head scratching temp issue

Sas874runner

Handloader
Oct 10, 2012
476
2
Rifle is a rem 700 adl 270 win 24" barrel. Floated and bedded. I have been working on a good consistent load for the 140 ab for some time now. And believe I have found one... maybe. I am fighting with barrel temp and grouping. What I foundsis the rifle will shoot 1 to 2" groups until the barrel is warm to hot. After that the rifle will shoot .5" groups or better consistently. I have checked an retorqued action screws bases and rings and still an getting the same results. Could a pressure point fix this? I would much prefer the rifle shoot cold than hot for hunting purposes and so I don't have to tape hand warmers to it to keep the barrel warm. Any ideas?
 
I have had many rifles that do exactly that same thing. Do you know if it is heat or maybe a clean barrel that is causing this issue? Most of my rifles seem to have clean barrel related group changes more than heat specific. I am assuming that you are not letting barrel get too hot to touch with hand?

You can try a small barrel sized rubber o-ring between stock tip and barrel? You can also try placing vibration dampener on barrel in different places? Maybe one of these might work? Let us know what you find out?
 
You could try the pressure point...its easy to do a temporary one...

How often do you clean it?

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No I never let it get that hot. I have had this issue with a squeaky clean barrel and a dirty barrel. It seems that it shoots better dirty. But not to dirty. I can't have a dirty gun in the safe. I can't sleep that way. If I can find a pressure point that will give me at least three consistent cold barrel shots I would be happy. Or I may try adjusting action screw torque.
 
I clean mine once per year...right after hunting season...the rest of the year, it gets a CLP patch and put in the safe after a range session.


Mine shoots WAY better dirty...

Thought yours may be a cleaning issue too...but maybe not.

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I'd definitely try a pressure point. Remingtons seem to shoot extremely well with the factory speed bumps up front. I never trust a clean barrel either. Factory barrels always seem to like some fouling in the barrel before the groups settle down. Its worth a try for sure.
 
Weatherby claims their rifle barrels with a #2 contour needs a pressure point, I found thru experimenting that my 300Wby will shoot better with out it and all my other rifles are floated also. They are also glass bedded with the Weatherby being stocked With a B&C Medalist stock with the full length aluminum bedding block.
I'm thinking that you may have loose bedding on your rifle because as it heats up the metal expands and tightens up the action in the stock. Just something to think about.
 
I can check it again. But I bedded it with aluminum pillars and marinetec compound. 18,000 psi strength. I torque the action screws to 60# front and 50# rear. MG - I always clean on the range and shoot 3 fouling shots before I put it away. Doing some research I have read that a lot of times it's not necessary to even do that. Shoot of long range shooters will do a small powder clean about every 200 rounds but never clean it all the way. I have been meaning to try this but have yet too. I guess reasoning behind it is to keep a good smooth surface of powder residue in the barrel. From what I understand it can make a factory barrel shoot like a match barrel by filling in all of the machine marks.
 
This is my own opinion based on long experience. I would not torque any actions screws above 40 in/lbs for front and 35 in/lbs for rear with any Weatherby wood stock but especially if not pillared. Now, they put some bedding compound in to support against compression under lugs but still!
 
+1 on the torque thats a lot of pressure..... Not sure why too much would cause the problem you are having but thats tight, CL
 
I've never owned a Weatherby...but for the rifles I have owned, I always torqued them to 45 in. lbs.

Except my 30-06...the McMillan stock has aluminum pillars, and is bedded in Marine Tex...that one is torqued to 65 in. lbs.

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I had kinda the same type thing with a Thompson Contender 24" barrel in 7-30 Waters. After 2 shots the barrel would be very hot. The 1st 2 shots would be 2+ inches apart and then it would shoot sum moa. It had nothing to do with a clean barrel etc... I know there can be different reasons for what you are experiencing and this may be another possibility.

I ended up sending it to Thompson and they replaced the barrel with no explanation of the problem.

Long
 
I had a problem with my 700 BDL grouping for quite a while. Sometimes it would group well, then it would shoot all around! After months of trying different loads and bedding tricks I was ready to give up, it was fix it or sell it time! I found the magazine would touch somewhere at times. The fix was to clearance everything around the magazine till you can open the floorplate and rattle the magazine with everything torqued in place. Your problem though sounds more like the barrel has built in stress that manifests itself as a moving barrel with temperature. Before you give up you might take it to a respected gunsmith for evaluation. Good Luck!
 
Thanks guys. I have been working on this issue with my neighbor who just so happens to be a gun Smith. This
Has us both scratching our head.
 
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