stiab
Member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2007
- Messages
- 638
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?
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?