Forum Boss: You can save yourself 2 pages of reading. The thread starter finally figured out the issue was a bent firing pin that was contacting the bolt head improperly:
I recently bought a used Savage Palma rifle. It was advertised as having a replacement Douglas barrel. The rifle will not shoot anything i put in it. It goes from 7 ring to 7 ring on a MR63 target at 300 yards. I tried many proven reloads and even a box of Federal Gold Medal match to no avail. Today i chronoed 45 gr of Varget with 155 gr Sierras and got avg 2956 with 3.4 Sd and still 7 ring to 7 ring. It will show signs of grouping the throw a high and low seven then an 8 then back to the center for one or 2 shots. Mostly vertical but every now and again a wide shot. I grabbed my Winchester Palma rifle and shot a 100-7x clean so it wasnt the conditions. I have probably put 300 rounds through this gun with zero success. I have borescoped the barrel and it looks good. I have tried every combo of torque on the action screws that I can think of. The action does not appear to be binding. Crown looks good all around. I was thinking maybe the first owner couldnt get it to shoot and put the Douglas on it. Then when that wouldnt shoot put in up for sale. I thought I got a real good deal but maybe this is why. So my question here is there anything with the action, bolt of firing pin that I could check before I send it out somewhere to get diagnosed? Is there anything else I should check? Thank you in advance.
So after months of off and on fiddling I think I have it licked After taking the barrel off and making sure the barrel nut was not loose i reinstalled and made sure headspace was good. Still shot terrible. I took the bolt completely apart and when I slid the firing pin out I noticed the pin had a distinct rub mark on it from the tip to about a an eighth inch down it. I chucked the pin up in a drill and sure enough it was bent. I looked at the bolt head with a magnifying glass and could see where the pin was rubbing it. I had another short action .308 so I put that bolt in the Palma rifle, set headspace and I'm shooting half to 3/4 minute with it. Thanks for all your thoughts. Gonna order a new firing pin and PTG bolt head.
I recently bought a used Savage Palma rifle. It was advertised as having a replacement Douglas barrel. The rifle will not shoot anything i put in it. It goes from 7 ring to 7 ring on a MR63 target at 300 yards. I tried many proven reloads and even a box of Federal Gold Medal match to no avail. Today i chronoed 45 gr of Varget with 155 gr Sierras and got avg 2956 with 3.4 Sd and still 7 ring to 7 ring. It will show signs of grouping the throw a high and low seven then an 8 then back to the center for one or 2 shots. Mostly vertical but every now and again a wide shot. I grabbed my Winchester Palma rifle and shot a 100-7x clean so it wasnt the conditions. I have probably put 300 rounds through this gun with zero success. I have borescoped the barrel and it looks good. I have tried every combo of torque on the action screws that I can think of. The action does not appear to be binding. Crown looks good all around. I was thinking maybe the first owner couldnt get it to shoot and put the Douglas on it. Then when that wouldnt shoot put in up for sale. I thought I got a real good deal but maybe this is why. So my question here is there anything with the action, bolt of firing pin that I could check before I send it out somewhere to get diagnosed? Is there anything else I should check? Thank you in advance.
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