Accuracy issues

I have a custom ultralight bought out of the states about 10 years ago. When in NZ it was fitted with a gunworks EBS supressor. In my ownership I have only ever been able to get 1.5” groupings, and that has gotten worse over time. Most recently when sighting in a new scope I was only able to get a 2” high but 5” wide group. Will still kill a deer out to 100m, but I wouldn’t be comfortable pushing any further than that.
The previous owner (hunting guide) used to store with the supressor on, and would not clean regularly. As a result there is pretty bad pitting on the outside of the barrel. I just noticed today that the there is also pretty bad pitting just inside the muzzle. It’s bad enough to be clearly felt with the tip of a jag.
I am guessing this is the cause of the average groupings.

Im in a bit of a bind. I’m guessing I have two options.

One is to cut my losses and sell the rifle as is as a rebarrel job. Means I will lose money on it, and not sure if I will recoup enough to buy another rifle.
Option two is to get the rifle rebarreled myself and keep the rifle forever. Issue is the cost to do so.

The rifle new is nearly $4kUSD

Would appreciate some of your hard earned wisdom.

Cheers

Start by tracking down someone with a borescope to get an accurate assessment of bore condition. If it’s only pitted right near the muzzle, a chop and rethread may sort your issues..

how far down the barrel is the pitting.....MAYBE a small amount docked off and resulting recrown and rethread will be all it needs.....I take it you have checked the other variables...scope,mounts,rings,action screws.....

Shorten and recrown. Probably cost under $100 and may fix the problem so worth a try

Go see Laurie and he’ll tell you how bad it is


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Worse case scenario rebarrel it.

Yeah was thinking about nipping the tip, but with the full barrel supressor I can’t cut it any shorter.
I’ll take it to my local smith and get his expert advice.

If the group is 2" wide and 5" wide and not a round shaped group then likely there is a bedding issue as well. Getting the bedding right could bring it in to a 2" group

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Originally Posted by Delphus

Yeah was thinking about nipping the tip, but with the full barrel supressor I can’t cut it any shorter.
I’ll take it to my local smith and get his expert advice.

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but you CAN back bore it........ so in effect take crown back inside barrel.....

What calibre is it?

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7mm08

@SkiHunt has a 708 with an ebs barrel system and we are having troubles with grouping even with factory ammo best is 2"

what make is it? is it based off something normal or full blown custom?

rebarreling with a take off barrel would be the cheapest if it comes to that and its based off a rem700/Tikka common thread variety

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Originally Posted by Bill999

what make is it? is it based off something normal or full blown custom?

rebarreling with a take off barrel would be the cheapest if it comes to that and its based off a rem700/Tikka common thread variety

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This is it here. But built off a howa action not rem 700.

https://www.mgarmsinc.com/products/ultralight/

there is tons of howa in NZ mate hopefully they didnt recut the thread(when trueing) in the action and they will screw right in

that or you could just buy a second hand barreled action in another (or 7mm08 if you are really set on it)
use what you need to resurrect your rifle and sell off the rest, be good to double check that Ultralight MG arms didnt change the thread when fitting the pacnor barrel

the Pacnor barrel factor burnt down not too long ago but i believe they are up and running again and making barrels from about half way thru last year
they do tons of prefit barrels if you wanted to stay true to the original design

Pac Nor barrels are bloody good too! iv seen probably a dozen used by myself and a work colleague.
would import more in a heartbeat!

You could just sell it and buy a tikka for $1500 that’s sub Moa 😂

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Originally Posted by Bushline

You could just sell it and buy a tikka for $1500 that’s sub Moa ��

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Haha yeah considered it a few times :)

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Originally Posted by Arthur McBride

That's if it is. There are plenty of Tikka's that wont shoot under an inch. There was nothing magical about the one I had.

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I'm offended!
Generally speaking I trace inaccurate tikkas to driver error!
Just saying

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Originally Posted by Arthur McBride

That's if it is. There are plenty of Tikka's that wont shoot under an inch. There was nothing magical about the one I had.

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It’s a guarantee, if you buy one that won’t I’d guess you take it back?

Soo I took it to Laurie my gunsmith. Barrel is proper fucked. Pitted almost all the way to the action. It’s either a rebarrel job or cut my losses and start again. I’m leaning towards cutting my losses and picking up something else.

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Originally Posted by Delphus

Soo I took it to Laurie my gunsmith. Barrel is proper fucked. Pitted almost all the way to the action. It’s either a rebarrel job or cut my losses and start again. I’m leaning towards cutting my losses and picking up something else.

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If it's a Howa action why not just put a factory howa barrel on it ? Surely you could pick one up qiite cheap in similar or same caliber and get it threaded to match uour suppressor ? Second hand Howa barrel maybe $150 threading fitting and checking head space maybe another couple hundy and you would at least have a good shooter again for minimal outlay.

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Originally Posted by dannyb

If it's a Howa action why not just put a factory howa barrel on it ? Surely you could pick one up qiite cheap in similar or same caliber and get it threaded to match uour suppressor ? Second hand Howa barrel maybe $150 threading fitting and checking head space maybe another couple hundy and you would at least have a good shooter again for minimal outlay.

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Not a bad thought that. I would prefer to keep the thing if I can.

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Originally Posted by Delphus

Not a bad thought that. I would prefer to keep the thing if I can.

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It's a least worth looking into before you part it out and sell at a loss. And likely much cheaper than starting from scratch.

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Originally Posted by Arthur McBride

Why would you be offended? I have won competitions for shooting.

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Saying that a tikka won't shoot under an inch!
Very offended

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Originally Posted by Mauser308

I've had three that didn't out of the box. They are nothing special, a factory sporting rifle. Slightly better quality control than some brands, not as good as a lesser amount of others. Good enough to do the job though.

I'm going to edit that to say I've had three handed to me to sort out that didn't out of the box. One was plain fussy and only grouped with one type of ammo and could not see a reason why. Another had a bedding stuff up from the factory, last was assembled by foot at the store and the scope was cranked opposite lock on mounts and windage. Had been put together with some form of extra high base and ring set that was just plain ugly rather than useful so once replaced with factory rings and windage centralised it was useable.

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Well I have had my share of factory rifles to set up and with out a doubt the tikkas out of the box are the easiest to get going out of all the other eqivalent brands, eg trigger is no sweat and the bedding I have never seen an issue with except when somebody hasn't put the stock back properly I to the lug.
I am biased as I know of a shitload of people that shoot them and love them.
Yes they are a sheeples rifle but just put a nice scope on them and [emoji6]

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Originally Posted by andyanimal31

Well I have had my share of factory rifles to set up and with out a doubt the tikkas out of the box are the easiest to get going out of all the other eqivalent brands, eg trigger is no sweat and the bedding I have never seen an issue with except when somebody hasn't put the stock back properly I to the lug.
I am biased as I know of a shitload of people that shoot them and love them.
Yes they are a sheeples rifle but just put a nice scope on them and go shooting! [emoji6]

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Originally Posted by Mauser308

I've had three that didn't out of the box. They are nothing special, a factory sporting rifle. Slightly better quality control than some brands, not as good as a lesser amount of others. Good enough to do the job though.

I'm going to edit that to say I've had three handed to me to sort out that didn't out of the box. One was plain fussy and only grouped with one type of ammo and could not see a reason why. Another had a bedding stuff up from the factory, last was assembled by foot at the store and the scope was cranked opposite lock on mounts and windage. Had been put together with some form of extra high base and ring set that was just plain ugly rather than useful so once replaced with factory rings and windage centralised it was useable.

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To be fair I think we have had this discussion more than once!
Allgood as it would be a boring v old world if we all liked the same thing

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Originally Posted by Arthur McBride

I don't know why you personally are offended? It sounds like you designed them.
I have had many rifles that would shoot under an inch, some of them seventy years old. Just none of them have been Tikka's. (Or Sako's for that matter, other than my .222 Forrester.)
My one wouldn't shoot better than 1.5 inches with any factory ammo brand. I have also helped people with others that would also shoot about the same.

The one inch guarantee is a wonderful advertising gimmick but that's all it is. They rely on that fact that most people couldn't shoot a one inch group even if the rifle could, and its virtually impossible to prove to them that a rifle can't do it. But a 1.5 inch grouping rifle is perfectly good for any hunting in NZ.

Just try and give one back to a NZ gunshop claiming it wont meet the guarantee...see how you get on with that.

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If you havnt threaded the barrel they have to.
Mate had a sako brand new that wouldn't group.
That went back and got sorted no problem.
When a rifle goes back that I say won't shoot they know it won't shoot.
This offending business is just a friendly way of starting a bit of banter.
I'm generally pretty hard to offend as long as nobody getting stuck into my integrity.

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Originally Posted by Arthur McBride

Just try and give one back to a NZ gunshop claiming it wont meet the guarantee...see how you get on with that.

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I've done that 3 times twice with kimbers and once with a sako, took the targets in and ammo to show them.
Like Andy had no issue at all walking out with another but also Like Andy the know I can shoot.


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Originally Posted by Arthur McBride

You have a good gunshop.

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Yep, Giles at Taihape sports.
He knows his shit especially shot guns.
We are learning him about centre fires though.
Top man and great prices!

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The Tikkas I've seen or owned that had an accuracy problem are very few. Normally, the plastic stocked ones can be made to shoot better by removing the two little bedding points in the barrel channel. A friend put me on to that fix. Of course if you do that then the warrant is invalidated. Different torque pressures on the action screws can make a big difference too.

I read somewhere an article by a highly regarded gunsmith in the U.S. saying that he had never come across a Sako or Tikka that needed to have the action and barrel trued; all have been perfect. Whereas it was common place on American rifles for him to have to true them up.