.308 range test I've lost count!

[coop2564]

Well long ago I gave up on getting good accuracy from my SL 243. However my .308 has shone some promise from time to time. I could get good groups until I swapped barrels then it might jump POI 4 or 5" but once settled in usaully would group pretty decent about 1.75 avg. But I had guns that I didnt have to worry if they would jump POI so my Handi's have just stayed in the gun case with a shotgun and a ML barrel on them. The reciever for the .308 was fitted for my ML barrel but I have a omega now that is my go to ML so I thought I would devote that receiver strickly to the .308. So I floated & glass bedded the forend the week before Christmas.  I worked up about a dozen different loads and went to the range Tuesday(5hrs) and was very surprised at how much the bedding seemed to help, in the past most good groups would be 1.75 but a lot would be 3" after the bedding every load grouped at 2.25 or better except for a flyer once in a while that was me. The winner was a Barnes 165gr TSX with Varget 45gr win case and fed 210 LR primer I only had made 6 of these but both groups were right at an inch. I had a old box of hornady LT mag 150gr SST that did about as good. Fast forward to today after loading about 50 of the Barnes TSX's it shot just as good even in the windy conditions. My confidence in the gun is growing. If it will just do it a couple of more trips w/o shifting on me I just might finally have me a shooter. It has a set of camo lams on it and a Nikon prostaff 3x9 40mm. 

[LONGTOM]

Good for you!
I too am starting to beleave in the one frame one barrel idea.
Just means more guns and of course another safe!


LONGTOM

[petemi]

I had about 3 months of switching barrels around and finally put each on its own frame.  It works.

Pete

[LaOtto222]

One of the reasons I got a Handi was to swap out barrels. The first one I had, I immediately sent it in for two more barrels. I have to admit that having one frame and one barrel is really the best way to go. I do not like swapping out barrels either. Have I mentioned I can be stubborn? I was going to make it work. One thing I have found, I now have dedicated fore ends for each barrel. I have pillar bedded each one. I now get more consistent results. Good Luck on your 308 and Good Shooting

[FW Conch]

When I got back into H & R, the # 1 reason was "nostalgia".  The big #2 reason was the ability to change
barrels.  I was all set to place a 3 barrel order when "Gardner" started to unravel. As bad timing is the
story of my life I also discovered  this site too late to realise that "designated frames" are the way to go.

My gun trading BIL keeps asking "are you gonna sell those things" & the answer is still NO because I to am
stubborn & refuse to let an inanimate object get the best of me !

I hope the "New York" barrel program turns out to be a "beautiful thing". But basically, my humble advise to
anyone who wants a new chambering is, go to the store & by the "whole kit & caboodle". And once you get
that sucker to group well, don"t ever take it apart, NOT EVEN TO CLEAN IT !  Unless, that is, you want to
get away from "Mommy" & spend some "quality time" in the shed tinkering !  JMHO  Good Luck  Jim

[Oldshooter]

Well at least there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. someone at another forum referred me here for some accuracy questions i had about a new 270 and 243. I get here only to have my bubble busted about multiple barrels I planned to order if I could get my new rifles to group better than pie plate groups. But maybe at least there is some hope to get the smokepoles I do have shooting better. Seems to be a wealth of info here.
Randy

[coop2564]

Well after 4 more trips to the range under very different weather condition (30 degrees to 70) my handi has proved its medal, although I hate to admit it the Hornady LT mag 150gr SST is outdoing any handload I can come up with, pretty much any load will do 2" with most doing 1.5" the LT mag load is 1" or smaller every time with 3 shots. I am not having barrel heat problem since I bedded the forend like I had in the past. Couldnt be happier may have to try and bed the 243 as a spring project. On pic top group 1.5" with handload 165gr tsx aiming at center, bottom group LT mag about .75" Aiming at bottom of red. One other note pretty much all loads group very close to same POI were before they were several inches apart often.

[Troyboy]

It looks like you got it sorted out. Good shooting