.22 Savage at 100 yards last Friday, not good. Tuesday much better!

[Joe L]

I'm still struggling with my little .22 Savage rifle.  The only solution left is to buy a CZ, I think!   

A few weeks ago, I took the gun to a gunsmith and asked him to check it over and let me know what he thought.  He said the scope base wasn't flush with the action and the bedding job wasn't very good.  I gave him the go ahead to do what he thought best and picked it up last week. 

Here is a video showing you my results.  This is with a good scope and a bipod and a bag, and I'm holding fine, breathing fine, and pulling the trigger fine.  It ain't me. 

https://youtu.be/UsaKc0WCU6c

One of my shooting buddies brought his brand new MTR out last week and I shot under an inch with it first 5 rounds. 

Joe

[Joe L]

The problem has to be in the barrel.  I'm going to spend some time with a borescope today and see if I can find a burr or something in the barrel, possibly at or near the crown.   It shoots pretty well every 20-30 rounds or so, then craps out again, like it builds up an obstruction of some kind, then knocks it off, then it builds up again and repeats.  More this evening.   Same with every ammo. 

Update noon Monday:  I used some JB Bore Paste and some abrasive pellets and tried to smooth out the chamber and first 2" of the chamber end, then went to the muzzle end and did the same thing, maybe 2-3" deep from the crown.  The crown looked good but there was definitely still some carbon build up there, so I got all of that out.  I didn't do anything to the middle section of the barrel as it appeared clean using the borescope.  Will shoot the gun with the Aguila Super Extra ammo on Tuesday morning, no changes from Friday other than the barrel ends polishing. 

"Don't borescope anything you aren't willing to clean."

Joe 

[M1A4ME]

With taps there is the kind you cut the threads in a round hole with - then the kind that you just run into a threaded hole every so often (like on race engines where the head is still good, but you may tear it down every race/every other race) to just clean it up some/remove burrs, etc.  The 2nd kind is supposed to keep the threads nice and clean/uniform without damaging what the original tap cut.  Never used them, can't say it works but I read that a few times years ago when I was spending more money on cars

Do they make tools/bits to run down a rifle barrel to clean up/uniform the lands/grooves?

One of my buddies is trying to talk me into lapping the barrel (Storm Lake .40) I bought for an M&P 1.0 a few months back.  I got the stuff, I just haven't gotten around to it yet, so again, I can't say what the barrel looks like before/after or whether or not it made a difference in groups.

I know you like to tinker with stuff and figure out how to make it work/shoot better but from here a new CZ .22 is looking like a good idea.

[Boris_LA]

20-30 rounds in 22 takes to change the ammo and re-season the barrel to the new lube. The same after the thorough cleaning to get the accuracy back.
Life it too short to spend it on trying to make mediocre rifle shoot good. I have done it once with my first 22 (Ruger 10/22). End up with only serial number left from the original. I does shoot now subMOA and cost more then any of my CZ rimfires that only required small trigger job.
While some people enjoy building guns and make them accurate, I prefer just to shoot them with minor upgrades as needed.

[Joe L]

I know you like to tinker with stuff and figure out how to make it work/shoot better but from here a new CZ .22 is looking like a good idea.

We were typing at the same time.  I agree with this, pending 4" groups again on Tuesday morning.  I'm out of ideas and don't know what I'm looking at with the borescope. 

About your barrel, I have been totally confused as to why the roughest machined barrel I have--the P-10F--is one of if not the best shooter, tied with the pitted P-09 barrel.  I'm to the point now where if I don't see a boulder in a groove that would gouge a bullet and cause a leak, I don't worry about what I see.  I look for an irregularity like a single leaded groove that is only leaded near the chamber end, something like that.  Machine marks apparently don't make any difference as long as they are uniform around the bore. 

My mistake was shooting my friend's MTR at the range last week, using his scope eye relief, his trigger, his cheek weld, his focus, his level, his ammo, and shooting about a 3/4" group immediately.

I'll probably place my order on Wednesday, again, assuming poor results on Tuesday.  I'm fine with admitting to a poor cleaning job prior to today if the gun can deliver several 1-1.5" groups in a row.   Every accessory I have will go straight to the MTR from the Savage starting Tuesday evening if it get anything like I had on Friday. 

Joe

[Joe L]

20-30 rounds in 22 takes to change the ammo and re-season the barrel to the new lube. The same after the thorough cleaning to get the accuracy back.
Life it too short to spend it on trying to make mediocre rifle shoot good. I have done it once with my first 22 (Ruger 10/22). End up with only serial number left from the original. I does shoot now subMOA and cost more then any of my CZ rimfires that only required small trigger job.
While some people enjoy building guns and make them accurate, I prefer just to shoot them with minor upgrades as needed.

Thanks, Boris.  I agree.  The lube is one reason why I identify a suitable ammo and stay with it.  I also allow for some seasoning rounds when switching ammo.  Usually, I will try to shoot 50 rounds of a new ammo before coming to any conclusions, and then I really look at the last twenty rounds.  This rifle doesn't appear to shoot anything well with any consistency.  It'll still do for a plinker for the grand kids, but it is never going to be a suitable (for me) range rifle. 

Joe 

[Boris_LA]

It'll still do for a plinker for the grand kids, ...

Joe

That an appropriate role for it. Teach kids to shot at shorter distance.

[Joe L]

Well, today I went back to the range after using some JB Bore Paste and abrasive pellets on the 1st and last 3 inches of the Savage barrel.  Initial 50 rounds with the Aguila Super Extra were not good, so I went to the Norma Match ammo that looked promising even last Friday.  Sure enough, some good results today, at least for this rifle.  About 2/3 of the groups were "good" and the rest were ruined by one or two fliers. 

I am going to treat the entire barrel to a little more JB and pellets before I order an MTR. 

Here is a short video  https://youtu.be/_C_tV3MQZPs

Joe

[M1A4ME]

Stubborn, Joe, stubborn. 

Either that or making it hurt longer so it'll feel that much better when you start shooting small groups with the new CZ.

I don't have a CZ .22.  If I still small game hunted I'd sure be looking at one of those beautiful wood stocked, blued bolt action rifles though.  When I see them on the boxes at the gun shows I quickly walk past and keep my distance from the table.

[Joe L]

Well, I went back to the range yet again this morning with the Savage, just to shoot 50 rounds of Norma Match before leaving town for the weekend to go see our new grand daughter.  I had some good results today.  No video yet because Google has me locked out of my own account for some reason.  So I will have to fix that then upload a video.  Maybe. 

Six good groups out of 10, with a few fliers.  Only 4 wide groups.  Five best 4 shot goups were an inch, so there is still hope for this rifle.  And I was in a hurry this morning, so I can do a better job shooting the thing.  I am going to put the JB Bore paste and VFG pellets to it again before shooting it again.  I think the major mechanical problems are solved, other than the rough bore. 

So, I am going to waste another 100 rounds or so of good ammo on the little gun.  After I see the grand daughter.  She may inherit the Savage, eventually. 

Joe