Axis II, .30-06 thoughts

[PlainsHunter]

So the jury is still out on this rifle for me. I'm not holding good groups at all. I've tried a lot of different factory with different bullet weights and can't keep any kind of consistent group at all. It came with a Weaver scope that I dislike. I'm thinking of getting a Redfield Revolution for it (I have on on another rifle and love it). Now I'm not saying I'm the best shot in the world, but I would expect to see more consistent groupings. I've been shooting it at 100 or 200 yds and just about the time I think I have it dialed in, the next time out is totally different, with the same ammo.

to say I'm a little discouraged with it is an understatement.

Outside of a new scope and mount, is there anything else I should consider doing to it or looking at?

[pisgah]

What kind of groups are you getting? And what shape are they? Round? Strung out vertically or horizontally? "Not good at all" doesn't tell us much. There are folks on here who would describe , say, 5-shot groups of under 2 inches as "not that good", whereas the fact is that such groups from factory rifles firing factory ammo only 15 or 20 years ago were considered phenomenal.

[ivob]

Make sure everything is snub (scope base/mounts) also the action screw. If your shooting with a bipod and are leaning in on your shots the forend may be touching the barrel. I am under 1/2 at 100 and about an inch and a half a 200. Factory loads would give me 1 inch at 100 regularly

[PlainsHunter]

I don't have any of the targets to measure exactly but if I was getting under 2 inches I would be happy. Probably 3-4 inches if I recall.

[PlainsHunter]

and I forgot to mention that I did tighten down all the scope mounts and used loktite on them

[abenway]

I had terrible grouping with all ammo from my Axis-I 30-06 even when firing from a heavy bench and the biggest Lead Sled. I was seeing 5-7" groups at 25 yards. Eventually I found that it was a stock bedding issue. The OEM plastic stock could not hold a 35 lb/in tightness after a single shot. [Also, when using a sling to shoot from sandbags, the fore-end would pull into the barrel, it was so weak.] It worked loose fairly quickly (to more like 15 lb/in after a few shots). I now get a ragged hole at 25 yards. Here is what I did:

1. replace the factory trigger (crappy, not the one in the Axis-II) with the excellent Rifle Basix unit ($100) from Brownells. (No improvement in group size, huge improvement in trigger control)
2. replaced my Nikon 4-12 x 42 scope (I even sent it back to the factory to have it checked once I bought the Millet - no problems found) with a Millet 4-16x50 tactical (30mm, $300) with Weaver tactical rings (no improvement except in image quality and usability)
3. replaced the stock with the Boyd's thumbhole laminate stock ($100) - instant improvement

The rifle instantly became capable of shooting a ragged hole at 25 (the longest clear space at the closest level forest location where I can shoot). With an Axis-II (the excellent Accu-trigger) only the stock change out is needed to fix grouping issues. The Boyd stock was difficult to insert the action into at first - had to be forced. After shooting 20 rounds it had "formed" the somewhat rough cavity edges and now goes on and off with minimal effort.

[PlainsHunter]

thanks abenway. i had wondered about the stock. I've never done a stock replacement but I'll definitely look into it.

[RedneckSOG]

Does the current stock pass the dollar bill test? Does the stock touch anywhere? I've been told it's worth checking that the action is equally torqued in 3 steps.

[PlainsHunter]

well haven't done that. I'll check that out. thanks RedneckSOG

[jimbo88mm]

I picked up a 30-06 Axis for Christmas (plain one, not the XP II).

I found the recoil for this rifle to be pretty stout. It feels worse to me than any of my full power military surplus rifles (7.62x54r, 30-06, 8mm mauser, 7.7 J, 7.5 swiss, etc). I too have been underwhelmed with the groups. I've gotten a couple of 1 moa groups but not consistently.

I noticed the actions screws and the scope mount would become loose after a few shots.
The trigger pull on mine was heavy, around 6lbs.

I have also caught myself flinching a couple of times. I really think the combination of 30-06 recoil, super cheap stock, and overall light weight are all contributing factors.

I stopped shooting it and ordered a Boyds thumbhole. I paid extra for the pachmayr butt pad. Should have it in a couple of weeks. I installed a modified trigger spring which got the pull down to 3.5 lbs and ordered an EGW base.

I'm pretty confident it will shoot well enough with the new stock.

[Senseone]

I stopped shooting it and ordered a Boyds thumbhole. I paid extra for the pachmayr butt pad. Should have it in a couple of weeks. I installed a modified trigger spring which got the pull down to 3.5 lbs and ordered an EGW base.

I'm pretty confident it will shoot well enough with the new stock.

Jimbo88mm: How did the recoil turn out with this new stock? I just bought a plain axis 30-06 as well and I'm curious to see if this stock really does help any.

[jimbo88mm]

Jimbo88mm: How did the recoil turn out with this new stock? I just bought a plain axis 30-06 as well and I'm curious to see if this stock really does help any.

The stock helped a lot. I think the pachmayr butt pad is helping a lot. My first time out with the new stock I fired off 40 rounds. The shoulder was a tad sore but it was really nothing.