Cold shot?

[runtocover]

I had a rifle the make is not the issue. It was in the 7mm Rem. Mag. Cold and clean First shot would not show up on paper all shots their after were 1.5 moa 100 yards using a lead sled applied well using factory, match, or reloads can any one shed light on why?

3 scopes 5 shooters 1 lead sled


It was not a new issue it was that way from out of box, and the 3 years I had that rifle I my self put over 200 first shots through it puzzled. I started thinking pressure points so with a broom handle and sand paper I made sure that barrel hit nothing. Still the problem was present.

 

[rcmodel]

A clean barrel usually shoots to a different POI then a fouled barrel.
Especially if you leave an oil film in it.
Less friction = different barrel harmonics.

Clear off the target is pretty unusual though.

Sounds like a combination of clean & oiled bore / bedding / hot barrel / cold barrel thing.

Or, you flinch really bad the first shot.
Until you find out it really doesn't hurt as bad as you thought it was going to!

rc

 

[TwoEyedJack]

Could be stresses in the barrel steel. If it always puts the first shot in the same place from a cold barrel, and subsequent shots hit in another spot consistently, that would point to the need for stress relief, which I believe that cryo treating would address. I have no first hand experience with this sort of thing, but have read it from several sources.

 

[rcmodel]

I'd sure try no oil in the barrel, and perhaps stock bedding before I wasted money on the Ted Williams head treatment to the barrel.

If it is that stressed, freezing it ain't gonna make it come back from the dead.
Just like Ted Williams ain't gonna come back from the dead.

rc

 

[NCsmitty]

Is the barrel touching the stock anywhere? Barrel floated? Cold and dirty first shot?


NCsmitty

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

i check my zero at the beginning of deer season and don't clean the bore until the season is over. keep it fouled for consistency.

 

[runtocover]

have it has more to do with cold barrel shots than clean or not clean

 

[LiquidTension]

Assuming that you weren't shooting at a coke can it is truly odd that it wouldn't put the first round on the target. Could the action have been so loose in the stock that the first round kind of seated it in the stock so the rest would group fairly well? I'm baffled.

 

[briantf]

That seems pretty extreme. I left CLP in the bore of one of my 223's, I was warming it up to work up a non-lead squirrel load and it opened up my 200 yard group to a little over 1 MOA when the first shot came out low and a little left of the next 4 shots. I also got slapped some few years ago for having CLP residue in one of my match prepped Garands - my first sighter was 2" from my second and I got asked if I had put my rifle away for the winter.

What you're talking about seems quite extreme. Unless your bore is REALLY wet, you need to look at either a bit of positive forend pressure in laminate/synthetic stock, or a free floated barrel in a natural wood stock. That and maybe assess if your barrel is toast - how many rounds does it have?

Regards,
Brian in CA

 

[Geno]

I have the opposite experience. With my M700 Police .308 Win, I always shoot from a clean, cold, dry barrel. The first, second and third shots are very consistent. I don't like the idea of leaving the barrel fouled, because I may not be able to field that particular rifle immediately before the opening of deer season. I do leave oil in the chamber and bore, but before hunting, I use a bore cleaner, and a patch to remove any lubrication. Then, at the end of the day, if I have not fired it, I re-oil the bore. If I have fired it, I clean it, and store it oiled. The next morning before hunting, I remove the oil again. Yes, I am talking of a very high quality rifle, excellent chamber and bore, and handloads. But beyond that, I think that I open the first rounds in the exact fashion: clean, cold, dry, it lends itself to the best consistency I can get from that rifle. I do the same with all of my hunting rifles, and I have the same experience with them, and yes, all proven accurate rifles. JMHO.

Geno

 

[runtocover]

The rifle was new a Remington 770 (I left that out so I did not get a whole lot of what I all ready know, well that’s a pos that’s why!) I load for my Ruger m77 and my dads Winchester 70 both in the 7mm rem mag. I was just baffled that it was so extreme shooting at 2'x2' target at 100 yards. If I was to be pursuing an elk or deer I am not sure he would have stayed for that 2 shot needed.

 

[BrocLuno]

I'm not sure either. It's a mystery and a bad hunting situation. I'd use any other rifle out of the safe before that one until I figured it out?

 

[GooseGestapo]

A real good possibility with that make and model of rifle is that the barrel isn't tight in the reciever. Not "wiggly" loose, but too loose for a rifle to shoot properly.
The Rem.770 barrel isn't threaded into the reciever. Rather, the reciever is heated up and the barrel press-fitted into the reciever and when the reciever cools, it tightens up and holds the barrel tight, supposedly.
Considering the logical use of these rifles, it is a feasable, economical way to manufacture a rifle, and be able to meet a sale price target.
But, it IS a CHEAP rifle.
If the barrel isn't tight, the first shot is going where it is going, and then the barrel heats up and expands to make a tight fit to the reciever and the subsequent shots go where they go.
This is extreame in your case. But I had another Remington, a Mod-7 in 7mm-08 that also threw the first shot low. Not as bad as yours, but ~6" low. I didn't really catch it till I couldn't figure out why I was shooting some deer I shot with it the first season I had it, hitting them very low in the chest. Second shots always did the job. One, I completely missed the deer, but got a second shot at it and connected. The shots from the bench were seldom this low, but from hunting positions it seemed exaggerated.

I finally free floated the stock (laminated) and glass bedded the reciever. Later, I went back and fully glass bedded the barrel for better vibration damping. Finally, the trigger got broken in and I was able to further reduce the trigger pull to ~3.0lbs. And, I also shot several hundred rounds through it. The first shot "drop" was eventually went away. Accuracy is not so good from this rifle (1.5-2moa) , but it is a real killer on big game, so, its a "keeper".

I would suggest you send the rifle back to Remington and explain what is going on with it. They may be aware of something going on with it and able to fix it.
The other alternative is to take it to a gun/pawn shop and trade it for a Marlin XLS, Savage 200, Savage 110, ect. ect. ect.
BTDT too!