Help with my Howa 1500

[David Milisock]

I am just a beginner at both reloading and shooting centerfire rifles, neither of which I've done for more than a couple of months.

I have a question about diagnosing why the accuracy of my Howa mini in .223 has gone south. I hope someone here can advise me.

When I first got the gun, I had no problems shooting sub MOA 3x groups (not 5x though) at 100 with 55 gr PMC. Several sub half inch groups with 69 gr and 77gr ammo. The same was true at a long second range session. But at the third the shooting got worse. So I used a borescope and saw it needed a good cleaning, which I did.

Then I put the gun in a chassis and it was all over the place. Sometimes, it would shoot amazingly. 5x half inch with 77 grain ammo, but then many 1.5 to 2 inch 3x groups with PMC -- something it never did in the first two long sessions in its original wobbly Hogue stock. I loaded a variety of ammo and could get it to shoot well with some 77 grain but never with most 55.

I put it back in the Hogue stock but today I found it didn't shoot as before either.

What should I do to diagnose the potential problems? No carbon ring and no obvious copper fouling.

I also shoot off a very stable competition front rest with a rear bag, so setup so no issue with the setup, I shoot very small groups with match grade rimfires at 50.

Since the accuracy went bad after some shooting a cleaning was indicated. Assuming that you did not damage the bore with your cleaning methods then the sight mounts and stock bedding are suspect.

 

[Pareto]

So I tried to do everything. A thorough, careful clean with both carbon cleaner and copper cleaner, finally CLP, and no brushes. Just patches and letting the rifle sit overnight with solvent in the barrel. After cleaning checked with a borescope. Then I removed the stock and replaced the screws with the action screws that MDT sent for the Oryx which I put back and checked the recommended torque. Then I switched out the scope rings for a more robust set and made sure the the pic rail and scope were on there solidly. Was excited to try it out, but too busy for more than a quick trip to the nearby range which only has 50 yard lanes. However, I brought a friend who was a relative newby to rifles. Well, we both shot several quarter to half inch 3x and 5x groups with different factory ammo and one set of 69gr handloads I brought. Worst group was under 3/4 inch. Moreover, the rifle and scope adjusted predictably to moving the scope focus up or down or sideways a couple of MOA. So, it seems promising. If only this will hold up once I get to the 100 yard range.

 

[Frankm]

+1 to DavidMilisock…. Clean it good. New barrel probably pulling more copper than one with a couple hundred rounds down it.

You mentioned your 2nd range session being “long” ! (And right after, session 3, accuracy wasn’t there ; it’s carboned/coppered up)

 

[Big Mc]

I am just a beginner at both reloading and shooting centerfire rifles, neither of which I've done for more than a couple of months.

I have a question about diagnosing why the accuracy of my Howa mini in .223 has gone south. I hope someone here can advise me.

When I first got the gun, I had no problems shooting sub MOA 3x groups (not 5x though) at 100 with 55 gr PMC. Several sub half inch groups with 69 gr and 77gr ammo. The same was true at a long second range session. But at the third the shooting got worse. So I used a borescope and saw it needed a good cleaning, which I did.

Then I put the gun in a chassis and it was all over the place. Sometimes, it would shoot amazingly. 5x half inch with 77 grain ammo, but then many 1.5 to 2 inch 3x groups with PMC -- something it never did in the first two long sessions in its original wobbly Hogue stock. I loaded a variety of ammo and could get it to shoot well with some 77 grain but never with most 55.

I put it back in the Hogue stock but today I found it didn't shoot as before either.

What should I do to diagnose the potential problems? No carbon ring and no obvious copper fouling.

I also shoot off a very stable competition front rest with a rear bag, so setup so no issue with the setup, I shoot very small groups with match grade rimfires at 50.

It,s A Howa. Tommy Mc