Author Topic: Need help with my Sako!!!  (Read 704 times)

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Offline wareagleguy

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Need help with my Sako!!!
« on: September 15, 2003, 06:36:35 AM »
If you read any of my last post (Bolt Action forum) I bought a new Sako Finnlight last week and was floored when out of the box I was getting 1/2 inch or less groups. To say I was happy was an understatement. However, my joy has turned to sorrow!!!

I shot Thursday and the gun is shooting great. Saturday I shoot and the gun is shooting 3 inch groups!!! Only thing I did was clean which I had done a couple of times with now problems. Cleaning only with patches and making sure I clean out all solvents (until I get a clean patch). I’m sure I didn’t do anything that would cause problems.

I’m using Sako rings and bases with a Leupold 3.5 x 10 x 40 VXIII scope. I took off the rings and bases and re-installed making sure everything is good and tight and put on another scope that I know is working fine. I did get a littler better group but is still about 2 inches. Should I get different rings?? Anyone ever have trouble with Sako rings and bases?? Any suggestions, please????
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

Offline John Traveler

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New Sako
« Reply #1 on: September 15, 2003, 07:03:31 AM »
What caliber is your new Sako?

How many rounds fired?

John
John Traveler

Offline gunnut69

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Need help with my Sako!!!
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2003, 07:40:23 AM »
brdavis
Sakos are great rifles.  Usually very well made and normally quite accurate..  There is nor inherent problems with their mount system that I'm aware of.  Any time a rifle suddenly stops shooting well I suspect the most common things first..  Loose screws (action, scope ring, scope ring clamp) or a scope that's gone south..  There are things that you can do to a rifle by cleaning it that could cause sudden accuracy loss.  Cleaning fron the muzzle or causing any damage to the crown of the barrel is an easy one to do.  Firing the rifle with any solvent or grease or oil in the bore is a fatal problem(hydraulics causes loose spots in the bore).  Check all screws for tightness and visually check the crown..  The other thing is improper disassembly or rather re-assembly.  Assembling the rifle with the magazine touching the receiver when the screws are tightened can put the action in a bind and cause problems.  A description of the groups shape would help, is it round(just too large), to groups(usually found if the action is torqued), verticle dispersion, horizontal???  Check the screws and if nothing is found a bit more info please...  Oh I almost forget,,  you were using the same ammo, right??
gunnut69--
The 2nd amendment to the constitution of the United States of America-
"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Offline wareagleguy

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Need help with my Sako!!!
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2003, 08:30:56 AM »
Here is more info..

The gun is a Finnlight 270.

The gun is one week old today and I have fired about 4 boxes of factory loads (all same) and fired two boxes of handloads.

I shot Thursday with handloads and got a VERY good group that was very close to 1/4 inch.  Factory loads were a tad under 1 inch.  Sunday I get the gun and clean the barrel using patches with hoppes bore cleaner and run dry patches until dry.  All from the breech end of the gun.  Cleaning is the only thing I did to the gun between the two days.  

Now my handloads and factory loads are 1-1/2 inches at best.

One thing - I tried a different scope and checked the rings and bases and got the groups to do a little better.  At first the groups were 3 inches!!! but now about 1-1/2 to 2 inches.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

Offline Lee D.

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Need help with my Sako!!!
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2003, 09:02:04 AM »
How much coffee did you have eaqch day?
somewhere betwixt a baulk and a breakdown

Offline gunnut69

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Need help with my Sako!!!
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2003, 11:02:30 AM »
brdavis
I suggest checking the action for binding.  had 1 once that shot great until the action was removed from the stock.  The plastic finish had glued the action/stock together and after removing and reinstalling the metal, wouldn't shot for beans..  After rebedding it went back to fine shooting.  To check the bedding just hold the gun in your left hand with the index finger on the front receiver ring-stock junction.  With the right hand loosen the frone action screw, slowly.  If the metal moves, even a little you may have a problem, or a pressure bedded barrel.  Re-tighten and try the same test at the rear(put the finger on the rear of the tang.  If it moves..you for certain have a problem.  If the rear one stays put use the dollar bill test to check to see if the barrel is floated.  If it is then the front ring must NOT move as the front screw is loosened.  The other thing is, when replacing the scope you may have inadvertantly solved a loose scope problem..  And by all means still check the crown for damage..it should be smooth and even...  Also I had a Winchester featherweight in 300 Winchester mag that did something along these lines.  Shot just fine then shot patterns.  I that case Winchesters hot glue gun bedding compound had shattered and the bedding had soured instantly..  Perhaps the synthetic stock failed(yes I've seen that happen to).  A friend had in his shop a barrel of factory synthetic stocks that had failed..  They can be very creative!!
gunnut69--
The 2nd amendment to the constitution of the United States of America-
"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Offline wareagleguy

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Need help with my Sako!!!
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2003, 12:08:08 PM »
Thanks for all the input.

I shot again today and still having a problem.  I'm beginning to think it may be the stock.  Here is what happened in my first five shots.


first - on target
second 1 inch lower than first shot
third - 1/8 right of second
fourth - 18 right of third
fifth - 1/2 high between second and fourth.

all together about 1-3/4" group.
Again, this from a gun just 5 days ago was shooting 1/4 groups.  I just don't get it.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

Offline jhm

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Need help with my Sako!!!
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2003, 03:50:05 PM »
brdavis :  Is there any chanch that the scope has gone south on you? do you have another scope handy to try?   JIM

Offline gunnut69

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Need help with my Sako!!!
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2003, 08:34:46 PM »
Have you taken the action from the stock?  Inspected the stock?  Checked the bedding by loosening the action screws and checking for motion..  You might want to check the stock for cracks also.. saw that once too..
gunnut69--
The 2nd amendment to the constitution of the United States of America-
"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Offline longgun

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Need help with my Sako!!!
« Reply #9 on: September 23, 2003, 04:12:09 PM »
BRDAVIS,   I would suspect copper fouling might be your accuracy problems.   New bores have burs embedded in the riflings that are rough on the copper bullets and drag off flakes that are embedded in the barrel.  This is very common with new factory barrels.  I would suggest you use some Sweets 7.62 and run a patch or two through the barrel,  if you patches turn blue you have copper foulings.   I have a friend who has a Remington 700 in 30-06 that was shooting so bad that he wanted me to rebarrel it.   I looked at the muzzle and the copper fouling was so bad it was like a thin sheet of copper build up inside the barrel.   When I removed the copper foulings the gun went to shooting small groups again.  Don W
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Offline Dr. Michael

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Mine loves to be shot dirty
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2003, 02:44:02 AM »
takes 30 or 40 rounds to settle in.