Help !!! 308 Ruger Hawkeye Loads

[Lloyd_Airgunfanatix]

Hi All

I purchased a Hawkeye compact in 308 win Oct last year and have been playing with it extensively up to Dec 2012 . I achieved half inch groups out 100m at a local indoor range with 165 Sierra Soft point boat tails . The powder I use is a local one here in South Africa ..SOMCHEM S335 ...it is a medium burning powder ideal for 308( at least by our standards ) . The burning characteristics are similiar to those found in 303 ammunition.

Well my problem is this : I whipped the gun out about 3 weeks back and started shooting to recheck my findings and loads from Dec 2012 for an up coming kudu hunt in our Bela Bela district ( about 3 hours drive ) north into bushveld country .

Results are terrible . I shot on an out door range because I have seen that there is a difference in POI when shooting under neon light and in daylight . All of a sudden I can get nothing under 2,5 inches at 100m and it is very erratic .( I have not gone indoors again though )

So I start at the beginning , apparently the 165 grain head is not ideal for the short 16 inch barrel with the 1 in 10 inch twist rate . I understood that the fast rate wants a longer projectile . I shoot a 300WSM as well with a 1 in 9 inch and she loves 180 grains or over...so , I assumed a slightly lighter projectile like the 165 would do magic on the Hawkeyes twist rate .....

Apprently a 125 or 130 grain is better suited to this rifles setup .....

I need ideas and comments please , especially on the loads ....as long as I get an idea on velocity I can duplicate that with our powders . I am looking at trying the 130 grain Hornady SP and the 110grain VMAX ( though this is too light for a kudu ) Right now I just want accuracy and I will go from there.

As for the rifle and scope , well when I get off line now , I am going to remove and remount the scope , check the bedding etc etc

Thanks for the help
LLoyd

 

[Chief 101]

Your gun should shoot 165 heads just fine, in fact I had a bolt action pistol in same caliber with 15 inch barrel with 1/10" twist that shot 165 Sierra boattails exceptionally well. If I were in your shoes I would focus on the firearm. For example: If you cleaned the barrel real good you might need to shoot some the get the fouling back in the barrel, stock may have warped some and put different pressure on barrel, scope may have gotten bumped hard...any number of things. I know others with more knowledge than me will chime in with other suggestions but in my opinion if the ammo you made shot good once it will shoot again with a little adjustment to the launcher...Chief aka Maxx Load

 

[DGW1949]

The three "B's" of rifle accuracy are; Barrel, bedding, Bullets.
Assuming that your sighting system is sound, you'll find your problem somewhere amongst those three.

Perhaps your barrel crown has become nicked, or the rifling damaged. It could also be that a thorough cleaning is in order. JB Paste can be your friend here.
Perhaps the bedding is loose, or the stock has warped. Pay particular attention to how the barrel sits in it's channel.
Your rifle's 1-10 twist is well suited to a 165-168 bullet, and Seirra makes an excellent bullet. Those two facfts won't change no matter the barrel length, so you can perty-much eliminate those factors as being related to the inconsistency that you are experiencing. Perhaps it has more to do with the powder you are using. Some powders are more sensitive to changes in temperature and/or humidity than others. Some primers are more inconsistent than others too, particularly military or cheep primers....still though, in 40 years of hand-loading, I've not seen any primer causing the amount of inconsistency that you are speaking of.

I'm betting that you've got a bedding problem....or perhaps something has gone amiss with your rifle's sighting system, which if so, really has nothing to do with it's mechanical accuracy.

Hope this helps.

DGW

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Wind is always a factor outdoors both with the bullet path and with the holder.

 

[schloss]

I wouldn't recommend messing with the loads. Especially since you were getting good results earlier. You've got something that has changed, and i can't believe it would just be the lighting.

My first thought is your rings. Hard to say, though. Check out your rifle.

 

[Lloyd_Airgunfanatix]

Thanks for all the advice . I gave the rifle a bit of a 'once-over' trying to locate the issue again . I noticed that the scope appears to be creeping very slightly in the mount ...I think we may have found the problem . I have tightened up the rings . They were not loose , but I could still give them a turn on the upper screws. ...Wednesday evening I am off to the indoor range again ...I will let you all know what happens .

Thank you guys

 

[Lloyd_Airgunfanatix]

Just to add on .My general testing procedure is ; I shoot two shots , then run a 'bore snake' through the barrel 2 to 3 times and allow the rifle to cool before shooting again . My idea behind this is that when hunting the first shot of the day will be the most important and will be from a cold barrel so I like to set the rifle up to be as accuarte as possible cold. .. any other ideas or comments will be greatly appreciated . Thanks

 

[Ruber]

Glad you found a culprit. I agree with the others, that's a great bullet/rifle combination and it sounds like you found something that works.

For methods, letting that sported barrel cool off every couple rounds is a good idea, heat can really cause havoc on those. I do think that frequency of bore snake use is a bit aggressive though. Take a look at PatchWorms sometime if you want to clean at that frequency, just a thought.

 

[Lloyd_Airgunfanatix]

Thanks Buckeye , I will have to google the 'Patchworms ' as I have never heard of them before . Will let you know if I manage to locate some here .

Thanks

 

[Ruber]

Thanks Buckeye , I will have to google the 'Patchworms ' as I have never heard of them before . Will let you know if I manage to locate some here .

Thanks

The company makes a nice kit, but personally, I make my own out of either heavy weight monofilament or old fly fishing line and use old t-shirts or sheets as the patches. Some, I've attached to modified plastic Hoppe's jags. Throw it in a ziplock with some wet patches and keep one in each kit, one in the car, etc..., I just don't like dragging that copper brush down my bores at too high of a frequency. If accuracy starts to fade, then I'll get out the copper brushes.

It did sound like you have a great load and rifle combination when everything is going right, those first groups are as good as I could ever want out of a hunting rifle. Hope you have a good hunt!

 

[Lloyd_Airgunfanatix]

Okie Dokie ! I can make those ...I will give them a bash . Thanks