So that's it? I'm stuck in the 0.3s with a sporter? Thanks for raining on the parade
Depends what you wanna do to it...
It is my observation that rimfires tend to bellcurve the groups they produce, you'll get some groups better than 0.3's, and some worse, with the typical group being in the 0.3's (or wherever your individual rifle centers on it's bellcurve). I've yet to see one that can pound out group after group with minimal variation in the group size.
Sporters present an extra challenge in eeking out cutting edge accuracy, and it is not as simplistic as being more challenging to shoot off a bench as some misguided posters might suggest. That's not to say rest setup and technique for sporters isn't important, it is, just that there is much more to it than that alone. Briefly, "free recoil" technique is ill suited to sporter stocks. A narrow front bag that snugly supports the stock and prevents it from rolling is ideal, combined with a firm hold. Front hand pulls the forestock straight down onto the front bag. Break the trigger clean and you're off to the races :bthumb:
The biggie with the sporters, though, is that relatively thin and taper profiled barrel. Finding ammo that plays nice with the barrel is more difficult than with their heavier, straight profile brethren. You can't load your ammo to suit the barrel as is possible with centerfire. A naked barrel sporter is probably the worst thing you could use to attempt high level benchrest accuracy with.
What can be done, then? A tuner is perhaps hands down the best accuracy enhancing mod for a sporter rifle. Yes, gone are the sleek, sexy lines of a sporter with one of those things hanging off the end of the barrel, but, such is the price of accuracy. I had briefly experimented with a tuner on my Weatherby XXII before the tuner was bored for my CZ custom. Observe what I got it to do, with SK Rifle Match to boot. Side note: I haven't had as good a lot of SK ammo since.
Yes, still a couple 0.3's, but most groups dived under that threshold. There ya go, it is possible to do better than 0.3's (on average) with a sporter! Now, observe the same rifle's behavior naked barrel. I can't touch the results generated with the tuner installed, and look at what happens with RWS Rifle Match S!
Four different ammos tried, none of them really suit the naked barrel.
I hope this example really clarifies what one is up against when trying to get accuracy out of a sporter. You either get lucky with ammo or have to do exhaustive testing for the naked barrel if you aren't going to use a tuner. Even with the tuner, you still need a good lot of ammo, but it will still improve results compared to naked barrel. Finally, factory barrels. Is yours a good one? Always a big question mark and I have had an Anschütz barrel that was a royal dud (that Weatherby got re-barreled with a 1416 HB take-off). Custom barrels might be considered, though gains to be had are small if one is already getting 0.3's. Whole lotta money and effort to shave off hairs at that point!
Rifle and how I position it on the rest
I also shot this with my Lilja barreled Remington 597, no tuner. RWS Rifle Match S, what one barrel hates, another loves! Sporters are very picky, as this clearly illustrates. Been wondering what a tuner would do for my 597, just a thinner muzzle than the Harrell's bore comes stock, so not so easy to outfit this rifle (not to mention the barrel taper).
