bedding question

[mjbgalt]

i have bought several weatherby vanguards, and i love them. if i was going to build a custom, i would start there because they're about 85% of what i would want to end up with. the problem is that, while i have a lot of .300" size groups i have shot in my life, none have been with those rifles. the best i can usually get them is about 1.5" if i am lucky. several i have sold or traded because they strung shots everywhere. i bought them again because, hey, i love the design, and how many could be wrong, right?

well...

the one i have now is a .25-06 and i shot it today for the first time with federal 85-grain loads, factory. it strung them horizontally about 3."

not ok.

I did only shoot the one factory load, and sure, i can handload and see if it gets better, however...

when you guys see a gun which strings shots out like that, how many times has it been the ammo the gun didn't like, and how many times has it been a bedding problem with the gun?

this one is bedded at the recoil lug but then has a contact point an inch from the end of the forearm, like all of the vanguards do.

one rifle i free-floated and it made zero difference. that one is long gone...

so where should i go from here?

-Matt

[Catfish]

I don`t reall know what to tell you. My son-inlaw recently bought a Vangaurd in 7 mm Rem. mag. and I bought 1 in a Savage. I picked up a 100 cheap 140 gr. bullets to break them in, the shoot and clean deal. My son-inlaws rifle is out shooting mine right now with these bullets but it`s been shot and cleaned alittle more. He has been shooting groups from 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 at 100 yrds. I fired 1 3 shot group with it and clover leaved it with bullets touching. With the lite weight of the barrels I think you get alot of heating with the last 2 bullets of a 5 shot group.
Things I found over the years. 1. bedding the action does not always help, but it has never hurt. 2. floating the barrel is not always best, but is more than not by alittle. It you float a barrel and its accuracy doesn`t suit you you can put shims inder the barrel near the end of the forarm. I bought a .270 years ago that had match book covers as shims and you could shoot it all day and cover the hole with a nickel. 3. lite barrels are more finicky than heavy barrel, but you can still get them to shoot.

[trotterlg]

Sorry to say but horizontal stringing is nearly always trigger pull while vertical stringing is most likely bedding problems.  If you have such bad luck with accuracy with these things why do you keep buying them?  Ill just stick with my ugly old Savages that shoot right out of the box.  Larry

[mjbgalt]

i have had one that shot very well. i bought a different model of vanguard this time, with wood stock, thinking it would solve the problems of the synthetic stock. plus, they have a guarantee that they will shoot 1.5" and all mine have. it's just that i am not ok with my rifles only giving me an inch and a half.

all the rifles in my safe that go hunting with me shoot .75" or less, preferably .50" or less, with their favorite handload for a 3-shot 100 yard group. i simply want this one to do that too.

-Matt

[Brithunter]

Hmmm I would bed the whole action and about 2" of the barrel shank and retain the fire tip pressure point. It sounds to me like something is moving and it needs sorting out. Had a similar problem with a NIB Parker-Hale 1200 Super. I accidently free floated the barrel by adding too much compound and groups opened up to about 6"-8" at 100 yards  Then added card shims under the barrel at the fore tip until the groups shrank to around MOA then got it bedded professionally by a gunsmith who also regulates rifles including doubles. It now shoots factory Privi partisen into around MOA handloads should improve it but due to our stupid local Police it's on my licence for collection only and not shooting so I have no 8mm (7.92mm) ammo holding either  so have not been able to test it out.

[mjbgalt]

well i shot it last night with reloads for the first time...got 1.25" groups at 50 yards, but two were in the same hole almost and one was a flier every time.

one other vanguard i had did this as well...gotta be bedding...

-Matt