243AI problems

[Pyscodog]

My friend has a Savage with a Hart barrel, 1-8 twist in a bedded Mcmillan stock. His issue is he get flyers. He's had this rifle a few years and had this issue the same length of time. He's tried different weight bullets and the issue stays. Today he was shooting 5 different seating depths, same bullet, same powder and primers. Two touching, one out. Never the same shot flyer. He's he11 bent on using Superformance powder and I wonder if that is his problem. He claims its gonna shoot Superformance one way or another. I'm trying to get him to shoot some H4350 or IMR 4350 but he won't do it. Any other suggestions he might try? I'd slap him but he to dang big.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

Well, he's got to change something and the powder / charge is an easy first to try. But random flyers?..I doubt that there is an easy answer. I cured a rifle by changing the stock - and yes, it was a premium product - well used by many, but didn't work for me. So I guess, he has to work through the issues, changing ONE thing at a time, until a solution is reached. Best of luck.

BTW - I had better luck with slower powders in that cartridge - and a large jump to lands.

 

[MQ1]

There are any number of little tricks to getting Savages to behave. Sometimes paying attention to the torque on the action screws eliminates the flyers. Sometimes the culprit is the forward scope mount screw bottoming out on the barrel threads. There are alot of things that could be the issue…what has your buddy tried?

He’s crazy not to give H4350 a try in this cartridge…

MQ1

 

[Bill K]

Try some torque adjustment on the action screws. Also make sure there is not a burr on the crown. And talk him into trying a few rounds with 4350 and see the flyers hold true.

 

[Pyscodog]

Trust me, I'm trying to get him to try a different powder. I gave him three different box's of bullets to try just this evening. I can spare a little IMR, he said he has Hodgdon.

 

[STOMP442]

Sounds like he's hell bent on flyers. First thing I would check on a savage is that the tang is fully floated as well as the barrel.

 

[Hammer101st]

Sounds like he's hell bent on flyers. First thing I would check on a savage is that the tang is fully floated as well as the barrel.

I was never sold on the floating the tang thing on savage's ive had several that was fully bedded from tang to front of the action and never had problems. The one savage i did have problems with i fixed on accident. I was cleaning the rifle after hunting season and lost the spring washer between the bolt head and bolt body so i purchased a new one and wawla no more flyers. The only thing i could think of was that spring washer was tired and allowing cant of the bolt head allowing slop in the bolt system.

 

[STOMP442]

I guess results will vary but floating the tang always made my savages shoot better. Just something to try without changing powders.

 

[Hammer101st]

I guess results will vary but floating the tang always made my savages shoot better. Just something to try without changing powders.

Your are right on that anythings worth a try at this point. I with the masses on this one if ya have other powders why not

 

[Pyscodog]

Hammer101st, I wish I had an answer. My shelves are full of powders that didn't work. I have bullets too. LOL

 

[JLT]

If your friend is wedded to Superformance, my experience would have me getting him used to flyers. I've never seen repeatable precision with this powder in a number of chamberings. It likes pressure and it gets peaky. It is also quite sensitive to ambient temperature - an unfortunate combination of qualities.

My best results in the .243 AI have been with RL-26 (good luck finding some!) for hunting applications and RL-23 and N-165 for target work. RL-26 will propel a 105 at +3,300 fps out of a 26" barrel at reasonable pressures and RL-23 will produce very good precision in the 3,200 - 3,250 fps range with a 105, also at reasonable pressures. H100V is another good choice for hunting applications and RL-16 is certainly worth a try for target work.

And, yes, floating the tang will improve consistency.

 

[searcher]

If your friend is wedded to Superformance, my experience would have me getting him used to flyers. I've never seen repeatable precision with this powder in a number of chamberings. It likes pressure and it gets peaky. It is also quite sensitive to ambient temperature - an unfortunate combination of qualities.

My best results in the .243 AI have been with RL-26 (good luck finding some!) for hunting applications and RL-23 and N-165 for target work. RL-26 will propel a 105 at +3,300 fps out of a 26" barrel at reasonable pressures and RL-23 will produce very good precision in the 3,200 - 3,250 fps range with a 105, also at reasonable pressures. H100V is another good choice for hunting applications and RL-16 is certainly worth a try for target work.

And, yes, floating the tang will improve consistency.

I agree regarding the Superformance. I remember the days when I wanted it to work. It never shot well in anything I tried it in. One of the few (only?) powders to do so poorly out of dozens. Great velocity - but forget keeping it in tune. I've had lots of custom rifles with great barrels that didn't shoot really good till I found the right powder - and some of them required a fair amount of testing various powders. I know if I kept trying the same powder for TWO years, I'd still not have all of them running right. The chances of getting the right powder the first time really decreases when one is not first trying a "go to" powder for the caliber.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

He will figure it out, when every shot is a flyer. New barrel time.

 

[6MMsteve]

super is a medium slow powder.....tang screw at 15 inch pounds, front screw at 45 to 55 in #...don no

 

[Pyscodog]

I've never gotten Superformance to work in anything I have tried it in. I have the left overs of part of a pound on the shelf now........covered in dust.

 

[Bill Norris]

My limited experience with Super was not good either. Groups were nowhere near what I expected.