How to make a gun more accurate

Hi I was hoping to get some advice I just bought a new 243 axis yes i know not the most top of the line but out of the box it was shooting 5/8 in and a hair bigger not much I was wondering what i can do to make it more accurate. yes i want to shot the tight group possible with out reloading custom shells i am working on that with a few members to help me get set up as some of you have read i lost a lot of my memory . I can remember bits and pieces of my fathers talking about his 22-250 winches 70 varmint with bull barrel. it is by far the most accurate gun i have ever laid eyes on i have a dont of his loaded shells i know he had something done to the barred he had it bedded and the trigger up graded and lightens and then there was some bolt work. can some one help me understand what i can do to my 243 savage to make it more accutet i really want to get it dialed in but i lake the memory to do it or better yet as a gun smith to do it for me. i know it is a Cheap gun but it is a very good shooting gun and that is want i am after above all els name and prestige of having a howa weatherby sako or something like that yes i can afford them but when i did my research nothing stood out to justify the price they did not show any better yes they my be made better of course but i am happy with the gun I have and i want to make it the best gun it can bee please when you explain something to me on this remember my reading is not that great and a lot of times i need to get someone to read it for me since i have just 2 people in my house that can read english on is my 14yr old nephew i adopted 3 yrs ago so his reading is not that great so that leaves my oldest son 19yrs old I really just need people to know i can do just about every thing and i think and do every thing and if i did not tell people i had some mental problems like memory, reading and writing people would not know I am just getting back in to my guns and hunting I dont count hunting While stationed at Ft Gordon really hunting I use to go there just to get from every one and sit on a damp creek bead with my muzzle loader and I would tag out both years i was there but i never travels more the 25yr from my truck shooting up a creek. no here i am getting all my guns out shooting them and spending time with the kids teaching them how to shoot and being able to take my long shooting guns and make the long shot my 14yrold is little guy he really cant take the 30-06 25-06 or the 270 he can only shoot the 30-30 about 5 times before his arm hurts to much to keep shooting. he shoots it but not with the 222 22-250 220 swift the 22mag and 22longs if we can get the 243 done up like the 22-250 220 that would be great they get all excited when shoot 400yrd and beoned so please dont tell me the gun is not worth it it would cost more then the gun is worth. i am not selling it as i dont sell guns even if i dont like them i just hold on to them and the past few years i have loans my deer guns to other disabled vets who when on hunts for vets and stuff some of them dont have a gun or cant afford on so i have on issues loaning mine to them. they may be depressed and have issues with ptsd but when you ask them about the hunt they get a little perky and you can see the light coming back so it makes it worth it it the same reason i take other disabled vets fishing I go through the back asking process of making my wonderful Cheese dough bait and selling it i dont charg what other guids charg for catfish trip i am about half that and you get more time with me plues every penny goes right back in to taking disabled vets out or children of fallen soldiers and buying them there own fishing rods and reels I love to see them be them self even if its for just a few hours most are like me quite and antisocial or like crowds but when they are on the lake they can let there guard down smoothing who had served combat rolls and had ptsd know it is really hard to do but when your on the water its quite no one around but there friends and family after about 45mins they start to come back to bing them selfs i take a lot of guys seven times a month helping them helps me and watching my kids shoot does the same thing it is I dont smile often if at all but watching them hit a target at some distance they get excited it make me feel good. so if any one at all can tell me the things i can ask the smith to do or what i can do with a little help to make this gun something to be wrecked with . the gun has the speed and is a decent shooting gun for such a light round for a scope i just put on a bushnell with a drop cominsator i think they are called ao or smoothing like that i had it on my 222 but i want to hunt with it I order the cabalas multi turret built grand matched for the 243 I have watch you tube videos and read a lot of great reviews i went to cabalas and they did not have the scope i wanted or even the gun they wanted me to buy the savage 2 with a cheap weaver scope the eye ring kept falling off and i have to pay 75$ for something i did not want so i went to academy they had a lower price even with out my military discount with a 15$ sling nothing super nice i just looked for a rugged on scope base leapold base and wrings 2 boxes horinty 100 grain ballistic tip rounds it cam to 329 or about there with tax ate cabalas they wanted 400-425 the do have the vortex scopes for more money. but again after doing the research i think i got the scope i wanted with just a slight wist of the turret it goes in 25yr incoments up to 700-800 yrs and the you too videos with his gun and the groping at 100 was not the best but even at 300yrs he was still putin them in the kill zone I want to make that group smaller at 300yrs and with all the knolegd on this forum i am sure some of you guys can point me in the right direction and if someone can make a simple list that wont brake the bank for every thing i will need to start reloading 243 shells the would be great i look at the reloading stuff even with the help i have gotten and i am grateful for the help i got so far i am still confuse as to what i need to buy to reload my own stuff dont ned big fancy i want to be able to sit on the floor at the coffee table and do it with the kids

I want to apologize for suck long post i have trouble getting what i am thinking in to words that makes sense to me that is way they are long and the head injury makes them hard to read i do thank you guys for your help on every thing i have asked so far every one as been help full

Chem, if that Axis is shooting 5/8" with factory ammo I would not, in all honesty, change a thing.

Amen brother!!!

x2

Could drop a timney trigger into it to get a little easier trigger squeeze, that's what I did with my axis .243, it makes it easier to shoot but it was and still is a sub-moa gun at 100. Haven't pushed it further out yet.

Honestly there isn't much you need to do if you are shooting the gun that well...aren't going to get much more out of it with factory rounds and getting into hand loading ammo might be a bit much right now for ya.


Not trying to be a jerk, but are you sure you need to be shooting with a head injury? A .243 recoil is mild, but repetitive hits could cause more damage and I would hate to see you get worse.

Oh and one other thing, don't loan your guns to people with ptsd or other mental issues, not only is it agains the law, but if that gun is used to harm someone else you could be held liable and lose everything. Be careful man

How is it against the law to loan a gun to someone with PTSD? There are people who have been in car accidents that have PTSD. Why can they not shoot a gun?

Regardless of the law, good judgement suggests one should think very carefully about shooting with or loaning to those with mental considerations or with SSRI prescriptions. While it's perfectly legal, I wouldn't drink a beer in front of an alcoholic, either. When in doubt, exercise restraint and sensible judgement.

I agree but let's not assume that everyone who suffers from PTSD is going to go on a shooting spree if you loan them a gun. Every person is different along with their symptoms. Apparently Texas Buckeye thinks otherwise but it's in no way against the law.

Whoa. I haven't seen that many missed periods since my last pregnancy scare.

WOW, I wouldn't change a thing...except grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure and maybe a paragraph break here and there! You get a Chris Carter..."C'Mon Man" for that OP!!!

I know a lot on how to make a rifle accurate, but I stopped reading after 1-2 sentences.

Why are you so concerned about the way someone types on a dang forum ? I hate when people do that , it really makes them look like a jack a$$ . This is someone just looking for input not to be put down !

C'MON MAN!

Sorry but he's right, I read through it on the toilet this morning but it was damn hard to read. Its almost as bad as someone who uses all caps.

As far as accuracy if you have a box stock savage axis shooting factory ammo at 5/8" you should not touch it.

writing skills don't come easy for some
It does make it hard/frustrating to read

here's what I would do
1. do barrel break in , 1 shot/wet patch/brush/patch dry for 5, then every 5 til 20
2. float the barrel if not done already
3. install lighter trigger
4. buy premium ammo and try different brands/bullet weights
5. install better stock, preferably one with solid pillar and have proper bedding done

Before you guys give Chemdawg any more grief about his spelling and grammar, maybe take a look at this other thread and cut him some slack.

http://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/6086707/2


Check out page 1, the second to last post.



Chemdawg, I'm glad you survived and are recovering. Thank you for the incredible sacrifices you made defending our country.

That explains everything...I apologize for criticizing!

Hey TXGUNNER308

C'MON MAN!

Chemdawg, if it's shooting that well I'd just leave it alone and keep playing with your hand loads until you find something that pleases you.

First of all guys, I don't think everyone with PTSD is going to go on a shooting rampage, never said that and don't assume I did anywhere in my posts. I did give the guy some valid advice, don't loan your rifles to someone who is potentially unstable. We all know (maybe we don't all know this but sapper I would think you know this being the military more than others) that people with PTSD can snap at a stimulus and have unstable moments...if it was found he gave a gun to such a person and said person knew about the issue before hand and something bad happens because of said weapon, that constitutes liability in any jurisdiction.

Also, I apologize for the mistake that it is illegal for people with ptsd to have a gun, but it could be illegal for them to have a conceal carry license or carry a concealed handgun...pursuant to texas code 411.172 based on the diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder.

My bad guys.

I get what you are saying but just don't group everyone with PTSD together. Most people with PTSD have symptoms limited to being on guard all the time, easily startled, uncomfortable in areas with large gatherings, and so on so fourth. Most people with PTSD are not unstable to the point they can't be trusted with guns and most the ones that are were partially screwed up before they got PTSD diagnosis. Im just saying please don't group us all together.

Sapper, I wasn't trying nor did I group "everyone" with PTSD together Into anything other than mistakenly saying it was illegal for them to have a gun. I know, being a former military physician, that ptsd comes in all flavors and variants,and that is is a pschiatric diagnosis, which is what I mistakenly thought created the illegality of gun ownership. That is also enough for me to know that if someone who I didn't know well but had a history of ptsd wanted to borrow a gun of mine I would courteously decline as some people with ptsd are unstable with certain stimuli, and being that this guy was talking about military stuff I assumed (maybe wrong but probably correctly) that most of the people he was dealing with were former military/current military and the stimulus of shooting could trigger something.

I am not trying to do pick any fights or condemn a group of people or anything like that. Gun ownership comes with great responsibility, and with that also comes the responsibility of knowing when you shouldn't be using your guns anymore. It isn't something discussed much since we are talking about second amendment issues there, but the same way those of us capable of having guns are responsible to "have a well maintained militia", those of us no longer capable of such responsibility whether due to physical, mental, or other issues (chemical, etc) should not. and please don't imply from this last paragraph I mean to say all those with ptsd fall into the latter category. But some might.

Personally I wouldn't let someone stable barrow one of my guns unless they were a very close friend who I completely trust.

Thanks for clarifying.

I doubt you are shooting completion, 5/8 is great as above stated, you could upgrade trigger & do a bedding job, but WHY?

ok as far as the gun goes i am going to make it shoot like all my theres i like it when the shot groups are on top of each other I meet a member here is selling me a reading kit for supper cheap so i am going to start that but it will take time to get a load that is right. I dont have my father any more and he was the man and enclyipda when it came to this stuff i dont trust my memory to do it.

and not being able to have care or use a gun unless you are found incompetent by the va you are allowed to own use and like me who has a chl carry a gun just because i have ptsd does not me I am any more dangers then anyone els yes i get mad easy but i am smart enough to know not to just shoot every one who make me mad if you were a miltay physic you would know i have to meet a certne cridate and a tbi and ptsd does not count more does taking morphine for my back i just take take it while i am handling a gun or hunting i deal with it and when i am dont i take my meds and lay done for a while

I am sorry i dont know how to read well or write well any more I dont understand english or my writing because most of the time what i write is not what i am thinking I see words that are all jumped up and look foreign most of the time I cant help it if i could go back the the way i was a collage grad with a body that wasn't busted up i would in a heart beat you know i use to wire a little thing on TX fishing forum about why my writing is so poor and member there caused me of winning so here i didn't i just posted a little about it and some pic i really dont want to see any more in hopes more people would see it and understand and it seem to work and guys are passing it along but just because i cant read well or right does not mean i cant hunt or shot or reload i am still good with coordination just my memory is not very good still to this day i will for get about whole days i dont reminder much of a day just bits and pieces like a puzzel your trying to put to gather with missing pieces you can do most of it but there are still gabs even after my head injury the army found me fit for duty and i redeployed to iraq for 18mont yes not 15 long story i got hurt an IED that was under a bring and when it when off the down force just crushed us and i was having to much back trouble to were a OTV built proof vest and plates so I was put in the supply room for 6 months do to our supply sgt got nocked up and was being taken out of the country so i filled in even with my bad spelling my CO was a former Ranger and an MP so he understood and as much as i messed up paper work he never got mad my cleats would double cheat anything i had written but most of the time i just copped and posted so not much to mess up I was sat with 3 clearks i just lead them even after i got home the army still did not fined me unfit the made me change jobs I guess a few medals and some purple hears they cut you some slack the recalled me to human resources who ever decided that was a real frakin g genus a guy who as trouble reading and writing and a bad back who cold not sit for more then 30mins with out standing up put behind a desk at on a training base after almost 2 yrs and hardly being able to walk I ask my doc for a MEB i was done so after just shy of 15yrs i was medfly retired at 100% disabled no were was i found incompetent quit the opasit beside my writing skills you would not know there was anything wrong with me till i told you I dont tell people about my back or pain when i am around stager i just fake it despite how i feel. so to answer the question about gun and ptsd unless you are found incompetent per the VA disability rating guidelines you will not loose your rights to own a gun the one ones who can to that is the federal coverment unless you most a crime in fact there are several cases going to the supreme court because the va has over step its boundary by taking your gun right away with out a hearing or cort trail it violates the consatuation I may not read well but i can read just very slowly and since i am not guiding or making bait to take out other vets with ptsd fishing i have lots of time on my hand wich is why i want to make my gun as good and it can be if i am going to shot i want to shoot the best i can thats just me am not happy with 5/8 grouping at a100yrd i want them all touching or almost touching the further you shot the more that gap grows but hat just me

I do thank you guys for the understanding why i am the way i am and the more you guys pass it along when you see someone jump on me for it the better the thread will be despite my gibberish no it was exile 5/8 on 3 shot groups and a little over on the 4th i may have the target in my truck if i do i will post a pick i am not sure if my son tossed them out that shot group was out at a fully supported bench rest not off the by pod or anything not me holding it on a sand bag but out of a secured bench rest at the rang yes i want to do it so i just dont know what all the stuff is called I am having the trigger redone wends after a hunting trip i dont like that 5/12 lb trigger it way to hard to pull guys i dont have any thing els to do and i like shooting i found a member who is going to help me get started reloading i cant not keep afford buying factory amo he had a had loader he is going to sell me with the 243 die set and have lost every thing els but a trimmer wich i will get one like i said i know a lot of guys we say leave it alone like my buddy did if it int for my back i would keep with my 30-30 or 30-06 but they have just a little to much kickoff me to shoot well i keep thinking this is going to hurt then shoot like crap not i am confident a gain at i am not going to hurt my self i can drill them in there. thanks for all the advise and thank you for under standing about my condition i dont mean to write so long it just hard to put what i want down in words

so your saying because i had a head injury and have a horrible memory i am not responsible you do know that the VA has a lilt book the use to rate you you can acetyl down load it online and see every contain ratable and what the criteria is for that condition and what the diablitly rating would be on you severity of the condition the only way the VA can make it ill eagle for me to own a gun is for me to be a danger to my self or any one els or be found incompetent even someone who is found finaculy incopatednt will have those right recoced wich is why the case is going to the supper cort next year someone is sueing over that rating being bad with money does not mean the are not responsible like having ptsd doest meant you are a crazy nut job if we ever met you would not know there was a thing wrong with me unless i told you. I have a chl and carry a snub nose 38spl i have not ones ever pulled it out on someone no matter how anger i get. i am quick to punch someone but to shot someone No I have shot enough people in my life and live with late nightly so in order for me to shot you you would have to really threaten me or my family like anyone else here so to say that because i have memory problems and dont read well and write worse then a 2nd grader does not mean i am any less content then anyone els here ever done here know gun have responablitys and every time we take am at a game animal we take responablity for that shot if me miss and 3/4 mils down the road it his someone we take responsibility for the shot and the consequence of that shot but to say nice we have ptsd we are incapable of the is insane i have seen way more jerk offs with guns who didn't have a think wrong with them other the a case of assholeites every one i know has ptsd every one they are all fully resizable loving family men I deal with guys with ptsd almost every day in the spring and summer I take gounded vets cat fishing for free and guid for them and make bait for cats in between every penny i make goes in to taking goes with ptsd out fishing or some just want to go for a boat ride being on the water you can relax and not worry about anyone you are able to just not worry and be so hyper vigilant while your there and they just want a break so i take them and there family out on fishing trips not once have i eve had an issue with them it always the paint custers who are the problem so just because we have ptsd we are not a threat to anyone not even our selfs but most of us will get ager quick but that dense mean we will pull a gun and shoot someone to think other wise is foolish me are just like every one els but we are more vigulet to our surrounding depressed have anxiety nightmares every night some cry inexpertly when alone that were does it say we are all nut jobs going around wave a gun at people most of use dont want any problems and so we walk a straight line so we dont have to deal with the police to get in trouble all those shooting on tv are not from guy with ptsd they are from guys who had normal lives and snapped we are just as callable of making decisions and woking up to them for our mistakes and by all means know what it is like to have to live with taking a life and seeing what can happened when a gun is in the wrong hands most impurely 99% can shot and hit a target so why should we not be allowed to own a gun or hunt last weekend i was with 12 guys all with ptsd or purple hearts on a hunt not one person did anything dangerous with a fire army in fact the were the most carful bunch of guys i have meet in a long time there was on axadently flagging even with an unload gun the only incident came from a guid who held in gun in is folded arms and was pointing it at all our legs till some one told him to stop pointing it at them so who is the iresposable one here the guys with ptsd or the guid who is suppose to be well adjusted and normal

i dont have the target but i had 3 witness the nest tie i got to the range will be after i get my trigger done next week and will post it up with calipers i take to the rang even time i go they are digital so i cant miss read them my 30-06 shotes less then that one hand loaded rounds but it had a lot of work done to it. but ike i said it was out of a fixed bench rest not me leaning across the table or on bags or anything but a Fixed sung bench rest

I am going to start with the triger wendsday they are going to make me one for 100$ 21/2 lbs and the barrel glass bedded piller method for 140$ and then see about some bolt work and it should be good and a hand loaded in a few weeks i watch some video of guys using 243s to shoot 1400 yards

Is the barrel floated, I would do that along with bedding the action.

As stated above, sub MOA Savage Axis/edge guns, leave them alone...

I still don't understand why it was remotely pertinent to the conversation at hand. Unless you say the same thing to every person who buys a new gun.

I think you got a good shooter Chem how is the back feeling with the recoil of the .243?

it feels good with the 243 and am happy with it i got invited to a game ranch tomorrow with my son so i hope to try it out yes i have dont my research and for the savage axes it is not income for people to be shooting sub mao right out of the box again I was using a fixed bench rest and am sure after this weekend and have the trigger customized it ill do a bit better and then the barrel will be glass bedded. I have watched some you tube videos of guys making 1000-1400 yrs shots with 243 i would not think it possible they might be professional snipers and sharp shooters but they are still doing it. I am h

I think Sapper said it best, on the ptsd issue unless you lived it or been there or lived our lives dont assume anything about someone with it most import dont assume anything about me or my mental state we have never meet all you know about me is i suffered a head injury have ptsd and a bad back

I am pleased that the recoil is manageable and I think once you do the trigger you should test it before you bed it. You may be surprised but what do I know. My FCP-10 isn't even sighted in an I have had it since late 2011. My best wishes to you guy's on the upcoming hunt Boss. The PTSD issue shouldn't have even been brought up in my opinion but I think Sapper has it covered to the T

I am taking it down tomorrow and dropping it of at webber to get the trigger redone I am going to testest first but i think the barrel is going to get glass bedded piller method from what i have read is the best way to go I am just happy to be able to shot for then a few times with out having to lay down for 3 days after work and your right it should have never been brought up because its not an issue especially for someone who has never meet me