Why do rifles do this?

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33rowdy

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Ohio.
You sight a rifle in at 100 yards you get dead nuts bulls eye.
You step back to 150 yards it goes to the right 1.5"
You step back 200 yards its 3" to the right.

I have 2 Remington rifles that do this. A 700 .270 and a 788 22-250. I had the scope lapped and installed by a certified gun smith. I'm using Redfield 1 piece base and Redfield rings. It does it with both factory and handload ammo.

Thank you in advance.
 
No...Its not the wind. Looking at the pond, the water was "slightly" bolwing to my left. Very slightly.
 
Likely slight cant or scope not quite level. Scope would tend to move group up or down as well as to one side, so probably just the way you hold the rifle.
 
the problem is more than likely that the scope mounts are not square with the receiver or exactly centered over the bore or the barrel wasn't machined right. i've seen brand new remingtons & winchesters that were not drilled & tapped right at the factory & some barrels do not shoot where they are pointed
 
Could be that you are not truly zeroed at 100. Get it perfectly zeroed at 200 then go back to 100 and see what happens. Sometimes you can be off by such a small margin at 100 that it seems OK, then when you shoot at longer ranges the error is more obvious.
 
33rowdy, Are your groups consistant at 100 yrds? I mean, have you shot several groups at this range to confirm a zero and then moved out farther? The reason I ask is a possible scope defect. Something might be moving around inside the scope. Try zeroing at 100 yards at the bottom of the target and shoot a group. Then raise your moa, say twenty clicks and shoot another group. Then drop your moa the twenty you put in the first time and shoot another group at the bottom of the target like you did for your first group to see if you scope will return to zero. I also agree with dirtyjim. I've got a Ruger#1 that was drilled and tapped incorrectly and had to take it back to the shop I purchased it from and the smith verified it and took care of the problem. Hope this helps, Scott
 
Thankyou everyone. I need to make this post quick. I have family waiting on me now. But I'm doing all of this shooting from a bench. If I zero it in at 200 yards it goes left. I use a bore sighter to make adjustments, so I know It only moves up and down and only up and down. I found some scopes you go up and it moves to the right as well.

Also...Are their tools to know it your base and rings are aline with the bore? I thought lapping was as best as it can get.

Thainks again.
 
It doesn't matter if it is in line with the bore or not as long as you have enough scope adjustment to zero it.

I'm voting with jmr40 = Not really perfect at 100 yards.

And also voting with one eye joe = Scope cross-hair canted in the mounts, or rifle canted when you shoot it.

One or the other is all it can be if it's not wind drift.

Well, there is also this:
http://www.exteriorballistics.com/ebexplained/5th/42.cfm

But it wouldn't account for a 3" shift of zero between 100 and 200 yards.

rc
 
rcmodel or anyone... Could this statement be cleared up more please?

"It doesn't matter if it is in line with the bore or not as long as you have enough scope adjustment to zero it."
But what I think you are saying, if the scope is off set to the left or right, the cross hairs should be as good as if it is inline.

My 700 270 has Bushnell Legend 5-15X40mm with the mill dots. (Made in the Philippines) I haven't got that far yet to play with the adjustment of the mill dots. When I installed that scope the 1st time, I took someone's advice in here of using a laser that Craftsman makes to hang pictures on the wall straight. The trouble with that is, I'm not 100% sure if I have the gun true in the vice. I had the gun smith lapped the scope.

The 788 I only had for 3 weeks now. The first thing I done was give it to the gun smith to refinish the stock, clean up the bolt, action, ect and, install the scope with the best parts he can get. Also simply make sure I have a good gun. Lapping the scope I assured him I wanted done. (I truly think he did lapped the scope.) The scope I bought for this gun is a 4-16X50mm "truglo made in China". I don't think its as good as the Legend as mentioned above. But honestly no comment on it yet.

I'll put the laser on the wall and see what I can come up with.

Thanks again everyone.
 
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