.17 Rem shooting session ? tad long winded

[cath8r]

OK guys. Love this board. Want to pick your brains.

I recently aquired an LVSF in .17 rem. Mounted the scope, Leupold VXII 4-12 in Weaver rings and bases.
Sighted in with factory loads a bit high at 100 then tried at 210 yards on a fairly windy, cold day. First 3 shots:
Shot #1 -1/2 inch above the dot centre.
#2 -1/2" left of dot
#3 -3/4" 7:00 off dot. (1" marker dot.)
Shots given about a 1 min. breather each.
Great, let gun cool down too luke-warm and I am pretty happy. Then I shoot some more.
Next 3 go right of the dot:
#4 3" right
#5 5" right
#6 6" away 2:00 off dot.
Next 3 go high but only towards the left at a 10:00ish direction varying 3"-5". I put the gun away.

Today I load up 8 rounds with 25gr. Bergers and Varget all the same. Shooting at 150 yards and there is no wind

#1- 1/2" high over dot.
#2- 3/8" to the left off dot edge.
#3- 1/2" to the left off dot edge.
#4- 2" right off dot edge
#5- 3" right off of edge
#6- 4" 2:00.
#7- 10:00 direction about 1 1/2" off of dot edge.
#8- let the gun get stone cold and the bullet lands about 3/8" left of 1st bullet of the day. 2 cold shots land 3/8" apart. 1/2" high and over the dot.

I think I noticed that as the barrell gets warm, its walk is kind of a predictable pattern. Is the same direction of bullet impact for the same succesion of shots a coincidence, do you think?

The cold shot is the only one I really care about and will evaluate it further over the next few days. Coyotes are starting to move and the best is ahead of us yet. I can live with the first shot being best. I just might line up stuff to do and shoot one shot every half hour tomorrow and see what 5 shots over 2 1/2 hours is gonna do.
Anything jump out at you guys about this?

[fosters]

The last new Remington that I will ever purchase was about 8 years ago.....it was the kevlar stocked, stainless, very heavy barrel, 17 Remington....it would not consistently hit a pop can at 100yds....with my 24x Leupold, 24.7gr Varget, 25gr Berger, 7 1/2 primer......this same load, in our 700 Classics will shoot about 5/8 to 3/4" all the time....(which is not all that good)...this same exact load is the best we have ever found for the 17 Rem in all guns.....

Sent it back to Remington, and they assured me that it would be fixed....well, got it back and now you could pretty consistently hit about a half a pop can with the same stuff.....so they got it to shoot better than twice as good as it did.....took the barrel off and put on a good Shilen one and now it's ok.....but you should not have to do that!

Very soon after the disappointing results with the Remington, I got a CZ.....and it easily shoots under 1/4" without effort.....I also have 2 Tikka 17 Rem Continental Varmints that do as well.....

The only new rifles I will buy for myself are CZ's......just no worries....YMMV....

steve

[cath8r]

24.7 is over max according to my literature. I'm well under max. at 23.5gr. of Varget. This week I'll load up to max and see if I can get some consistency at 200 yards. Let the barrel get a little cooler, maybe 2 min. between shots.

[Easy_E]

I have the same gun in 221 fireball. I removed the pressure pad under the barrel and free floated it. That along with a trigger job really tightened up the groups.

[Russell]

I had the same problem with a Remington 700 Classic. As a test I replaced the stock with a stock that had a varmint barrel contour so the barrel had nothing pressing against it and also replaced the trigger. The gun shoots so much better without any fliers, very consistant groups.

My Favorate load is:
30 Grain Woodchuck Den Bullets
Powder: 26.0 gr. IMR4007SSC @ 3701 fps (No Pressure Problems)
Primer: CCI-450
1/4" to 3/8" Groups
HS Precision Stock with screws torqued @ 60 in lbs
80-Degree Temp.

I also use this load in a Remington 700 BDL (17 REM) @3660 fps with the results.

[cath8r]

I pulled the stock off last night after reading Easy E's post. It has been floated. No contact. I do think the trigger needs work. It feels alot like my old Ruger trigger, only not as heavy. On that Ruger I changed the trigger and the groups cut in half.
I may look into getting this trigger smoothed out and lightened a hair.

[Dean2]

All of my Remingtons have really benefited from being glass bedded at the recoil lug and skin bedded to the tang. That or pillared and Bedded, though I am coming to prefer just the glass bedding. That along with full contact, full glassing of the barrel channel of any thin barreled ones and floating any varmint contour or heavier ones has really improved POI consistency as the barrel heats. Has also done a lot to improve the groups.

Bedding problems and poor triggers are far more common than bad barrels. Best of luck.

[T.Zimm]

I have the very same rifle in that same caliber. I would try IMR-4320 and then work on seating depth. See what a powder change does to the consistency. Sounds like you need to further develop a load. Mine took quite a bit of tinkering to get it under an inch at 100. Nothing like my .17 fireball that showed promise the first time I pulled the trigger. My LVSF with factory loads is absolutely hideous. It would be traded off if I werent a reloader....

[Furhunter]

I once had a LVSF in 223. It was by far the biggest POS I have ever owned. Pressure pads no pressure pads, installed jewell trigger, 5 different powders, about as many different bullets, never did get it to shoot. I will warn you about those pressure pads. When I removed mine, the forearm of the stock went hard right and the stock no longer centered on the barrel, then I had to open up the barrel channel to remove side contact from the stock. I still to this day say those are not designed to apply pressure to the barrel, they are there to keep the cheap ass plastic stock centered on the barrel. More like centering/alignment pads than pressure pads.

Thats been 5/6 years ago, I have only bought one more remmy since and its not stock anymore. They still make one of the best and strongest actions on the market but their quality control on new rifles is crap. I have less money in one of my Cooper Varminters than I did in that LVSF.

[AKmik]

You can probably clean it up nicely. My 700 Classic is one of my favorite rifles, very good shooter.
I floated the barrel, adjusted/cleaned the trigger, acra glassed the action, gave the bore some TLC and inspected the crown. A JB treatment smoothed my factory rem barrel nicely, went from about a dozen blue patches using sweets to very little to no copper fouling after a 20 round range session.
This rifle has only had moly coated bullets through it. She will shoot dime sized groups all day long.

4320 is the powder in mine.

You can most likely turn it into a great shooter with a little lovin.