Hey all you gun guys! I recently bought a Weatherby Vanguard .270. This is a used gun from the late eighties in immaculate shape. I bench rest shot several boxes of ammo thru it and I cannot get it to group closer than 2 inches at 100 yards. My groups at 200 yards aren't even "groups" - I'd barely feel comfortable shooting at deer from this distance! I feel confident that I am shooting consistantly. It has a Leupold 4X scope on it. I've tried Winchester 130 grain and Hornaday 130 grain. Where do I begin in troubleshooting this rifle??
Make sure the action screws are tight and the barrel isn't rubbing the stock anywhere past the first couple of inches past the receiver(try sliding a dollar bill down between the barrel and the stock). Also look at the muzzle and make sure there aren't any nicks or dings near the rifling. BTW, welcome to G&G!
Hey all you gun guys! I recently bought a Weatherby Vanguard .270. This is a used gun from the late eighties in immaculate shape. I bench rest shot several boxes of ammo thru it and I cannot get it to group closer than 2 inches at 100 yards. My groups at 200 yards aren't even "groups" - I'd barely feel comfortable shooting at deer from this distance! I feel confident that I am shooting consistantly. It has a Leupold 4X scope on it. I've tried Winchester 130 grain and Hornaday 130 grain. Where do I begin in troubleshooting this rifle??
if u feel u aren't the factor, then i would loook at a few things
1. check all the screws on the stock scope mount and scope for tightness
2. try more then the 2 brands of ammo you listed. Not every gun likes the same ammo, some barrels are finnicky and only like certain brands and certain grains.
3. rule out for 100% sure that its not you by having a friend watch you for any movement before the rifle goes off(flinching)
Thanks guys. couple more questions.... What are the action screws? I don't think this gun has a floating barrel as I can only slide paper between the barrel and stock about 3 inches behind the front of the stock. I did have a friend shoot this gun and he couldn't group either. I had just witnessed him shoot a 2 inch group at 200 yards with is new Savage .308, so I know he can shoot. The scope mounts are all tight too. If I look at different ammo, should I buy more different brands or should I try changing to heavier or lighter grains?
Thanks guys. Hey Toolman, what are the action screws? I don't think this has a floating barrel as I cannot get a paper more than 3 inches past the front of the stock. I did have a friend shoot it and he couldn't get tight groups either. I just witnessed him shoot a 2 inch group at 200 yards with his new Savage .308 so I know he can shoot. If I try different ammo, should I try more brands or change to heavier or lighter grain bullets?
Different brands aswell as higher and lower weight projectiles. Some rifles are very fussy with what they will shoot. Also do you reload? thats where you will get the best results.
remove the stock and check for pressure points on the barrel from the stock. you might solve the problem by sanding down the stock where it contacts with the barrel. unless you are very good at stock work you might want a qualified gunsmith to reduce the stock contact then glass bed it later. also, you might want your barrel free floated with the action bedded in glass.
It is just my experience that sometimes stocks swell over time even on good guns. It is always a first point to check.
[QUOTE=yeoman;375143]Thanks guys. Hey Toolman, what are the action screws? I don't think this has a floating barrel as I cannot get a paper more than 3 inches past the front of the stock. QUOTE]
The action screws are the two large screws that hold the barrrel and receiver in the stock. Try removing the barrelled action from the stock and look for shiny pressure points along the barrel channel. If there are pressure points, take a piece of emery cloth and wrap it backwards around the barrel, put the action back in the stock and saw the emery cloth back and forth while tightening the screws until you can work the cloth all the way to the step leading to the action. This will free-float the barrel. Glass-bedding is another option option if none of this works.
Could it be possible that his scope or rings aren't secured properly? If a scope *feels* like it's secure, is that enough or is it possible that minute adjustments on the recoil of each shot are shifting his scope just enough to affect the sighting @ 200 yds?
I'm a total rifle-shooting novice myself, so I'm just curious and thought I'd ask. This is a great website you guys have here.
A used rifle, did you clean the bore thoroughly?? You must remove all the copper deposits. All of the above advice is appropriate if the bore is clean! Before you go thru the expense of bedding, clean the bore.
Shoot it again for groups before doing mechanical changes.
The best advice, that I have seen is cleaning the bore first, maybe all that you need. Would check for pressure points on the barrel, but would also try some 140 gr. bullets. My 270 likes 140 gr better than anything tried.
several different bullet weights. Make sure the barrel is not contacting the stock during firing. Ask a gunsmith for help but one quick answer is a blackening compound put on the barrel. Sometimes you can get more oscillation or barrel whip than you might think.
This gun should be accurate and the quality is there so it is worth the work.
