Action truing

[Someoldguy]

A simple question with complex answers, I imagine . . . .

If an action has a ring and/or lugs out of square, how much difference have any of you PERSONALLY seen on target?

IE- the rifle shot 1.5 MOA. Action ring and/or lugs were squared. The rifle with the same barrel then shot X.XXX MOA?

Add the bolt face to the question if you think it's relevant to the discussion.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

 

[johnfred1965]

Not Personally, but my brother had a 22-250 that he thought was shooting poor for him. (1.5" at 200) As a machinist, he tore it down, trued it up and reassembled. He determined it to be about .007 out. He now shoots .75 groups at 200 and is devistating in the PD fields. YMMV but 50% improvement is nothing to slouch at.

PS he did the bolt face as well as the action, then re-headspaced during the assembly.

 

[PWS]

I recut the threads until they cleaned up, cleaned up the receiver face, lapped the lugs and seats, sleeved the bolt to .001" clearance and lapped the bolt face on a Ruger .223 that indicated .0007" off perpendicular on the face and .004" off center on the thread peaks. It went from shooting five-five shot groups averaging 1.2moa to five-five shot groups averaging 1.2moa.

Don't know if this helps but those activities resulted in zero change on target. My conclusion is that there are larger overriding errors in the system than the trueness of the receiver.

 

[alintx]

I recut the threads until they cleaned up, cleaned up the receiver face, lapped the lugs and seats, sleeved the bolt to .001" clearance and lapped the bolt face on a Ruger .223 that indicated .0007" off perpendicular on the face and .004" off center on the thread peaks. It went from shooting five-five shot groups averaging 1.2moa to five-five shot groups averaging 1.2moa.

Don't know if this helps but those activities resulted in zero change on target. My conclusion is that there are larger overriding errors in the system than the trueness of the receiver.

Ruger is not known for having the best barrels in the industry. Polishing a turd comes to mind

 

[PWS]

It has a Hart barrel but... it's also a light #2 contour and 1-7 twist. Don't know if that's a significant factor but sure do wonder what it would do with a varmint contour.