Question about Shaw Barrels

[yew plucker]

I have two .308 Shaw barrels. One I put on an Axis and the other on a Model 10 (older one, internal box mag, staggered feed, 4.27screw spacing). Both are bedded into Boyd's stocks with JB weld.

Neither rifle is shooting up to, what I believe should be, its potential. 175's, 168's and even 190's have been tried. All were seated to the standard 2.8" COAL. Mind you, when I installed the barrels, I set the headspace tight. I think most of us do this anyway.

I believe I know what the deal is but I want other opinions. I checked the distance to the Lands in front of the chamber. I seated a bullet just barely into the case and inserted it into the chamber. Then I closed the bolt and let the bullet seat touching the lands. the OAL was around 2.94. So my bullets have been jumping over a tenth of an inch to get into the rifling. I don't mind seating the bullets long, but in the Model 10, I only have so much room in the magazine box. I haven't shot them yet with the bullets seated out that long.

Has anyone else seen this kind of excessive Leade in Shaw Barrels?

[cowtownup]

Well, i guess the big question here is exactly what are you expectations? I have one shaw barrel in 260 remington and its a 3/4 to 1 minute barrel for me.. I will shoot a 5 shot group down around a half minute here an there but on 10 and 20 shot strings its gonna shoot 1 MOA pretty much.

As far as the OAL question, I think you definitely need to push them out closer to the lands and see how it does.

Good luck with it and keep us posted....

[yew plucker]

My expectations are to have each gun shoot half minute or better. The axis is doing about a half inch... some of the time. The 10 is shooting about an inch or just over with 168's and 175's. With the 190's at two hundred yards, I was getting three inches. You could say I was slightly disappointed.

[cowtownup]

That OAL of 2.94 is exactly what my 308 X-Caliber barrel measures with the 175 TMK's... My rifle likes those at .025 off... I single load anyway so mag length doesn't bother me...

[243LPR]

My Shaw 308 loves 125 and 150 B-tips, and 130 Speer hollow points.

[yew plucker]

I shot some 130 grain Hornady SP's through mine, they weren't that accurate either.

[Robinhood]

What powder/powder charge weight/primer/brass are you using? How many firings on the brass? Where all of those firings from the same rifle. What is you neck RO/bullet RO?

[yew plucker]

Brass was LC Match with one previous firing on it, full length resized. Powder was AA2460 at 42 grains (41 grains with the 190's). Primer was CCI LR. I did not measure runout on Bullet or case neck. bullets 168's and 190's were older HPBT, I believe Sierras. The 175'swere newer made Sierra HPBT.

[darkker]

You said " the standard 2.8" OAL".... What makes that the standard? Do you know what these battens individual throats are? I doubt the jump would be the same between them. What is you actual jump to lands?

[yew plucker]

SAAMI standard COAL. That means my rifle's jump to the lands would be over 1/10 of an inch.

[243LPR]

Have you tried Varget and IMR4064 with the heavier bullets? I've also had good luck with w748 and BLc2.

[Robinhood]

The Shaw barrels do copper up fairly easily but many are very accurate. You may want to try a different powder. If you like accurate powders try 2520 or 4064. There is a good load somewhere around 2650 with the 168's.

[gbflyer]

Really doesn't sound too bad to me.

There's a few things it could be. Bedding, loads, scope, crown...If you're getting a half inch out of the .223 then it certainly is not the trigger - puller. My advice would be to find a box of Federal 168gr GMM and a scope you trust. If you can get 5 into an inch with that set-up then nothing is seriously wrong with the gun and work more on ammo. If you can't, then start looking at mechanical issues.

Advice worth the cost. [emoji1]

[yew plucker]

Thanks everyone for your responses. The essence of the question was, Has anyone else seen this much leade in the chambers of Shaw barrels. As I said, COAL to the lands is 2.94, longer than I thought it should have been.

[DanSavage]

My Shaw .308 has a slightly shorter throat, and it shoot's best at .005 off the rifling with Hornady 168 Match bullet's and a low dose of Reloder 15 in Lapaua brass.

[yew plucker]

Thanks, Dan.

[Burr]

I don't know that it's that rare to have that kind of jump from SAMMI length to the lands unless you specify different with the barrel chambering.

Seat the bullets to close the distance to the lands, and see if the groups come together. Worry about mag length later, get it grouping good first. If you can't pull the groups together with seating depth, reboot the recipe.

Keep chasing it. I agree it should shoot better.

[yew plucker]

Thanks Burr.

[TonyBen]

I've had really good luck with 42.8 grains of RL-15 in LC cases with 175gr SMK's and BR-2 primers. I've also had really good luck with 42.8 grains of 4064 in commercial cases, 168gr SMK's and Remington 9-1/2 primers seated to 2.812", but that is in three different M14's with match barrels. I'm looking forward to finishing my Savage 110 Long action in 308. Seating longer than mag length won't be a problem.

Tony.

[eddiesindian]

41.5 of imr 4064 and 175smks std oal has worked for me