Rem 597 Won't Group

[loveha]

My father took a 597 22LR in a trade years ago that wouldn't shoot well. He finally got around to free floating the barrel. Still wouldn't shoot well. Found another scope and I took it out when I was doing some shooting and got it on paper and it still wouldn't shoot.
Tried 40gr CCI Mini Mag Copper Plated and 36gr Remington Viper. The groups without bothering to measure are way past 5 MOA.
I looked up the cost of a new barrel, but it cost more than a new 597.
I know it is not much to go on, but besides free floating and a different scope, I have no idea what else to try. Other than a Tikka T1x and maybe new scope.

 

[Powder_Burns]

If you aren’t using the irons perhaps cut it back a half inch and have it recrowned. Cheaper than a new barrel anyway.

 

[hlee]

What are your goals for the rifle? Many people swear by CCI standard velocity, though it hasn’t been up to match standards in my experience. Good enough for plinking and better than minute of squirrel, however. “Green tag” is supposed to be their match line, but I’ve never found any to try. I’d say that if it doesn’t shoot Lapua CenterX acceptably, then the barrel is a lost cause. But, at $10-$12 per box of 50- and generally not being found locally- that can be an expensive rabbit hole of its own. I will also echo what was said above about free float vs pressure pad. I have a Kidd supergrade that is free floated and very precise. I also have a Franken-gun 10/22 with a tac-sol barrel that has a pressure pad installed in the stock. It is not quite as accurate as the Kidd, but still cuts ragged holes at 50 yards. Both are in magpul 10/22 stocks. Free floating is not magic, and some guns shoot worse free floated...

 

[ZG47A]

@loveha You could try removing all the primer fouling that will have built up at the start of the rifling THEN give the barrel a thorough clean, using a one piece steel rod, phosphor bronze brush and Ballistol OR something else with a good name for .22lr barrel cleaning. Clean out the barrel with wet and dry patches wrapped around a jag, i.e. NOT a slotted tip; and ensure that the chamber is dry before loading and firing. The only thing, in my experience, that a slotted tip is actually good for is: getting the carbon fouling out of a Steyr AUG stock, when you take two synthetic patches, fold them together and put them in the slotted tip.
The abovementioned barrel cleaning routine will get rid of all the various types of residue from different test loads. After that, fire half a dozen fouling shots with good subsonic ammo; then: several ten shot accuracy tests with that same ammo. If the subsonic ammo does not do the trick, you could try CCI Stinger. It can be the best bet in a 597.
Best of luck, whatever you do.

 

[chevy_man]

Mine is the HB, circa 98-99. It only shoots eley.

You have the mcarbo trigger spring and volquartzen hammer? The stock trigger is way too heavy to shoot consistently.

Remington 597 Trigger Spring Kit

Reduce your Remington 597 trigger pull to a crisp ~4 lbs with the M*CARBO Trigger Spring Kit. Improve accuracy, control, and overall performance with this easy, American-made upgrade.

www.mcarbo.com

Target Hammer for Remington 597 | Volquartsen Firearms

volquartsen.com

Eley target at $5/box or match at $10/box. Worlds different than CCI.


If it still won't shoot... https://jarvis-custom.com/product/remington-597-barrel/