New Model 11, 260 Remington on the way

[Stumpkiller]

Shoot well!

[rifrench]

Nice choice, Hauser52. I am searching for a left hand Savage in 6,5x55 Swede, a ballistic twin to your rifle. I just like the older cartridges, there isn't any thing wrong with your 260 Remington, or the 6.5 Creedmoor, all 3 are good hunting rounds. The 6.5 Creed may be better for long range target, but that is not what I am about. The Swede has a little more powder room, so it can launch a 160 grain bullet if I want or need that.

Good shooting!

[tobnpr]

Only "downside" to the .260 is that in a SA, there can be issues with OAL if loading heavy VLD's. This is where the Creedmoor has it's (only) advantage.
My Savage 11 (built on a varmint SA, in an AICS) requires single loading 140 VLD's. It's a target stick, so it's no big issue; could solve it with Wyatt's extended mags.

Building another now on an M700, I've already milled the action out for the Wyatt's extended internal box mag (hunting rifle, no DBM).

[Stumpkiller]

Nice choice, Hauser52. I am searching for a left hand Savage in 6,5x55 Swede, a ballistic twin to your rifle. I just like the older cartridges, there isn't any thing wrong with your 260 Remington, or the 6.5 Creedmoor, all 3 are good hunting rounds. The 6.5 Creed may be better for long range target, but that is not what I am about. The Swede has a little more powder room, so it can launch a 160 grain bullet if I want or need that.

Good shooting!

I've got a good load worked up for a 156 gr Norma Oryx for my .260 Rem with H4891SC in case I ever find a moose. No reason the .260 Rem can't get there with 160 gr bullets. At least in the Savage throat and magazine.

Heavier the bullet the less powder you can load . . . so it all works out.

[houser52]

I finally got to shoot my new 260 Rem some over the last few days. Bullets that I tried were 129 gr. Hornady, 130 Sierra HPBT, Speer 120 gr and 140 gr Gold Dots. The powders that I tried were H4350, H414 and H4831. Primers were CCI 200 and Winchester LRP.

All I can say is that I'm disappointed in the way it shoots. All shots were taken from my bench and sand bags. None of the loads that I tried would group consistently and I tried a lot. I rechecked the mount and ring torque. Tried different torque on the front and rear stock screws. Tried different cartridge OALs, different powder load ladders, switched primers, adjusted Accutrigger down to 2.5 pounds. Cleaned between shots, tried not cleaning between shots, deep cleaned with copper solvent. Made no difference.

I could shoot a couple rounds and they would be close to an inch, then the group would open up to 4,5 or more inches. Shots were all over the place not just a little off but a lot in any direction. Between shots I was waiting anywhere from 1 minute to 15 minutes apart, made no difference. All total I must have shot almost 100 rounds.

I've been reloading for over 40 years and no novice at developing loads for a particular caliber/gun. I'm beginning to think that the stock is the problem just like an old Rem Model 7 in 6mm that I have. I ended up putting a new B&C stock on it and now it shoots less than 1 inch groups with about any bullet.

Anyone have any other ideas that I can try?

[Stumpkiller]

Mine would shoot 1.5" to 1.6" five-round groups at 100 yards with Federal Premium factory using 142 gr Sierra Matchkings right out of the box (with a scope and rings upgrade and torqued bases and rings). That is my baseline for testing. Never better, never worse. But I bought it with the intention of putting a Boyd's stock on it and pillars with Accraglas bedding and I did soon after.

One thing I will say is that the sporter weight barrel mine wears has to be rested to cool down between shots. After the first three I wait two minutes between shots. Even free-floated full length. But I see you tried working around that. I tried adding "pressure points" at different spots along the barrel in the foreshock but that just made things worse. I torque the front action screw at 65 in-lbs (aluminum pillars) and the rear at 40 in-lbs. The hunting load I was using this fall was a slightly compressed Reloader 19 and Sierra 130 gr Tipped GameKing (2.835" COL) that would put five in 1.10" to 1.25" at 100 yards. I also noted that a 1/16" jump (0.0625") was more accurate than the 0.015" jump I stared at. I'm still working towards that illusive MOA and will get back at it. I may add a chronograph to my stable now that the Christmas frenzy has passed.

[JoeJoe]

After reading through your experiences, I'd have to assume the factory stock is the issue, especially since switching it out seems to have cured the accuracy problem......I had a similar issue with with a Model 10 in an older accu-stock. It would shoot 1.5-1.75" all day, but as soon as I put it in a Bell/Carlson, the groups dropped to .75" (and sometimes smaller). Probably just enough flex in the forearm to give you headaches.

Not sure how you supported your rifle over bags, but might try placing your front bag right under the front action screw......I have a Contender Carbine that is finicky as hell when it comes to front bag placement.

All that said, if you switched to a B/C and it shoots how you like.....might just call it good :rolleyes:.

[houser52]

After reading through your experiences, I'd have to assume the factory stock is the issue, especially since switching it out seems to have cured the accuracy problem......I had a similar issue with with a Model 10 in an older accu-stock. It would shoot 1.5-1.75" all day, but as soon as I put it in a Bell/Carlson, the groups dropped to .75" (and sometimes smaller). Probably just enough flex in the forearm to give you headaches.

Not sure how you supported your rifle over bags, but might try placing your front bag right under the front action screw......I have a Contender Carbine that is finicky as hell when it comes to front bag placement.

All that said, if you switched to a B/C and it shoots how you like.....might just call it good :rolleyes:.

Thanks a lot for the reply.

>I tried resting the fore end in different positions on the front bag. Front, middle, action screw and everything in between, made no difference.
>I have not tried a B&C stock yet although changing out the stock on my Remington Model 7 did cure my accuracy problem with it.

[JoeJoe]

Thanks a lot for the reply.

>I tried resting the fore end in different positions on the front bag. Front, middle, action screw and everything in between, made no difference.
>I have not tried a B&C stock yet although changing out the stock on my Remington Model 7 did cure my accuracy problem with it.

Ahhh......I misread about the Bell/Carlson. Good Luck on this, hope it turns into an easy (and not too expensive) fix.

[houser52]

Ahhh......I misread about the Bell/Carlson. Good Luck on this, hope it turns into an easy (and not too expensive) fix.

Thanks. I sure hope it's the stock causing the accuracy problems. If I have 2 shots almost in the same hole then on the third shot it may be 3 " high and 4" right, something's not right. I have another scope to try to see if it's the scope however the Sightron has been fine on my 7-08 Rem.

.

[houser52]

I swapped out the Sightron scope for a Vortex Diamondback (http://www.diamondback.com/) and rechecked the torque on the mount and rings. After shooting another 20 rounds or so it is still shooting unacceptable groups with no improvement. I ordered and received a B&C stock that I'll put on it after I receive the "bottom metal". Hopefully it'll shoot better but if not the next step will be to glass bed the stock

[charlie b]

Before you do anything irreversible then I would look up Savage's recommended ammo and shoot it. I'd keep the target for record. If still largish group then call Savage. From what others have reported Savage will fix the problem if it does not group near or under MOA.

[hamiltonkiler]

I’m sure you know and have read but this is my two cent.

With a stock savage rifle from factory.

Bed the front of the action and recoil lug.
Make sure barrel is floated a liberal amount away from stock.
Tighten the front action screw to 60# and the rear to 25# after the lug is bedded.
Barrel needs to be shot 200+ times to settle a lot of the time.
Or scrub with a compound and a brush.
The aiming reticle has to be sub .5 moa to shoot sub moa, at least for me.
I like to shim the slop from the trigger and get it to sub 2#

It should shoot after this.




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[tobnpr]

Thanks. I sure hope it's the stock causing the accuracy problems. If I have 2 shots almost in the same hole then on the third shot it may be 3 " high and 4" right, something's not right. I have another scope to try to see if it's the scope however the Sightron has been fine on my 7-08 Rem.

.

Textbook symptoms of poor action to stock fitment, and/or a barrel that's not fully free-floated.

Did you slide a business card down the full length of the barrel channel to check for free-float?

[houser52]

Thanks hamilton and tobnpr. Yes the fit of the stock or lack thereof is what I was concerned about too. The barrel isn't snug in the stock (sloppy) until the stock screws are tightened.
One of the first things that I checked was to see if the barrel was free floated. It was but I opened up the channel a little more, enough to slide 2 business cards all the way to the barrel nut.

hamilton- While I'm waiting on my bottom metal to get here I think I'll bed the recoil lug and front of the action to see what that helps. It's supposed to be raining this weekend and that will be a good time to do it.

[houser52]

Change of plan. Bedding the factory stock will be put on hold.

When I got home my bottom metal was in the mail box. Looks like I'll get the action put in the B&C stock this weekend after all. If I get a break in the weather I'll see how it shoots.

[hamiltonkiler]

Change of plan. Bedding the factory stock will be put on hold.

When I got home my bottom metal was in the mail box. Looks like I'll get the action put in the B&C stock this weekend after all. If I get a break in the weather I'll see how it shoots.

I’m not to familiar with after market stocks. If I had to guess no matter the stock your action and recoil lug are not going to be a exact fit. As the gun recoils.. it may shift or flex, lack of better terms within where it started. Bed it. Or at least it needs to be on metal pillars or rails or a block. I’ve seen improvement even from skim bedding a aluminum block or rails “bedded” rifle.


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[houser52]

I’m not to familiar with after market stocks. If I had to guess no matter the stock your action and recoil lug are not going to be a exact fit. As the gun recoils.. it may shift or flex, lack of better terms within where it started. Bed it. Or at least it needs to be on metal pillars or rails or a block. I’ve seen improvement even from skim bedding a aluminum block or rails “bedded” rifle.


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The Bell and Carlson stock that I'm going to try is synthetic and has an aluminum bedding block. The aluminum also runs up through the fore end and into the butt stock handgrip making it very rigid. I used the same model of stock on a Rem Model 7 with excellent results without needing to bed it. I'm not sure if this one will shoot as well without bedding but I'll try it then bed it if needed.

[houser52]

I mounted the action in the stock today but haven't shot it yet, the rain hasn't cooperated.

https://i.postimg.cc/Y01MX9pr/43-A1886-C-B227-4-D49-8886-8-BD856-CDCE34.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bSN7rqDW)

[wbm]

I'm not sure if this one will shoot as well without bedding but I'll try it then bed it if needed.

Good idea. Bedding on some stocks is way overrated.