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Thread: Diagnosing a accuracy problem with my .222

  1. #1
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    Diagnosing a accuracy problem with my .222

    Team I need help.

    I bought a BSA Majestic .222, looks the business, BSA fans froth at the mouth looking at it, but the sad news is that it does not group.

    I've tried various factory rounds, my handloads, friends handloads, I've changed scopes, rings, and had friends shoot it to rule me and the optics out of the problem. The trigger is great, breaking at around 3lbs.

    I've had it bedded and free floated, I've tried 40, 45, 50, 52 Match, 55 SP projectiles, AR2207, AR2206H, AR2208.

    Always the same result, 2 or 3 or 4 in a nice tight group, and the rest 2 to 4 inches away at 100m.

    Alan Carr thinks he can see minor pitting in the last 3 inches of the barrel, another respected friend thinks it has been mildly ringed in the same place, while I use the same eyeball method I can't see any issues myself. But something is amiss, and I need to find out what that is.

    Does anyone know someone in the Wellington or nearby areas who has a borescope, or an air gap measuring device that can definitely diagnose whether my barrel has an issue?

    Any help or suggestions appreciated, perhaps I have other options I have yet to try to diagnose this problem.

  2. #2
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    With some barrel bulges you can feel them yourself with a patch and cleaning rod.
    Might be too small though.
    jord and chainsaw like this.

  3. #3
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    you could lead slug the barrel to see the actual size of the bore and no doubt find any bulges at the same time
    Id recrown or chop an inch off the barrel at a time until it shoots satisfactory

    My old brnos barrel was worn before my father got it, so I took it to @gundoc and he counterbored it because I wanted to retain the front site for looks
    It worked to restore some accuracy
    7mmsaum and caberslash like this.

  4. #4
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    Sorry to hear yr problem,222 I use on a good day leaves touching holes at a hundy.A good gunsmith should be able to help you out.

  5. #5
    northdude
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    Have you tried a pressure point at the tip of the forend

  6. #6
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    It takes very little muzzle damage to upset accuracy. Muzzle damage (the last 2-3 inches) is very common in NZ hunting rifles that are a few years old, usually caused by firing rifles without cleaning after having been standing in a cupboard for a few months. Dust (microscopic stones) settles in the muzzle and firing just pushes it into the barrel wall. Do that 2 or 3 times over a few years and the accuracy is gone. Shortening and recrowning improves the accuracy but reduces the velocity. A swipe with a dry patch before firing prevents the problem starting. It never ceases to amaze me the number of shooters (including many professionals) who keep the outside of their rifles pristine and never care for the bit that makes the rifle do what it does!

  7. #7
    northdude
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    i store my rifles muzzle down to help prevent this and oil etc running into trigger mech and stock
    Moa Hunter likes this.

  8. #8
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    Greetings 243WSSM,
    I think Alan Carr, your respected friend and Gundoc have pretty well nailed the problem. A BSA Majestic is older than many of us and may have seen a great deal of use so a good look at the throat would be worth considering. Alan may have checked this already. I had an ex police Brno .223 at one time that had been shot heaps and had the throat to prove it. I could never get it to shoot as well as my later .223 rifles.
    Regards Grandpamac
    Micky Duck likes this.

  9. #9
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    It must be a reasonable bore defect. The bore on my BSA .222 is quite pitted, it feels damn gritty when pushing a patch down it. Somehow it still manages a decent .6” group at 100 with federal 55gr. Gets better as it fouls up. I know the barrel is shagged but can’t bring myself to replace it just yet.
    Micky Duck likes this.

  10. #10
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    Try bedding again. Just because it is bedded doesn’t mean it’s bedded well. Looks can be deceiving.
    zimmer, Moa Hunter and Micky Duck like this.

  11. #11
    Member GravelBen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 243wssm View Post
    Always the same result, 2 or 3 or 4 in a nice tight group, and the rest 2 to 4 inches away at 100m.
    Are they spread relatively evenly, or in two clusters? Two clusters would suggest a bedding issue to me.
    zimmer, Moa Hunter and Micky Duck like this.

  12. #12
    Member Micky Duck's Avatar
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    yip the double grouping thing suggests something else is at play here.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by GravelBen View Post
    Are they spread relatively evenly, or in two clusters? Two clusters would suggest a bedding issue to me.
    Nope, a nice group, and flyers go anywhere, up, down, left, right. I think it is ringed, so maybe counterboring it so it still looks the part. But I'd like to know for sure first, hence the borescope question, does anyone have a service where the bore can be inspected?

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by northdude View Post
    Have you tried a pressure point at the tip of the forend
    I went the other way, had it bedded (it was original metal and wood) and the barrel floated so a piece of paper can be run under the barrel to the bedding.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by csmiffy View Post
    With some barrel bulges you can feel them yourself with a patch and cleaning rod.
    Might be too small though.
    I can't feel any difference with a patch where others see something, which is about 3 inches from the muzzle.

 

 

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