Looking for an Anschutz doctor

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mshelton
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Looking for an Anschutz doctor

Post by mshelton »

I picked up a 1422 a few years ago in the local gun store, rifle was in great shape, no metal damage or bluing wear, just some really minor handling marks on the stock and the finish slicked down in the grip and comb where it comes in contact with ones face. Someone had taken really good care of it and looked like they enjoyed shooting it.

I put some scope bases on it and mounted a Leupold 6.5-20 EFR and bed the rings. The rifle shot very well, I've shot centerfire benchrest for a while and when I put the flags out 1/4" groups at 50yds were not uncommon and some tighter than that, which is pretty nice for a sporter in my opinion. I shot silhouette with it for a few years and one weekend had it out teaching a new shooter on it. I decided to shoot a couple groups with it at the end of the session. Well, they were less than less than spectacular, 2"+ with RWS rifle target, which always shot decently in the gun, not spectacularly like r-50 but good enough and affordable for silhouette. Figured it might need a cleaning, took it home and scrubbed it out, went back out the next day and was rewarded with 3" groups all over the place, this was with flags and off a rest and bags. The thing had gone to pot, I checked both action screws, they were tight and around 25lbs according to my torque wrench, pulled the scope off and checked the bases which were all snug. Swapped scopes and got the same results. Scratched my head and couldn't figure it out. I took it up to the local gunsmith and a friend of mine, he had no ideas other than to touch up the crown. I wasn't too excited about recrowning a 40 year old nice 22 but figured it couldn't hurt, he proceeded to replace the factory one with an 11deg crown. I cleaned it out and tried it again....same results.

Took the rifle home, disassembled it, soaked the barrel over night in Boretech rimfire blend then WipeOut the next night. Didn't notice anything amiss in the mechanics, everything appeared to lock up and set fine. Cleaned out the barrel and borrowed a friends Hawkeye borescope and checked the barrel. Took about 45 min and scoped the entire thing, found nothing and have to say it's probably one of the prettiest barrels I've ever looked in.

Reassembled the gun and took it out today, had the flags out,conditions were not ideal but could be delt with. Groups were not the 3" variety but no where near what I would have expected from this rifle if it had been performing as it used to. So this brings me to my question.

I'd like to send it to a smith to get checked out and pillar bed, something I have been wanting to have done since I bought it. I've pillared and bed many a bench rest and varmint rifle but those have all been 700s or clones, the Anschutz to me seems to be a completely different animal that I would prefer to leave up to someone who knows them. Also maybe they can find what I'm missing in this or know what may be the issue.

I'm willing to ship the rifle but it does mean a lot to me and I'd like to get a good job on it. Amy help or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
thauglor
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Re: Looking for an Anschutz doctor

Post by thauglor »

It could be just the bedding in the stock is the issue. I don't see why you cant bed it yourself if you did a few 700s before.

Barrel is still free floated when you are in shooting position? The stock isn't moving when you have it on a test?

I am guessing you tried different ammo?
scott152
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Re: Looking for an Anschutz doctor

Post by scott152 »

If the above suggestions don't work I would also think about replacing the firing pin spring. The spring set in my 54.18 went bad shortly after I had a new barrel put on. Gave me erratic groups and then miss fires. At first I thought the head spacing was wrong. After I put in a set of Wolff Springs the problem went away. That was about 5 years ago.

I have a Winchester 52B that I cleaned the barrel for the first time in its life (over 100,000 rounds). It took almost 40 shots to re-season the barrel. Groups went from 3" back done to about 1/4" to 1/2" at 50 yards.

Scott W.
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Re: Looking for an Anschutz doctor

Post by GSL »

HI SCOTT ,

You seem to know what you are doing ...
I would repeat the same thing WITH the same ammo that you got the 1/4 inch groups with !
all I can think of is that chamber might have lost its bite on different ammo ...
its rarely bedding ...
you might know better than another gunsmith ...

good luck

GSL
mshelton
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Re: Looking for an Anschutz doctor

Post by mshelton »

Thanks guys, I had changed the firing pin spring shortly after purchasing it, didn't know if it needed it but it's one of those things that can never hurt.

The forearm is still free of the barrel with plenty of clearance, much more than the old dollar bill trick. Bedding the thing just gives me pause, the stock is nice and not only that but kinda old, a few of the old Sakos I bed years back came out great but had me sweating when drilling out for the pillars and if I remember correctly on the 54 there's not a whole lot of room for a screwup there.

This whole rifle going south thing happened a year or so back, friend and I were just getting into smallbore silhouette and probably having the best competitive shooting experience with it that we've ever had, watching the chickens fly, the pig is your friend, cussing the turkeys and the drawn out wait on the ram. But for some reason we stopped going to the matches after this gun decided to check out. I passed by it the other day and decided to see if I could find a smith/doctor/witchdoctor to send it off to. I'll look at the bedding this weekend and might tackle it, would really like to get this thing out shooting again.
Jerry G
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Re: Looking for an Anschutz doctor

Post by Jerry G »

Try different torque settings on your action screws. works for me.
Joaquin B
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Re: Looking for an Anschutz doctor

Post by Joaquin B »

Try different ammo, as well as the same ammo, from different lots.

One of my .22 BPCR rifles had the same issues. I tried various brands of ammo from various lots. Finally, a surprise.

The rifle LOVES CCI .22 Mini Mags. Go figure...
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Re: Looking for an Anschutz doctor

Post by Toms »

I had a very simmilar thing with a Kimber of Oregon. In the winter i shot and won a postal light rifle match. Couple months later i shot at the Conard Cup Match in Washington. Shot terriable. The gun would be off by several inches the first shot of the relay. Well i got home changed scope, stock, ammo to no avail. I had it rebarreled. It now will shoot as well as my 40Xs. Have shot several 400-40 Xs at 50 yards on the 50 meter reduced to 50 yards. Just my experiance. Toms.
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Re: Looking for an Anschutz doctor

Post by ShootingStar »

mshelton,
Sorry about your problems and that I can offer no suggestions for improvement.
I can however recommend an excellent Anschutz (and other brands) Gunsmith - Evelio McDonald.
He is on this board as that name. He put my 1712 into a Pharr/Robertson stock and did a GREAT job.

When and if you are ready for him to look at it, you won't be disappointed by his work!!

Good Luck in getting the old girl back in shooting form!
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Re: Looking for an Anschutz doctor

Post by lone ringer »

If the trigger has been taken off the action and then put back make sure that when you close the bolt it does not jump at the very end. You will definitely notice the back of the bolt jump if it is out of time.
If it does jump it means it's out of time and may affect the accuracy of the rifle. The trigger screws need to be tight and trigger all the way to the front or back of action, whichever one does not let the bolt jump a little as you close it.

Another thing I have learned is that most rifles like to have the barrel free floated but some do not. As you are shooting for groups put a few pieces of cardboard from the ammo boxes between the barrel and the stock (the last two inches) until you create some upward pressure. Shoot some groups and see if they get smaller, if they get smaller bed the end of the barrel with acraglas gel and do not free float. A gunsmith friend of mine told me to bed the .22's with the softer Acraglas gel epoxy and the HP rifles with the harder epoxy like Devcon or Marinetex

Try a product used by electricians named "duct seal". You can find it at electrical supply stores or hardware stores like Lowe's and Home Depot. It is used to plug the ducts/pipes to keep water, dirt, etc. from getting inside. It is not affected by temperature, lasts for many years and you only need a very small quantity. Make sure there is enough space between the stock and the barrel on the last couple of inches of the stock. It affects harmonics in a good way by changing vibrations that may be adversely affecting the accuracy on your rifle. I have used the product for many years and have never had the groups on my rifles get worse because I put it on my rifles.
As a side not I will tell you that some air gunners use bricks of it to line the back of their pellet traps since it is not very expensive and does a great job of capturing the pellets.
I am just passing on information and experiences I've had in more than 40 years of shooting silhouette rifles and not trying to create debates or controversy on the subject.
Good luck!
Tony Tello
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Re: Looking for an Anschutz doctor

Post by Number10GI »

Is the ammo the same lot number that you shot those small groups with. I shot rimfire benchrest for a few years and found that different lot numbers can shoot very differently from each other. Have you tried another scope? Something may have loosened up in it's mechanism.
mshelton
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Re: Looking for an Anschutz doctor

Post by mshelton »

Tried different scopes and rings, barrel is floated. I'll check the trigger bolt thing.

I understand the lot# of ammo and have resisted the urge to go to what we called the darkside, rimfire benchrest.

Just 2"+ groups at 50yds is huge, Stingers in a Marlin 60 will outshoot that. Sad because it's a beautiful rifle, feels great to shoot but it's just collecting dust and I'm not the kind of person to unload a nonshooting toad on someone.
xpilot
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Re: Looking for an Anschutz doctor

Post by xpilot »

Any chance you swapped the action screws (front to back) and now one is touching the barrel? Don't ask me how I know this can happen.

Jim
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Re: Looking for an Anschutz doctor

Post by chuckjordan2 »

What were the weather conditions when you sighted it in (ie winter, summer, raining, dry)? Compared to when you checked your groups.

If you need any trigger work done (not saying that's the issue), I'd recommend Neal Stepp of ISS (Ft Worth TX).
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