Weird bedding job

[orygun]

I have found that 95% of the time a rifle will shoot better with the barrel floated. And that action bedded. With bedding material going forward of the recoil lug and at least halfway supporting the chamber area.

Velzey certainly knows his stuff and I agree. Not that I don't agree with Koda, too. It's just that (to use Velzey's numbers) there's always that 5% chance this gun would have liked it left the way it was.
@RugerFan , you'll surely let us know how it shoots when you get the chance, won't you?

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Just tossing this out to consider.

When getting a firearm , be it new....or new to you......
It is wise to shoot it a bit first , then think about what you need to do , to get the results you want from the firearm.
This could be bedding , changing sights , changing ammo , . etc...
Or simply more practice with what you have.

Also please notice the "you" in the above...what someone else does to their firearm...even if it is the same model for the same purpose....the changes done or whatnot...may not work for you and how you shoot.
Andy

 

[RugerFan]

Velzey certainly knows his stuff and I agree. Not that I don't agree with Koda, too. It's just that (to use Velzey's numbers) there's always that 5% chance this gun would have liked it left the way it was.
@RugerFan , you'll surely let us know how it shoots when you get the chance, won't you?

I took it to Clark rifles a few days ago and shot it using 40gr vmax with 37.0 grains of imr 4895. It did ok, groups were around 1.25-1.75". I am encouraged because I just picked a random load in my book and threw together a load. I also only have 20 pieces of 22-250 and they are all mixed headstamps. I'll be working on getting more brass soon

 

[orygun]

Personally I'd wonder if the "flyer" was the shooter, not the gun. (absolutely no offense intended)Those 4 shots look really good!

 

[Koda]

My opinion a barrel pressure bed is an old school way of tuning accuracy rather than fine tuning the handload. Its the same principle as using a barrel deresonator.

I agree with Orygun the "flyer" was either a pulled shot or one of the brass cases that was a different enough volume to shoot differently, the 4 shots sub moa show the rifle is an accurate build without the barrel pressure bed.

 

[orygun]

My opinion a barrel pressure bed is an old school way of tuning accuracy rather than fine tuning the handload. Its the same principle as using a barrel deresonator.

I believe that is a valid opinion. At least the bedding isn't as ugly as those rubber, slip on doughnuts!

 

[Andy54Hawken]

At least the bedding isn't as ugly as those rubber, slip on doughnuts!

Doughnuts are best served with coffee , not rifle barrels....
Andy

 

[RugerFan]

I am just now reading

Personally I'd wonder if the "flyer" was the shooter, not the gun. (absolutely no offense intended)Those 4 shots look really good!

They absolutely could be the shooter!! I'm going to get some quality brass and keep on testing. This was my best group. A nice cluster with a flier.

 

[BluMtn]

You didn't say or I missed it, is this a tang safety or a mark ll. If it is an early tang it would have a Douglas barrel on it and it would have shot lights out straight out of the box. I had several 22-250's and 220 swift's when they first came out and they did not need any help in the accuracy department. Made a lot of money hunting coyotes with those guns.

 

[RugerFan]

You didn't say or I missed it, is this a tang safety or a mark ll. If it is an early tang it would have a Douglas barrel on it and it would have shot lights out straight out of the box. I had several 22-250's and 220 swift's when they first came out and they did not need any help in the accuracy department. Made a lot of money hunting coyotes with those guns.

It's a tang safety. I think it's from the mid 1970s if I remember correctly. I think I am happy with it. I just bought some nosler brass and a variety of 40-53 grain bullets to keep testing with it. Do you remember how early the Douglas barrel years were?

 

[BluMtn]

They were the first barrels that Bill Ruger used on the heavy barreled guns. I believe they used them for about 4 years then Ruger started building their own barrels.

 

[Tlock]

You didn't say or I missed it, is this a tang safety or a mark ll. If it is an early tang it would have a Douglas barrel on it and it would have shot lights out straight out of the box. I had several 22-250's and 220 swift's when they first came out and they did not need any help in the accuracy department. Made a lot of money hunting coyotes with those guns.

I've fed my kids for 20 years with coyotes! 22 250 is my caliber of choice

 

[orygun]

I've fed my kids for 20 years with coyotes! 22 250 is my caliber of choice

How do they taste?

 

[Tlock]

How do they taste?

Almost like turkey vulture.....but a little bit lighter meat!

 

[Bobbygun]

I am just now reading

They absolutely could be the shooter!! I'm going to get some quality brass and keep on testing. This was my best group. A nice cluster with a flier.

View attachment 1796892

Those bullet holes look a little odd. The bullets aren't "keyholing" are they? I've seen that happen when the bullet weight and the rate of twist in the barrel aren't a good match. However, I haven't seen that good of a grouping when bullets were keyholing, so probably not. Maybe it's just the type of paper/backing you're using?

 

[Mark W.]

Just tossing this out to consider.

When getting a firearm , be it new....or new to you......
It is wise to shoot it a bit first , then think about what you need to do , to get the results you want from the firearm.
This could be bedding , changing sights , changing ammo , . etc...
Or simply more practice with what you have.

Also please notice the "you" in the above...what someone else does to their firearm...even if it is the same model for the same purpose....the changes done or whatnot...may not work for you and how you shoot.
Andy

Funny how this kind of advise carries over to other things as well. In the world of Willys Jeeps its so common for guys to spend the extra money to get one in something close to drivable condition. Instead of fixing the half dozen t hings it needs to be roadable and learn something about and enjoy it for a little while. They back it off the trailer and into the shop where in a week its in so many pieces they are labeling baggies to try and keep track of where all the bits and pieces go. And now looking at many thousands of Dollars and an unbelievable number of hours they dive right in. And 6 months later life comes along and the project stalls. And 3-10 years later a rusty bunch of parts comes up for sale and the guy can't figure out why no one will give him back his purchase price plus the cost of all the new parts in all them boxes scattered around the shop.

It is ever so rare to find the shooter whos groups can only be improved with a better rifle.

 

[RugerFan]

I did end up sanding it out before shooting it. I should have followed people's advice and tested it prior to shooting. I've been having a tough time getting it to group decently. I've been going through a fair amount of powder and bullet combinations.

 

[Koda]

I did end up sanding it out before shooting it. I should have followed people's advice and tested it prior to shooting. I've been having a tough time getting it to group decently. I've been going through a fair amount of powder and bullet combinations.

Make sure the stock is properly bedded and play with seating depths and you should find a load soon enough.

 

[orygun]

I did end up sanding it out before shooting it. I should have followed people's advice and tested it prior to shooting. I've been having a tough time getting it to group decently. I've been going through a fair amount of powder and bullet combinations.

Maybe you just found out why it had such a weird bedding job?

It would be super easy to put a temporary pressure bed in the channel. Strips of tape, masking tape works well, laid over each other crosswise in the barrel channel until starting to put a little pressure on the barrel. Then take it out and shoot it. It wouldn't be the first gun that liked this treatment.