Inconsistent accuracy with 12fv in 308

[Swift4Yotes]

I have rifles that are .5" one day then
.7" the next. If a rifle will do it one day and doesn't the next imo it is weather, load inconsistencies, and shooter error etc. I don't shoot long range and my rifles are basically for coyote hunting. If my varmint contours average .6" or better and my sporters. .75" or better with 5 shot groups I leave my hair in my head and call it success. Until you bed and relieve any contact areas like triggers pins, mag boxes etc, and micro tune your loads I think one is whizzing up stream thinking they can put everyone in the same hole....just too many variables at work. These are my conclusion after working with maybe 15 or so factory rifles in the last 3 or so years since I started reloading.
If factory rifles all were capable of sub .5" groups there would be no need for match barrels etc.

[Swift4Yotes]

I don't trust scopes as well when you give it one click and it moves .75 one way and sometimes affects the other direction as well it leaves me skeptical. I think factory .6" .5" shooters are as good as you can expect to get.

[upinthehills]

just to add to this topic, we have 4 12 fv's in the group, of the 4, 3 of us went with aftermarket stocks and improvements were made.

I don't disbelieve you, but does anyone ever go back and put the plastic stock back on and see if things get worse again?

[LongRange]

Lol...that's a good question


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RC20]

I still have mine, will get an accurate load and do so (that's going to be 3 months down the road at current temperatures!)

[Wide Glide]

I don't disbelieve you, but does anyone ever go back and put the plastic stock back on and see if things get worse again?

I have when I wanted to use the better stock for another rifle and put the factory stock back on. Factory non accustock Tupperware opens my groups right up.

I'm not one to do a bunch of mods or upgrades on a rifle but a stock is a must for me

[alltherage]

Maybe i will try a new stock n stick with my imr 4895. For the cost of trying new components i will be at same cost as a stock. One day i shot 5 different 3 shot groups half mia or better. I was varing grains by .1 as i recall. I know im where i need to be loadwise it would seem

[alltherage]

Any Economical Stock suggestions based on experience?

[chetc]

Any Economical Stock suggestions based on experience?

i worked up loads with the 12fv and oem stock, as far as rigidity goes, this oem stock is very very economically made, then i purchased the Choate tactical stock very rigid, palm swell too big, then i tried the Bell & Carlson model 2997, this stock is as good as it gets from a design and its unique alum bedding system. if i had to do it over i might have tried to grind the palm swell area on the Choate, i did have a choate Varmint about 5 yrs ago and it is a nice stock basically for the bench shooter.

Chet

[Benmuncie]

I bought a 12fv this past spring and I was having a horrible time all summer getting it to group with my hand loads. I ended up trying to shoot 500 yards with it a few weeks ago and had a horrible time even hitting the box, but the 3 times I hit the box I could see that my bullets were tumbling. I went home and checked the barrel and there was a bulge inside the barrel about half way down. I had not caught it sooner because I was not looking for it. I called Savage, they sent me a return label and as of last week they had put a new barrel on it and were getting ready to send it back. Hopefully your issue is not that complicated, but there is a chance that your barrel may be flawed.

[Robinhood]

Maybe i will try a new stock n stick with my imr 4895. For the cost of trying new components i will be at same cost as a stock. One day i shot 5 different 3 shot groups half mia or better. I was varing grains by .1 as i recall. I know im where i need to be loadwise it would seem


I stop when I get to half MIA.

Can tell us about your reloading process including brass make, how many times fired, dies and scale type/maker. Do you have any Varget, 4064 or R15?

[Wide Glide]

I stop when I get to half MIA.

Can tell us about your reloading process including brass make, how many times fired, dies and scale type/maker. Do you have any Varget, 4064 or R15?

I've been thinking the same. Experimenting with powders is fun but I'd sAve that for after I had a proven accurate and stable usefull load. It's true that all calibers and rifles like different loads but when it comes to .308 those 3 are a must to try. Varget is hard to beat for accuracy and repeatability.

When it comes to stocks it's a preference thing but it's hard to go wrong with bell & carlson, hs precision, or choate. When buying a stock I usually convert to dbm at the same time if I can find cheap bottom metal in the classifieds.
My favorites for the money are
B&c m40 w/dbm
Hs precision 114 w/dbm
B&c varmint blind mag
Choate tactical dbm
Choate ult sniper blind

In that order. Note that the ultimate sniper is like7-9lbs so don't buy it for a hiking rifle lol

[upinthehills]

I went home and checked the barrel and there was a bulge inside the barrel about half way down.

What does that look like? Is it something you would feel cleaning the gun? Was the bore bigger or smaller in the bulge?

[Benmuncie]

What does that look like? Is it something you would feel cleaning the gun? Was the bore bigger or smaller in the bulge?
I could see a dark ring inside the barrel where the inside diameter was slightly bigger. I think the bullet did not touch the lands at that spot, so the rifling was much darker from the burned powered deposits.

[RC20]

While Varget is good, there seems to be a wider variability to it than others.

Movement is away form it for that reason. Bench rest shooters are complaining that they have to redevelop the load when they get a new batch.,

If you get it (and it is a good one for sure) I would get an 8 lb jug so that your lot stays the same for along time.

By then, when you get a new lot you will be able to nudge it up or down until its back in the slot.

[Wide Glide]

Well have to agree to disagree there. Varget is a favorite powder of mine for many calibers. I buy every jug I can get no matter the lot number and by making sure I'm in the middle of a node rather than the edge I've never had to rework due to lot variance. Poi shift yes but that isn't unique to varget. And honestly I can't think of a more recommended or harder to keep in stock powder.

I've decided to switch to a different powder countless times due to availability but never once found something I liked nearly enough to knock varget off the pedestal. I get similar enough results that I just started buying up RL15 as a backup when I can't restock varget before I run out

[Robinhood]

Yep. POI shift especially from season to season. There is a big difference in shooting 20 rds at 1000 yards in 20 minutes trying to hold .5 MOA and shooting 5 at 100 with no time limit. Real world experience in competition teaches more than internet forums.

[RC20]

Well have to agree to disagree there. Varget is a favorite powder of mine for many calibers. I buy every jug I can get no matter the lot number and by making sure I'm in the middle of a node rather than the edge I've never had to rework due to lot variance. Poi shift yes but that isn't unique to varget. And honestly I can't think of a more recommended or harder to keep in stock powder.

I've decided to switch to a different powder countless times due to availability but never once found something I liked nearly enough to knock varget off the pedestal. I get similar enough results that I just started buying up RL15 as a backup when I can't restock varget before I run out

For my shooting I think I would not see the difference.

Just sort of a comment on the state of what the top types are thinking.

If I can find it I plan on getting an 8 lb jug of it. I can get the 1 lb jugs but the price is a lot higher.

Need to re-up the R17 as well. That's an odd one as it floods in sometimes then gone for a while.

[Robinhood]

I have spoken to some of the top shooters and I rarely hear any negatives about Varget, at least for competition. I actual hear the opposite except on internet forums. The majority of Varget users are shooting calibers that fall into a limited group due to the cartridge being used. Other extreme powders are used more often due to the needs of a particular cartridge. the 6's and 6.5's are using something a little slower.

Something I do find interesting is that the most accurate load for many a 270 Winchester is around 47 grains of 4064. Go figure.