If you want better groups and your swabing and using a scope, then get tighter sabots or switch to loose powder. They should go down REAL hard, not pounding down with a hammer, but a lot of force. I just found this out this weekend. I was shooting a TC Shockwave and a Hornady SST 300g.TheSST uses an thinner MMP 24 sabot and the TC uses a thicker MMP12 sabot, youcan see my groups on the Savage 10ML thread on this forum, currently active thread.In mymind thethinner sabot loaded just right, but that is NOT what the gun said from an accuracy POV. The tighter the SABOT the tighter the group is what they say over on the Savage 10 MLForum.

So eitheradjust your charge by going to looseor get tighter sabots. I had to use two hands to get my bullet down my barrel, and putalmost my entire weight into getting the bullet down the barrel. If it was a dirty barrel in a BP gun, I know I could NOT have done it. But those are the two options open to you, if the gun is capable of shooting better. What does the manual on the gun say? I just got a Savage 10MLII and the manual says thatwith a XTP bulletwithblack MMP12 sabot and 44g of AccurateArms will produce 1.5 inch groups. I was able to duplicate that, so I said "I have an accurate factory rifle". You may want to try the factory load and see what the gun is capable of then experiment with other loads and bullets, you then have a baseline of comparison for the factory accuracy of your rifle. Just a suggestion. If you wanna stay pellets, you only have the sabot option in my mind or maybe switch primers, they all have a bearing on accuracy.
Chap Gleason