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Twist rate is something I hadn't thought about; it's 1 in 10 as stock which what I see in a little google-fu is a bit fast for a 150gr. However, as the 180's grouped noticeably worse I'm wondering if they're both unsuited for what looks like the original intent of the m1917 which appears to be 220gn. With a fast 1-in-10 a heavier bullet makes sense. I hate to gear up for another caliber in my handloading without knowing if I'm going to have any kind of return on investment in terms of accuracy. I don't have access to a vise, but I can keep my lever action in 1.5MOA at the same range (Kenmore). And that's with ammo I built for plinking. Hoping to dial that in a bit. A sub-MOA lever would amuse me to no end...
 
Wow; I have so much to learn! I'm a pistol guy but new-ish to rifles. It sounds like taking it to a 'Smith for an inspection is a good start, particularly as it's used and a "sporterized" milsurp 1917 Enfield. I'm not expecting laser accuracy but I was benching 6-8" groups at 100yds with no appreciable wind. If a little work can get that into the 9/10 rings consistently I'll be happy. Any recommendations for a good rifle Smith around Everett? (Haven't updated my profile yet...:rolleyes:)
Have a good shooter shoot it and or you shoot a rifle of known accuracy to see if it's you.
What kind of groups have you gotten while shooting a rifle of comparable power in the past?
 
Dear rifle gurus: I picked up a .30-06 and can't keep a decent group (2 different weights tested: 150 & 180gn.). Muzzle is tight with no damage I can see, good rifling. I pulled a bullet and set it into the shell neck loosely, then closed the bolt to see where it would push back to hopefully telling me where it contacts the rifling. It came back out a good quarter-inch longer than an unfired round. Normal bullet seated at the cannelure, test round 1/4" longer. Seems the bullet has a long jump before it hits the rifling.
Is my chamber shot and is there hope?

Im going out on a limb here... but 1/4" seems excessive for wear, is it possible the rifle was re-chambered for another 30cal round?
 
What did you get for group size? Those bullets are far from match grade, although I have seen some rifles group them fairly well. If you got under 2" groups with a modified surplus rifle and cheap ammo, you are doing ok.
 
What might be a candidate for something like this? .308 is a shorter case, but I've heard of running .30-30's in this kind of situation.

Thats where im going out on a limb,... I have no idea what wildcat round would work.
 
Not all rifles will shoot 1" at 100 yards. Well, in some people's dreams. ALL of their rifles will.

I mentioned that because.....your original post (didn't read too much past it) did not mention your rifle platform, your scope, your ammo choice, if gunsmithing that has already been done to the rifle, your experience level at shooting groups, wear level on the rifle, etc, etc, etc.....

Anyway......as you have probably have already guessed.....there are many factors besides just throat.

Aloha, Mark
 
Not all rifles will shoot 1" at 100 yards. Well, in some people's dreams. ALL of their rifles will.

I mentioned that because your post did not mention your rifle platform, your scope, your ammo choice, if gunsmithing that has already been done to the rifle, your experience level at shooting groups, wear level on the rifle, etc, etc, etc.....

Anyway......as you have probably have already guessed.....there are many factors besides just throat.

Aloha, Mark
Further down the thread are the specs; m1917 Enfield, sporterized pretty heavily (no more peep or ears) cut down to 22"-ish with a nice Bishop stock and a pretty budget scope and rings (buck something). Just looking to get it into "hit the lungs of the deer" rather than "maybe hit the deer" territory. I figure after looking at the rest of the work done by a prior owner (really nice polish & blue, etc) if it weren't capable of a deer-sized group at the range it wouldn't have had the money put into it in the first place. It all looks tight except for the chamber as far as I can tell. I'll 'Cast it and see what that looks like and post pics. And really, the journey is fun. ;)
 
Ok.....having recently bought some surplus Mauser rifles re-chambered in .30-06......well, I don't get 1" groups at 100 yards.

Course, I'm shooting military HXP FMJ 150 grain flat based bullets made in the the late 1970s. And, I'm using a 3-9 40mm Leupold scope set at 9x.

So then......even with an orange of about 2.5" pasted ontop of a black bull of about 6"......well, if I can keep them all on the orange, I'm happy. But, military trigger and all......maybe some shots will escape into the black. LOL. And, that is off a bench with sandbags. Mind you that, I just had my eyes checked. But, the target isn't exactly clear for me and my 60 year old eyes.

OK, Ok, ok......you suspect a worn throat. Get a cast done. If you're still not happy......maybe it's time to re-barrel?

Good Luck......and don't be too hard on yourself. I love military surplus rifles. But, I don't expect too much from them. That's me.:cool:

Aloha, Mark
 
Granted, milsurp and my first 30-06; not looking for MOA but if I can dial it into minute of pop can that would be the end of the process for me. I just want enough accuracy that when I miss it's all me... :confused:
You guys are great and an amazing resource!
 
Sorry, I got my measurements wrong. It's a 5.5" black with a 3" orange.

I had sighted in at 25 yards to get on paper. Then, I took the same target out to 100 yards. Immediately, some shots were off of the paper and I had to guess at my clicks to get them back on the paper. Then, once I got it on paper and could see impacts.....I adjusted some more. The last 5 were all on the orange.

IMG_0150.jpg

Aloha, Mark
 
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Granted, milsurp and my first 30-06; not looking for MOA but if I can dial it into minute of pop can that would be the end of the process for me. I just want enough accuracy that when I miss it's all me... :confused:
You guys are great and an amazing resource!

If I recall.... You want this for deer hunting, and you said your new to rifles?....

First, milsurp is illegal to hunt with it has to be an expanding bullet like a softpoint. Then, you might just need to spend some time practicing with this. Its an old rifle... The trigger might not be the best but if you can get your group size cut in half with just some practice it may be all you need as well as all this old heavily used rifle can muster.
 
When thrown up for fodder on a forum, us coyotes dive in like it's the last scrap of meat we have seen in awhile. All intentions are good for sure. I think you have enough direction and I like your chances to resolve the issue, as you seem like a bright guy with resolve.
 

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