoid and having a negative attitude about life in general, may have some benefits…….example: "what can go wrong - will go wrong"!

So, with my rifle…..nothing is left to chance. All, and I do mean all, screws/bolts are LockTite'd (yes even the action to stock bolts). The receiver has been drilled/tapped for larger screws…..theoretically increasing their shear strength against heavy recoil or a dropped rifle. Scope base LockTite'd to reciever and scope LockTite'd in the ring bottom saddles!

I have a fully bedded synthetic stock…..fully bedded means no debris or freezing water in the barrel channel to alter pressure points. Plus, in wet conditions the synthetic stock will not have the possibility of swelling/shrinking that a wood stock "may" experience!

I have 2 scopes set-up in quick release base/rings and zero'd, should both fail the rifle has irons with a 2 leaf folding rear, my loads are developed on a hot day to eliminate an unwanted pressure issue on a hot day while hunting, and I keep electrical tape on the muzzle no matter the hunting conditions while keeping a partial roll in my day pack!

I also carry 48" long shooting sticks, capable of shooting over much smaller grasses/brush and can work well on steep downhill shots!

And as it is primarily used for big game, I zero at 300 yards. If the rangefinder fails…..I can "hold on hair" out to an estimated 400 yards. Yes, ranging will be a "guestimate"……but, for years I would pick out a distant object, estimate it's distance and step it off. I actually got pretty good at it. However, if hunting with my wife, which is a constant…….we will have two (2) rangefinders!

Yes……paranoia is alive and well, constantly living with me! memtb

Agree... I come from the right side of the plant. Half a glass of water; An optimist would say it's half full, a pessimist would say it's half empty, but... a realist would say it's just a glass of water. Always double-check and back up your kit —one of the major rules of life. Just my 0.2. Cheers

 

[ShtrRdy]

I recently had a good friend bring me his rifle to help him figure out why he couldn't get it to group shooting ANYTHING he said. Although he's 25 years younger than me, he's an extreme hunter and very good reloader.....but...
Here's the but
Gun would shoot a good group for 2-3 shots and then throw bullets 4-6" apart is what he said. First thoughts.. obviously something is loose. Yuppers...his action screws were finger tight!
Fast forward three weeks..gun won't shoot again....shame on me too...I immediately found his first problem, tightened his action but looked no further myself for any OTHER ISSUES! After all...how many things would be loose...right? Wrong...this time I look at it...scope bases are loose too,...locktite and torque them down...go to the shooting bench fire a round... need to adjust windage a couple of inches now that everything has been tightened. ...windage knob on his NX8 is free wheeling...sweet HAYZUS! Tighten it too...I was thinking at this point maybe I should just hit him with a solid BUTT STROKE TO THE FOREHEAD! A little maintenance goes a long ways! I learned many years ago...of course the hard way....to regularly take my Fat Wrench to all the screws on all my rifles I'm going to shoot and right before hunting I remove my scopes and check the bases! Just me..

This is a good reminder for us all.

 

[skipglo]

This is a good reminder for us all.

That's what it was intended for!!! Thank you

 

[reloader#1]