I just changed out the barrel ( and I did it with no help), which is a pretty big accomplishment for someone with no mechanical skill at all, on my Savage 12 FV in .243. It is a 28" Lothar Walther, 8 twist, varmint contour, these are taper lapped at the factory. At the same time I added a 20 MOA base, the scope is a Weaver Grand Slam 6.5-20 in Zee rings which has been on it since new, a SSS LVT stock and the factory accutrigger still set where it came from the factory.
I am very pleased with it so far. This morning I did a barrel break in and ran some factory Federal 85 gr. SGK loads though it and some handloads I just threw together that used to shoot decently in my old barrel. I did go down 1 1/2 gr. of powder just to be safe. Over the next couple of weeks I'll work up some loads to see if I can get it shooting better.
The groups today are nothing compared to what many of you guys shoot, but they were much better than I got with the factory barrel. The 85 SGK Federal load shot really well, I liked it in my factory barrel also since it would shoot around .8" pretty consistantly. In the LW the very first group was this .35" at 100 yards off the wobbly benches at ASC in Houston:
For a weak Berger 68 gr. FB load (45 gr. H414) this one shows promise, I fired three goups with it all about the same, I'll be working up a load with this bullet for 100 yard shooting.
The barrel cleaned up really easy, I ran 2 wet patches to get out powder fouling, then one to get out copper, and the barrel was clean.
I am very pleased with it so far. This morning I did a barrel break in and ran some factory Federal 85 gr. SGK loads though it and some handloads I just threw together that used to shoot decently in my old barrel. I did go down 1 1/2 gr. of powder just to be safe. Over the next couple of weeks I'll work up some loads to see if I can get it shooting better.
The groups today are nothing compared to what many of you guys shoot, but they were much better than I got with the factory barrel. The 85 SGK Federal load shot really well, I liked it in my factory barrel also since it would shoot around .8" pretty consistantly. In the LW the very first group was this .35" at 100 yards off the wobbly benches at ASC in Houston:
For a weak Berger 68 gr. FB load (45 gr. H414) this one shows promise, I fired three goups with it all about the same, I'll be working up a load with this bullet for 100 yard shooting.
The barrel cleaned up really easy, I ran 2 wet patches to get out powder fouling, then one to get out copper, and the barrel was clean.
