Should I Have Savage Take A Look?

[Bigguy]

I can tell you how to get the barrel to quit fouling and shoot better but you will find some disagreement with the technique, particularly from those that have not used it. I have used it recently on a 300 Weatherby that would badly foul in just 10 shots and not group under 3 inches at 100 yds. Now with the technique and some other work the gun will group under 1 MOA at 100, the best was .58 MOA just the other day. The technique is very simple go to David Tubbs web site, just google David Tubbs, and either buy the Final Finsh kit, currently $28 if you reload, or the final finish ammo. Quite frankly I was totally amazed at how well it worked and I would not hesitate to use it again. I used the kit, followed his instructions, and believe in it now.

[Process_engineer]

I can tell you how to get the barrel to quit fouling and shoot better but you will find some disagreement with the technique, particularly from those that have not used it. I have used it recently on a 300 Weatherby that would badly foul in just 10 shots and not group under 3 inches at 100 yds. Now with the technique and some other work the gun will group under 1 MOA at 100, the best was .58 MOA just the other day. The technique is very simple go to David Tubbs web site, just google David Tubbs, and either buy the Final Finsh kit, currently $28 if you reload, or the final finish ammo. Quite frankly I was totally amazed at how well it worked and I would not hesitate to use it again. I used the kit, followed his instructions, and believe in it now.

That's where I was going with the lapping comment. I personally have not used it but it was suggested to me.

[rkoeneke]

The technique is very simple go to David Tubbs web site, just google David Tubbs, and either buy the Final Finsh kit, currently $28 if you reload, or the final finish ammo.

I had heard of David Tubb and see some of his videos, but I hadn't heard of this. Very interesting concept. Thanks for the tip!

[jim_k]

The action screws themselves should only pull the action down. The backs and sides of the screws must not touch anything. The front two screws on a Savage 10 are the functional action screws. The rear screw just holds the back of the trigger guard; do not tighten the rear one real tight. The tang should not contact the stock, so Dremel away any stock touching the tang. A dollar bill should go under the tang just like checking a barrel for floating. I would diamond-lap the barrel. I would also glass bed the action. I haven't done an Accustock bedding, but I have gotten fabulous results at times, even bedding aluminum stocks like the Bell & Carlson Medalist and Tactical Medalist. Lapping the barrel most likely will do the most for accuracy. Handloads with match bullets or Federal Gold Medal Match are my standards for accuracy checks. If those things don't work, either send it to them, or get a pre-fit. At the 600 yard F-class match last weekend, a shooter on my position shot a 13X 20 shot string with his Savage Criterion prefit. X-ring at 600 yards is 3" in diameter! I have personally shot a 10-X string of 20 shots at 600 yards with a Savage 10 in .308 Win, factory barrel, so they should shoot fine. If you have a good Savage factory barrel, there is no reason to get a pre-fit. Pac-Nor, Shilen, Criterion are all excellent pre-fits (didn't know PacNor made them), and I think they diamond-lap all of their barrels, especially the stainless steel. I think I heard that Shilen now laps their chrome moly prefits. It should be on their website. I have also used the Tubb Final Finish and the full fire-lapping kit (50 rounds of loaded ammo or 50 bullets, fired in sequence, according to his recommended pattern) and it works great. Get the full boat fire-lapping kit of 50 rounds. That would be the quickest, safest, sanest, bestest way for you to proceed. I checked again, and now he sells 20 rounds of loaded Final Finish, which is just about equivalent to the 50 round treatment, so give Superior Shooting Systems a call, and get it sent pronto. $32. (806) 323-9488 CST

[rkoeneke]

I verified last night, both the tang and the barrelnut were already free floated nicely. I am leaning towards experimentation with the final finish, I really want a pac nor prefit, but I am having trouble justifying the cost. Thank you guys for all your help so far. Everything is greatly appreciated!

[Bigguy]

Regardless of what you do, when you do it come back and post here how it worked out for you.

[Jamie]

There are things that came to my mind as soon as I read your post and saw the photo. Short Round brought one up with the bipod on concrete. Try putting two small sand bags under the legs. Bigguy brings up the other with Tubb's lapping bullets. I probably wouldn't do it on a Krieger but I have on 4 Savage barrels. Three shot better and fouled less, one shot the same but fouled less and none got any worse.

[rkoeneke]

I took the plunge and ordered the 20 round Final Finish treatment. Got charged $18 to ship one 20 round box of loaded ammo from Texas to Colorado; Thats insane! I will give it ago and report back on what I find. Thanks guys.

[SlowTrigger]

I'd say that if you are capable of 3/8"s MOA groups with another rifle, it's got to be something with the equipment. Assuming your scope is fine and your bipod isn't coming loose during shooting, the barrel could be to blame. I had the same issue with my RPR when I first got it. It would print 2" groups when I know I'm capable of shooting 1/4 MOA with other rifles. I also knew it wasn't the scope because I took it off a great shooting rifle. It turned out the be the barrel. I had Benchmark Barrels make me a new barrel and that solved the problem. Now the rifle shoots 1/2 MOA consistently if I do my part.

[RustyShackle]

I took the plunge and ordered the 20 round Final Finish treatment. Got charged $18 to ship one 20 round box of loaded ammo from Texas to Colorado; Thats insane! I will give it ago and report back on what I find. Thanks guys.

Hopefully this tightens things up for you! Thanks for taking the time to give us all a report and play by play.

[Bill C]

My FLCP-SR is my most accurate rifle. Since it appears you and your equipment are on point I say its a bad barrel. The key indicator being that it fouls quickly and accuracy degardes.

My guess is there is some anomally in the chamber most likely in the throat region. Damage to this area will ruin accuracy. This could be from the factory or from poor cleaning tools and/or techniques.

Bill

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[rkoeneke]

Update. I sprung for the Tubb's inal finish. I also did some testing to vet a few of the other things you guys brought up. Here are my intial findings.

http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo100/rkoeneke14/IMG_00801.jpg (http://s365.photobucket.com/user/rkoeneke14/media/IMG_00801.jpg.html)

Starting in the upper right corner...

Group 1 is shot after after cleaning and refouling. I change out the factory muzzle break to a Silencerco ASR. The group is shot off a tri pod, rear bag, and a wooden bench.

Group 2 I tried to address the idea that the tripod on the bench was the issue. This group was shot prone, with the tripod and rear bag in soft soil... bad news.

Group 3 with my omgea can on and back to the wood bench.

After completeing those groups I cleaned the rifle, and did the Tubb's 20 round Final Finish treatment using the shoot 5, clean, and repaet method... After completeing the treatment all groups were shot off the wooden bench with the tripod and rear bag.

http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo100/rkoeneke14/IMG_00791.jpg (http://s365.photobucket.com/user/rkoeneke14/media/IMG_00791.jpg.html)

Group 4 is the first group after the Final finish treament, and an inital 4 shot fouling.

Group 5 is another 4 shot group. after completeing this group I switched from Freedom Munitions 178 gr A-max's to Freedom Munitions 168gr A-Maxs

Group 6 and group 7 are 4 shot groups with the 168's. Inital impression is that the Tubb's has helped