Improving Accuracy of a Factory Gun

To hear a 4th generation custom gun builder say “Not everyone needs a custom gun” shows the confidence Bobby Hart of Hart Custom Rifles has in his shop to help anyone seeking to improve their accuracy no matter their budget.  “There are definite things you can do to a factory gun to help improve accuracy without changing out the scope, the barrel or the stock” Bobby explains.

Bring in Your Old or New Factory Gun

Bobby offers what he calls the HART Accurizing Package which is designed to improve the accuracy of a factory rifle as well as help the shooter be much more consistent at the range.  First thing his team will do is tear down your set-up for a complete evaluation to uncover any problems.  He’s discovered that a great deal of the accuracy problems are caused by “over oiling”. “It slows the spring tension down and your lock time.  If the gun does go off, it won’t give you a full charge so it’s going to hit low or misfire” states Bobby.

After the full evaluation, his “Accuracy Package” will include the following:

1) Lap Bolt Lugs

Bobby states that if the” bolt lugs are not in 100% contact when you fire the gun it torques.” Relying on one lug will cause a misalignment with the chamber and produce poor results.

Bobby explains how the bolt is to slide into the action and when turned down it should lock vertically to the receiver with both lugs making contact.  

2) Touch-up the Crown & Adjust the Trigger

Most of the triggers from factory guns are set at 7-8 pounds.  Too heavy according to Bobby who personally recommends a nice and clean 3.5 pound trigger for greater accuracy.  Booby explains how a 3.5 pound trigger is ideal, ”As you get target acquisition you grab the trigger while concentrating on the cross hairs, you start to pull the trigger and it goes off.”

3) Lapping Your Barrel

This is a big deal for accuracy. If you have pitting within the barrel it’s not going to engage and will give you poor bullet flight.  If your’ old gun just doesn’t shoot as well as it once did, you could have rust or copper build up in the throat area.  Need’s to be addressed if you want to improve accuracy!

4) Lap Your Scope Rings

Bobby feels strongly that lapping your scope rings is critical for the scope to sit parallel to the axis of the bore.  By taking this extra step of lapping your rings, it will remove any misalignment so the rings are not distorting, bending and or damaging the scope’s internals as well as the tube and glass. Bending the tube even slightly can change the way the parts fit internally and act on each other.

In this video, Bobby takes you step by step through the HART Accurizing Process

5) Bedding & Free Floating the Barrel

When you bed a rifle barrel you’re physically marrying the action and the barrel to the stock.  The only thing the screws are doing is holding the barreled action in place. No longer requiring the screws to hold left and right and longitudinally. Now the barrel is completely free floating so there is nothing to change the barrel harmonics.

A gun vibrates 58-68,000 PSI and when bedded properly will come back like a tuning fork to a natural given harmonic

6) Install Scope & Bore Sight

Reinstalling the scope creating a secure stress free environment for the scope to perform as needed.

What’s Next

Stop by the shop in Nescopeck, PA or give them a call at 570-752-3655 or email: sales@rwhart.com.  Bobby and the staff are ready to get your factory gun shooting better than ever!

A little bit about Bobby Hart

He was born in to a family tradition of custom gun builders and gunsmiths. He now has taken over the lead role from his father, Wally Hart, at Robert W. Hart and Son Inc. as a 4th generation custom rifle builder. Located in Nescopeck, Pennsylvania, this small, family run business is known world-wide to the hunting, shooting, military and law enforcement industries. Some of Bob’s credits include:

5 Time Jr. Bench Rest Champion
1986 300YD Heavy Varmint Champ
2000 1000YD World Open Championship Light Gun
2001 IBS 1000YD International Championships High Score