Strange result from deer rifle sight in...your opinion please...

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stiab

stiab

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I spent a few hours Friday and today verifying zero on several deer rifles at a 70 yard range in my front yard. Everything was still good from last year, but I had changed scopes on two and had to start from scratch on them. The Ruger M77 .30-06 carbine with "new" Redfield 2-7 was an easy zero for both the irons sights and scope, and then I went to the Marlin 336 .35 Rem, on which I had put a "new" Leupold VX-II 2-7.

I knew from past years this was an good shooting rifle. I did the bore sighter, then used a couple Rem factory 200 gr. to adjust it on paper. Then I shot for a group with 2 more Rem and 2 Win 200 gr. As in past years, the Rem and Win hit the same spot, and are basically interchangable in my rifle.

Then just for the heck of it I fired one round of Federal Classic 200 gr. to see if it would impact the same spot, and it was 8 inches high!! Thinking I had pulled the shot, I did it again with same result. Then I fired another Rem and another Win, and both of them were still perfect. Then two more Federals, and they were still 8 inches higher than the Rem and Win. Both were pretty good groups, but way far apart.

Given that the range was only 70 yards, it is hard for me to believe that one 200 grain factory load consistantly hits 8 inches higher than two others from the same rifle on the same day. In my four plus decades of shooting deer rifles, I have never seen a difference like this. What do you think?
 
Are you positive it was a 200gr load? I don't think I've ever seen a Federal CLASSIC 200gr. I know Federal PREMIUM makes at least one 200gr load, though. What's the advertised velocity for each one load?

ETA - 8" is a lot for a 70 yard shot, but I wouldn't over-think it. Just start buying more Rem/Win.
 
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This is why you always sight in a rifle with the ammo you intend on using. The only thing that may be the same between two brands is the caliber and that might be slightly different. For a hunting rifle I would buy several boxes of ammo with matching lot numbers if possible, sight it in and reserve that ammo for that rifle.
 
I had the same results with almost the exact rifle you speak of.
Same bullet weight but one was a hollow point profile in 44mag.
About 6 inches high and 3 inches right.
It kind of sucks having hundreds of rounds of plinking ammo and have to rezero for deer season....:banghead:
 
Quite common. Buddy of mine got some 170 grain .30-30 ammo mixed in with some 150 grain ammo and was startled to find his rifle shooting two distinct groups. ;)
 
This is why I am a one cartridge hunter for varmints and deer with my .243.
 
Are you positive it was a 200gr load? I don't think I've ever seen a Federal CLASSIC 200gr.
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Yep, it was 200 Federal Classic for sure, here's the box...

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I've had the same issue with my 270 with same weight bullets. Different charge, different powder. Mine was 6 inches high and 3 inches right. Hunting rifle barrels have more harmonics (whip) than I would expect to see in a heavy weight bull barrel.

Just the nature of the beast.
Jim
 
So, you're surprised that different loads hit different places?
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Not at all, you may have missed the point. The surprise is the amount of difference with standard factory loads given the extremely short range, identical bullet weight, and identical bullet shape. Eight inches in a huge difference given those circumstances, IMO.
 
Different powders, different burn rates, bullets leaving the muzzle at different places in the barrel's vibratory pattern. It's kind of a big variation, but within the realm of possibility.
 
The advertised MV and BC for the Remington and Federal loads are the same. Pity you didn't shoot over a chronograph.
 
Pity you didn't shoot over a chronograph.
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May do that next time I set the range up, didn't yesterday because it was just a regular sight-in session for deer season opening. I've been wanting to compare some .357 mags from carbine -vs- revolver anyway, so that would be a good time to test the other .35's.
 
I don't know why in the world I didn't switch my train of thought from .30-06 to .35 Rem... I was still thinking .30-06. Carry on.
 
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