My 1970 Remington BDL Fireball refinish 6 months & 116 hours later.
- Thread starter VaniB
- Start date
Tuesday I took the BDL rifle to the range for the first time. I first fired 3 foulers and then 4 groups of 5 shots from my careful 25 handloads. Those first 4 groups & 20 fired rounds were poor. I felt like I had a pretty rifle that just couldn't shoot. I wondered if my pillar bedding job was done wrong, because the groups were 1", 3/4", 1 1/8", 1 1/8". I know this is not an HS Precision stock like as was used with the target in post #2, but I expected better while using a Hart rest and wind flags. So, with my last 5 rounds left, I decided to change my hold on the rifle and ease up on the forend and just let the rifle recoil back through the cradle and my loose fingertips. I also loaded all 5 rounds into the magazine well and let the bolt chamber them from right out of the magazine (instead of feeding them by hand into the bore.)
My conclusion was that this 3/8" group was the result of only one of two possibilities; The group tightened up considerably because the factory barrel prefers carbon and fouling of the first 23 rounds I fired through it. OR...
this rifle stock does NOT like to be held firmly in the cradle. I tend to think it's the latter and I was amazed how fussy this BDL sporter is about how its held. No problemo! Like the 50 year old ornery woman she is, I'll just hold her from now on just how she likes....if she'll keep delivering 3/8 groups like that.
My conclusion was that this 3/8" group was the result of only one of two possibilities; The group tightened up considerably because the factory barrel prefers carbon and fouling of the first 23 rounds I fired through it. OR...this rifle stock does NOT like to be held firmly in the cradle. I tend to think it's the latter and I was amazed how fussy this BDL sporter is about how its held. No problemo! Like the 50 year old ornery woman she is, I'll just hold her from now on just how she likes....if she'll keep delivering 3/8 groups like that.
I'll give $200. Cash on the barrelhead, for the whole kitnkaboodle. Haha . I'm jealous. I also love trueoil finish.
sw282
Silver $$ Contributor
Van. You did an amazing job on the stock. l'm inspired to try and refinish a BDL Varmint stock thats partially spray painted. l just need to figure out how to retain that beautiful factory skip-line cut checkering. l have no love for the HS Precision stock my 222Rem 700 Varmint sits in now
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