fairchaser said:
Try changing your cleaning methods. Even though the smokeless powder leaves little residue compared to black powder, you are still shooting a hot plastic sabot down the barrel and it leaves some residue each time. The hotter the barrel, the more it leaves with each shot. Try the cleaners specifically designed to clean plastic residue from barrels.
Yep. I swab between every shot with my hotter loads. On the other hand, I can shoot dozens of shots using some mild loads without any change in accuracy.
Assuming that your gun and scope are sound and do not need any changes, and that you eliminate barrel heating, then you have the following variables to deal with in usual order of significance to accuracy/POI:
1. Bullet;
2. Sabot;
3. Powder;
4. Charge weight;
5. Primer;
6. Seating pressure;
7. Breechplug carbon level;
8. Swabbing/cleaning procedure; and
9. Firm hold vs. Free recoil.
Make sure you only change one variable at a time and do it methodically. If you have selected a good bullet, sabot, and powder (xtp and mmp are good; 5744 is good, but could be better), then measure out three or five vials of powder at the lowest recommended charge weight. Then bump it up a grain and measure three or five more, repeat, until you reach the max charge (eg, one batch t each of 40g, 41g, 42g, 43g, 44g, and 45g). Take them to the range and shoot the 40g group. Keeping EVERYTHING else the same, shoot the 41 grain group, then 42, etc., until you reach max or see pressure signs (blown sabots or swollen/flattened/stuck primers). Either shoot all with a dirty barrel or clean the same amount between every shot. (Shots from a clean barrel and a dirty barrel will NOT land in the same place.)
Hopefully one or two of those will yield a consistent group under 2". Take those weights and refine the: adjust by .5 grains up or down. Seat the bullet looser, swap to shooting clean or dirty barrel, etc. The two keys are 1) NEVER change more than one variable at once and 2) Always shoot a full group when you change a variable.
Another thing that will cause stray shots is if you loosen the action/bolt release screw to remove the bolt, etc. The recoil lugs on the Savage are stamped, not milled, so they usually require a seating shot every time you loosen the action/bolt release screw. This can be minimized by glassing the stock and bedding the action.
