[E.O]

My rifle started to lose accuracy recently. After a disappointing session at the shooting range I found that the front screw was slightly loose so both stock screws were readjusted to 45 inch pounds. I got back to the range today and tested it several times aiming for 3-shot groups at 100 yards from a cold barrel. Results were similar; every time, two of the three shots grouped tightly together, always hitting the same place; two inches above the center. But one shot always hits the target several inches away, with a marked tendency of hitting high. I can’t tell whether the non-grouping shot was the first, second or last to be fired.

The rifle is a mannlicher schoenauer model 1950 which has always been accurate, giving acceptable 3-shot groups. There is no bedding material between the action and the stock, so I don’t know if bedding the stock would help me to improve accuracy. As I mention above, the two-shots that group are always hitting the same place, so I doubt it could be a sights or mounts issue.

All of your comments and suggestions will be highly appreciated.

 

[Seanhagerty]

What caliber and how many rounds through it?

1. Remove the action from the stock and then put it together, making sure the recoil lug is against the stock tight, then retorque.

2. A really good, I mean all day long cleaning. copper and carbon remover and jb bore paste. Over and over again.

3. inspect the crown for damage.

Thats all I got

 

[E.O]

Thanks. This is a .270 win. Can't tell you how many rounds through it, but it has not been shot that much as it has been solely used for hunting purposes.

I have already removed the action from the stock and put it together again.

I'll take your suggestions about cleaning bore thoroughly.

Crown doesn't seem to be damaged.

Does anybody know the correct torque for half stock mannlicher schoenauer?

 

[pisgah]

I assume the rifle is scoped? Check/tighten all base and ring screws, and don't discount the possibility the scope works have gone bad, either.

 

[E.O]

How can I know if the scope works have gone bad? Should I test the rifle with other scope?

 

[pisgah]

How can I know if the scope works have gone bad? Should I test the rifle with other scope?

That's really the only way unless, as I found once, you can actually hear stuff rattling around inside. Check security of the mount first, though.

 

[Mainspring]

... every time, two of the three shots grouped tightly together, always hitting the same place... But one shot always hits the target several inches away, with a marked tendency of hitting high.

To me, it sounds more like eliminating flyers than the rifle losing accuracy.

IIRC, the M-S 1950 has a lot of drop-at-heel and a low comb to allow use with iron sights. Where the cheek is placed on the stock may be a contributing factor.

 

[E.O]

As suggested. I checked that the recoil lug fitted the rifle stock tight and then re torque both screws to 45 lb/inch. Also checked that the scope rings where tighten enough.

Though I did not find the JB bore paste at the local store I cleaned the barrel thoroughly all day long using instead Hoppe’s elite copper terminator for eliminating copper fouling. Checked the rifling and crown but found no visible signs of damage.

Got to the shooting range today and found out that the rifle was shooting with the same tendency. At 100 yards, first shot 7 inches high, second shot 2 inches high, third shot hit the same place as the first. This tends to repeat every time the rifle is shot three times from a cold barrel. Curiously, variations only occur with regards to elevation but windage never changes. Though the scope doesn’t give signs of malfunctioning I will be shooting the rifle with other scope and see what happens.

 

[Big Z]

Take the rings off and check the bases too. There's a chance you could find a loose base by pushing and pulling a little on the rings.

 

[fred243]

E.O., I'm not so sure that the 45 inch/pounds may be too much. With no bedding and a wood stock you may be compressing the wood at that level, also it might cause a binding on the action/receiver by pulling it down too much. I would back the screws out and finger tighten them as much as you can, then starting with the rear screw turn each one 1/4 of a turn at a time until they get to 40 inch/lbs. Take your stuff to the range with you if you can, shoot a group of 3 shots from a cold barrel, then another group of 3 after it has warmed a little, in other words no need to wait between groups. See how they look and if they are worse then make a very slight increase in the inch pounds at a time, if you can just one inch pound at a time and let the barrel cool and shoot 2 more groups. Definitely don't go beyond 45 inch pounds. If the groups at 40 inch pounds are as good as when they are at 45 inch pounds then I would leave them at 40 and look somewhere else for the problem. How many rounds has the barrel had through it ? As the other guys have said the scope and mounts could be it. I like to check my action screws after a trip to the range to make sure they are always the same. Good luck to ya !

 

[Jack]

" At 100 yards, first shot 7 inches high, second shot 2 inches high, third shot hit the same place as the first"
What you are describing is often known as 'two grouping', and 99% of the time, it's a scope or mount problem.
Something is loose - a mount base or ring, or something inside the scope. When you fire one shot, the recoil impulse causes the loose component to move, then your next shot is to a different point. Next recoil impulse, it bounces back, and your shot hits near the first shot.

 

[RaySendero]

My rifle started to lose accuracy recently. .....

I can’t tell whether the non-grouping shot was the first, second or last to be fired.

.....

All of your comments and suggestions will be highly appreciated.

EO,

Like mainspring said "it sounds more like eliminating flyers than the rifle losing accuracy"

This is important,
You need to figure out if your dealing with a first shot flyer!

And if so - Whether its due to a clean barrel.

 

[E.O]

Thank you for the advises. The rifle shouldn’t have fired more than 1500 rounds.

Since these problems appeared, It was first shooting a flyer above the other shots, then things changed, it started to put two shots where previously the flyer was landing (the first and the third) and only one shot was hitting the line of sight. Thus, I am now confused about which one is the flyer and which is not.

In order to discard whether it was the sight, I mounted a brand new leupold vx 2 scope borrowed from another rifle which has a detachable Griffin & Howe side mount installed to it, the same mount that is installed to the rifle in discussion. Since it was only a matter of changing the top half of the mount, it was no big deal to test the rifle with another scope. Results were even worse!!! This time only two shots hit the target very separated from each other, definitely an elevation issue as no there was no windage variation. I placed back the scope to its original rifle and had no problems in grouping three shots with it. So I can conclude that it was no scope issue. By the way, I checked previously that there was no lose screw in the stock or rings.

Since it does not seem to be a scope issue, it could be either a mount or the rifle problem. I have already checked the mount base which was welded to the action by griffin & howe long time ago, but it seems to be a very well done job. Hence, I am thinking about rebidding the stock, thus I would appreciate any kind of advice for bedding a mannlicher schoenauer stock.

 

[fred243]

You to be honest with you at this point I would take it to a gunsmith and let him scope the bore. Have you been the only one to shoot it with this barrel that's on it now ? If not, or even if you have it may be that the rifling is simply worn down to the point that it's not spinning the bullet's in the manner it needs to anymore and might need a new barrel or maybe a rechamber. It seems like everything else has been done with nothing missed.