Strange grouping, any ideas?
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fishshocker
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- Mar 14, 2011
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Maybe loose scope mounts.
Fatelvis
Member
I agree to check your scope base screws (if possible), ring screws, and action screws, to make sure they are all torqued properly.
Back from the range again. Good news: I couldn't duplicate the problem this time. All groups were nice and tight, averaging about 1", both with Magtech and german surplus ammo.
The only changes this time:
o Trigger group
o Thoroughly cleaned barrel
Even surplus ammo grouped better than usual and POI of different ammo was closer to each other than ever before, which leads me to believe there has been something wrong with the barrel for some time. Most likely copper fouling foam couldn't remove. The rifle was accurate earlier with the stock trigger, it's going back in for now; the competition trigger is way too light for hunting anyway. I'll try to find time for a final sighting in before hunting trip next week, and to confirm that the intermittent accuracy problem doesn't return.
Thanks to everyone who posted. Almost everything you mentioned has now been checked and double checked and if everything goes smoothly on the next range session, my confidence in the rifle is pretty much restored.
I'll probably have to try out Superformance ammo at the same time, there has been sightings of a 20+ point moose in the area where I'll be hunting next week...
The only changes this time:
o Trigger group
o Thoroughly cleaned barrel
Even surplus ammo grouped better than usual and POI of different ammo was closer to each other than ever before, which leads me to believe there has been something wrong with the barrel for some time. Most likely copper fouling foam couldn't remove. The rifle was accurate earlier with the stock trigger, it's going back in for now; the competition trigger is way too light for hunting anyway. I'll try to find time for a final sighting in before hunting trip next week, and to confirm that the intermittent accuracy problem doesn't return.
Thanks to everyone who posted. Almost everything you mentioned has now been checked and double checked and if everything goes smoothly on the next range session, my confidence in the rifle is pretty much restored.
I'll probably have to try out Superformance ammo at the same time, there has been sightings of a 20+ point moose in the area where I'll be hunting next week...
The scope you have mounted may be the culprit. Exchange the scope and put that scope on another rifle. Shoot it several times for for several periods just to see if the cross hairs are floating intermittently. If this is not check the gas tube make sure it is not loose or has a dent or bent incorrectly.
Thanks, ms6852.
I've tried three quality scopes on the rifle, Zeiss, Meopta and Nikon Monarch, which didn't help. They all were on different mounts and lapped rings, so I think scope and mount can be ruled out. I cleaned the rifle again a while ago and noticed that the barrel seems to stay much cleaner than it did before I got all copper fouling removed.
I've tried three quality scopes on the rifle, Zeiss, Meopta and Nikon Monarch, which didn't help. They all were on different mounts and lapped rings, so I think scope and mount can be ruled out. I cleaned the rifle again a while ago and noticed that the barrel seems to stay much cleaner than it did before I got all copper fouling removed.
I watched a similar issue going on with a gentleman at the range roughly a year ago....turned out that the mount had some loose screws. The owner overlooked it because he was certain that those screws were torqued down properly. The problem was that they loosened up from the recoil of the weapon. As the screws loosened up they went through various stages of tightness, holding the optic in the necessary position to obtain accuracy....then after a number of shots were fired loosened up again to create just enough looseness to open up the groups. This young man was ready to give up on a Browning X-bolt in .270 Win that was spotless; I believe I could have offered him a $100 dollar bill for that weapon at the range that day and he would have taken it. We went through the weapon top to bottom and started with the simplest things first again....and guess what it was the scope mount's screws. I'm not saying that's your issue for sure, but don't overlook something just because you checked it before or you are sooooo sure that it's right because you did it....**** happens and it happens all the time. Good luck!
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