[smokinfz1]

After MONTHS of searching I finally found the right combination for this one. I have several loads that would shoot just under moa but I just wanted it better. Finally Sierra Game King Hollow Point Boat Tails seated over 55.0 grains of H4831sc with a large rifle BR CCI primer. I ran the gauntlet from 53.0gr-58.0gr (as printed by Sierra) my worst group was right at 2". With most being below 1.5".

But the best printed a 5 shot group at .510" and that included 1 flyer that was 1/4" out, the four shot group measured .207" center to center. I am now proud to call this rifle mine. Now to move on to my 325 wsm. I will try to find my wifes cam, take a pic and post it. If I can figure out how to do it.

 

[broom_jm]

Smokin, have you put together more loads at that charge weight and confirmed the accuracy? Jack O'Connor wrote, several times, that "on days when my wibbles compensated for my wobbles" his gun would shoot such n' such groups. I only mention this because there have been several occasions when I thought I had a great load for a certain gun, only to find the next time I shot it, the groups opened up again.

In particular, I had a Model 70 FWT 25-'06 do that to me and it turned out to be a problem with the stock. After I fixed that I was able to go back and try the same recipes I had discarded, earlier, and they worked quite well. Hopefully you've really got this load nailed down and it will perform consistently for you.

 

[smokinfz1]

I loaded up 30 rounds last night when I wrote that, and I'm headed back to the range here in about an hour. I'm hoping it wasn't just luck. Only one way to tell and I'll know today.

 

[smokinfz1]

I don't want to talk about it.

but, I will anyway.

the 30 rounds I loaded up were

5-54.8 group size 1.112"
5-54.9 group size 0.962"
5-55.0 group size 1.224
5-55.1 group size 1.509"
5-55.2 group size 1.079"
5-55.3 group size 0.772"

Now since I am a true shooter I will list all of my excuses. Hahaha

1. Temp was 30 degrees cooler today than two days ago.
2. 3rd set was interrupted by a cease fire at the range.
3. Obamaphobia
4 The light was in my eyes
5. It was too dark to see the target clearly
6. The bruise "THE PUNISHER" left on my shoulder made me wince each time I fired.
7. I was distracted by the fact that Houston has a 50% chance of snow tomorrow.
8. My dial calipers need to be recalibrated.
9. Undo stress from fear of not reproducing group size that i bragged about online.
10. I didn't have my standard 48oz of "Aimin Juice" to steady my shakes.

 

[Rangr44]

11. The dog ate my reticle.

.

 

[smokinfz1]

Just for the record I am not giving up on this load yet. I am going to load up some more and give it another run.

 

[broom_jm]

Kudos for being honest! Most of those groups are still very respectable. Your list of excuses is highly commendable...I feel a new thread coming on!

"The .480 Loudenboomer next to me kept shooting just as I was squeezing the trigger..."

 

[MikeG]

"Tang was shooting his .50 BMG short-barreled-rifle with a muzzle brake, only three counties over...."

 

[lkbenson]

Not to put in a discouraging word but I sold my B78 in 25-06 last month because I could never get it to shoot like I thought it should. Good luck with yours. When I hear that you have developed the supreme load I will regret selling mine. I'll keep an eye on this post.

 

[smokinfz1]

I can see wood contact between forearm and barrel. I am tempted to remove some wood to give it clearance, but this rifle is spotless and 34 years old. I don't want to put a tool to it.

IKbenson, what were your best groups? I have several just below moa at 100yds. haven't tried any longer distances yet. I have considered just accepting it at 1" and moving on. I am not getting rid of this one. As I have said in the past, I just don't have that ability.

 

[broom_jm]

I can see wood contact between forearm and barrel. I am tempted to remove some wood to give it clearance, but this rifle is spotless and 34 years old. I don't want to put a tool to it.

The M70 Featherweight I had was in excellent condition. Still, it wouldn't group well at all, so I took the action out of the stock and found two pressure points in the forend of the stock. I did some research and found that Winchester cut their stock that way, on purpose. The logic of the time was that consistent pressure on the forend would result in good accuracy. Anyone who's shot over an active ground squirrel pasture knows that is not necessarily such a good idea because your barrel gets hot and that wood will expand a lot.

I took a wooden dowel rod (ok, ok...it was a toilet-paper holder!) and wrapped it in 80 grit. Twenty minutes later I wrapped it in 120, then 220. When it was baby-butt smooth and a dollar bill would slide between the stock and barrel, 2/3 of the way back to the action, I put a thin coat of Tru-oil on the barrel channel and waited a couple days before I put the gun back together. Cut the groups in half and eventually found one that was good for .750" groups, when I was shooting well.

A beautiful gun that won't shoot tight groups is like a model with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth...just plain ugly, to me.

 

[smokinfz1]

I went back to the range today, with it and ran through the same loads with even more varying results. I finally just pulled the forearm off and fired two sets of 5 shot groups. Point of impact changed by a full 2.5" and 100yds, I am definately going to remove some wood,

 

[smokinfz1]

If anybody is still reading this I will follow up. I removed wood from the forearm yesterday. I can get a dollar bill all the way up to the receiver. It is a little tight toward the muzzle end but it will go through. Loaded up the same rounds again and went back to the range today. The point of impact is now the same as it was without the forearm, which I took as a good sign. I can run five shot groups and it will group well but if I push the next group too quickly it will shoot a poor group. I am still having what I believe to be a thermal issue but this is a hunting rifle not a bench rest. the 55.0gr grouped a .442" 4 shot group, with one being 1.5" away. I shot a 5 shot group but pulled on the 4th shot(which was the flyer). I have some more loaded up at 55.0gr and in a few days I will go back and see if the results are repeatable.

 

[B78-6mm]

Does your B78 have the round heavy barrel or the octagon? I'm refinishing mine now.....it sounds like you would recommend relieving the stress on the barrel while I am at this stage(?). Did anyone else do this to their B78/1885, and if so did you notice any accuracy change?

 

[smokinfz1]

B-78 Octagon

The 1885's come free floated. I couldn't find anything on the B-78s being floated or not, but at least the way mine was, it was only touching the barrel about the last 2" of the forearm. Now that I have opened it up. the forearm will flex if I apply pressure to it. It would be a good candidate for glass bedding, although I have no intentions of doing so.

 

[smokinfz1]

Well I went back to the range with 20 rounds of the 55.0 gr load. the first two groups I rushed through all 5 shots and the last two groups I waited between each round about 3-5 minutes to let barrel cool.
The first two groups were 1.3" and 1.5".

The last two grups were .765" and .227"

I am going to load some more up tonight and hopefully tomorrow head out to another place that has a 300 yard range.

 

[smokinfz1]

just as an update on an old thread about accuracy problems with a B78 in 25-06.

After finally realizing that my problem with this rifle was definately a thermal issue I began to shoot and allow the barrel to cool between each round fired. This dramatically improved group size. I found two loads that shot very accurately. I removed wood from the forearm that allowed a dollar bill to move all the way to the breach end of the barrel. I then went ahead and allowed a gunsmith to glass bed the end of the forearm, not visable from outside. both loads are now holding below MOA if I do my part however one has showm better performance than the other, and this has now become my hunting load. If by chance you have accuracy issues with a b78 rifle you may want to look into the forearm applying pressure to the barrel. The best test to see if this is the issue would be to load up 6 rounds of the same load. Shoot 3, then remove the forearm and shoot 3 more of the same load, if your point of impact changes on paper, you have an issue. Good luck to all of you who posses the most beautiful rifle ever manufactured(my opinion)