If you have followed, I have been chasing the elusive bugholes, with the mod 12 VLP in .223. Have worked up load after load of 69gr SMK's with Varget and still find the best group to be .5, with the average grouping to be closer to 1.0 to .8. Now, I figure the rifle can do better than that but also had some doubt about the driver behind it...until one of the guys at the local range let me shoot his 20TAC (Savage Target Action, Pac-Nor barrel, SSS LRBR stock). First time with the rifle, and 5 shot group of .225, now it could have been a fluke, it very well could have been the rifle - but really makes me wonder why I can't at lest get the VLP to group at least to an average of .5 or better.

Now I don't expect to get .2's or even .3's all the time, but .8 to 1.0+? So, the same guy and I were talking at the range today, and he agree's there must be something else. Granted it could be my handloads, since I am pretty new at it, but then seems like the quality factory ammo I have shot would give better groups. My question is what should I look at next? We discussed it, he suggested maybe having a smith give the crown a look and maybe having it re-crowned. The crown does not look bad, but it does seem to grab some fibers off a Q-tip when you check it. The rifle has between 450-500 rounds down it now, so it should be pretty well broken in, and it has a good cleaning after each range session with Butch's Bore Shine until the patches are clean. Front bag is a Caldwell Rock (that does get the job done) and the rear bag is a Protektor with heavy sand and it is working as it should. Brass is Lapua, powder is checked agaist good digital scale, primers have been Remington 71/2 BR and CCI SR BR.

Short of having the barrel re-crowned, and doing a glass bed job on the stock any other ideas?

Thanks in advance for your input.