GRS Underperforming...Bad Barrel!

I have to say I've been pretty underwhelmed by the results I've been getting with my GRS Savage 6.5 Creedmoor.

No matter what I try, I can't get better than 2"+/- at 100, which is pretty disappointing. At first I thought it was the trigger, so I got a SAV2 and installed that. I have had a bit of experience with benchrest and varmint rifles with light pulls and prefer light triggers on target rifles. I hadn't had the GRS out for a while and, while the new trigger is great, the groups I was getting were still pretty bad. I decided to have a closer look this afternoon. First thing I noticed was the crown looked pretty ragged and the muzzle was caked with hard fouling (okay, my bad) which I cleaned up with solvent and steel wool. I then took a brass ball and some fine grinding compound and cleaned up the crown. I then cleaned the barrel really good. What quickly became apparent was the bore has two diameters. It is easily felt running a tight patch down the bore and about halfway down, you can feel the bore get bigger. Going from the muzzle, you can feel it constrict. This isn't one of those "maybe I feel it maybe not" kind of things. It's quite distinct and consistently in the same spot. It's kind of like a bump, actually. Like a step in the barrel. I broke out the borescope and it's pretty clear there's a visible line right where bore changes diameter.

So, I was wondering if I want to have Savage try and do something with the obviously defective barrel or just scrap it and get another. I've been considering a Criterion and was trying to decide between sticking with 6.5 Creedmoor or following my inclination at the moment and switch over to 6mm Creedmoor. I had wanted to try the 6.5, but I think there are more bullet choices with 6mm. I have a lot of 105/107gr 6mm target bullets and was only just experimenting with 6.5 designs, so I'm not sitting on a huge pile of 6.5s. When I got into the 6.5, my mentor, a benchrest legend who has regrettably passed on, said it's foolish to not take advantage of all the development that's been devoted to the 6mm projectiles. A the time, I wanted something different and was swayed by all the acclaim of the 6.5, but the more I think about it, the more I think he was correct. I have a bunch of Lapua 6.5 brass, which I could easily neck down, and the powders I've accumulated for this rifle will work for either cartridge.

From what I understand (which is limited) is that Savage will test fire your rifle and if it is not performing to their standards they will fix it. Their standards from others who have sent theirs in seems to be MOA. For the .308 and .223 they recommend Federal Gold Medal Match ammo for testing. I did not see the 6.5 listed.

https://savagearms.zendesk.com/hc/en...or-my-firearm-

You might call and ask. They show these kinds of specs for another model

https://savagearms.zendesk.com/hc/en...Specifications

Take it off and send it back to savage with a letter.
Sorry to hear that news


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Get Savage to replace the barrel then turn around and sell it...

Just purchased a new 110 BA in .338 Lapua; borescoping the new barrel was frightening...
Chatter marks from the rifling button were horrendous, both in the grooves and on the lands.

Seems to be gradually working itself in, stripping copper after each range session and starting anew. Takes about 5 foulers to lay down enough copper to shoot well, now getting 1/2" to 3/4" groups some of the chatter is getting smoothed out. I was ready to send it back after the first look, but seems to be shooting "OK" after near 100 rounds in the last couple weeks.

Going to see how it does, might end up chambering a Bartlein for it (the 24" barrel is on the short side, anyway). At the $1200 price tag, still a bargain if I end up rebarreling.

When you say you "cleaned the barrel really good"- does that mean you stripped the copper as well as powder fouling?

Yes, I got as much copper out as I could. I used Holland's Witch's Brew Copper Cleaner on a wire brush, flushed the bore with isopropyl (as per instructions) then followed with Montana Extreme on a nylon brush and well fitted patches. That got all the copper from everything but the deepest parts of the toolmarks in the grooves. The borescope revealed the chatter you described. Looked almost like file teeth in the grooves consistent from front to back with intermittent but still copious chatter in the bore. Probably the worst looking barrel I've run the Hawkeye into, actually, in terms of toolmarks from the factory. I know there are lots of "out of the box" Savages that shoot well, but I think the noticeable step in the bore getting looser halfway toward the muzzle can't be helping things. If it was reversed so it got tighter toward the muzzle, I might give it more time.

My mentor told me once that borescopes can be like tours of a sausage factory. Sometimes you just don't want that much information.

^^^
Yeah, know what you mean.
I have the sometimes dubious pleasure of looking at alot of them...and sometimes they do shoot a lot better than one would think despite the chatter. I think the overall consistency of the bore diameter is of great importance as well- and as you noted, if you can actually feel it, it's probably not going to resolve itself and likely destined for return. How long have you had it?

I got it about 2 years ago, but haven't been shooting much lately. I really liked the stock, so I ordered one from a local dealer. It's comfortable for me to shoot and, although I could probably live without the sticky rubber patches on the forend, seems a nicely made stock. The rifle's just never shot very well and I decided after taking it out over the last weekend that I'd give it a close look for mechanical or machining problems. What do you think about 6mm vs 6.5mm?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RCE1

. What do you think about 6mm vs 6.5mm?

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Referring to the Creedmoor, or in general?

The 6 Creed caught on with the PRS crowd because of the lighter recoil and flat shooting as compared to the 6.5...
Basically, the 6 Creed is the ballistic twin to the .243 Winchester, which has been around forever, favored for it's flat-shooting, (long MPBR) and light recoil.

Depends on your application; obviously the 6mm will be more of a throat-burner than the 6.5, that may or may not be relevant to you.