What to do with a rifle that won't perform

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I have 3 target rifles, it seems you can't make 2 of them shoot badly. 1 doesn't shoot so good. I have tried 4 different bullets and 3 different powders. I have worked with this rifle for over 500 rounds trying everything I can think of and can't get a handle on it. Now it's off season and on to the next step. What should I do? Send it to a smith and let him go through it or just rechamber in the same caliber? It's a older Panda.

thanks Don

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Life is too short. Insanity is defined by doing the same thing expecting a different outcome. As you know by your other ones a good rifle shows promise at any time with any component. If you have to work hard at it- change it up

 

[MikeMcCasland]

Smart guy once told me 'Barrels are like girlfriends. If one isn't acting right, get rid of it, and another one who treats you right will come along'.

I should heed that advice more often, but it's true. Especially on something like a Panda where you know it's not the action etc. Thing should shoot lights out.

Edit: Also, consider how much components cost these days....it's often times cheaper just to cut the line and move on.

 

[hogpatrol]

What Dusty says, don't beat your head against the wall because it feels good when you stop.

 

[JMayo]

Tuner ?
Cut off an inch & re crown?

 

[garandman]

I'm hoping I don't hafta figger this out with my newbie...

 

[garandman]

I have 3 target rifles, it seems you can't make 2 of them shoot badly. 1 doesn't shoot so good. I have tried 4 different bullets and 3 different powders. I have worked with this rifle for over 500 rounds trying everything I can think of and can't get a handle on it. Now it's off season and on to the next step. What should I do? Send it to a smith and let him go through it or just rechamber in the same caliber? It's a older Panda.

thanks Don

Admittedly.... I'm tryin' to figger out how you tested all that in only 500 rounds.....

 

[antelopedundee]

I have 3 target rifles, it seems you can't make 2 of them shoot badly. 1 doesn't shoot so good. I have tried 4 different bullets and 3 different powders. I have worked with this rifle for over 500 rounds trying everything I can think of and can't get a handle on it. Now it's off season and on to the next step. What should I do? Send it to a smith and let him go through it or just rechamber in the same caliber? It's a older Panda.

thanks Don

Are there standard/known loads that should work in all "good" rifles?

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Has the rifle shot well with other barrels? If so, give up on that barrel. If not, it's in the action or scope.

 

[pirate ammo]

Give it to me, might make a good pig gun.

 

[ebb]

By now you know it's not the load, Look for something else.

 

[Laurie]

Are there standard/known loads that should work in all "good" rifles?

Sort of .... ! Most cartridges have at least one combination that should produce 2,xxx or 3,xxx fps and decent groups give or take a few tenths of grains powder charge especially with a jump tolerant bullet design. However, as barrels are often bullet make sensitive, you may need to try an alternative here.

I bought a 6.5-284 Savage 12 'F-Class' rifle some 10 or 12 years ago. There were a number of 'hummers' in these factory models in the UK at the time, but also the occasional 'dog'. Unfortunately, I got one of the latter. Not only did it struggle to produce an occasional half-inch 5-shot 100yd group but MVs from loads that worked in other people's examples were 100-150 fps down on what they got - a pretty sure sign of a barrel issue. Nevertheless we checked every other possible cause out without success. A new Bartlein Heavy Palma tube put on and chambered in 6.5X55 transformed performance - 0.5 to 1.25-MOA groups became <0.3 and the smaller, lower pressure cartridge matched or even bettered the poor 6.5-284 factory barrel's speeds. This was all still in the laminated OEM stock, no other changes.

That stock then went to turn it into a 308 Win F/TR rifle and since then a 7-08 F-Class rifle again with Bartleins, but the original action and trigger group are still in use totally untouched since its completion in the Savage factory, occasional trigger weight adjustment aside, and it has always performed very well with good barrels.

 

[sdean]

Life is too short. Insanity is defined by doing the same thing expecting a different outcome. As you know by your other ones a good rifle shows promise at any time with any component. If you have to work hard at it- change it up

Listen to Dusty