Bolt action rifles are known for their excellent accuracy, but sometimes your bolt gun just doesn't seem to be hitting its full potential. Brownells Gun Tech™ Caleb Savant tells us about the three main causes of compromised accuracy with bolt actions. First, loose action screws: if that action is squirming around in the stock, accuracy can get downright squirrely. Action screws can work loose over time, or sometimes you take the rifle apart for a good cleaning and don't get them fully torqued down during reassembly. Either way, an easy fix! Next, the barrel may not be floating correctly. Barrels on most modern bolt guns are "free floating," meaning that forward of the chamber, the barrel does not touch the stock. Over time, the stock can warp and exert pressure on the barrel that messes up accuracy. Solution: remove material from inside the stock at the pressure point OR bed the stock. Third, damage to the muzzle crown - where the bullet exits the bore - can push the bullet slightly off the path of the straight and true. Recrowning the barrel (or having it recrowned by a gunsmith) will sort out this problem.
