accuracy issues and chamber

[wvmedic]

I purchased a new Savage model 11 7mm-08 and could not get it to group used Hornady, Federal and Remington ammo.

Sent the rifle back to Savage on my dime, they looked at it. Told me that they polished the chamber do to burrs and cleaned the barrel as it was copper fouled. I cleaned the rifle and inspected with a bore light and didn't note any copper fouling. They then fire tested it at their 100 yard range and said it passed their testing and will ship it back to me the first of next week.

My question is, how would the chamber affect accuracy or would it have any affect?

Jeff

[Elroy]

Do you mean new to you,or a brand spanking new rifle? What weight,and style bullet? Some years ago Savage got a bone head idea ,and went with a slow 1-11,or 12 twist.They did soon return to a 1-9.5 though..I have a Savage Axis 20" in 7mm08,and it is picky,not only about load,but It has always thrown the first shot on a cold bore high,and off to the right,and it does a lot better with a dirty barrel than clean,and better with a flatbase bulet.I like barrel nut Savage just fine,but it seems like the standard sport barrels don't take heat well,and start going haywire after about 6,or 7 shots on a warm day.Check the crown really well too .Some use a Q-tip.If you get fuzz pulling off the Q-tip you have a little roughness.

[wvmedic]

Do you mean new to you,or a brand spanking new rifle? What weight,and style bullet? Some years ago Savage got a bone head idea ,and went with a slow 1-11,or 12 twist.They did soon return to a 1-9.5 though..I have a Savage Axis 20" in 7mm08,and it is picky,not only about load,but It has always thrown the first shot on a cold bore high,and off to the right,and it does a lot better with a dirty barrel than clean.I like barrel nut Savage just fine,but it seems like they don't take heat well,and start going haywire after about 6,or 7 shots on a warm day.

Elroy, brand new out of the box. Hornady 139gr, Federal 140gr and Remington 120gr.
Just to note, the model 11 .243 I bought at the same time shoots sub MOA.
Forgot to mention, it is a 1:9.5
Jeff

[Der Gebirgsjager]

There are several possibilities, most involving the throat. Could be rough, too tight, absence of any free bore at all, etc. But, since they didn't tell you what the problem was, other than the chamber, it's hard to speculate. The important thing will be how it shoots for you when you get it back.

[wvmedic]

There are several possibilities, most involving the throat. Could be rough, too tight, absence of any free bore at all, etc. But, since they didn't tell you what the problem was, other than the chamber, it's hard to speculate. The important thing will be how it shoots for you when you get it back.

That is what I am worried about, I don't have a warm fuzzy feeling.

Jeff

[roadie]

How many rounds did you put through it, that Savage still found burrs in the chamber? It must have been pretty rough to start with.

A misaligned chamber is not great for accuracy, but I'd be looking first to the throat area. Fired cases show signs of a rough chamber, or hard extraction? Loaded rounds extract okay and pressures seem good on the primers?

Maybe it just doesn't like factory loads, I've run into rifles that were very finicky on what they liked, though it hating 3 different brands is kinda extreme.

[wvmedic]

How many rounds did you put through it, that Savage still found burrs in the chamber? It must have been pretty rough to start with.

A misaligned chamber is not great for accuracy, but I'd be looking first to the throat area. Fired cases show signs of a rough chamber, or hard extraction? Loaded rounds extract okay and pressures seem good on the primers?

Maybe it just doesn't like factory loads, I've run into rifles that were very finicky on what they liked, though it hating 3 different brands is kinda extreme.

82 rounds down range, I didn't notice any issues with the brass at all. I'm going to look when I get home tonight.

Jeff

[akajun]

Scope issue? Did you send it to them with your scope on it?
Even a misaligned chamber will group, just big. When it throws them wild somethings not tight or the bullet is not stable. So check your mounts, action screws, scope, if that is good try different ammo of varying bullet weight.

[wvmedic]

Scope issue? Did you send it to them with your scope on it?
Even a misaligned chamber will group, just big. When it throws them wild somethings not tight or the bullet is not stable. So check your mounts, action screws, scope, if that is good try different ammo of varying bullet weight.

Did all of the above including putting a Leupold vx-3i on it and torquing it properly.

Jeff

[wvmedic]

I wish I could resize the pictures on my phone of the targets.

[obssd1958]

Almost 30 years ago, I bought a Savage 110 in .300 Win Mag - Cheap!!
The reason it was cheap, was the owner had tried 3 different factory 180 grain loads, and couldn't get any better than 3" at 100 yards. I figured it was the shooter...
I tried Remington, Winchester, and Federal 180gr. loads, and got the same results as the previous owner. In fact, the Federal load was closer to 4" at 100 yards.
Buddy convinced me that I should try reloading for it (I had no reloading experience before this), so I bought a Lee Anniversary Kit and started in to find something it liked.
That rifle will hold 1/2" at 100 yards now, with a load I came up with using RL22 and 180gr. Nosler ballistic tips.
Maybe your rifle is that picky too??

[wvmedic]

Almost 30 years ago, I bought a Savage 110 in .300 Win Mag - Cheap!!
The reason it was cheap, was the owner had tried 3 different factory 180 grain loads, and couldn't get any better than 3" at 100 yards. I figured it was the shooter...
I tried Remington, Winchester, and Federal 180gr. loads, and got the same results as the previous owner. In fact, the Federal load was closer to 4" at 100 yards.
Buddy convinced me that I should try reloading for it (I had no reloading experience before this), so I bought a Lee Anniversary Kit and started in to find something it liked.
That rifle will hold 1/2" at 100 yards now, with a load I came up with using RL22 and 180gr. Nosler ballistic tips.
Maybe your rifle is that picky too??

That is a possibility, I was really hoping to have a rifle I could just pick up ammo off the shelf and hunt with. I'll take it to the range and see how it goes when I get it back. Thank you and everyone for the replies.

Jeff

[ACC]

I am not trying to worry you or anything, but once upon a time I owned a Mossberg .243 rifle that was made for Montgomery Wards. It had the roughest chamber I ever saw. But boy could it shoot. Sub minute of angle at 200 yards with what ever I fed it. Handloads even better. The reason I got rid of it was sticky extraction. That's ok out at the range I could just bully it a bit, but out in the field it was a no-no. Mossberg said they could smooth it out but would make it useless for handloading, so I just got my money back from them.

ACC

[wvmedic]

Thank you ACC.

[wvmedic]

I think I figured out the picture thing.

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256280
256281
Last is from the. 243 it's 2 shots at 100 yards.
256283

[akajun]

The Fed fusion is grouping, just not that well but it shows the rifle has the potential to shoot well. I’d start checking things like barrel touching the stock, hows the receiver sitting in the bedding area, etc. Next I’d try different loads.
Did Savage tell you what Ammo they used to test the rifle? That would be a good starting point.

[wvmedic]

The Fed fusion is grouping, just not that well but it shows the rifle has the potential to shoot well. I’d start checking things like barrel touching the stock, hows the receiver sitting in the bedding area, etc. Next I’d try different loads.
Did Savage tell you what Ammo they used to test the rifle? That would be a good starting point.

I didn't notice any contact points when I took it apart and re torqued it, I'll have to ask Savage when they call me with the tracking number after they ship it back to me.

Jeff

[Texas by God]

Try shimming between the barrel and forend with business card(s). Sometimes light barrels need a little upward pressure at the tip of the forend. This has worked for me in the past. AND reload your own ammo. Factory ammo is no better than it used to be unless you pay for the premium stuff- which I won't.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[wvmedic]

akajun, Savage uses Winchester ballistic Silvertip 140 grain ammo. I just picked up a box to try.

Texas by God, thank you. They are shipping my rifle back today, I will hopefully get it to the range later this week and see. I might have to reload for it, I really was hoping to just grab some off the shelf ammo for it though.

Jeff

[wvmedic]

Wanted to post a follow up. Got my riffle back the other day and went to the range today. 1 and two were 1st and 2nd shots adjusting the scope.
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It shoots the Winchester ballistic Silvertips very well. I just wonder how it will shoot other Nosler bullets, mainly the partitions. I might use the ballistic tips on deer, but I also want to hunt Black Bear.

I tried the 139gr Hornady round again it was all over the place.

Jeff