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Old 10-09-2016, 01:07 PM
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Dean2 Dean2 is offline
 
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Default Load Development for Savage 7-08

Well it has been kind of a long road developing a load for this gun. Tried the gun in the factory stock, even bedded, it didn't shoot very well, but the factory stock was pretty flimsy. So, tuned the trigger to three pounds, mounted the action in a very nice Boyd’s Nutmeg Laminated Prairie Hunter Premium with Fleur De Lise checkering (Cost $210), after ordering the proper bottom metal and mag base as that is now built into the Savage synthetic stocks (Cost $200) and Devcon bedded the action and first two inches of the barrel. Then I free floated the rest of the barrel.

Tried 162 BTSP Hornady, 154 SP Interlock Hornady., 139 BTSP and 139 SP Hornady as well as 130 grain Speer. Tried 4350, 8208 and Varget with all 5 Bullets, tried COAL 2.7 all the way up to 2.850 in .05 increments. Nothing would shoot better than two to three inches and most were 4 or more. I even took a couple of other guns out to shoot at the same time to make sure my shooting hadn’t gone to Heck.

I had previously verified the scope mounts, ring torque, and action screw torque. Playing with the action screws made no appreciable difference to the group size and all of the scope mounting was tight and on spec. This was exceedingly strange as I have never had trouble getting a Savage built in the last 40 years to shoot really well.

Just as I was considering solid bedding the barrel or ordering a new Shilen pre-fit, it occurred to me that it may not be the gun. Took off the almost brand new Leupold VX-3 4.5x14x40 B & C, bought 6 months ago, and replaced it with another scope. The exact same loads that I had just been trying, that were all over the paper, 42.5 grains of Varget with Hornady 139 BT and 139 BTSP, (COAL 2.825) and 130 grain Speer BTSP, (Coal 2.780) with CCI 250 primers in Lapua brass, now put three shots in literally the same hole or very close. That’s three different bullets, with two different seating depths all shooting ½” or less groups.

I have owned many dozen Leupold scopes. I have never had one defective out of the box and I have never had one go south, even after many years of use and many thousands of rounds. The only two I ever sent to Korth in the past were broken from severe accidents. The idea that the scope was the issue was the farthest thing from my mind. So much so that a 7x57 that it was first one when I took it out of the box, which also wouldn’t shoot the way I wanted it to was stuck in the back of the closet to have the action re-purposed later.

It goes to prove that even after 50 years of doing this a guy is still learning. Makes me really wonder how many bad shooting guns aren’t the ammo or gun and are actually the scopes fault. Not real likely with Leupold scopes but with so many inexpensive scopes being used it makes me think there might be quite a bit of scope induced poor gun performance. Hopefully some others can be helped by what took me about 400 rounds, between the 7x57 and the 7-08 of shooting to figure out.

Scope malfunction would be a lot easier to spot if the gun shot well then all of a sudden opened up the groups with the same loads. How many of you have had a scope go south and mess up your groups and as interesting, how many have got dud brand new scopes on new guns, where it is much harder to spot the scope as the issue.
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Old 10-09-2016, 01:27 PM
Unregistered user Unregistered user is offline
 
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Same thing with a Leup vx ll 3_9 x40 korth straightened it out and all is good.
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Old 10-09-2016, 01:31 PM
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Dick284 Dick284 is offline
 
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I've only ever had one scope go bad on me, I noticed it when I blew a chip shot on a deer. The thing had lost its ability to hold elevation. Thank god I had another rifle to switch to after, as I sent the other scope off to warranty repair.

Scopes are a manufactured product, they can and do fail due to many things, some of those things come right from the factory.

Hence why a single rifle, and scope is never a good thing. Especially if you travel long distances to get to your hunting spot. Sheep hunters must sleep like crap I figure.
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Old 10-09-2016, 02:11 PM
gitrdun gitrdun is offline
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Having several Leupold scopes and owning previous ones, I've never had one fail me. So, I likely would have been stumped as well. However, even with some of the best equipment, one is bound to find a lemon sometimes.
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Old 10-09-2016, 03:10 PM
bulletman bulletman is offline
 
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Default Leupold

I have had and continue to own quite a few Leupold scopes including a new 6-18. I have never in 40 years sent one back for defects. When I'm hunting for a new scope Leupolds still get serious consideration!
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Old 10-09-2016, 04:22 PM
gitrdun gitrdun is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick284 View Post
I've only ever had one scope go bad on me, I noticed it when I blew a chip shot on a deer. The thing had lost its ability to hold elevation. Thank god I had another rifle to switch to after, as I sent the other scope off to warranty repair.

Scopes are a manufactured product, they can and do fail due to many things, some of those things come right from the factory.

Hence why a single rifle, and scope is never a good thing. Especially if you travel long distances to get to your hunting spot. Sheep hunters must sleep like crap I figure.
You know, it comes down to equipment checks before going afield. I have made it over many years of learning the hard way "there are no absolutes". That I check my rifle for proper chambering, action feeds,etc. Check my scope bases and rings for proper torque etc. Thus, I've avoided those misfortunes. The final check is to drive it to paper.
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Old 10-10-2016, 08:20 AM
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DaleJ DaleJ is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gitrdun View Post
You know, it comes down to equipment checks before going afield. I have made it over many years of learning the hard way "there are no absolutes". That I check my rifle for proper chambering, action feeds,etc. Check my scope bases and rings for proper torque etc. Thus, I've avoided those misfortunes. The final check is to drive it to paper.
Being on top of everything involved doesn't prevent unscheduled failures. Knowing equipment worked last time used doesn't guarantee it works tomorrow. Had a couple Leupolds fail. Both failures were loss of "zero". Last failure was a 45X Competion scope, vertical moved reticle up and right. Outraged by Korth's reply to align scope left to regain true vertical.
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Old 10-10-2016, 08:31 AM
Pathfinder76 Pathfinder76 is offline
 
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I suspect scope problems almost immediately if things are that bad.
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Old 10-14-2016, 11:58 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck View Post
I suspect scope problems almost immediately if things are that bad.
Well I might from now on but I sure didn't this time. This is the second scope in fifty years that I have had go south and the last one was 30 years ago. At least with that one it was on a gun that shot lights out so when the groups opened up and started moving around it was easy to pin point the problem.

I am going to send the scope to Korth after the season is over, might as well let the guys that need their scopes fixed right away be first in line, I'll just park this one till December. Will be very interesting to find out what is actually wrong with it. Will let you guys know what they find.
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Old 10-14-2016, 01:09 PM
duceman duceman is offline
 
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send it in, you will have it back long before hunting season is over.
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Old 10-14-2016, 05:32 PM
gitrdun gitrdun is offline
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Originally Posted by duceman View Post
send it in, you will have it back long before hunting season is over.
That M8-6x that we horse traded is doing just fine for this hunting season. I've got it dialled in to zero at 200 yards on my Browning B78. But once hunting season is over, it's going to Korth for a target elevation turret mod.
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  #12  
Old 10-14-2016, 11:20 PM
Pioneer2 Pioneer2 is offline
 
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Default 7mm-08 powder

Try some Win 760 + mag primers.......Harold
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