Ruger compact .243 not accurate

[chucknbach]

I can't get this rifle to group and getting close to hunting season. I've put 200 rds down range factory and various reloads. Timney trigger, pillar and glass bedded barrel is currently free floated. Though I'm not done. Plan on going to a lighter bullet 87gn been using 100 and 95 gn. If the lighter bullets don't work then it gets expensive. Anyone have the same problem as me and fixed it? How'd you do it?

Groups are all over the place I'd say 3" to 4" sometimes stringers vertical sometimes horizontal some times in a triangle. Scope is tight and it's not me.

 

[four70nitro]

Have you swapped another scope on to this rifle and tried that? Have you had someone else shoot it?

Dave

 

[chucknbach]

Have you swapped another scope on to this rifle and tried that? Have you had someone else shoot it?

Dave

Haven't swaped the scope, could try that. Someone else shooting it? I'm capable.

 

[Cholo]

I can't get this rifle to group and getting close to hunting season. I've put 200 rds down range factory and various reloads. Timney trigger, pillar and glass bedded barrel is currently free floated. Though I'm not done. Plan on going to a lighter bullet 87gn been using 100 and 95 gn. If the lighter bullets don't work then it gets expensive. Anyone have the same problem as me and fixed it? How'd you do it?

Groups are all over the place I'd say 3" to 4" sometimes stringers vertical sometimes horizontal some times in a triangle. Scope is tight and it's not me.

Lighter bullets aren't the answer unless you're shooting some sort of junk heavier bullets. Verticle strings? Shooter. Horizontal strings? Shooter. Triangular? Who knows. Bottom line, it seems like the shooter. As much as I hate to admit that bad groups are anything but me, after all these years it all boils down to...me.

Good luck in your endeavors. Have you tried some Sierra or Nosler 100 gr. bullets? They work well for me in my old ultra light Ruger .243; maybe 1.5" @ 100 yds. Good luck!

 

[chucknbach]

I can't get this rifle to group and getting close to hunting season. I've put 200 rds down range factory and various reloads. Timney trigger, pillar and glass bedded barrel is currently free floated. Though I'm not done. Plan on going to a lighter bullet 87gn been using 100 and 95 gn. If the lighter bullets don't work then it gets expensive. Anyone have the same problem as me and fixed it? How'd you do it?

Groups are all over the place I'd say 3" to 4" sometimes stringers vertical sometimes horizontal some times in a triangle. Scope is tight and it's not me.

Lighter bullets aren't the answer unless you're shooting some sort of junk heavier bullets. Vertical strings? Shooter. Horizontal strings? Shooter. Triangular? Who knows. Bottom line, it seems like the shooter. As much as I hate to admit that bad groups are anything but me, after all these years it all boils down to...me.

Good luck in your endeavors. Have you tried some Sierra or Nosler 100 gr. bullets? They work well for me in my old ultra light Ruger .243; maybe 1.5" @ 100 yds. Good luck!

Last bullets tried were 95gr nosler bal tips. Just got an X bolt .243 this year as well, Was grouping 1" to an 1 1/2" with 100 gr bullets. Switched to 87 gr bingo! 1/4" to 1/2", the 1 in 10 twist wasn't stabilizing the heavier bullet. The Ruger is a 1 in 9 twist so should be able to stabilize a 95.

What I was getting at with the stringers was that it didn't seem like a pattern but random. Hell I had one group 2nd round was 2 1/2" away from 1st and third round landed right next to the first.

I know and am proven capable of 1/2" groups so it's not me. 470nitro had the Swing Blade comment. "It ain't got no gas!" The scope is a place to look. I'm looking to blame the new rifle when it could very well be the new scope. Well if it is the scope at least I'm only out the $ in powder, bullets and pillars. The trigger would have been replaced anyway. Nothing like doubling the price of the rifle by getting a re barrel and trued action only to find out it was the scope all along.

Oh yeah and 1 1/2" is not doing well for me even in a hunting rifle.

 

[four70nitro]

Nothing personal -- not saying you are not capable -- it's just that we all shoot a bit differently -- one more thing you can eliminate if another capable shooter has the same results that you do. The scope, even if brand new, could be defective -- swapping in another scope from a rifle that is shooting well will eliminate that as a source of the difficulty. Even if you've checked the scope mounts/rings/ etc, always worth one more time through snugging the fasteners to assure they are tight.

Dave

 

[four70nitro]

Also might want to check that the action screws are properly torqued -- if the action is loose in the stock, or not properly torqued it could play havoc with groups sizes.....

Dave

 

[chucknbach]

Nothing personal -- not saying you are not capable -- it's just that we all shoot a bit differently -- one more thing you can eliminate if another capable shooter has the same results that you do. The scope, even if brand new, could be defective -- swapping in another scope from a rifle that is shooting well will eliminate that as a source of the difficulty. Even if you've checked the scope mounts/rings/ etc, always worth one more time through snugging the fasteners to assure they are tight.

Dave

No, I didn't take it personal your suggestion on the scope was good and I plan on trying it as it hadn't occurred to me. I can sometimes jump to more complicated solutions before I've tried the easier ones first.

If you suggest that I use a scope off one of my other guns that I know shoots well then using the same shooter(me) would be about the same.
Hell I have a modl 94 .357 with a 16" barrel that groups better at 100 than this Ruger and it has a 4X BSA.

 

[chucknbach]

Also might want to check that the action screws are properly torqued -- if the action is loose in the stock, or not properly torqued it could play havoc with groups sizes.....

Dave

True but with the pillars it becomes less of an issue.

 

[mr surveyor]

Also might want to check that the action screws are properly torqued -- if the action is loose in the stock, or not properly torqued it could play havoc with groups sizes.....

Dave

having had the same issues with an M77 MkII in .243, this would also be my first guess.

 

[mcknight77]

I'd try about eight pounds of forend pressure.

Not sure what your bench techniques is, but I've found with light rifles that they do better held tightly in the bags.

 

[chucknbach]

I'd try about eight pounds of forend pressure.

Not sure what your bench techniques is, but I've found with light rifles that they do better held tightly in the bags.

I'll try it. You think these things jump too much before the bullet leaves the barrel?

I use bags just not the ones that wrap the stock.

 

[chucknbach]

Also might want to check that the action screws are properly torqued -- if the action is loose in the stock, or not properly torqued it could play havoc with groups sizes.....

Dave

having had the same issues with an M77 MkII in .243, this would also be my first guess.

They're torqued.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

chucknbach i see it all the time on here. theres guys on this fourm that are just ruger fanatics. After all its a ruger fourm. Every time a guy post that his ruger wont shoot guys will blame it on everything but the gun. Truth be know ive had a few rugers that were just junk. Ive owned many rifles from many manufactures and rugers have allways had the highest percentage of dud shooters. Just about ever remington 700 or winch. 70 ive owned was capable of moa with some load developement but thats not the case with rugers. Id say i have had about half of the ones i owned that wouldnt do moa and out of them half were about pathetic. My rule of thumb for new guns is a good accurate rifle will shoot 2 inch with about anything and I can usually cut that in half with load developement. If the first couple groups are 3-4 inch the gun doesnt have much hope for shooting moa and ill usually pawn them before they get to many handling marks on them. It may be your best bet

 

[chucknbach]

All the posts with the exception of cholo's to me have seemed like they have been trying to help.

Cholo comes across to me as a superior attitude type. I mean even after 470nitro's scope suggestion it kind of makes cholo seem not that bright 'cuz a bad scope would look the same as bad shooter. I guess he was looking to bust someones bubble, didn't work.

I'm not giving up! I have some of the suggestions and some of my own to try yet. Some of them I don't think will help but must be ruled out.

If nothing helps it goes back to Ruger if they won't help then a cost analyst will be done on selling and taking a lose and buying a different brand vs re-barreling.

 

[Cholo]

No matter what it seems like to you, I was only trying to help. Feel free to put me on your "ignor" list, you're now on mine. I'll say it again...Good luck!

 

[chucknbach]

No matter what it seems like to you, I was only trying to help. Feel free to put me on your "ignor" list, you're now on mine. I'll say it again...Good luck!

Sorry, to burst your bubble. I won't put you on my ignore list as I won't give up on this Ruger I won't give up on you! I was just letting you know how your post seemed to me.

 

[Pal Val]

I see you're taking a rational approach at a problem. Sometimes the obvious eludes us. I once had a simiar problem with a gun, and it turned out to be a scope that could not hold zero. I learned then hat a rifle will only shoot as good as the sights on top of it allow.

 

[pcgod]

Ruger compacts can be tough to get used to due to their short LOP. I have a 243 that shoots consistantly under an inch at 100 yds. I use 38.5 grains of Varget with a 85gr Sierra BTHP.

I agree change the scope and use a higher powered one if you have it.

Also having another person shoot the gun is a good idea. Many years ago I bought a snubby .38 and couldn't get it to shoot. I had no problem with any other pistol and felt I was better than the average shooter so it must be the gun. I had a freind who had carried a snubby for years shoot it and he was able to shoot it very well. I realized it was me.....I stopped shooting everything else for about 6 months and now I can shoot any snubby with ease...No flame on your skills but another shooter may tell you something.

 

[Chief 101]

My 77 257 Roberts didn't shoot but 10" groups till I loaded 120 grainers a quarter inch longer than specs. If I didn't load my own ammo I would never have figured that one out. Chief aka Maxx Load