54.18 MSR Driving me Nuts

[chunter]

My 54.18 is causing me to go crazy, especially since Nationals is on Sunday, and here I am trying to get the dang thing to work.

I have run out of windage adjustment and elevation adjustment at 25 yards.
 
 I have a VarIII 6.5-20 EFR mounted on it with Weaver bases and Leupold QR rings, I have also tried the Burris Sig. Zee rings on it.  I have also used different inserts on the Zee rings, to no avail. I have tried shimming the back base.
 Up till yesterday I was thinking that it was the scope that was giving me the problem.  However, yesterday I took the rifle to the range after a little more tinkering and found that it looks like the front of the scope is canted to the right of the barrel. Now I am wondering whether the receiver has been drilled and tapped true.

It is a little late in the ballgame to have this rifle ready for Nationals, but I do want to get to the bottom of this.  Has anybody seen anything like this before?

I have played with this dang thing for a month now, and I don't even know what to look at next.

Thanks

[CB]

You are not alone, people who never experience what you speak of either don't set up their own rifles or are extremely blessed. My HP hunter a Rem 700 has .040 of stock marine texed to the top of rear receiver with weaver base glued on. to one side of rings there is another .020 shimming to one side. all three HP Sil rifles are shimmed to some degree, the only one I have not shimmed is a 54:18, go figure, it's got Leo EFR on BKL rings. I have an older 581? Rem that to this day I have never  managed to get closer than 5" low at 25yds with adj gone on every scope tried.
 Carroll

[GeoNLR]

You might want to look at the Millet angle-loc rings ($20 - $25) that will attach to the groves on your receiver. I use the "high" one with basicaly the same scope and don't have to shim any. I know this may differ for you. Neat thing about these rings is that they are front and rear adjustable for windage. I like to set mine up where I can go from Chickens to Rams with less than 1 MOA adjustment in calm wind (I don't cant my rifle very much). I know there are better fitting rings, but I find these to be rock solid and un-limited in adjustment possibilities. They also come with lapping film (I think that is right) and have yet to put a mark on a scope with them.

Also keep in mind that if you do not like them they only cost you a $20 spot and chances are you WILL find something else to use them on at a later time.

FWIW

Geo

[anthonyg]

chunter redfield makes a base for the 18mrs 54 and by using redfield rings you have a great deal of windage adjustment. brownells  sells the base so you can get the part number and start calling local stores for them rings are found easy                     ANTHONY G

[nomad]

Have you tried anything that fits the dovetails and bypasses the tapped holes?
I'll be getting in either Friday evening late or Saturday morning by 10/11 and I probably have something in the box that will go into dovetails. I'll bring it along if you want.
Or, I'm pretty sure that Fenton Sandlin will be coming out. For about $65 he makes bases that fit dovetails and would accept your QR rings. He might have one available or be prepared to make one in a hurry if you contact him today.
Let me know and I'll try to put you in touch.

[chunter]

Thanks for the offer Nomad,  I don't even think that I am going to bring this rifle to nationals.  I actually can shoot my 1700 better, I was just hoping to be able to give this a 54.18 a whirl, since I have never been able to use it in a formal competition, only in an indoor league.  We have a local machinst that makes the bases for about the same price that will probably take care of the problem for me. I actually hadn't even thought of bypassing the reciever holes, until you mentioned it.  In fact I think that is what I will do.

Anschutz said that they would like to see the gun and if it was a problem, they would fix it. However, I was looking at a month and half.  I think I will go with the dovetail mounts, maybe it will make an appearance at nationals.

Nomad, look me up at nationals, I just want to thank you in person for all the help you have given me over the past year.  I will be with the Chuck McAbery crew, you can't miss me,  I got a blue 1700.

[nomad]

I'll probably see everybody at SB nats -- I'm writing the match report for Shooting Sports and I'll be circulating about with a camera and a notepad whenever Sandy and I aren't shooting.
I'll be at HP just to cover the match as I'm not shooting HP this year. (And I may be working the line if Greg comes up short of 'good' help!)
Look fwd to meeting you.
Keep your eye out for a little fat guy with a bald head.  

[Bird Dog]

Nomad, what happened... are you giving up on the high power rifles?
I hope not... I want to see you shoot at the TSRA championship in 05 in El Paso...we will see you at the SB Natls.
Have a nice trip to Raton you all!!

[nomad]

Not giving up -- just in need of a new bbl and trying to decide whether to rebarrel or simply replace the whole rifle. Don't have anything else suitable and didn't want to borrow a HP rig.

I fire-lapped my Tikka a while ago and ate a lot of life out of the bbl. Got about 2.5k through it and planned to make it last this season but it suddenly (very suddenly) went south. Won't stay on the ram now off the bench with loads that used to shoot 3-4" at that distance. The borescope shows about an 8" 'throat' and I can't seem to seat anything long enough to work! I've decided that I'm not a fan of fire-lapping!  :wink:  

I thought about bringing out my .35 Whelen and not worrying about rung rams but ran out of ba...courage. (THAT'S the word I was looking for, courage!)

See you there.

[greer]

The folks at BKL (  www.bkltech.com  ) have all sorts of bases and rings for grooved receivers, too.  Fixed me up with a one-piece base with drop? or droop? added to increase elevation adjustment.  Sarah