Sighting In problems.

MichaelJ · Sep 8, 2004

Hey, went to the range tonight. Shot perfect 4" high at 100 yds, perfect 2.5" group at 200 yards, and 3" group, 3" low at 300 yards. Then, I went back, and shot some more, just to practice. Well, at 200 yrds, I put 3 shots in another 2.5" group, but it was 3"-4" left. Then, shot at 100 yards, and had a first shot left 3", and 4" high, and then I squeezed one off holding 2" below the bullseye. Well, it went deadcenter 2" above the Bullseye. I don't think it was my barrel getting hot, because it was still grouping well. And I know I didn't bump my scope.

But, my real question is... Can a hot barrel still group well, just consistently put bullets in one direction? Thanks.

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.

Bambistew · Sep 9, 2004

>But, my real question is... Can
>a hot barrel still group
>well, just consistently put bullets
>in one direction? Thanks.

Yep...

I had a 243, that wouldn't shoot to well untill I had about 4-5 down her tube... Then it was lights out. I really wasn't a problem as it was my varmint gun, so lots of shooting was generally in order.

Boskee · Sep 9, 2004

LAST EDITED ON Sep-09-04 AT 11:25AM (MST)[p]

Michael,
is your barrel free floated or does it have a pressure point (piller bedding)? If it's pillar bedded a hot barrel will appear to wander more as it swells with the heat. The pressure point on the barrel is there to eliminate the barrel from rotating 360 degrees and the bullet exiting at a different point with each shot in the oscillation cycle. If your barrel was hot it can cause other issues as well in the barrel channel other contact points etc that will effect accuracy. Hot barrels can group but in most cases it will have some effect on accuracy. Take it out and shoot it again and don't shoot more than a 5 shot group and then walk down to your target and tape your holes and then go back and check you barrel. If it's hot or real warm let it cool and shoot a second group and it's my guess that they will be in the same point of impact as your first group. If so you now know the answer to your question. If not you may have something else wrong. By the way make sure you are shooting the same loads for both groups and if you didn't clean your gun after your last trip you may want to do that. Then fire 1 shot a fouling shot and then shoot for group. You can shoot 3 shot groups to keep it cooler. Good luck!

MichaelJ · Sep 13, 2004

Well, finally figured out my problem. I went back to the range sunday, (yesterday), and shot some. I had my scope on 9X, and my bullets were flying all over the place. Now, I knew it wasn't me again, and my gun is pretty accurate. However, my dad suggested that I put it back on 8X, so I did so, and I started shooting really well. Then I went out to 200, and the farther out I go, the more useless my scope is. The rectacle was floating all over the place at 200. During one group I went back to 100 and shot a perfect 3" high shot. So my scope was dead, and I wasn't going into the field w/ it. (BTW, I got it when I was 11, and it's a Tasco World Class, should've never listened to my uncle! Now I'm almost 16) So today, went down to Play it again sports, and decided to spend the money, and get a Weaver Grand Slam Series 3-10X40mm. Got it bore sighted, and sighted in today, and I leave tomorrow at 11 A.M. for my hunt. Talk about bad timing! Or good timing!

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.

manny15 · Sep 14, 2004

mike' I just went through something simular except it was my stock, it can be frustrating, a tasco lasting 5 years well thats longer then normal..LOL...

where yah headed and what for Deer or elk..?, anyways good luck on your hunt......

rost495 · Sep 15, 2004

Pillar bedding refers not to a pressure point at all. Its having the action screws in tubes or "pillars" so the screws cannot compress the stock medium more when torqued.

AS to the pressure point keeping the barrel from rotating, never heard that. Its supposed to keep upward pressure on the barrel to keep the bullets exiting at the same point but free floating often does a better job. If the barrel rotated it would come unscrewed

I think we are talking the same things except the terms you used are inncorrect.

Personally I think he found his problem with scope changing impact at different powers, but I'd pillar bed and free float every gun I had along with trigger work. Its just a place to start helping you help the gun. And the scope-- another reason not to buy cheap scopes, BUT all scopes can have the trouble or develop any type of trouble. My first Zeiss was a dud.....

Jeff

Boskee · Sep 15, 2004

Jeff is correct in my post above. I should have just left it at pressure point to keep it simple not pillar bedding. The rotation of the barrel point is correct in that the barrel rotates with the forces going on with the bullet moving down the rifling and such. No barrel is stationary at the shot and it wiggles around at the muzzle and the pressure point causes it to stop at the same point. They don't come unscrewed because they are torqued heavily and the barrel is less apt to rotate at the action end because that is the thickest part. I saw a video on this once and was amazed how much a light weight sporter barrel moved at the shot. That's why bench rest guns are limited by barrel size and class. The more metal you have in your barrel the less it will move at the shot.
In any case it's my place to have to suck it up here and do a better job of proof reading and editing in the future so that whats going on in the grey area translates better to the written word.

MichaelJ · Sep 18, 2004

Thanks for all the info guys, I think I'll just stick w/ my old stock Model 70 30-06. It's done me good so far.

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.

fisrtcoueswas80inches · Sep 19, 2004

ya never said how ya did on your hunt
casey(another young hunter. my first gun was a savage 99e.308 with a pos tasco on it, never could get it to group did kill 2 elk with it. when i was 14-15 i think????? i had a summer job cuttin lawns, went out and bought my self a remington 700 bdl mountain rifle lss in 30-06, and topped it with a simmos aetec. have since put a leupold 3.5-10x50 nice. that thing is my baby)

MichaelJ · Sep 22, 2004

I'll Post the story just so people can read it.
BTW, I looked through my buddy's leupold scope, and then through my Burris. Big Diff! Mine was way clearer to my eyes, and seemed a lot crisper. Just my .02.

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.