I bought this rifle 3 or 4 years ago and left it my cabinet. It was bought for a grandson to start with. When the time came to start him on a deer rifle,we took it to the range. We fired a few rounds at 50 yards and done a little scope adjusting.Next,we went to100 yds. It shot all over the paper! Tried the scope adjustments but it still was inconsistent! After 6 shots it quit ejecting the spent rounds??? The ejector had lost the little lip that pulls the spent case out! No hot loads were used,all box ammo.
I took it home and replaced the scope and cleaned the bore. Also got a new ejector thing.
As i was wiping an oily cloth down the outside of the barrel i felt something????? The darn barrel has a dent in it about 3/4 of the way down it?? This is under the bluing!
New scopes,[tried more than one],different loads,bullets and brass and it still doesn't shoot like it should! This one has turned me against 243's.
I have no idea what to due,other than change the barrel.
The 243 is a great caliber. I think rather you just have a bad rifle that happens to be chambered in 243. Another barrel is easy to get. Sounds like you could use one. Jim Briggs has new Savage barrels and other brands that might work for you.This one has turned me against 243's.
Last edited by wbm; 01-12-2013 at 08:33 AM.
Yeah, basing you position on a caliber because of a defect in a barrel doesnt make sense. Without a picture we don't have a clue if the dent is your problem. An exterior blemish could affect the bore but not necessarily. Do you have a picture? What kind of scope do you have?
If the barrel has a defect,even though you bought it 4 years ago,I would call and talk to a tech supervisor about them replacing the barrel as it is a liability issue to your saftey.Just explain that it never was able to shoot anything.
Willing to give back for what the sport has done for me!
Like jonbearman said, call savage and explain it to them just like you did to us. You might be surprised... Your situation is not common for savages rifles.
Send Joe an email. Great guy to work with!!!!
Joe DeGrande
Director Of Customer Service
Savage Arms, Inc.
jdegrande@savagearms.com
WillyP? The same Willy I met at the Subway in Liverpool a while back?
Bill
Regarding the barrel - the problem here is that it's equally possible that the dent in the barrel is a result of how it was stored as it is a factory defect. Not that hard to put a dent in a sporter barrel if something heavy falls on or into it or it accidentally gets caught in the jamb of a door being shut. Been there, done that! Just because it's under the bluing doesn't mean it's a factory defect as bluing is IN the metal and won't chip or flake off when dented like paint will, and if the object that caused the dent didn't have a sharp edge it's not likely it would leave a scratch or gouge in the barrel. This is also why it's important to give any firearm you buy (new or used) a good looking over for defects before you do the paperwork and take it home.
As for the accuracy, have you checked that all 4 scope base screws are sufficiently tight and that the front-most one isn't too long and bottoming out on the barrel shank threads?
"Life' is tough. It's even tougher if you're stupid." ~ John Wayne
“Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.” —Mark Twain
I have a question. Is what you feel on the barrel a dent or bulge? You mentioned that the rifle sat in a closet for a good length of time. Insects do get into gun barrels, I have seen it happen. Highly unlikely in a small bore like a .243 but possible. If a small spider got in there and built a nest you would have a bore obstruction which, on firing, could put a bulge in the barrel. Did you run a patch through the bore before you fired it? I have seen a muzzloading barrel, one inch across the flats, .45 caliber get a bulged barrel from a bore obstruction. Black powder is not a very high pressure powder. All we could figure is an insect got in the bore and built a nest. Since then I always check the bore of any rifle I shoot that has been sitting around for awhile like here in the northeast where ranges are snowed in for sometimes 4 months. Just a thought.
El Lobo
BILLPA,yep,it is I.
ELLOBO,it is a gradual dent! I was at the range and a fellow was shooting next to me,when i first felt it. I was checking the barrel temp. I ask him to check it out? I did not mention what i had felt,to him. He also felt it and told me! As to his experience with rifles? Tuns out he builds 1000 yard rifle for others and himself!
I am going to call Jim Briggs. I have bought from him before.
No matter,i still love my SAVAGE guns!!!!!!!! This one is a Model 11.
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