Quick Tip: Fix Your Hunting Rifle's Accuracy Problems!
How many Brownells Gun Techs™ does it take to provide tips for diagnosing and fixing your hunting rifle's accuracy problems?
Only two when they're Steve Ostrem and Caleb Savant! We're releasing this episode at the height of Deer Season, but most of these tips apply any bolt action rifle.
So you hit the range to check your rifle's zero, and those groups are too large. The problem might be YOU. Are you holding the rifle correctly? If you're shooting off a rest, make sure the stock, not the barrel, sits on the rest.
Check your AMMO
Are you using the right load for this rifle? If you're a handloader, you might have multiple loads for a given caliber on the shelf. Did you grab the correct load? If the gun is new and you're using factory ammunition, try different factory loads. Your rifle may "like" one load much better than others. What if the shots are landing WAY off, a "bushel basket" size group at 100 yards?
Check your OPTIC
Has the scope been knocked out of alignment? Are the rings and / or base loose?
Check for RUST
Between the scope base and the receiver. Make sure the scope itself is tracking correctly. Is it broken? Change the windage and elevation settings and see if the shots move accordingly on the target.
Make sure the ACTION screws aren't loose
If your rifle has a wood stock and free-floating barrel, has the STOCK warped and put pressure on the barrel?
Do the Dollar Bill Test
On most hunting rifles, you should be able to slide a dollar bill between the barrel and the stock. If you can't, you have a warped stock! Even the DBT isn't perfect. George Washington might fit, but when you rest the forearm on a support OR attach a bipod to it, the gap can close and the stock contacts the barrel.
CAUTION: Not all rifles have free-floated barrels. Caleb has some tips for fixing stock problems. Bedding the action with Brownells ACRAGLAS® will seal the stock from moisture and prevent it from flexing. You ARE bedding your stocks with ACRAGLAS®, aren't you?
Check the bore for COPPER FOULING
This is a common problem on rifles chambered for high-velocity magnum cartridges.
Solution: a thorough bore cleaning, not just a few quick passes with a patch.
Could the barrel be "shot out?"
Caleb points out that very few hunters will ever wear out a barrel. Even that old .30-30 or .30-06 you inherited from Grandad is probably nowhere near shot out. A damaged BARREL CROWN can seriously mess up accuracy. A ding on the edge of the exit hole can knock the bullet cockeyed as it leaves the bore. A gunsmith can re-crown the barrel for you, or you can do it yourself if you're handy.
