How long does it take for your Savage to "settle in" when changing a barrel and reinstalling into a bedded stock?

I recently reinstalled my benchmark 5R 308 22" heavy barrel onto my 110 long action and was unimpressed with the results. It really did not like the 175's and grouped around 1.2" for five rounds. It grouped around .75" with 168's.

I haven't done a proper load development yet. This was off the shelf Federal Gold Medal Match. I had three rifles to test that day and my new heavy barreled M14 ended up shooting 0.6" groups that day. I was expecting my Savage to outshoot the M14.

How long does it take for your action to settle into a bedded stock before groups tighten? Mine is a pillar bedded McMillan HTG.
https://i.imgur.com/NhTBVRSh.jpg?1

I have recently decide to spend more time with this rifle, so I'm just getting re-acquainted with it.

Tony.

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Originally Posted by TonyBen

I recently reinstalled my benchmark 5R 308 22" heavy barrel onto my 110 long action and was unimpressed with the results. It really did not like the 175's and grouped around 1.2" for five rounds. It grouped around .75" with 168's.

I haven't done a proper load development yet. This was off the shelf Federal Gold Medal Match. I had three rifles to test that day and my new heavy barreled M14 ended up shooting 0.6" groups that day. I was expecting my Savage to outshoot the M14.

How long does it take for your action to settle into a bedded stock before groups tighten? Mine is a pillar bedded McMillan HTG.


I have recently decide to spend more time with this rifle, so I'm just getting re-acquainted with it.

Tony.

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Was that one with a Lothar Walther barrel?

Impressive from a M14 for sure!

If anyone can figure out how to get the Savage to group well - you can.

You wrote pillar bedded. I'm assuming the action is not glass bedded, right? If so, maybe glass bed the action. That would eliminate any issues with the action settling in the stock.

Also, there's a chance that your new barrel doesn't like the factory Federal ammo. You won't know for sure until you do the load development.

One step I always do after a stock or barrel switch is to torque tune the actions screws. This of course is after checking proper free float of the barrel and especially the action rear tang.

If you have a feeler gauge and want some shlitz and giggles, see if that .0015 will slide between the action and the stock.

I bedded the action with Marine-Tex. The action is fully supported, minus the tang. I have not done the screw torque optimization technique. I torqued the action screws to 45 inch pounds. The barrel is free-floated all-around.

https://i.imgur.com/yo5tKmIh.jpg?2

Tony.

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Originally Posted by jkv45

Was that one with a Lothar Walther barrel?

Impressive from a M14 for sure!

If anyone can figure out how to get the Savage to group well - you can.

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Thanks! Yes, it was the Lothar-Walther barrel. Four groups of five shots with match ammo and all sub-MOA so far!
https://i.imgur.com/rXxurarh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/v2Diip4m.jpg https://i.imgur.com/RaJJZ8vm.jpg https://i.imgur.com/BrddlfWm.jpg

Tony.

Is that a picture before or after it was shot? What are the two black pieces between mag well & front pillar ? Wonder if they were under action. What i'm trying to say is to check for debri in stock.

That’s an old picture from 2 years ago. The stuff in front of the Mag well is the imprint of the dovetail cut for the blind magazine.

Tony.

Shouldn't be any "settling in", a correctly pillar bedded receiver is 100% repeatable. All you've done is remove and replace the receiver...you've checked for adequate free-float with the new barrel and that's all that has changed.

That said...every riflesmith does things differently- but my personal preference is to bed the nut and first inch or so of the barrel shank on bull barrels. There's a lot of weight acting as a fulcrum on the face of the receiver. I would recommend doing that, simple enough- if it ends up being detrimental to accuracy (I've never had it happen) it's one minute with a Dremel to grind it back out. Beyond that, I must've missed something- you said "reinstalled" the barrel- is what you're shooting now, the same as you did originally?

I originally had this barrel on when I bedded it and changed it last year to a Criterion featherweight for hunting last year. I skipped hunting this year, so I reinstalled my Benchmark and am going to start spending more time with it. I have only had it to the range a couple of times in two years. I wouldn't call this barrel broken in yet.

Tony.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TonyBen

I bedded the action with Marine-Tex. The action is fully supported, minus the tang. I have not done the screw torque optimization technique. I torqued the action screws to 45 inch pounds. The barrel is free-floated all-around.

Tony.

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A short article on action screw torque from the Savage F-TR Team Captain -

https://www.accurateshooter.com/tech...torque-tuning/

You probably know all of this already, but new Savage CF rifle owners (like myself) may benefit.

Assuming all components are high quality including the recoil lug. Even a good pinned lug can rotate slightly in the lug notch if not a perfect fit. Is there ample clearance in the bedding under the recoil lug? By the way your bedding job looks great.
As others said there is really no "settling" in with a barrel change with good bedding and pillars.
Nice looking rig too.

If the barrel hasen't had many rounds through it, more break in may be required before it settles down. Try handloads in it to see how they do. You may have to play with seating depth until you find the sweet spot.

In the few 308 rifles I’ve had the 168gn smk shot better than the 175s.



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None of my guns Savage or not does the rifle need x amount of rounds thru it to settle down. One gun has 3 different barrels fitted up to it and when I shot each one the first time I just recorded the dope/zero difference between them. I can take it a part/swap barrel, adjust the dope and the gun is on call.

That being said over time/number of rounds fired a barrel does wear which will effect your dope. As long as you pay attention to it you should be in good shape.

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels