Stevens 200 Accuracy Issues

[kalbrecht]

Have a Stevens 200 CF. Started life with a 7mm 08 barrel (11.5" twist). Was getting 4 to 5 inch (at 100 yds) groups. Swapped to a known good scope, no improvement.

Put a new take-off Stevens .308 Win barrel on and headspaced with gages, no accuracy improvement.

Got rid of the L clip that holds the mag in the stock and glass bedded the action, no improvement.

Here's the strange part when the rifle was still a 7mm08 I sent it back to Savage and they returned it with a 1.2" (at 100 yd) test target. I have not been able to get anywhere near this level of accuracy.

Trigger is set at 3 1/2 pounds and I have other rifles (Savage and Remington) that I can regularly shoot 1/2" groups at 100 yds. with.

Any ideas what to try next or should I just get rid of the rifle? ???

[Blue Avenger]

have you had some one else shoot it, that you know is a fair shot? We have to rule out you flinching also. Some times it is not recoil but noise that dose it.

[McKinneyMike]

Factory ammo or are you shooting reloads? What bullets are you shooting in this gun?

[wsmitty01]

I regularly shoot .5" group at 100 with the same gun and Remington 120gr factory, could propably do better with a higher power scope, there is definitely something wrong going on here!!

[McKinneyMike]

I missed that you swapped barrels. I am puzzled. Is the barreled action torgued into the stock properly? Is the tang floated? Strange indeed.

[thirty06]

This may or may not help. A while back on here somebody [can't remember who] had the same problem.
Tried everything to fix no help, turned out to be a bad recoil lug.
Couldn't find the post but maybe someone else will remember.

[mike3132]

Check your scope mounts and particullary the bases. Savage has a known issue with the front screw in the front base bottoming out before being tight. Some base screws are too long. Grind off a couple threads. Another is the front base riding up on the recoil lug. Some lugs stick up past the top of the action and the base will not set flush on the action. Grind off the front to the base a little. Good luck, Mike

[kalbrecht]

Let's see if I can answer some of your questions. I am shooting reloads, When I had the 7mm 08 barrel on I shot 140 grain corelocks and 139 gn hornady interlocks using H4350 and Ramshot Tac. I varied bullet jump to lands everywhere from .015" off to .030" off. All of this made no difference.

With the .308 barrel I've used 165 gn Hornady SP's and BTSP's. Ramshot Tac powder and varied the bullet jump from .015 " to .030" and everywhere in between. All made no difference.

I'm using Warne maxima bases and Burris low Zee rings. Base screws are not bottoming out and bases do not touch the recoil kug.

I will have a friend of mine shoot it also, but I really don't think it's me. I use a Past recoil shoulder pad when shooting from the bench and I regularly shoot my Savage 300 WSM for groups between 1/2" and 3/8". So recoil doesn't much bother me (at least up to a 300 WSM).

The bad recoil lug theory sounds interesting, but short of puting on a after market lug I don't know how to test it out.

Thanks for all the help so far.

[1Shot]

...I tried Tac powder in my .223 & I'm less than impressed with it..Took forever to get a load to shoot to my standards..Bought it back when powder was getting hard to come by...

[BoilerUP]

Aren't 140gr bullets a bit heavy for the slow twist Savage used to have on their 7mm08s?

As far as the 308 goes...maybe try a different powder like 4350 or Varget?

[Samdweezel05]

I would say change the load all together. There are hundreds of know loads out there that shoot MOA or better through a savage/stevens. Might be something to look into. With a 1:10 twist you should try a good old 168gr SMK and 44gr of varget. If that doesn't shoot MOA in your rifle I don't know what would.

[ellobo]

Is the barrel and tang free floated? Thats the first thing I would check. Did you bed the recoil lug?

El Lobo

[Eric in NC]

I regularly shoot .5" group at 100 with the same gun and Remington 120gr factory, could propably do better with a higher power scope, there is definitely something wrong going on here!!


So you shoot .5" with factory rounds but poorly with handloads? Sounds like handloads are to blame?!?

[kalbrecht]

Yup, barrel and tang are free floated. Recoil lug, 2" in front of it and under the rear action screw are bedded. Barrel and tang are free floated.

I'm not intersted in shooting target bullets, this rifles purpose is killing mule deer in forested and broken cover. I've got other rifles for other purposes.

In my experience I've never found that the type of powder can make a difference between 5" and sub moa groups. Maybe I'm wrong on this, But I tend to agree with John Barsness that the secret seems to be a good bullet seated straightly.

[Samdweezel05]

In my experience I've never found that the type of powder can make a difference between 5" and sub moa groups. Maybe I'm wrong on this, But I tend to agree with John Barsness that the secret seems to be a good bullet seated straightly.


I wasn't suggesting that you use nothing but "target bullets" but you need to find something that works in the rifle. You can seat it as strait as you want. If you are using the wrong powder, wrong quantity of powder, wrong seating depth, wrong neck tensoin, wrong primer, wrong bullet.......then you get a 5MOA rifle like what you have.

[kalbrecht]

I've found tweaking the load will often get you from 2" to sub moa but I've never had a rifle shoot this bad without there being something wrong mechanicaly.

Anyway, if all agree it's a load problem I guess I'll have to try more loads.

[Bearcat 74]

My 30/06 shoots best with bullets seated .005" off.

[usmc_mwroseberry]

You can't run 140s in the 11.5" twist that the stock 200 barrel has. You my brother has the exact same rifle and we have to run the 120gr noslers in order to get his to group. We tried the 150gr SMKs and the bullet went through the target at 100 yards sideways. You can't stabolize the larger rounds. I just ordered a 26" bull barrel in 7mm-08 and had it made with a 1 in 8" twist so I could run the 180gr VLDs if I wanted.

Make sure your barrel and tang are floated. Do not use a bipod with a stock stevens stock. You have to use a bag and make sure you put it back underneith the recoil lug.

PM me if you want any more info.

Good luck,
Merritt

[kalbrecht]

Merritt, I've given up on the 11.5" twist 7mm08 barrel. It won't shoot the 140 grain and heavier bullets I want to hunt with. Now I have the .308 Win barrel on the action.

As far as benchrest technique I use a Protector Standard front sand bag and a Protector Rabbit Ear Rear bag. Keep the front bag pretty far back but not quite under the recoil lug. I'll have to try moving it back further still.

One thing I have though of is that yesterday when I shot it was fairly cold (in the teens), I wonder if I should be using magnum primers with the TAC powder.

Anyone else have any suggestions I'm all ears. Thanks all.

[usmc_mwroseberry]

Merritt, I've given up on the 11.5" twist 7mm08 barrel. It won't shoot the 140 grain and heavier bullets I want to hunt with. Now I have the .308 Win barrel on the action.

As far as benchrest technique I use a Protector Standard front sand bag and a Protector Rabbit Ear Rear bag. Keep the front bag pretty far back but not quite under the recoil lug. I'll have to try moving it back further still.

One thing I have though of is that yesterday when I shot it was fairly cold (in the teens), I wonder if I should be using magnum primers with the TAC powder.

Anyone else have any suggestions I'm all ears. Thanks all.



My best 308 loads were as follows:
168smk
39gr IMR 3031
Winchestor brass
CCI 200
OAL 2.807

175smk
44.2gr BL-(C)2
Winchestor Brass
CCI200
OAL 2.814

Temp will effect rounds but it will only result in slower velocity. Your accuracy still should be there unless you are shooting one right after another. On the sporter barrels you can shoot the first two or three rapid then you need to give the barrel 60sec between rounds with the bolt open and chamber clear to cool down. If you loaded too fast that could be why your 7mm-08 was shooting bad as the powder would heat up while in the chamber and result in a different burn speed. or if you were throwing rounds high and to the right more than likely your barrel was overheating.

PM me if you have any more spacific questions.

Good luck,
Merritt