Author Topic: Magazine feed VS single feed accuracy (Read 929 times)

stumpy · « **on:** December 15, 2003, 03:07:02 AM »

I have a custom 270wsm with a "Ed Brown" action...after recieving the rifle I went thru the breakin and proceeded to find some loads for maximum accuracy. During my initial range sessions I would single feed the rounds and the results were less then I had expected from this rifle....I was becoming very frustrated when I read a post on another site that comments about some actions/extractors would perform better if fed from the magazine rather then hand feed to the chamber. I was very sceptical but figured I would try it...to my surprise my groups when from 3" to sub MOA. This with the same loads from the same box. Can someone tell me if this is a problem that should be fixed or just the nature of the beast . A 3 round magazine is more then enough but I was/ am so surprised that there is such a difference from something so simple that I would like to know if this is a common thing or just a fluke.

Thanks
Good shooting

gunnut69 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 15, 2003, 06:40:31 AM »

I too am surprised! I've never heard of any situation where feeding from a magazine is BETTER for accuracy than single loading. Witness the availability of single load trays to facilitate single loading of magazine rifles. I've seen rounds damaged by feeding from the magazine, although usually it just causes a bit more runout(misalignment). I would really like to further investigate this. Where did you read that this might improve accuracy? Is it possible that you altered some other practice that changed the way the rifle was grouping? Did you perhaps change the shooting process in shooting the groups from the magazine.. technique change?? I know of no reason that feeding from a magazine could improve accuracy. I certainly don't have a totality of knowledge though and so would like to find out,,, Why??? Thanks for bring this to our attention.... Anybody got any ideas.. I'm at a loss!!!

stumpy · « **Reply #2 on:** December 15, 2003, 11:11:11 AM »

Thanks for the reply.

Below is the link to the thread from the other site where I got this bit of information...although they speak of "contol feed " I was willing to try anything and it seemed to work.......I was unable find a later thread which refered to this issue as being a possible solution for accuracy problems but as I recall it followed that the bullet would possibly have misalignment or deform due to the extractor trying to seat the bullet in the chamber thus the accuracy problem. I admit that I do not understand all that I know about this but when I read it and tried it it made all the difference in the world.
Thanks again for your response.
http://shortmags.org/shortmags/forum/showthread.asp?topic=8&thread=1721&page=3

PS I hope posting this thread link is permitted..if not sorry!

gunnut69 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 15, 2003, 05:45:37 PM »

The string your link took me to was discussing loading rounds from the magazine because loading directly into the chamber was causing a problem. They were still having trouble diferenciating a controlled round feed action from a pushfeed controlled round action. They never discussed the accuracy of a rifle changing with differences in feeding.
There are some who say the pushfeed actions are more accurate than the controlled round feed actions (with a claw extractor) as the claw pushed the round to one side of the chamber(a miniscule amount) which means every rounds is seated a tiny, tiny, tiny bit out of square with the chamber/bore. The difference is much too small to notice with the accuracy we're likely to get from a sporting rifle. Have you shot any groups after this improved session, loading the ammo singly? If not do so. It is possible something else changed that improved the rifles performance and it just happened at the right time! In the post you refered me to, 'controlled feed' refers to the time of rifle action involved, specifically the type extractor the action employeed. It has no referance to any change in accuracy from loading technique.. Something else affected the rifles accuracy and I don't know what it may have been. What other changes took place in the time between the rifles poor performance and it's good performance? Did you perhaps take the rifle down for cleaning? Change the load or reload a new batch of ammo? Remember, the devils in the details...

Iowegan · « **Reply #4 on:** December 15, 2003, 06:12:50 PM »

I can't think of anything that would make a gun more accurate when feeding from a magazine. In fact just the oposite in my experience. I've seen many guns that distort the case or bullet when magazine fed and worked better when single fed. Got to be more to the equation.

stumpy · « **Reply #5 on:** December 16, 2003, 01:27:55 AM »

Thanks again for your help...regrading your question about what I may have changed between the sessions I would offer that the poor accuracy problem was apparent over many range sessions and between those sessions I tried many different things such as changing scopes, shooting from both clean and fouled barrel between shoots, checking and changing tightness of mouting hardware, insuring barrel/action was not binding/touching.... In general over the many sessions I tried most of the common "tricks" which are prone to cause problems at least to the extent of those I am aware of. To answer your specific question about have I tried to single feed any rounds since... the answer is no and I will try this and report back...I would say that the last and particular time that I reported the improvement that I had been to the range the day before and the rifle was doing its usual poor accuracy and when I heard about the feeding from the mag I had done nothing to the rifle I simply returned from the previous day with the same compontents and give it what I thought to be a quick try and low and behold a sub moa 3 shot group.... I then made my scope adjustments for my desired POI and fired yet another 3 shot sub moa group. I was so amazed and having tried so many other things over time I simply assumed this little "trick" of feeding from the mag was one I had never heard and now that it seemed to correct the problem there was no need to do anything else ( besides hunting season was very close at hand)....after thinking about it I wanted to try to understand if this was due to the workmanship of my rifle or just a uncommon but know circumstance...thus my post here.
As I said I will try to single feed some rounds and report back. It may be a few days due to the holidays.

Thanks again for your help

Mikey · « **Reply #6 on:** December 16, 2003, 05:08:13 AM »

I think ya broke it in. Mikey.

gunnut69 · « **Reply #7 on:** December 16, 2003, 07:07:22 AM »

Mikey may have hit the nail on the head.. Between the tuning and shooting, it may you just got rid on the bugs.. and the barrel got to a point it liked.. Some barrels need a bit of fouling to do their best. Most benchrest shooters fire fouling shots before shooting for score.. Perhaps your rifle just needed more shooting. I usually try and shoot a rifle 100 or so times before working up a load. This provides a supply of 1x fired brass and I suppose could be taken as a breaking in period, although I do nothing out of the ordinary.. I seldom shoot a rifle more than 20-30 rounds between cleanings unless it's an old and tried friend.. That number may be less if the rifle's a kicker.. A man can only stand so much fun at one sitting... I am verhy interested in whether the rifle returns to it's on poor grouping when fired single loaded. If it does we have a true mistery on our hands. Keep us in the loop..