Inaccurate 338win mag

[Luv2hunt]

I have a new 338 win mag and a new leupold scope. The first shot hits near the aim point but the next 2 are 4 inches low and an inch to the right. These have been the results several times with the shots being taken from a bench on sand bags. Any ideas as to what might be the issue.

 

[FeMan]

Very tough to say. One thing I see with a lot of shooters is that their first cold-bore shot is out of the group. Our tactical club has a cold bore at each match at a 1 moa target and only 30% or hit it on average. Their subsequent shots often tighten up and many shoot 1/2 moa or better pretty consistently though. I attribute it to not being into the rifle and their groove more than anything.

With a 338 and the recoil from it, could that be the case for you? If it didn't group and wandered I might guess poor bedding and stress in the action.

Also, hard sand bags can easily cause this. The rifle may have some place to go on shot 1 but after that it is against a rock (hard, compacted bag) and reacts differently.

That's my $0.02 worth.

 

[358WCF]

Is the bore clean for 1st shot?

If yes try shooting the 1st one into the backstop & go from there.

 

[243Lapua]

Don't trust your cold bore shot. Unless the rifle will be used for hunting where shot placement is critical then I would trust my first cold bore shot. Sometimes it takes a couple of foulers to settle your groups. Don't over clean. Before I go hunting I shot a couple of foulers to settle my rifle, and don't clean it thru out the season.

 

[Ray123]

Too many possibilities... first make sure it's not the shooter...no being critical, the 338 kicks, so pad your shoulder get everything the rifle is resting on as consistent as possible including your shooting position and how you hold the gun..be consistent and conscious of it. Shoot the group have someone load the chamber while your back is turned...is the chamber empty or does it contain a live round...you don't know. Have them watch to see if you flinch. Believe me I was shooting the 50BMG and the rifle always shoots better than I was shooting, had to stop and rethink, analyze, and concentrate on shooting, groups shrunk back to normal. Next is scope, bases, rings etc tight to manufacturer's specs. Inspect the bore and chamber area with a borescope. The load ...maybe the barrel doesn't like the bullet, the powder, the velocity it's being shot at. If you reload seating depth can change things to the positive. Try a few different bullet weights, & types copper, match, cup & core check for improvement. Bedding,.. anything on or in the stock contacting the barrel down to the action. If you hand load try some 200 JSP gr bullets with imr 4831 and imr 4350 in moderate loads up to book max... if ya go to heavier bullets...RL 22 is many time accurate also.
But I'd work with the lighter bullets to break in the barrel and the shooter. By the way I don't "break in" barrels, shoot clean, shoot clean, method, anymore, quit many years ago. I inspect them with a bore scope, check to see that the bore is indeed hand lapped ...then polish the whole bore with Iosso paste especially in the throat and lighter to very light as I get to the muzzle. Any tighting of the bore dia will be at the muzzle, Done, new barrel go shoot it a hundred rds...don't clean til I get home. Maybe something here you can use, but I'll tell ya we have been getting some inferior products out of some supposedly quality manufacturers the last few years...if your gun has an accuracy guarantee and it still doesn't shoot ...see if you can send it back.

 

[ebb]

How many shots have been fired from this gun since new? A friend bought a new Sako 300 win mag he sighed in the gun and shot it several times to get used to it before his fall trip to Col. before he left the gun would shoot a 3 shot 18 inch group. i could not convince him it needed cleaned well enough to remove all the copper in the barrel. after looking through a bore scope and me cleaning it several times and looking again through a bore scope he finally understood. next range trip gun was back to shooting and Inch at 100yds. A bore snake is not cleaning, its a joke. if this is how you clean it is your problem.

 

[Gary in MD]

Take off the “new Leupold scope” and try another scope. Make double sure that all scope mounts and action screws are tight.

 

[Luv2hunt]

Thanks for the responses!
The gun is a Savage Storm, and I started shooting using my lead sled. The initial ammo was Remington core lock 225 grain and I also tried some hand loaded ammo from Hendershot in 225 grain. After I wasn’t able to get it to group, I went to the bags. I have made sure that I wasn’t the problem although it does pack a punch. I have only run 20 rounds through it and with the cost of ammo and the scarcity of 338’s, that’s more than I wanted to shoot just to zero it. I am going to take it back to have the scope checked before wasting anymore ammo.

 

[Luv2hunt]

Also, I always do a complete take down and clean the Guns before firing and I do clean the barrel with solvent and brush after the first 10 shots.

 

[SSL]

I'm not trying to be insulting, but do you have any previous experience shooting a .338? I have a very good friend who is a good shot with most rifles, but falls apart with anything over about a .308 in recoil. Just an unconscious mind-set he can't overcome.
Otherwise, check all scope ring and action torque and check for uneven action seating or barrel contact. Have another experienced shooter try it and see if the results compare. I certainly understand that the cost is pretty high and availability is not good, but 20 rounds isn't nearly enough to establish a pattern that can be easily read to diagnose problems with the rifle - especially with a brand new rifle.
Hope you get it figured out.

 

[joshb]

It’s a hard kicking boomer. If your first shot goes where it should, go hunt. If it’s a lite skinny barrel, it’s probably moving from the heat. 4” low and an inch to the right of your aim point is still OK for an elk or moose unless you’re taking a long second shot. It’s a Savage.

 

[243Lapua]

Thanks for the responses!
The gun is a Savage Storm, and I started shooting using my lead sled. The initial ammo was Remington core lock 225 grain and I also tried some hand loaded ammo from Hendershot in 225 grain. After I wasn’t able to get it to group, I went to the bags. I have made sure that I wasn’t the problem although it does pack a punch. I have only run 20 rounds through it and with the cost of ammo and the scarcity of 338’s, that’s more than I wanted to shoot just to zero it. I am going to take it back to have the scope checked before wasting anymore ammo.

Be careful with with lead sleds. To much weight and a possibility of stock breakage. A good set of bags will do with a good rest. Use of body posture is a big plus. I've seen stocks break at the grip area when to much weight is added to the Lead Sleds.

 

[Orr89rocz]

It’s a hard kicking boomer. If your first shot goes where it should, go hunt. If it’s a lite skinny barrel, it’s probably moving from the heat. 4” low and an inch to the right of your aim point is still OK for an elk or moose unless you’re taking a long second shot. It’s a Savage.

I seen a lot of factory savage guns shoot exceptionally well. Even with rough factory barrels. But some just might not like the type of ammo it seems. Could try different bullet types but i understand with 338 thats alot of money if not reloading
Can check the action screw torques and see if that changes anything.

 

[FNSafari]

in addition to switching scopes, put your left hand on the front sand bags and rest the rifle in your left hand. Shooting directly off sandbags can cause a POI shift. Also try a different bullet and powder combo but change one variable at a time.

 

[FeMan]

Be careful with with lead sleds. To much weight and a possibility of stock breakage. A good set of bags will do with a good rest. Use of body posture is a big plus. I've seen stocks break at the grip area when to much weight is added to the Lead Sleds.

^^^^^ +1

Lead sleds may save your shoulder but they are abusive to the rifle, scope and scope mounts. They have killed more than one scope.

 

[David Milisock]

I have a new 338 win mag and a new leupold scope. The first shot hits near the aim point but the next 2 are 4 inches low and an inch to the right. These have been the results several times with the shots being taken from a bench on sand bags. Any ideas as to what might be the issue.

To troubleshoot a problem requires information, with a firearm that information includes the shooter.

You say a new rifle. New to you or brand new from a shop unfired except proofing?
I've see 338 win as well as various Ulta mag calibers ruined on their first range session.

Barrel, thin, medium or heavy? Is it free floated all the way to the receiver ?

Sights, scope? Are there also iron sights?

In my experiance stock stress rarely produces an exact repeatable pattern. A pattern for sure but not repeatable.

If a barrel is free floated, even marginally so it may respond to firing from a cold bore in a more than marginally repeatable pattern. Not meaning the the group spread is marginal but that the pattern repeats (in general) always in the same direction, the spread is always objectionable but varies in size. The move after the first shot is always the same direction. I've shot many like that, they would put the first shot where intended, the next to close, always in the same direction, always making 3 shots into 1 1 /2". I had a Savage 110 that the first 2 touched, the 3rd spread to 1 1/2". Who cares? That Savage has been a working rifle putting meat on the table for 30 years.

With that said 3 or 4 inches is too much. Assuming a smith has not found any glaring safety issues and a scope sight a downward movement indicates the barrel moved down I would try various sized pressure points near the end of the barrel. A little goes a long way.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

He has a problem, limited ammo choice and availability. That said, if only 20 shots, give us all the information for each shot, sequence of any non shooting work(cleaning etc). Mounts and ring type. I have seen scopes installed (rail mount) without the rings pushed forward in the rail slots before torqued, shift in a manor similar to your issue. Heavy recoiling/lead sled shooting makes ring installation critical.