Thread: Improving the accuracy of a rifle questions- advice wanted please.

After having way to much time off work, i know sounds crazy and yes i would have been out hunting more but down to one car family just now, i have spent a lot of time watching you tube about bedding and scope lapping.

My question to you all is, Is it worth it and what is the cost for bedding and scope lapping? I can not be 100% sure whether the scope has been lapped but rifle has definitely not been bedded.
I have a remington 700 with the synthetic stock, 7mm 08, and the last range practice groups about 2 inches at 100 meters and about 3 inches at 200 metres. Is it worth it to go and get the work done or not.
Also if possible looking at having a better half cock put in (not sure how it works). The one right now if the safety is off and the rifle is at half cock pull the trigger and it will fire . Not really happy about that however it is always pointed in the safe direction so if it was to happen it would be safe.

Just so you know i wouldn't take a shot over 200 metres, that would be a get closer or call it a loss situation for me.

Also i am in Hamilton so if you can recommend someone for this work that would also be great.

Cheers everyone and have a great summers night.

Could be your ammo

try different ammo for sure, scope lapping is crap, I've never done anything fancy to factory rifles myself and once I sorted out the ammo the rifles liked, all my rifles have shot brilliantly.

Bedding make areal difference and probably a small crown job.

If your not shooting over 200 then dont bother 3" its rabbit size let alone deer and pigs.

Not the ammo, found something that the rifle and myself like. Probably the shooter!
Found that Whitetail and Hornady SST is pretty good with the SST nosing ahead of the Whitetail. Whitetail knock down power great in the 50-100 and Hornady knock down power in the 150-200. Funny thing is the damn remington hates coreloct, go figure, like bloody kangaroo pellets the way it makes it jump.

I figure i just want to make sure it is on the money when the shot counts. In saying that it has only ever been one shot and one kill so happy with that.
Out of curiosity though what is the cost of bedding? Anyone able to shine some light on that.

Cheers

Depends who does it mate, can run 80-150$ odd in my experience.
I don't own a working centerfire rifle that isn't glass bedded and that includes rifles with aftermarket stocks with full length aluminium bedding plate and factory laminate.
Personal choice there, a couple of them were very accurate without it, however I'm a firm believer that glass bedding and free floating with a crown tidy or full recrown helps hugely with consistency of accuracy.

And, If I'm wrong it doesn't actually matter as I'm happy and I shoot much better with a rifle I'm happy with.

Originally Posted by Willie

After having way to much time off work, i know sounds crazy and yes i would have been out hunting more but down to one car family just now, i have spent a lot of time watching you tube about bedding and scope lapping.

My question to you all is, Is it worth it and what is the cost for bedding and scope lapping? I can not be 100% sure whether the scope has been lapped but rifle has definitely not been bedded.
I have a remington 700 with the synthetic stock, 7mm 08, and the last range practice groups about 2 inches at 100 meters and about 3 inches at 200 metres. Is it worth it to go and get the work done or not.
Also if possible looking at having a better half cock put in (not sure how it works). The one right now if the safety is off and the rifle is at half cock pull the trigger and it will fire . Not really happy about that however it is always pointed in the safe direction so if it was to happen it would be safe.

Just so you know i wouldn't take a shot over 200 metres, that would be a get closer or call it a loss situation for me.

Also i am in Hamilton so if you can recommend someone for this work that would also be great.

Cheers everyone and have a great summers night.

go see Arthur Cleland @Willie he is a top gunsmith he will see you right great honest guy he will not rip you off. Cleland Gunsmithing and Engineering

If you wouldn't shoot past 200 it is already more than accurate enough, I shot many deer and goats and pigs with a 303 and 308 that would just get all shots on a sheet of a4 size target at 100.
That said it is nice to have an accurate rifle, probably the biggest gain in accuracy you could make is having a load developed for the rifle or doing it yourself. if you want to go down the reloading route.

Bedding the action and knox may improve it or it may not, it is entirely possible there is absolutely nothing wrong with the factory bedding,or it could be causing accuracy issues

Basically if you do the bedding don't be disappointed if nothing changes and take it as a bonus if it does shoot better.

My remington 700 was doing the shoot like shit thing with the two brands of factory ammo I tried which was remington corelokt and federal fusion I decided to try making up some reloads for it and got it shooting under an inch at 100 meters so haven't bothered trying other factory rounds in it. If you do want to try making up some reloads buy some dies, powder, primers and projectiles and you can come and use my gear to make up some different loads to try.

Get your rifle bedded first and maybe re crowned . Lapping of scope rings may make a difference when your rings are out of alignments and stress the scope and action. That is another thing that needs to be checked.
Then try factory loads.See how it improved.
Then try reloads.
My two cents for you to save time , money and frustration.

Fitting new tyres to a car with a faulty engine is not going to make your car go better.
You make sure the engine is sound first.

Good luck

Get someone else to shoot the rifle off solid rests. Most issues with rifle accuracy end up being the shooter

Check the action screws, and rings screws are tight.

Give the barrel a really good clean and try again...

Re crowning is a good idea.

Bedding idea good idea on just about any rifle. Some good videos if you want to give it ago. Search for Nathan Forster or Ballistics Studies, he has a 5 part video series.

Search for Nathan Forster or Ballistics Studies, he has a 5 part video series.[/QUOTE]

+1 for this. I bedded my 30-06 with his compound and followed his video instructions. Also gave him a call to clarify a few things. Top bloke. And it made a hell of a difference.

Thanks for all the advice people you are all a wealth of knowledge.
I did watch the 5 part video and if i had a vice etc i would have been game to give it a go, as it is don't have a workshop that i could do this in so probably a better idea that i get someone to do it. Also if i was to try it probably not with this rifle to begin with.
I will see how the week goes and may pop out to the range just to see what is going on and how the grouping is again.

Mucko, i will go see Arthur and see what his thoughts are. Cheers for that.
Thanks everyone and have a cracking day today.

is it shooting in a group or stringing or anything like that