What To Do When Your Rifle Absolutely Hates All Factory Ammo?

[Graybeard]

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By Philip Massaro -November 1, 2019

No matter the factory ammo, some rifles are just plain dogs. Or are they? The right handload might change your perspective and the gun's performance.
How Handload Ammo Helps Your Shooting:

Barrel Harmonic

Obscure Or Discontinued Cartridges

Ample Ammunition Options

Plenty Of Ammo At Your Disposal

It was a family heirloom, a lever-action of good pedigree and an undeniable American classic rifle in an equally classic cartridge. The Savage Model 99 had belonged to my friend Mike Buser’s grandfather and was handed first down to his father and subsequently to him.

Understanding the importance of a family heirloom, Mike wanted to see the rifle in the woods again, but there was one small issue: It didn’t shoot well.

“Minute-of-softball” is not a scientific unit of measure, but it aptly described the groups this .300 Savage delivered with many different types of factory ammunition. Action screws were set to the proper torque, nothing on the stock was obstructing the barrel, the scope mounts were set up correctly, and a quality scope was used. But still, the old lever gun threw a ballistic temper tantrum. I can’t calculate the exact amount of money Mike spent on different brands of ammunition, but it was significant. He had just about given up, relegating the rifle to a 50-yard wonder and used to fill doe tags in the thickets, where the shooting is close.


The author’s client had an 1886 Winchester in .33 Winchester, along with a few boxes of empty cartridges. These Hornady flat-points brought that old rifle back to life.
I suggested that before we proclaimed that condemnation, we should try to see what, if anything, handloaded ammunition would do in this picky rifle.

Our first attempts didn’t yield much of an improvement, but one of the test loads cut the size in half, printing just shy of 2 inches. So, with that for a starting point, we slowly tweaked the load, changing primers and bullets and varying the powder charge by a couple of tenths of a grain. We ended up with a 165-grain Sierra GameKing boattail, driven by a healthy dose of Ramshot’s TAC spherical powder and sparked by a CCI200 primer—and a neat, little, 7/8-inch, three-shot group at 100 yards. This handloaded ammunition made a believer out of Mike … and he’s gone right down the rabbit hole.

I’m not going to suggest that handloaded ammunition is going to cut your group size in half with every rifle or even that handloaded ammunition will beat factory ammunition in every instance—I’ve seen more than a few rifles that demonstrate their best accuracy with factory loads—but it does solve a good many problems.

Barrel Harmonics And Stomach Ulcers

Assuming there are no mechanical issues with a rifle and that it’s properly benchrested with a competent shooter, it’s not difficult to see how both different bullet profiles and varying powder charges could result in different group sizes.


A 100-yard target showing the accuracy of the author’s 6.5-284 Norma.
The shockwaves sent down the barrel from the violent explosion of the powder charge and engaging of the bullet into the rifling, and then the wave generated by the bullet’s journey down that barrel, create a certain set of harmonics. If—and it’s a big if—those harmonics “agree” with the conformation and construction of the barrel, you’ll get repeatable results. This is what we collectively refer to as “accuracy,” although the proper term is “precision.” The more repeatable the results, the more precise the rifle is deemed to be.

The factory ammunition—no matter what level of detail the company affords—will produce a single set of harmonics. If your barrel agrees with those harmonics, you’ve got a winner. If it doesn’t (and that is a common occurrence), it’s neither the fault of the barrel nor the ammunition. I liken it to a pair of well-constructed shoes that just don’t fit your particular feet.

When you handload your ammunition, you have control over those harmonics. Perhaps you will have a difficult time predicting those changes in harmonics, but at the very least, it gives the option of changing the harmonics; and you can, and will, eventually stumble upon a combination that is suitable for your purposes.


The family heirloom: a Savage Model 99 in .300 Savage. Reloading made the rifle much more accurate than it ever was with factory ammo.
As a reloader/handloader, you have the option of changing powder, primer, brand of case and bullet profile, and you use that fact to find a single accurate load. And you can also use the load development process to tailor the ammunition to the hunt.

In the grand scheme of things, I will usually happily sacrifice 100 fps in velocity in order to obtain the accuracy I desire. It’s an easier trade in the target rifles and faster hunting cartridges, but it might prove unacceptable in a slower double-rifle cartridge, with which the velocity is paramount to proper regulation. Velocity is certainly an observable attribute, and you’ll find that through the use of a good chronograph, you can equate accuracy/precision with consistent velocities, whether it’s a handload or a factory load.

The overall length of factory ammunition is set at, or shorter than, the SAAMI or CIP standard dimension. This is due to the fact that this ammunition has to function safely in rifles and handguns of all shapes and sizes.

When you’re loading for one specific firearm, you have the benefit of being able to vary the bullet’s seating depth and, therefore, the overall length of the cartridge. Be aware that you never want your bullet to be seated out so long that it touches the lands of the rifling; but there is no doubt that minor changes in seating depth can have a dramatic affect on the accuracy of your rifle.


With a good set of reloading dies, the author makes brass cases for the .318 Westley Richards from plentiful .30-06 brass.
The lead-free copper bullets have shown to be particularly sensitive to seating depth changes, and some powder/bullet combinations that I have deemed unworthy in a particular rifle have proved me wrong with a slight change in seating depth.

Again, handloading the ammunition gives all sorts of flexibility and more than one opportunity to make the change in either component or one of the lading parameters, which will greatly improve accuracy.

Obscure Cartridges, Unavailable Combinations and Discontinued Loadings
There are times when any ammunition is better than none. Factory loadings for those cartridges that have faded into obscurity are dropped all the time, and sometimes, handloading your ammunition is the only answer. I’ve helped many folks with older rifles that were in perfectly good condition, but they simply couldn’t find ammunition.

In the last couple of years, a few custom shops have popped up (including my own Massaro Ballistic Laboratories) to fill these voids, but it wasn’t long ago that “rolling your own” for these old guns was the only way to keep them fed.


The author’s Heym 89B .470 NE loves the Peregrine BushMaster bullet (these were recovered from a pair of Cape buffalo bulls), but you must handload the ammunition.
Long before the .338 Winchester Magnum was adopted as America’s elk cartridge, the .338-inch bore was occupied by a rimmed cartridge: the .33 Winchester. Using 200-grain, flat-point bullets, the .33 Winchester was offered in Winchester’s Model 1886 lever-action and the .1885 single-shot and was a popular and effective cartridge. An acquaintance had a very clean ’86, as well as 60 or so pieces of empty brass. Hornady offers the 200-grain flat-point, and I simply procured a set of Redding dies. As a result, that gentleman was happily shooting his old rifle again.

I’ve written quite a bit about the .318 Westley Richards I had built, but one of the major factors in deciding to build the rifle was the fact that I could (and certainly do) easily convert .30-06 Springfield brass. The same can be said for .338-06 brass, .257 Roberts brass or any of the cartridges that were once derived from a popular parent cartridge: With a good set of reloading dies and possibly some trimming, brass cases can be made. I’m currently in the process of making cases for the .17-223 Remington wildcat, which actually had factory rifles made in the late 1960s (imported by Harrington & Richardson), yet no factory ammunition was ever produced.

[buck460XVR]

Guess I've been lucky over the years, but I've never had a rifle that "hated" factory ammo.  That's not saying the reloaded ammo did not shoot better, just that factory ammo always performed satisfactory accuracy wise and terminally performance wise.

[Tom W.]

Dunno.....I haven't fired factory loads in anything but the .270 that I had and my .22's...

[Lloyd Smale]

what is this factory ammo stuff. Is it made to shoot at factories?? Is it something only rich ceos from factories can afford??

[Graybeard]

Looking at the prices on it Lloyd even when they say it's on sale, yeah rich CEOs are about all who can afford it.

[Lloyd Smale]

ya I shake my head. THeres a guy I buy once fired 300 bo brass from on a different forum. He said he gets up to a 1000 rounds of it a week at the local range. That's just one caliber. He sells 556 308 and pistol brass too. Someone has lots of money to burn. I can honestly say for AT LEAST 20 years I haven't bought a single box of factory ammo. Ive shot some up that was given to me. But other then 22 shells I roll my own. Even that is getting expensive for me on a fixed budget. Used to be I didn't think twice of heading to camp Saturday morning with a 1000 556 and at least that in pistol ammo and coming home sunday with not a single round left. Just cant do that anymore. Used to let the nephews blast it up too but there all adults now and I tell them there welcome to shoot the snot out of my guns but bring your own ammo. I don't know how it feels to buy 500 rounds of ammo and shoot it all up and leave the brass on the ground. Even when im 90 ill be crawling around picking it up.

[George Foster]

The last time I used factory ammo for a centerfire was 1976 and then it was one box.  I use a lot of 22lr rimfire ammo but all my shotshells and centerfire cartridges I hand load and have since 1976.

[Lloyd Smale]

I did buy 5 boxes of 6mm at Walmart once when they had it closed out for 8 bucks a box for corelocks. Soon after that I gave dad the 6mm and he had it for about 10 years till I bought him a blr 308. He gave me the gun back and 7 boxes of brass and a box of ammo. Funny thing is that guns shot that cheap corelock stuff into an inch. Still have that other box of ammo sitting on the shelf. It will probably be there when I die.

[buck460XVR]

Local Wally-World here always discounts rifle ammo after regular gun deer season. Many times you can buy Federal Power-Shok 180 gr ought-six for under $10 a box. It shoots very well in both of my son's rifles and I can't hardly reload it for that. They do save the brass and I do reload it too, but for .50 a pop and as well as it works, both ballistically and terminally, I see no reason to bother.  Every year after gun deer season they stock up with enough to practice with over the summer and still have enough for deer season. Me.....I hunt with only my revolvers nowadays and Handloads.

[BES1948]

Never thought of Barrel Harmonics before, Guess I better read up on that. Thanks guys.
[/size]Bill[/color]

[gpaandhisguns]

The first thing I would do is inspect the bore with a bore light. Even a 300 Savage barrel is good for only so many rounds and the less care taken in cleaning the bore would greatly reduce that life. If throat erosion is present then the old girl is beyond a cheap fix and a new barrel is in order.


If the barrel cleans up then I would try building a pressure point at the front of the 99s forearm. For testing purposes I would wrap a little tape around the barrel at the tip of the forearm and then tighten it down. The upward pressure has relieved harmonics issues on more than one rifle that I have messed with. Even Winchester model 70s came from the factory for years with that pressure point(bump) in the barrel channel at the front of the forearm. I know we are talking two piece stock vs one piece but the principal still applies. If it fixed it then I would glass bed the channel making a permanent pressure point.


I might even recrown the barrel just a bit to remove any doubt about that being the problem.


The only rifle that I ever owned that shot as badly as the one in the article was a Remington 700 ADL in 270 that had been through a fire. The bore was in bad shape. 3 inch groups were the best that gun would shoot with any ammo. I was 22 years old when that rifle came to me. I was so poor then that I couldn't pay attention. I found a used stock off of a Remington Sportsman 78 in the back of roses Gun Shop and it fit. I put a 4x Tasco on that gun and put it to work. It was all I had. I used it as a truck gun when chasing coyotes. One of the guys that frequented the shop gave me a coffee can full of 270 ammo. There was everything in that can from Jack O's favorite load clear up to 170 grain round noses. I was a green horn and they all went bang. I killed 8 coyotes with that gun that year and had the premise that if you throw enough lead in front of them then they are apt to run into one every now and again and they did. I just grabbed a handful of shells out of the can and stuffed them into the gun and never even looked at them. However I could certainly tell the 130 grainers from the 170s when I pulled the trigger. The coyote had no idea what was coming his way and if landed it didn't much matter.


Since those years I have built many custom rifles and inletted a lot of stocks. I enjoy getting my hands on guns that won't shoot and then playing with them. I don't always win but sometimes I do.

[RaySendero]

Yeah gpaandhisguns,  I'm with you on that!
Think its very unusual and very unlikely that a rifle that shoots everything poorly has a probable with the ammo!