It's a brand new 24" .308 with a Stocky stock Accublock® Long Range Composite Stocks free floated (no fore end insert), Magpul BDM, Magpul AI mags, using my hand loads LC once fired brass, full length resized 147grn pills, 42 grains of H335, CCI primers, TPS base/rings, SWFA SS 10x42 mil/mil.

Soooo I took it out last week and the best I could do was @ 6" ctc. 5 shot group using a Harris bipod bagged in the rear. Scope rings/base/action screws are torqued properly. The things that I didn't check/do clean the rifle, check the rifling "yup I know" but I was in a huge hurry. Any ideas on what might be the problem or something I'm missing or need to check? Thanks in advance.

6" CTC 100yrds??? Could be any number of things,I'd clean it good and try some other ammo if it still patterns rather than groups I'd do some serious exploring starting with scope and mounts.Another thing is post a Pic of the target there my be some clues there for people to review

Buy a box of decent ammo and try that first. 168 gold medal match would be good.

Resized 147s are plinking bullets nothing I would be trying to evaluate a rifle on.

Yeah, I'd try a few different loads before I got real worried.  Might be something about your handload that barrel doesn't like.  I've got accurate guns that will just be pathetic with a load or 2.  My recce AR is overall pretty decent with everything.  EXCEPT, put some 69 grain match ammo and blaaaaaa.  And one time American Eagle 55 grain grouped about what you are seeing.  It was in the 5-6" range.  But it will shoot other crappy ammo 2-3 MOA.

what did it baseline at stock before all the changes with factory ammo?

Load some better ammo, or for a baseline try some 168 GMM.  The 147 stuff you are using is junk and as the saying goes garbage in garbage out.

It will be impossible to diagnose any issue without at least trying some good ammo first.

1. As already mentioned, I'm in 100% agreement with the previous posters who believe that 147 grain FMJ bullets are junk. There is no way to judge any rifle's accuracy potential until you use match grade bullets. Since you're using Lake City brass you have to reduce your loads by 2.0 full grains compared to most published data. Try some Sierra or Nosler 168's with 40.5 to 41.0 grains of IMR-4064, or 41.5 grains of VihtaVuori N150, or 41.5 grains of Varget or 41.5 grains of RE-15. Start lower, by at least 1.0 full grain and work up to these loads. .5 grain increments is fine for .308 when working up loads.

2. Double check all your fasteners. I use Loctite 222 (light duty purple) for my rings.

3. Get rid of the bipod, especially if firing from a bench. It's a field expedient tool that is harder to get great performance from them when group shooting. I use bags, Uncle Bud's Bull Bag in front and a Protektor rabbit eared bag in the rear. I have lots of 1/2" rubber sheets I use to build the front and rear bag heights so the rifle sits dead on target without me placing any tension on the rifle. It's important to group shooting that the rifle just sits in perfect alignment on the bags before each shot.

Bipods work OK if they are placed in the dirt and you load the legs with a little forward tension. You will still need a rabbit eared bag for the rear of the rifle to adjust for height.

I have bedded four bolt action rifles, three of them with pillars. This isn't a job for the faint of heart, a professional is worth every cent you pay. Alex Sitman would be someone I can recommend. He owns Master Class Stocks. Doan Trevor is another. This cost  money, but a pro is worth it IMO.

Torque the action screws to 65 inch pounds if you have an aluminum bedding block. 30 inch pounds if it's just wood or fiberglass.

I changed everything out before it's first time out. My idea was a semi budget build with decent components to see how accurate I could get without dropping money into a barrel and action work until more funds became available. With the 147s I excepted a 2" or better group which I'm good with until I get some better boowits. I figured it ever came down to using what was laying around I would at least know what to expect. I'll update the thread when I find a good recipe and components in. Any other ideas please chime in

Kind of what I figured.  I've seen it happen a bunch.
Back around 2009, sps's were shooting sub moa from the factory when using good factory match ammo.
What you've done is tried to see results with no control to compare against. Now you've changed so many things all at once it'll be harder to identify where the failure point is. But, normally it's the handloads.


At this point, unless you want to start over right, it's easier to make sure everything is torqued and square, and shoot factory ammo off a bag.  Then change one thing at a time.

Excellent tips thanks for posting. This is my first foray into "precision" so going on a semi budget and building up is my goal. I have pillar bedded a few .22 before by no means professionals but I'm able to hold a 1/16"-1/8" at 50m but I would take your advice and have a pro do it especially if I decided to fully build this rig.

My 26" Varmint barrel (1:12) did not like 147s at all, but is subMOA for almost everything else I've tried.  After firing some pretty awesome groups w/ some 168 and 178gr ammo, I tried some ZQI ammo, and was rewarded with some 5" groups.....

Like others have said; try it with something besides the 147s

SG Ammo has IMI 168/175 SMK loads, might be a quick easy check.

Thanks to all. Sometimes when you think you know what your doing "Murphy" steps in and kicks you in the jewels. Looking back at that day I'm sure my fundamentals where also lacking since I've been shooting mostly 5.56 I may just pick up some decent ammo, not be in a rush, tighten up on my rifle skills, use sandbags front and rear to see how it goes.
I'll report back soon. Thanks again

Ammo problem - likely

If you reload  use heavier bullets 190 SMK, 200 gr Nosler Accubond, 200 gr Barnes,  210 Berger
Varget

If you  don't load your stuck with 150 possibly some 180 gr .308 or Federal 168 or 175 gr.  The Federal  or Black Hills 175 gr is about as good as it gets off the shelf.

you may need to have the action trued but the type of scope mount is the next most likely suspect. The SS should be quite reliable.

Good Luck!

Good to see a willingness to learn and be humble.  One more thing, are you shooting on the ground or bench that might not be so great?  I find the ground to possibly be a bit better.  Well depending on the bench.  But overall, prefer the ground if the grass isn't in the way.

If you have calipers, you may want to check the OD of the barrel. I'm not aware of a 24" SPS tactical. If it's not .830" or greater, it's likely just an SPS. If that's the case, and you were firing fairly quickly, I could see how your groups might open up. Bad ammo and a warm light contour barrel can do some wild things to groups.

Also, unless it's clearly marked or determined by using a cleaning rod that it's a 1:10 twist, I'd stick to 168-178 class bullets. I think the newer production SPS models are a 1:10, but I thought that the older models (may still be in some stores) were 1:12 like the SPS tactical/varmint/700p's. If it's a 1:12, you will have difficulties stabilizing the 185gr+ bullets under most conditions.

If it is just the SPS, and it doesn't get more accurate, sell it or rebarrel it.

Well more eating crow on my part it may not be a tactical because of the barrel length, I have to check before posting wrong info. Humbling "definitely" stepping away from small caliber carbines really shows how laxed my basic rifle skills have slipped because the light recoil from a varmint round.

Yeah, recoil....    It's also a factor that some people like to pretend they don't have an issue with.  I'm not into lots of recoil either.  I shot my step Dad's 8#11 ounce sporterized mauser last range session.  In .30-06 and I didn't really want to shoot more than 5 rounds.  I had already shot some 06 through my 03A3.  And this was with a PAST shoulder pad on.    Actually the mauser has a stock with a bump on it and my face taking a beating was more the issue than my shoulder.  

To me, going prone also mitigates some of the recoil anticipation.  I'm not sure why.  I think because you have more weight behind the gun and it tames it a bit.  Or something in my head about it.

Unless there is a fluke with the rifle, use better ammo and it'll shrink down. Before I did work to my SPS Tactical it was hovering right around an inch at 100 with FGGM and I'm not good at precision shooting at all. None of what you loaded is great components for precision ammo. Especially not the brass or projectiles. 

Also, 24" SPS Tactical? Pretty sure they're 20" only. 

Check all the screws on your rifle, including the scope rings.

Get a good front and rear rest.

Check the barrel, and crown to make certain the rifling is crisp and uniform. Clean the barrel.

Try something other than 147 bullets.  Move up to 168 Sierra MK or other.  Varget seems to be the go to powder for 308. Others would be IMR 4064, and Reloader 15.

6mmbr.com is a great site with good info on precision competitive shooting.  Link to 308 data

PSA has FGMM 175 grn for 19.99 per box.  I agree with the assessments that your 147 grn ammo is the place to start with your problem.

I have two Savage precision rifles that are honest 3/4 moa with FGMM.  I have never been able to shoot 147 grn in to anything that resembles a group.  Interesting though, 150 grn Hornady FMJ's shot 1 moa.  Shrugs.

I see AR10's, M1A's shoot very respectable groups with 147 ball.  But my two "best" rifles won't.

Remington is not near the quality it was years ago. Few are. There are a few new kids on the block but getting a real accurate bolt gun under around $2,000 is getting hard to do. My older Armalite AR10 shoots better groups than my new Remington 700 5R does.

I second the Gold medal match. Some of the best, off the shelf ammo. Shoot 20 rounds, 4, 5-shot groups. My 20" SPS will shoot sub-moa with Fed GMM.