Advice and problem resulotion- scope or ammo

[BrentM]

I have been wondering if my scope is messed up and this weekend I shot a couple of groups to find out. In the picture you will notice a group of 3 shots circled in yellow, center-low. Then a shot group of 4 circled in yellow, center-center. The big red circle notes a cluster of shots. The bottom right yellow circle of 2 shots is the final I shot for the day.

200 yards, 6.5x284, night force 5.5-22 nxs

first 3 shots on clean bore.
Move 1 moa up.
Next 3 shots were in the small cluster. Then I got some flyers verticle and one right.
Box test, 10 L, 20 D, 10 R, 20 U. Shot 2 rounds. 1 in the little cluster, 1 up higher.
Adjusted sights .5moa down, .5 moa left
Shot two, lower left diamond. Called it day.

Today, on the way home I shot a 5 shot group that was mediocre, but center and a little left. Not horrible but OK. Box tested and the last shot was low. I will post that picture in a minute.

NOW, I pulled the scope off tonight and noted the first two screws were slightly loose, by that I mean I could turn each .25 to .5 turns. This is a 1 piece aluminum rail.
Another thing that is bugging me is that the parallax does nothing on this scope at 5.5 power and if I am looking a wall in the house 20 feet away I can not get a clear picture. Is that normal?

 

[BrentM]

Picture

 

[BrentM]

Second group. First 5 shots are all together, although a mediocre group at 200. The last round, low - center, is after a box test.

 

[orkan]

Those groups aren't "horrible" for an average shooter. Far more sub-moa groups are shot on the internet than ever are in person. The variation could easily be caused by NPA that isn't quite right.

If you are confident that you are a top level shooter, capable of sub-moa at that distance, then there are other things that it could easily be. It takes some good ammo to produce groups better than those at 200yds, out of a good rifle, with a good shooter.

Factory barrel or custom?

 

[BrentM]

Stock savage model 116.

Not real sure what to say about the shooter but it is normal for me to shoot consistent groups with a good rifle.

I forgot to mention this all started after I shot 1482 yards the weekend before and hit low left. I decided to verify zero and found it was in fact shooting low and left. The first shot was dead on. The next 3 were low left together.

Here is the photo. If the picture comes out side ways it is be because I uploaded it from my iPod.

 

[BrentM]

Fixed pic

 

[BrentM]

What I think might be going on, IF the scope is broken, is that it is settling in after being transported around or after a MOA adjustment. For example, the last picute shows a dead on hit and then bam, low and left. I made the appropriate adjustments, up and right, and shot a few rounds to get it on zero again.

Next time out, Saturday it shoots that spread out low center group. Then it tightens up like it should, then some flyers......UGH.

I am thinking I might just go out and shoot 5 rounds at 100 and do a box test for each round and see what happens. I am struggling to think the rail was loose enough to cause this.

 

[orkan]

Sadly, if your rail was loose, all bets are off. I'd shoot some more now that you've verified tight.

If it's the optic, about the only way to truly find out is to replace it with something else.

 

[BrentM]

It was very minimal and since it was a 1 piece rail I didn't think it would have that great of an effect. I have never had a rail come loose but this scope is so freaking heavy it might need to be welded on. I will see if I can find a steel rail locally but I doubt that will happen.