gun ammo or shooter??

[chevytruck_83]

upon working up loads for one of my rifles I can't help but notice it will only group three tight shots then 2 fly...? I'm thinking I should have action professionally glass bedded. its a savage model 12 repeater in 223. bvss. anyone have suggestions. I originally was chalking it up to wind and my own faults but its only this one rifle. ill try to post pics.

 

[mattri]

How fast are you shootingthe string?

 

[chevytruck_83]

pretty much one after the other. sometimes not. this is over quite a bit of load development. I will say the thing I haven't tried as far as time between shots is waiting a while for each one.

 

[chevytruck_83]

2 5 shot consecutive groups.

 

[chevytruck_83]

3 consecutive 5 shot groups.

 

[brian427cobra]

Shooting is a triangle, it's probably all three

 

[Leaddog]

You don't have your load yet. Do a ladder test and then adjust seating depth to fine tune. If possible, do your load development at 300 yards once you have a few loads that look good. Every rifle is different.

Make sure everything is torqued properly. Once you get your load, then you can get it bedded and/or accurized.

 

[chevytruck_83]

thanks. that's the easiest to work on. so that's good to hear.I have a ton of saved targets for all my rifles. I'm starting to realize that even if you get lucky and get a load that works in your gun right away, it still takes experience experience experience to read what the dang targets are telling you. trigger pull wind, etc. are there any good publications on reading targets?

 

[K22]

Proper bedding is indeed critical to accuracy but I would first suspect that the barrel is over heating if you're shooting "one after another" and the last two are flyers. If the barrel free floated?

During load development I shoot a five shot string allowing five minutes between shots. Also, trying to test too much at one session can produce fatigue and lack of concentration causing errors in sound shooting technique.

 

[placek59]

Another thing to double check, is that your front sling swivel stud isn't hitting the bag or rest during recoil.

 

[LHSmith]

If you learn to use flags, you could eliminate wind from the equation....then you can work on mirage.......did you use a mirage shield on the barrel?

 

[chevytruck_83]

I did not use a mirage shield or flags. I don't think I have the loads tuned all the way yet.

 

[amlevin]

Also try shooting your load development strings using a "round robin" method.

Shoot one shot from each powder charge at a separate target. Let rifle cool then repeat, again one shot per target then cool down.

Each powder charge will then be evaluated with the barrel in the same state of "warm".

Then just watch to see what happens to the groups in relation to the point of aim.

 

[savageshooter86]

I had similar issues when I first started. I learned to wait at least 2 min between each shot and kept that time consistent to ensure no shot was fired when barrel was "hot". Amlevin's advice is great too. Round robin method helps make each shot similar to the conditions/the shooter/the barrel temp/etc....

Good luck

 

[chevytruck_83]

I've actually tried a sort of the round Robin approach. results don't really change. at least the gtoupiare consistent when I come back to the load.

 

[mattri]

Lots of good suggestions here.

I'd double check that you have plenty of clearence all the way down the barrel channel, that the tang is floated and wait until the barrel is cold again to see if you're getting any pulling due to stress in the barrel.

 

[chevytruck_83]

got out to the range again and shot 2 5 shot groups of 5 different loads. one being the short stubby 80 grain noslers. they shot these two groups prone. this is closer to what I expected from this rifle.

 

[LHSmith]

Much better. One suggestion though, if you want to shoot small....do not shoot out your aim point.....it WILL affect your groups. I would at least click up maybe 2 " to leave the bull untouched.

 

[Geronimo Jim]

Any wind? Look at lower group.

 

[savageshooter86]

what did the other groups look like?

It is my understanding that the smallest group a rifle shoots is not the best not necessarily. I use the OCW method by Dan Newberry that looks for consecutive charges that have same POI. Then you pick the middle charge and do seating depth adjustments to make that load shoot the smallest. Suppose to help load be more consistent with slight variables that could change during reloading/shooting process.

But that is how I do it and many others do it differently.