Ruger Hawkeye Accuracy Issue

[was123]

I purchased a standard Hawkeye in 257 Roberts about 6 months ago. Stock fit and finish was horrible along with accuracy (3 moa). I floated the barrel and bedded the action, accuracy improved to about 1.5 moa. I called Ruger who sent me a new stock. New stock finish was very good, accuracy returned to very bad. I bedded and floated the new stock, accuracy improved to about 1 moa with 110 gr Accubonds and IMR 4350. While fine tuning the above load, accuracy opened (2.5 moa) for no apparent reason. Initial thought was a mounting issue, scope remounted, no improvement. Scope was replaced with a new Conquest I bought for a custom rig that I have yet to receive, no improvement. Torque setting on angled action screw has been adjusted at 30, 50, 60 and 75" lbs with middle and rear screws ranging from 15 - 30" lbs. Bore cleaned of all copper multiple times. Crown appears to be fine. Rifle has been fired about 400 times. I have considered adding back the pressure point in the stock but have not tried yet. Any suggestions as to why a rifle that was a consistent 1-1.5 moa shooter change to a 2-3 moa gun? Thanks for your insight.

 

[603Country]

I have a Ruger Hawkeye and a couple of other Rugers (Mk II and original tang safety models). The Hawkeye (in 223) shot great and then shot poorly. After much investigation and many many wasted reloads, it turns out that there were two problems. The big problem was the scope, which had died on the gun. It was brand new and high quality, so I couldn't imagine (and didn't diagnose) that as the problem. In this long process, I replaced the stock and it shot a little better. Then, just to see if it mattered, I replaced the scope with an older one that I knew was Ok. The rifle shot great. And it still does. The stock that came off the Hawkeye was synthetic and real light, so I put it on a short action Mk II and that rifle shot fine....for a while. Then groups started opening up. I put the old stock (wood, with pressure points) back on it and that rifle started shooting great again. All I can figure with the synthetic stock was that the stock was compressing over time at the screw locations, so that torque was meaningless and could not remain constant.

That story does not solve your problem, other than to tell you about my similar problem, but I will suggest that if that scope you have on it is not a 'proven' performer, then try another scope. Don't assume that the problem can not be that new scope. Probably isn't, but maybe it is. If that doesn't work, try an aftermarket stock.

And, if you've swapped out stocks, check and see if the magazine box is installed properly and is somewhat loose in the stock and not binding on anything.

 

[was123]

603, thanks for the reply. Scope on it is a Zeiss Conquest. When accuracy turned to crap, my initial thoughts were mounts or scope. First thing I tried was a remount, second was replacing with another new Conquest, no improvement.

 

[Outrider]

A FWIW note on a strikingly similar accuracy problem with a Ruger 77 .280 several years ago. Went through all your attempted fixes with three different gunsmiths trying to find the answer. Finally, the last smith, having tried everything he knew to do, on a last ditch, pulled-out-of-the-air Hail Mary, restored the pressure point in the barrel channel near the end of the forearm. Bingo! The rifle began to shoot "reasonably" well ( 1.25" at 100 yards). That was a far cry from the original 6"--12" groups for the out-of-the-box rifle and a lesser cry from the 4"+ groups after all the tuning steps had been done. The action had been glass bedded, barrel free floated, trigger adjusted, action smoothed, various torques on action screws, different scopes tried, different shooters, a wide range of ammo tried---all to little avail. While those things did help reduce group size from a water bucket to a saucer, adding back the pressure point proved to be the rabbit in the hat. May have been a just fluke with my rifle, but passing it along.

Outrider

 

[was123]

Outrider, adding pressure back is my next step. I figured I would put some sort of material where the pressure point was and give it a shot. If it works I can permanently redo the pressure point with some bedding compound.