Have just purchased new Anchutz 2013 BR50 with timber stock and would like to know the correct way to check the tension of the action before shooting each time, do i just check the bolt tensions or do i back off the 4 bolts and re-tension them. I am new to benchrest shooting so any suggestions will help.
The Voice of Australia's Benchrest Shooters
Since no one else has chimed in, I'll tell you what little I know. There is a school of thought that you should releave the presure on all wood stocks when done shooting. The torque, per Anchutz, should be what it takes to lift the rifle with their special wrench. That being said, many top shooters have found that varying the presure on the four mounting screws produces very divergent results. So much so that many use this as a tuning method. Some shooter with the 2013 action have converted it to a two bolt mount with an adapter spacer. They usually pillar bed the action when they do this which means they can leave it torqued. None of this really answers your question but there really isn't a good answer for that.
Hi Dunmovin
My experience with the 2013 in the standard stock is this, once you have found the tension the rifle shoots best on those 4 screws DO NOT touch them ever unless it quits shooting. I too undone the 4 screws after every shoot and found it very difficult to maintain tune during a shoot. What was happening was the timber under the action was being squashed and you could see an imprint of the action in it. So every time I tensioned the screws it was actually putting unwanted stress into the action because now the timber under the action wasn’t flat. I also set the rifle up on a milling table and ran a dial indicator over the action while tensioning the screws and to my surprise the dial showed movement. So once you find a good tension leave it alone.
I know of one shooter in my club that never touched his 4 screws from new and would always finish in the top 10 at shooting comps.
Also there isn’t just one particular tension setting that works on these rifles. Some are close but there are too many variables that make it difficult i.e. tuner weight, scope weight, rest and bag position and so on. I would start off with a light tension and work my way up until it starts grouping well then leave it alone.
I gave up on my timber stock and put the 2013 into a Kelby BR stock. The action sits on a block of aluminium with the action bedded to it. I have not touched the tension screws for over a year and half now and it still shoots very well.
Hope this helps
Cheers Mick
thanks for all your advice. I will play around with tensions and see how it shoots
The 2 Best 2013s I have seen
One is barrel blocked so the 4 action srews are tossed.
The other is glued into a custom stock, again the 4 screws are either tossed or just used for looks.
Both these rifles have custom barrles fitted.
Its amazing the time and money people put into 2013s to get them to shoot, but once you have replaced the stock, found a good barrel, and fixed all the bedding problems they are great.
Brett
Good day Dunmovin,
I had a 2013 that shot phenomenally well. 5 shot groups, open range, at .012 to .020. This was from new, I assembled the rifle
using the Allan key supplied. Tensioned using the two finger grooves. Perfect, it would shoot well using almost any ammo, Eley Black for serious shooting.
Not to be satisfied, before I had entered a comp even, I had it fitted to a new stock. A disaster Took months to get it back.
It did come back however.
The moral, when you get it to shoot, continue to use it unaltered. They have a great action and top triggers.
Good luck,
Dennis
Dennis J