Rifle muzzle conditioning

I bought a Sako Finnwolf that was built in the early 70s last year. It is a lever action and the rifle barrel can only be cleaned from the muzzle end unless you use a bore snake. At the range I’m shooting 1.75″ groups with various factory ammo and handloads. The muzzle crown visually looks in very good shape, but due to the inherent nature to clean this rifle, I’m wondering the condition of the last couple inches inside the barrel. Is there a way to hand lap the last few inches of the barrel. Obviously I’m looking to tighten up the groups. The rifle is chambered in 308 Win.

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Hand lapping is something the black powder community gets very familiar with in time.

I’d have it scoped so that you know if there really is an issue and what that issue really is before I did anything.

I know we’re now all conditioned to expect tack driving accuracy from even a box stock entry level rifle, but this wasn’t always the case even with better rifles like your Sako. I’m not saying it is or is not the case, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that 1.75 is simply as good as your rifle ever could do, even new out of the box. Personally, I’d want to find out before I started doing anything to fix what might not be broken.

I’ve seen plenty of quality Winchesters, Remingtons, and Brownings from the same vintage that had less than 100 rounds through them and minute-of-tennis ball was as good as they ever were. Nobody batted an eyelash at that kind of group back in the 1970s, that was considered more than acceptable. Lots of guys back then were upgrading from Grandpa’s Ol’ .30-30 or from a surplus Kraig or Springfield of dubious pedigree and round count, so a 1.75-inch group looked like a terrific upgrade to them at that time.

Grouse

Be CAREFUL if you go messing with the crown or rifling. It would not be difficult to screw up a perfectly good barrel. Also check out the Otis gun cleaning kits or similar. I wouldnt clean that or any other rifle from the muzzle end.

In my opinion, 2 things that will keep it from ever shooting better than that,1,the action is no where close to being as solid as a bolt gun, and 2, is there a separate forearm attached to the barrel, or is it a one piece stock? If the forearm is attached to the barrel, it can really hinder accuracy.

The stock is one piece and the breech end is enclosed. The only access from the breech end of the barrel is through the ejection port, and it’s deffinatly not a straight shot.

See if the barrel is free floating or contacting the forearm. You might try bedding the barrel in the stock.