First Shot Goes Bad

[guitgary]

Good Evening! This is my first visit and post on this site. It was recommended by a good friend.

Here is my dilema...
I have a relatively new,Christmas 05) 700 SPS 30-06. I have been working up loads for this rifle with reasonable success. I just found a great 180 load,180 gr Nosler Partition BT pushed by 53 gr of IMR 4350). My son-in-law, on his second group, shot a .47 5-shot group. Today, I decided to give the load a try and was distressed when the first shot went about 3 inches high. The gun is sighted to be 2.2" high at 100 yds. The next four shots literally made 3 holes in the target! 12 o'clock...2.2" high...a .58 4-shot group.

My question is...what caused that first shot to fly so high out of a cold barrel? I know that some impact change can and does occur from a cold barrel...but have never experienced anything like this before. I fired a second group...this time only 3 shots as that is all the ammo I had left...it was a .60 group.

All fired at 100 yds.

Ay help will be most appreciated!!

Thanks,

Gary

 

[Preacher]

It's a pretty rare rifle that will put the first shot out of a cold clean or cold dirty barrel in the same group as the rest of them.

 

[guitgary]

Thanks for the info...I appreciate it very much