Retsoff
Bearcat
This past Sunday, I took several rifles to the range to get them sighted in for deer season. I also took along my old style Ruger 44 carbine, though I have yet to hunt with it. The reason I took this carbine to the range was to check out a little trick someone on another forum had mentioned. The trick was to just snug up the front barrel band, which would help with vertical stringing of shot groups. In the past I had always really tightened the front barrel band to where the swivel stud would just begin to be able to be moved. My 3-shot groups with this carbine (with the ammo it's always liked best- the Winchester 250 gr Partition Gold load) has averaged between 3"-4" with either mostly vertical stringing (rapid fire) or primarily a triangular-shaped group (letting the barrel cool between shots).
So, I tried just snugging up the front barrel band. I also took some garage door edging (which can be bought at Home Depot and Lowe's in 16' rolls, if I rember correctly) and cut it to length to just fit the raised part of the bottom of the stock where the gas block sits. I ended up having to cut this in half width-wise to allow the barrel band to slip over the barrel without using brute force. There was still a good bit of resistance but I figured the rubber would eventually give some to allow a slightly looser fit (which it did). While shooting, the barrel band actually crept forward a little, so I know it got looser. With the temperature in the mid-60's and letting the barrel cool between shots, I got a 3-shot group of just over 2" with the 1st shot being higher (?) and the other 2 shots being directly lower and within 1/2" of each other right around the bulls-eye. So, this may be coincidence but it is the best group I've ever shot with this carbine. I realize that 1 each 3-shot group means nothing statistically and that the difference between a 2" group and a 3"-4" group is meaningless at the ranges I'll be shooting at with this carbine. Still, I'm intrigued by this potential improvement. When I get a chance, I'll take it out again to see if this is repeatable. I didn't have alot of time this past Sunday to do more shooting with it, since I had 3 other rifles (and backup scopes) to get sighted in.
I just wanted to share my initial results in case someone else wants to give it a try.
So, I tried just snugging up the front barrel band. I also took some garage door edging (which can be bought at Home Depot and Lowe's in 16' rolls, if I rember correctly) and cut it to length to just fit the raised part of the bottom of the stock where the gas block sits. I ended up having to cut this in half width-wise to allow the barrel band to slip over the barrel without using brute force. There was still a good bit of resistance but I figured the rubber would eventually give some to allow a slightly looser fit (which it did). While shooting, the barrel band actually crept forward a little, so I know it got looser. With the temperature in the mid-60's and letting the barrel cool between shots, I got a 3-shot group of just over 2" with the 1st shot being higher (?) and the other 2 shots being directly lower and within 1/2" of each other right around the bulls-eye. So, this may be coincidence but it is the best group I've ever shot with this carbine. I realize that 1 each 3-shot group means nothing statistically and that the difference between a 2" group and a 3"-4" group is meaningless at the ranges I'll be shooting at with this carbine. Still, I'm intrigued by this potential improvement. When I get a chance, I'll take it out again to see if this is repeatable. I didn't have alot of time this past Sunday to do more shooting with it, since I had 3 other rifles (and backup scopes) to get sighted in.
I just wanted to share my initial results in case someone else wants to give it a try.