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What Causes Horizontal Stringing ?

Frankr

What would or could be the cause of Horizontal in a group...?
I have a rifle that when it does not shoot well it is almost always Horizontal I can not figure it out.
shooting off a front rest and rear bag setup..like a BR set up but a sporter type stock/Mcmillan Game Scout. shooting 200 yards, most of the time when it does not shoot well it is Horizontal. I am leaning tward shooter bench set up but need some other input.

Thanks.
 
If I'm getting horizontal when tuning a load, I look to seating depth for improvement. However, that is not to also check for proper trigger control, breathing, bag/rest set up etc. JMTCW.
 
Are you using wind flags? Barrel floated/action bedded? Could be something that simple. The above are correct with load development.
 
#1 reason .... wind you can't see because you don't use windflags
Other possibles: inconsistent cheek pressure, incorrect placement of trigger finger, expecting one load to stay in tune in all conditions despite temperature change, body contact with rear bag, bench top moving as you lean into it.
 
Check your bedding and barrel float first since you can easily do that at home. Then as above. You can also try a bi-pod instead of a front rest. My bench technique is not great and I know it (I am a sling shooter). Bi-pods, for me, help in that regard from the bench as I spend most of my time laying in the dirt.
 
concrete bench. wind flags in use, some..i like to read mirage for wind speed and direction..not to say I know it..
yea load tune could be...but it seems to me kind of odd when it does not shoot well it is always horizontal.
bedded custom action,floated barrel but not a lot of clearance I sometimes wonder about that. well this is my
1-7 twist 6XC 10.5lbs scoped. so light recoil but the rifle does have a hard jolt and torques at recoil and because
of light recoil some times you don't hold consistently. some times shoots well light hold other times shoots better if you pin it like it a BIG kicker..But it seems always when It does not shoot well for me it is always Horizontal I been thinking it's just operator error. But I never seen a load when outof tune be Horizontal all the time...load shoots well have shot a few groups with it at 200 yards at .300's but when it shoots poor it might cut two shots and one will be a inch off Horizontal so I feel it's me something in the way it recoils , Hold, bag set up ect. But I wanted to get some info from other shooters as to what or where to look..If it's just a bad day for the load..I really have not figured it out..Have seen it go from 3 shots in a .300 to 1 1/2" Horizontal. but some times just two cutting and one off a inch. I can live with just trying to find the cause..
 
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I shot this one at 500 Yards. 20 power scope so I could not see them just let em fly and go see how it did.
Ah not terrible but not as good as I have seen it..maybe just a flinching shooter jump in the bag set up..
just thought any suggestions or help would be appreciated.
Thanks for the input.IMG_0637.jpg
 
If you saw that group and thought it was in your set up/bench technique what would you do?
If you though it was the load what would you do with it..Seating depth out in ?
What is the rule of thum vertical then horizontal and then in a hole with reguard to powder charge.?
 
IMHO-I'd get a Hart Accuracy Asset to overcome the horrendous torque. That 7-1/2 twist barrel /skinny fore end stock is putting a beating on your front bag. It never gets a chance to settle in. And I would make sure both bags break-away friction stays constant.
 
FJIM said:
If you saw that group and thought it was in your set up/bench technique what would you do?
If you though it was the load what would you do with it..Seating depth out in ?
What is the rule of thum vertical then horizontal and then in a hole with reguard to powder charge.?
Click to expand...
I would like to know the bullets by how they fired. 1--5 Larry
 
Ok thanks for that..LHSmith. I will try that and I have quite a few different rear bags I could try.
just seems like something like that to me..As it does shoot real well..
 
Berger 115 VLD I could not see them land..so I don't know the order..Conditions were good. slight head wind with mirage moving right to left slightly up wards not a boil..I shot them 5 as fast as I could load them one at a time and I may have had one get away from me..Jewell Trigger HVR at 8oz..
 
FJIM said:
Berger 115 VLD I could not see them land..so I don't know the order..Conditions were good. slight head wind with mirage moving right to left slightly up wards not a boil..I shot them 5 as fast as I could load them one at a time and I may have had one get away from me..Jewell Trigger HVR at 8oz..
Click to expand...
I still like 2 shots when testing . 3 two shot targets I feel gives a better answer . I feel I can get two shots off in the same condition then I can 5. Larry
 
The only *real* bad experience I've had with horizontal stringing was with a recently acquired secondhand 780 Rem in 7mm/08 that spread factory ammo 2" @ 100yds, yet well under 1/2" vertical.
Turned out to be just what Google suggested: Loose action screws.
Depending on how yours is setup....maybe with hollow screw spacers too long...be sure to check those.

Just tightening the screws got it cloverleafing.
 
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