Drop in barrel for Sako sporter question???

M

Morris

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Hi all, I've been away for quite some time. I hope you all are doing fine !!!

The last time I shot my gun from the bench it like to have drove me nuts. Seemed like all of a sudden it started shooting like crap and it use to be quite a tack driver with several different brands of ammo. Red box Eley, Black box Eley, Midas M, Midas L, you could even shoot some dang good scores with some older Wolf I had. Then all of a sudden I could not even hold 1/2" groups with anything except for Midas L. It still shoots what I would call "good" but still not as well as it once did.

Now I may have missed something but I am about 99% sure that I have checked everything that there is to check and I can't find anything about this gun that would make it shoot bad. So I am down to the barrel. I think I am just going to replace it and see if the problem goes away. Maybe I have damaged it in some way.

My current barrel is a Lilja Sunburg Taper match grade barrel. My stock has been modified to fit this barrel perfectly so I would like to keep this contour. Now here are few questions I have for anyone who might know.

1. My barrel is about 7 - 8 years old just guessing. Has Lilja made any changes to these barrels since my barrel was new that have made them any better or worse in your opinion?

2. Would you recomend that I buy a barrel from someone else that could make me a drop in barrel with this same contour and if so who would it be? Pease give me names, website addresses, phone numbers, or other contact information.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide me !!!

Morris
 
Check out the scope and get a new firing pin spring. I would guess the scope is the problem, send it back, just to make sure...Rod
 
Help me understand.

If Midas L shoots good and the others don't, how could that be the scope? Seems if the scope was jumping around they would all shoot bad.

I was thinking that something about the barrel was causing it to only like the larger diameter bullet of the Midas L.

The firing spring pin maybe, but I have had it all apart, cleaned and polished the inside of the bolt and outside of the spring. It seems to be hitting the rim good and consistent when you compare shell casings. Again, if this was the problem why would it not shoot bad with all the ammos?

Keep in mind, I'm talking the difference in daylight and dark when I shoot Midas L compared to M or any of the Eley. The best I remember I was shooting some 50/50 targets and was struggling to shoot 225 - 230 and turn right around and shoot 240 - 245 with Midas L.

This gun used to shoot Eley the best but the differnce between black and red Eley or Midas L and M was very little.

Morris
 
Check the barrel crown before giving up on it. Clean the crown with a soft cloth then shoot 10-15 rounds and check that the soot shows nice distinct spikes from the grooves. Wouldn't hurt to cut a new crown any way after several years of shooting. The sharp edge will erode away from all the rounds going through it.
 
How do you clean it? I like Rimfire Blend. It may be a lead build up that will take some work to get it out. Do you have access to a borescope?
 
burtona,
The crown looks good and I have cleaned it in an effort to help my problem but so far no success. You may be right though, having a new crown cut might help.

Rod,
I have been cleaning some but but not very often. When I do I use shooter choice bore cleaner and shooters choice lead remover. I have cleaned it several times since having this problem in an effort to help it but so far no luck. I do not have access to a bore scope.

I'll check out the Broughton barrels, maybe I should try another brand this time. Have there been any changes to the Lilja barrels over the years?

What about Benchmark? Who would be a good smith to make me a drop in barrel out of a Benchmark blank or will Benchmark make the barrel ready to drop in?
 
Has the gun ever shot REAL good? 247+,15X's+??? If not, call Tim North at Broughton Barrels and Wayne Smith. If it has shot good, chances are it will again. Clean it with a brush the first 6 to 8 inches. (I think you have a lead build up in front of the chamber) Rimfire Blend is the best I have found, and put (a known to be good) scope on it.
 
As Rod has already stated, you probably have lots of carbon-lead fouling in your throat. Have someone show you how to clean the throat, clean it and your barrel regularly, in particular when switching brands. I'd suspect this is the single biggest reason for the "used to shoot, now it won't" sindrome.
 
Thanks guys !!!!

I'll give the brush cleaning a try and if that don't help I may give Broughton Barrels a call.

Thanks again !!!

Morris
 
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