Can't get rifle to group. Need suggestions.

beagleman26

Four Pointer
I bought a used Savage Axis .243 for my son a couple of years ago. I shot it back then and it was all over the place. 8"-10" group. Changed the scope on it (it had a Zeiss on it when I bought it so I didn't think that was the problem), shot 3-4 different brands/weights of bullets, cleaned it and still could never get it to group. The rifle looked brand new so it's hard for me to believe it was "shot out". The owner said he was shooting light recoil, varmint rounds made by Hornady and even gave me a couple of boxes. I never shot those because I was buying it for my son to deer hunt with.

It made me so mad I put it in the safe and am just now getting around to wanting to get it right. I don't shoot a lot and don't have any ideas of what could cause the grouping problems. Anyone had a problem like this or have any suggestions on where I should start looking to get this thing right? Thanks
 

lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
Check the screws on the scope and the mounts to make sure they are tight. Check the bolts on the fore end and at the trigger and make sure they don't move.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I have seen that with barrels that didn't have a sufficiently fast twist to stabilize the longer bullets, but I wouldn't think that would be the case with that gun, unless it is a varmint barrel. I would try some of the lighter bullets just to see. Shoot the rounds he gave you so you can start narrowing it down.

You could try to find someone who reloads and tinker with it. My Dad has a factory Ruger M77 that will only shoot reloads well. It's just finicky and takes a particular load.
 

MJ74

Old Mossy Horns
What grain bullet have you tried in it?

I had read the triggers were a little heavy in the Axis too. Make sure the stock isn't touching anywhere and the action bolts are tight.

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Ashy Larry

Ten Pointer
Those stocks are very flimsy and if you remove material from the fore end to float it, take out a lot. I laid fiberglass in the bottom of the fore end to stiffen it up. I also did the DIY trigger job. It's better, but still not good. I can get mine around an inch on average. Make sure you're shooting enough rounds to "foul" it. Clean barrels rarely group well.
 

hunthard2

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I had a barrel from palmetto state that turned out to be defective. I tried different scopes, bullets, had other shoot it, and even had myself convinced I was the problem so I went out and bought a lead sled. Ended up sending it off for a new barrel...it would hit the bullseye one shot and then it wouldn’t cut paper at 50 steps


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Blackwater

Twelve Pointer
You might want to check the crown and make sure it isn't damaged. If it has iron sights try taking the scope off and shoot it using the iron sights at 25 or 50 yards and see if it groups. Often a rifle will shoot much better with a target crown cut onto the barrel. Also check to see if the barrel is coppered up; you can usually see copper deposits at the end of the barrel with a good light and maybe a jeweler's loupe.

My Win 70 in 243 won't stabilize 100 or 105 grain bullets very well but 95gr on down do well.
 
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beagleman26

Four Pointer
Thanks for the replys so far. The crown of the gun looks OK. The bullets I tried were 95 grain Federals and 100 grain Remingtons and a hand load a buddy had (I'm not sure what grain that was). I will check all of the screws and try some of the bullets the guy gave me this weekend. I looked this afternoon and they are 87 grain. I wouldn't have thought this would make a difference but sounds like it could. It doesn't have iron sights so that's out. Hopefully, I can give a good report after shooting it this weekend.
 

FishHunt

Old Mossy Horns
I had a left hand Axis in .243 a few years ago. It shot 90-105gr rounds well. I only shot factory ammo and the best performer was the Federal Fusion 95gr loads.

Check your base screws, ring screw and also the action (stock) screws. Don't over tighten the action screws. Snug them both down evenly and then tighten the front screw a 1/4 to 1/3 of a turn first. Then repeat for the rear screw.

<>< Fish
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
You might want to check the crown and make sure it isn't damaged. If it has iron sights try taking the scope off and shoot it using the iron sights at 25 or 50 yards and see if it groups. Often a rifle will shoot much better with a target crown cut onto the barrel. Also check to see if the barrel is coppered up; you can usually see copper deposits at the end of the barrel with a good light and maybe a jeweler's loupe.

My Win 70 in 243 won't stabilize 100 or 105 grain bullets very well but 95gr on down do well.
Easiest trick to see copper fouling is stick a Q-tip in the muzzle and cant it so as to block the bore, shine a flashlight behind it and the reflection off that Q-tip will reflect off that copper and if any is in there it will glow like gold.
 
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kilerhamilton

Old Mossy Horns
Send it back to savage. Some shoot some don't. It should print at least a 2moa group. They are so cookie cutter production some lemons slip through.


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41magnum

Twelve Pointer
Send it back to savage. Some shoot some don't. It should print at least a 2moa group. They are so cookie cutter production some lemons slip through.


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Best advice yet!........who doesn't want a free virgin barrel installed?..........and tell them the trigger sucks and you'll get a free trigger job!

Plus, you should have called Savage when all this started, and it'd been done by now......just saying....companies want to know when customers have problems with their products and quite often we don't understand that.
 
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Tunanut

Ten Pointer
If your barrel is a 1:10 twist, I'd highly recommend you shoot 85g Sierra game kings. If it's a 1:9.25 you can shoot up to 100g bullets. 6mm/243 is a very twist sensitive round. Trying to shoot 105's out of a 10 twist, you'll be lucky to get 4MOA. Least that's been my experience.
 

TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
Those axis will shoot but are very picky with ammo.... just gotta keep trying until you find the right combo.... after of course you do as Lee said and make sure it's all tightened good.


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JoeSam1975

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I have an axis except in .270. I also have a .308 axis, and a savage 111 .270. I had to tinker with ammo in each. The best I have found is Hornady American Whitetail. Have no idea why, but all three guns group this bullet better than anything else. I wont shoot anything else in them.
 

bryguy

Old Mossy Horns
clean it really well and check that bases and rings. Also is the scope on the gun a proven good scope? Lots of simple things to start with.
 

Greg

Old Mossy Horns
Yep ... I'd start by cleaning well and checking all the screws. I'd also slip a dollar bill between the barrel and stock to make sure nothing's pressing on the barrel.
 

snakeskinner

Twelve Pointer
95-100 grain are long bullets. If your reloader made your loads hot then you might not have sufficient twist in your barrel to stabilize it at that fps. Have your reloader lower the recipe to as slow as possible and be safe and see if groups don't improve. Otherwise try a lighter (shorter) bullet. Been there done that.
 

beagleman26

Four Pointer
Did you get a chance to check it this weekend?

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I didn’t get a chance to shoot it. Tightened all the bolts and scope mount. Gonna try again this weekend or have some time off over Thanksgiving to shoot it.
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
IF it's not the barrel or screws, I'm thinking it may be inconsistent forearm pressure. I shot several rifles for friends the other week, the rifles would not group good. They all had the slings still on. I got to watching as we shot. I could see the forearm flexing due to tension on the sling/swivel stud. We took the slings off, rifles grouped well. I learned that shooting my Marlins that don't have free floated barrels, forearm pressure points make a difference in POI and group size.
 
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