Like I said in the "All Done" thread, I did go to the range and sighted in the Savage 12FV action that I bedded in the 12BVSS stock. I guess I will have to call it a 12FVBVSS now.
After sighting in I cleaned it, fired a fouling shot then fired 5 for group. I had a good 1/4" group going until the wind got me. The group measured 1" @ 200 yds. In the plastic stock the 12FV would only shoot just over 1" @ 100 yds. I'm more than happy with the results of the new stock and my first bedding job. I want to take it back for another group test on a calm day.

Now that's impressive for 200 yards. What caliber? Describe your load. I assume the gun was scoped, which scope?
Keep it coming...

Sorry I left out the details. Well it was a 12FVBVSS in 223 Rem. The load is one I made up for this rifle for the prairie dog shoot in Wyoming three years ago. Like I said, the best the rifle would group was just over 1" @ 100 before the PD trip.
The load is the Midsouth Shooters Supply "Varmint Nightmare" 55 gr. bullet which is the Hornady #2266 disguised in new Midsouth packaging (a bulk plastic bag in a brown cardboard box).
Charge was 27.5 gr. (Note: original post typo listed 23.5 gr which was incorrect and below the safe starting load) of Hodgdon BL-C(2), using Federal Gold Medal Match 210M primers, and new Winchester brass. OAL 2.236", COAL is 1.915" using the Stoney Point Comparitor. The 75 degree temperature muzzle velocity was 3155 fps when I first tested the load before the PD trip. The group in the photo was fired with outside temperature 94 degrees, 44% humidity, Elivation 250' ASL with a boiling mirage. No doubt the velocity should have been a little higher but there were no signs of excessive pressure. It is a good thing that the rifle likes this load because I still have over 400 rounds left over from that PD trip.
The scope is a Simmons 44 Mag AO 6-20x44.
Fired off of a Caldwell Rock BR rest and rear bag.

Thanks for the info. I'm curious to see the group stays as above down the road. You said you'll test again, I want to know what you continue to get.
Keep it coming...

I'm curious to see what it does on a calm day myself. After all, this was only one 200 yd. group fired by an ole goat on one heck of a hot day in Georgia. I surely wouldn't want to shoot for group in Arizona on a hot dry day, with a good wind blowing sand hard enough to give you sand burn!

During the initial sight in at 100 yds. before shooting the 200 yd group I got two 5 shot groups that were under .5". That got me curious so I fired the 200 yd. group. I just hope that this is not a load only good at 94 f. Not my favorite shooting weather.

My real satisfaction is that the new stock and bedding job took the rifle from a good accuracy to great accuracy. If the groups hold up at lower temperature and I miss a varmint it will be my fault not the rifle.

My next bedding job will be to correct my local gun mechanics crooked pillar bedding job on My Winchester M-70 Varminter, with a medium weight barrel. I managed to get the old pillars out without breaking or cracking the stock. I ordered up some new pillars from ScoreHi and I will install them and give the action a new bedding job at the same time. The action should be stress free then.

I fired the Winchester @ 200 yds. the same day as the Savage so I have a base line target to see any improvement after the new bedding job. Group 1 and 2 were three shot groups and were 2.67", 3.37". Group 3 was a five shot group and was 3.71". The average of the three groups was 3.25" @ 200 yds. You can see the verticle stringing indicating the stress on the action. Keep your fingers crossed for me to get the Winchester fixed.

This is a 22-250 shooting the same Hornady #2266 55 gr using 34.5 gr. of Hodgdon Varget (Hornady Max is 34.6 @ MV 3600), CCI 200 primer, new Winchester brass, Av. MV 3223 @ 70 f. You can see my velocity in this load is way below Hornady data but the load did give the smallest groups prior to the bad pillar bedding job.

Who said that it's all done?

Good luck, I hope you get the accuracy you're looking for. I haven't tried bedding myself as the guns I have shoot good enough for my old eyes. I spend more time trying different reloads to get the accuracy I want, more time consuming, but it's a hobby with me, where time doesn't matter.
Keep it coming...

Hi George,
Bedding is not the only answer to accuracy improvement. Without reloading a good bedding job won't show it's true potential. Bedding simply gives your action a chance to show it's best accuracy with your reloads.
Ahhhh, time, I'm retired and all I have is time
Tonight I'm putting another coat of finish on another Winchester M70 stock that had too many handling dings and starting work on installing pillars in the M70 Varminter. An 'ole goats work is never done

Wow Chris, that group started out AWESOME.

I am trying to develop a load for my mate's .223 Howa. Latest load (loaded today) we are going to try is 25.6gn of ADI BM2 pushing a Nosler 55gn standard hunting/target bullet.

I look forward to seeing your further testing of loads.

Cheers, Vince

I will but I suffering from the heat & humidity.....to dang hot to go to the range. I'm itchin' to go too because I have a bunch of loads to test. At least I am getting the gun work done in the airconditioning. I am refinishing a stock on one rifle, M70 in 270, and just about have the M70 Varminter stock ready for bedding. I will pillarbed the stock I'm refinishing after the Varminter stock. Then the Varminter stock will need refinishing because it has some heavy dings in it from regular varmint hunting trips. Lot's of inside work to do after that. I have two more M70 Featherweights in 243 and 7mm-08 that I need to bed also and they don't need a refinish job.

Post the results of the work on you lmate's 223 Howa. The BM2 should make it zing out the bullets and hopefully in to one hole.

Popgun, good work on your .223. Sounds like she's really tuned up now.
Been fortunate with mine and have not had to bed it. Mine shoots best with 55 gr. V-Max and varget powder. Thanks for the pic posts--tr

moose2,
Is your Savage the 12FV. Mine shot ok with the FV plastic stock but it sure shoots better now that it is bedded in the BVSS stock. The new stock does add some more weight to the rifle making it less desirable as a carry varmint rifle.

If you think you might like to try the BVSS stock they are available new from MidwayUSA but the better deals are from those who change out of the BVSS to another stock. Those BVSS take-off's are availabel in the $100+ range which is better than the $200+ new BVSS stock.

I'm looking for some cooler weather so that I can get back to the range and do more testing with the Savage. I'm as curious as others to see if the grouping holds up (fingers crossed).

Popgun, yes mine is the FV. Thanks for the info on the stock. As of right now mine shoots excellent. All of my shooting is from a bipod. I do carry it alot in the dog fields so weight is a concern. Its heavy enough the way it is. Good luck with yours. I would think that if yours is shooting that good now it will continue to. Hope you can get out and get some PD's--tr

popgun wrote:

Post the results of the work on you lmate's 223 Howa. The BM2 should make it zing out the bullets and hopefully in to one hole.

Will do Chris. We are heading out to the range on Monday (24 Jul) to do some sighting/testing. Its been getting a little "blowie" here lately so with some luck the wind will hold off for us. I am expecting, well hoping for, some pretty good groups from these rounds. I ensured each case was of a uniform length, hand weighed each charge, seated each bullet to the same depth and "factory crimped". We'll see how we go and I'll post the results.

Cheers, Vince