.222 Remington

[klr]

That's a nice looking rifle. I'll bet it will be a tack-driver.

[GasGuzzler]

DISASTER (kinda)

Got it to do two in an inch or so from 80 yds in horrendous wind but everything else was a FAIL.

More later (maybe)

[NavyDoc76-80]

GG, now you have me curious

[klr]

Yes, what happened?

[GasGuzzler]

NEW Caldwell Chrono wouldn't work. E3 from the start and won't do nuthin else.

(contacted BTI about the chrono 3-2-2016)

Wind blew my paper holder over more than once.

10/22 sighted at 50 wouldn't print on an 8" target st 90 yds in the wind.

New Caldwell rest was OK, not great.

Savage was a PITA. Took way to long to get it on paper. Loud and inaccurate. Turret caps wouldn't come off. Shotgun like at 90 yds. Sticking bolt loading, stuck and damaged cases, half the primers pierced.

I left the rifle so I can't check anything on it right now.

I've done all the checks on fired brass and my preliminary is the breech of the chamber is tight.

Don't know what my next move is on a 60 year old family heirloom that's a POC. Likely always has been. I found where someone a long time ago ground/filed the armpit of the bolt to handle junction in an attempt to make it close. Cycles smoothly empty. Chambering is difficult with 1970's ammo and mine.

[NavyDoc76-80]

Curious, any of the ammo store bought, or were they all handloads.

[Ranch Dog]

By any chance was the headspace every messed with. This is the first "barrel nut" rifle Savage had and honestly this reads like that either the headspace wasn't right coming from the factory or it was changed after. Just throwing ideas at you. If the bolt is a witch to close on factory ammo that is probably the issue. With the files on the bolt handle, it has probably been like that for a long time if not forever.

Given the latter, the barrel nut is going to be a witch to get loose. Might be worth just paying to have a competent gunsmith check it.

I've had two encounters in my life with Savage 340s chambered in 222 Rem. Shot a doe with one, hit her in the head from a reasonable distance. Made a stalk on a nilgai cow that lying down on the El Sauz Division of the King Ranch when it was still part of the Ranch. That didn't work out, couldn't get close enough but I did shoot it a a prickly pear pad before the stalk and it was very accurate.

[GasGuzzler]

1970's ammo is store bought. Fired one round of it. The rest is home assembled by me.

Headspace is off I'm sure because you can force the bolt closed with the round not fully chambered due to the grinding. Why won't it fully chamber? I'll post some pics of measurements I made on one of the fired cases with a pierced primer. The bullet pic shows an identical bullet will fall through the mouth of the fired, unsized case (good thing) indicating the tight spot is at the breech of the chamber...? I know I need to cast the chamber or dye a case and chamber it see where it's marked or ???? but not sure how.

(Sorry about sideways pics, photobucket not playing nice and no time for me to redo it all)

[Ranch Dog]

I really don't think you have any choice other than to get an old school gunsmith to take a look at it.

[GasGuzzler]

Any other tests? Guess I need to learn to cast the chamber or buy a barrel wrench...