Newer Mod. 70 win. in 30-06
 

If anyone has a group improvement suggestion for this Mod. 70 made in S. Carolina and assembled in Portugal we're all ears.
My son's had a consistent poor group with all factory brands and weight possibilities available. He convinced Winchester to take it back and they replaced it with a - up-grade - , for whatever that's worth. In this instance not worth much as it doesn't shoot any better than the previous.

I have that rifle (Portugal) chambered in 30-06 in the Featherweight version. Mine averages app. 1.1" - 1.2" for five shot groups at 100 yards with handloads from the bench. The only thing I have ever done to this rifle is adjust the trigger. It is far from a target rifle, but it is a good hunting rifle. How large are the "poor" groups that your son has shot?

5" is about the best with either of the 2 rifles so it stays in the cabinet in favor of his .270 of another brand I can't recall at the moment..

dollar for dollar savage makes one of the best production rifles that most folks can afford ......... Winchester firearms changed so many hands they are are lost, Remington they went down hill over the last few years with poor quality control

I have spoken with a couple of other guys with the same rifle and they were getting about the same results that I am getting. Perhaps it is the ammunition or some issue with the way the rifle is used on the bench. Are the groups fired using sandbags or a padded rest front and rear? How many shots are fired per group? Are the fairly good except for a flier? Are groups normally horizontal, vertical, or just scattered?

It is unlucky that you would get two lemons in a row when most other fellows are getting good results. People generally good products from Winchester (and Remington) in spite of what some claim on the internet. I hope you and your son get this sorted out soon. Do you handload?

I keep a notebook on every rifle that has details of all loading sessions and all range sessions. There is a note in the book for this rifle that says the barrel needs extra effort to clean copper deposits. That is not at all an unusual comment for a factory barrel. Perhaps a bit off elbow grease and JB cleaner will help.

He has done his homework and it seems as if Winchester didn't do theirs. After sending one back with poor groups it seems as if Winchester would have at least grouped it before shipping. There is no reason a rifle new from the factory should need cleaning other than factory suggestions and there were NONE. So it sets in the gun cabinet looking nice and new and it's looking as if that's where it will stay.

How much does he want for it senior?

-Jake

I'll pm you when I get the answer.

Thanks for the pm senior.

-Jake

Thanks for deleting the Private Message.

So long, I'll be gone now.

Senior,

I'm not sure what you're talking about. I replied to your private message a few hours after you sent it.

Here's a screen shot of my inbox and sent folders. As you can see, your message is there. And so is my reply to you.

Whatever you think I deleted, I didn't.




-Jake

The administration will have a record of it. Check with them It was clearly there then disappeared a few minutes later.

What message are you speaking of?
​​​​​​One in your own inbox or something that you posted on the forum or what?

Mods do not have access to your private messages. At least not that I'm aware of. So I couldn't have erased your message.

And, as the screenshot that I posted clearly shows, your messages are still in my inbox and sent folder.

Just trying to figure out whats going on and what you're referring to.

-Jake

I haven't seen a production rifle shoot 5" groups off a bench in many many years. Let alone two (or one that was returned and checked at the factory). I wouldn't be surprised if it is the shooting technique. Placing the barrel of a light sporting rifle on the bags at different locations and using different cheek pressure etc all can effect accuracy. Inconsistency is the best way to ruin accuracy. Could even be a flinch by the shooter. One way to find that out is have someone else load (or not load) the rifle, put it on safe and hand it to the shooter. See if he flinches when the firing pin drops on an empty chamber.

Id agree that 5" hundred yard groups, shot off a good bench rest ,
with factory ammo and if you've tried several bullet weights and brands of ammo,
are un-except-able in a name brand bolt action,
the fact two different rifles show similar poor accuracy makes me think its not the rifle.
obviously a clean rifle bore and a decent scope and mount is required,
and Id suspect its the scope, or scope mounts, until proven otherwise.
while theres zero real info posted so far,here,
suggesting the shooter,or rifle is at fault, or that,
the scope or scope mounts being used,
the ammo or rifle itself is at fault,
and the cause of those 5" groups,
I've also rarely seen a new bolt action that would not consistently group in under 2"
at 100 yards, off a good sand bag, rest with a skilled shooter, and decent factory ammo.
but I have seen bad scope mounts,
scopes and plenty of people who lacked the skills too regularly, shoot tight consistent groups.
individually eliminate each potential source of that in-accuracy and you should find its source.
logically a process of elimination,of taking accurate notes,
of the potential cause and effect of changes made would be used, I.E.
clean the rifle bores carefully,
change the scope mounts, scope, and shooter, shooting the groups,
having a isolate and test approach helps,and watch the resulting groups.
as each change was done as a single change,notes taken and results logged,
each change being individually made,youll soon find the problems source

I've seen too many shooters, including my own grandfather, try to anticipate the shot and jerk the trigger or flinch. But there are just too many variables here without seeing the rifle or the shooter. Like Hardcast stated it could be so many things or a combination of a few causing this erratic shooting. If everything else checks out then I would take the rifle to a gunsmith and have him bed the action.

Senior apparently thinks somebody (me?) Deleted his private messages. He hasn't logged back on since then.

Despite me showing him that his messages were still in my inbox and telling him that I've got no access to members private messages.

Can't keep everybody happy I guess. We may never know what the accuracy issue is.

-Jake