cherokee_outfitters

In alot of cases people buy a rifle and try to throw various brands, bullet weights, and charges of ammo down the barrel and expect the rifle to handle them all with superb accuracy. It just doesn't happen most of the time. And finding a rifle's sweet spot usually takes alot of time at the reloading bench. But alot of people aren't content with a 165gr bullet coming out of a 300 win mag at 2950fps. They wanted it to be in the 3100's, but their particular rifle doesn't like that load. So the gunsmith gets a call to make this rifle into what they wanted it to be. To be honest most rifles can out shoot the average guy behind the trigger. You may indeed have to settle for a different load that the rifle likes but was not in your intentions when you bought the rifle.

I myself shoot alot of single shot rifles my favorite being the ruger No. 1.
These rifles are tempermental on bullet weights and velocity's. But when the time is taken to match the load to the rifle, these rifles have superb accuracy. But like I said earlier they won't shoot all loads well.

I've had custom rifles that I couldn't shoot as well as a cheaper models. I didn't take them to the gunsmith to spend alot more money on them I use them for trade offs for the next possible superb shooting rifle.

Just my opinion but I believe alot of people's dissapointment in buying rifles comes from simply overlooking their intentions of useage. Such a barrel twist for intended bullet weights, trigger pull, and overall the way the rifle matches up to the person. For example I can shoot a rifle that has a straight stock 5 times better than I can without one. Maybe my neck has been broken to many times. lolol.

I like rifles the can shoot really well from the get go. I'm not into giving the gunsmith $500 to $1000 to make it shoot better. It becomes a trade off rifle no matter the make or the cost of it. Bench rifles are the only exception to this rule. Holes in holes don't come cheap. But most rifles should shoot under 1 1/2" groups at a 100yds. I prefer alot smaller groups, but even rifles from wal-mart can do this with alittle tinkering at the reloading bench. But you know it's all about the level of expectations.

jmfa1957

Here are the experiences I have had. Please note that these are ONE sample of each rifle brand/model, so take each with a grain of salt. There is variability in almost everything.

Remington 700 BDL .30-06 - - Out of box shot under 1.5" with factory Remington 165 grain CoreLokts. WIth handloads using the same Remington 165 grain bullet it will group under one inch @ 100 yds if I do my part. The factory trigger pull is very high, and at first was gritty. Within about a hundred rounds, the trigger was still very heavy but was very crisp, not at all creepy or gritty. I've decided not to adjust it for now. I love this rifle.

Winchester Model 70 Featherweight Push Feed .243 - - Out of the box it shot poorly and had about an 8 lb trigger pull. Groups were around 3" or so, sometimes worse. I floated the barrel, adjusted the trigger myself and with handloads will now group at or under an inch if I do my part. Floating the barrel made such a dramatic difference that I have not spent as much time as I probably should playing with handloads to optimize accuracy; it is now capable of better accuracy than I am in the field.

Remington 742 Semi Auto .30-06 - - Had this since early 1980s. I really don't care much for this rifle, so I haven't experimented much with it. On the few occaisions that I have carefully measured targets after groups, it seemed as though it would hold most loads within a 3" circle, sometimes 2", but usually not better. It is certainly good enough to have taken game at the ranges I've bagged them at, but since getting a turnbolt this gun has mostly collected dust.

CZ 550 6.5x55mm Swedish - - This is the most accuracte-out-of-box hunting rifle I've ever owned. It delivered consistent 5 shot groups at or under one inch @ 100 yards using inexpensive PMC factory loads; most of the groups are UNDER an inch. I've got some handloads started but have not yet had a chance to try them to see what it likes best. Their website says these rifles are fitted with pillar blocks and the barrels are lapped. The trigger is interesting; it is a single set affair where the set trigger is a scary 1-2 pounds, the regular setting a somewhat creepy 4 pounds. I am too chicken to ever want to try that set feature anywhere but off my benchrest!

Ruger Model 77 MkII .30-06 - - This rifle is my single biggest disappointment. I have tried nearly every imaginable permutation in handloading, as well as bedding and a trigger job, to make this otherwise delightful rifle shoot well. It just won't. DAMMIT!!! [:@] I am still playing with it but even my gunsmiths say that they are stumped. It will shoot one group 3.5"[:'(], the very next group with everything identical will shoot under an inch. It strings horizontally[:-], as well as vertically, as well as in wide circles[>:], and occaisionally under one inch, and I cannot find the reason why[X(]. If I ever figure out what this rifle likes I will jump for joy, because there are many desirable features on the Rugers that I think beat Remington all to heck, but at this point it feels like I've been polishing a turd.

etothepii

I just got an NEF handi rifle, and from what I've read, they have some quirks. But when you find the right load and practice with it, they work out very nicely.

Steven Ashe

On the plus side: The most accurate rifles that I have owned were the Tikka White Tail Hunters. One in 30-06 and the other in 7mmRemMag. The 30-06 shot tighter groups, but then I have to admit, I was trying to push the 7mmRemMag, in terms of MV, to the upper limits. When I kept the 7mm at the same MV as I had the 30-06, they would both shoot one hole clovers at 100 yards. This, with no tweeking of trigger or bedding. The only place that I am critical of that Tikka model, is in the plastic bolt shoud on the back end of the bolt. If Tikka would replace that with metal, I could recommend the Tikka even higher.

speyrjb

I have had 3 rifles really throw me for a loop as far as finding a load and getting them to shoot:

Worst one was my father's Browning 1885 High Wall in 22-250. The rifle itself was beautiful but it was difficult to find a gunsmith to do any trigger work on a falling block rifle. Finally found one and got the trigger right but the best this rifle would do was about 1/2", which may sound pretty good but with a round like the 22-250 you should be ragging holes before you settle on a load. I'm convinced the barrel was just too long for that caliber. It had a 28" Octagon heavy barrel. We ended up selling the rifle and he bought a Remington 700 VLS and never looked back. Very good shooting rifle.

2nd for me was a Ruger 1 in the same caliber that I loaded for a guy on our deer lease. Pretty finicky little gun but found out that it liked the COAL very short. So short in fact that you could visibly see a small gap between the case neck and the bullet. Odd looking round but after all was said and done I accomplished several "one hole" groups with it. I later loaded a .223 in Ruger 1 and started with a very short COAL and found a load very quickly for it.

3rd is my Ruger 77 22 hornet. Had to shoot it quite a bit. I floated the barrel and worked on the trigger myself and got it right, but was still having problems. After some research I tried Lil' Gun powder and Small Pistol primers instead of rifle primers and found a really good load. Who would have thought that a shotgun powder and pistol primers would make a this little rifle shoot???

Nomercy

Here's one probably everyone knows already: Winchester 94's in pistol cartridges. I've had 3, handled probably twenty, and seen countless others in action (Cowboy action shooting), and I've yet to see one perform well enough that I'd want to get another one. Their accuracy isn't BAD, but it's not on par with their marlin competitors, and their reliability and feeding certainly leaves a LOT to be desired. It kind of makes sense that an action designed for long bottleneck cartridges wouldn't work well with short straight walled cartridges, but who might have ever thought of that? You'll note that Marlin has different actions for their long rounds and short rounds, and they're much more reliable.

Of course, this is speaking from a standpoint that a few hundred rounds a month get ran through these rifles, compared to the average hunter who might shoot a few hundred rounds a decade.

Steven Ashe

That is probably part of the reason why we read that when men headed for a showdown in the old west, many of them toted scatter guns!