24V 222 will not group

A friend of mine bought a 24 V 222 over 20, he wanted me to clean it up and dial it in. I foam treated the 222 barrel took it to the range shot about a 5" group at 100 yards using PPV 50 rounds, switched to Hornady 50 vmax not much better. Took it home did a more intense cleaning found a small amount of rust pitting near the crown, switched scopes it shot some what better. First shot hits about 4" high and each following shot hits about an inch lower than the previous one till it gets about 2" below the bullseye. Let the barrel cool same thing. Someone installed an aluminum spacer about half way down the barrel I removed it same shooting patterns. Where the spacer was the rifle barrel touches the shot gun barrel.
Question is the barrel bent ? Is there any hope to get this thing to shoot or should he send it down the road? I have everything I know to do to it.

I would say, that's about as good as it will get!! The design configuation isn't condusive to accuracy. It sounds like a one shot rifle. The groups get bigger as the barrel warms, take more time betwen shots and see what happens! Probably a heavy trigger pull and long lock time will throw off accuracy, too!

Tried letting the barrel cool same thing first shot hits high, probably should adjust the scope to match the first shot and let it go. That's 1 of a very few I can't figure out.
thanks for the comments

Suckers have become a collectors item. Put it in the safe and buy an Axis to shoot[emoji6]