Bullet selection

[bstomper]

Is it a common thing to have a gun that just doesn't like a certain bullet or a certain weight of bullet. Ive been trying to work up a load with the eld x 162 for my 7mm rem mag. I've tried H1000, IMR 7977 and IMR 4831. These are the powders I have on hand so I thought I would use them. I know others may use other powders with great results but I thought I would have seen some kind of grouping with one of these. Ive made the COAL as long as I can but so they still fit my magazine, cooled barrel between shots. Found somewhat of a OCW pattern where the crappy groups are hitting in a similar spot on the target, and tried to bring the groups together by adjusting seating depth and nothing worked. I did this with all the above powders using the eld x without any sucsess. Ive been shooting 4 shot groups and there does'nt seem to be a pattern anywhere. I'd get two shots on some groups that were close (1-2") and then the other two shots would be somewhere else, high, low, left, right, there really wasn't a consistent pattern at all. In the past I have noticed strange things with the dialing of my scope so I'm going to get a new one this weekend to rule it out. Maybe it's screwed up. I've been wanting one for some time anyway and now I have a good reason to get it. My current scope is 17 years old so it's about time
Last year I worked up a load with the 162 eld Match that was shooting just over .5" at 100 yards using 67 gn of H1000 at 2970 fps. I was extremly happy with that and was hoping to duplicate a similar result with the x.
It's either my scope is screwed up: I'll know by next week
My gun does'nt like that particular bullet: It liked the match eld 162
My reloading skills suck: had no issues with this working up the match load.
My shooting skills suck: had no issues with this working up the match load.

I have a box of the factory cartrages that I used to shoot with good results that I will try tomorrow and see what happens. If i can't get them to group anymore, my guess would be the scope.

 

[Barrelnut]

Is it a common thing to have a gun that just doesn't like a certain bullet or a certain weight of bullet. Ive been trying to work up a load with the eld x 162 for my 7mm rem mag. I've tried H1000, IMR 7977 and IMR 4831. These are the powders I have on hand so I thought I would use them. I know others may use other powders with great results but I thought I would have seen some kind of grouping with one of these. Ive made the COAL as long as I can but so they still fit my magazine, cooled barrel between shots. Found somewhat of a OCW pattern where the crappy groups are hitting in a similar spot on the target, and tried to bring the groups together by adjusting seating depth and nothing worked. I did this with all the above powders using the eld x without any sucsess. Ive been shooting 4 shot groups and there does'nt seem to be a pattern anywhere. I'd get two shots on some groups that were close (1-2") and then the other two shots would be somewhere else, high, low, left, right, there really wasn't a consistent pattern at all. In the past I have noticed strange things with the dialing of my scope so I'm going to get a new one this weekend to rule it out. Maybe it's screwed up. I've been wanting one for some time anyway and now I have a good reason to get it. My current scope is 17 years old so it's about time
Last year I worked up a load with the 162 eld Match that was shooting just over .5" at 100 yards using 67 gn of H1000 at 2970 fps. I was extremly happy with that and was hoping to duplicate a similar result with the x.
It's either my scope is screwed up: I'll know by next week
My gun does'nt like that particular bullet: It liked the match eld 162
My reloading skills suck: had no issues with this working up the match load.
My shooting skills suck: had no issues with this working up the match load.

I have a box of the factory cartrages that I used to shoot with good results that I will try tomorrow and see what happens. If i can't get them to group anymore, my guess would be the scope.

Could be the scope or loose rings or loose action in the stock. Would shoot a few.rounds of.the known good shooting ammo. If it sux, check the torque on everything. Let us know how it goes. If I got a new scope, I would probably get new rings too.

 

[Trnelson]

It is indeed very suspect that the rifle has shot the ELDM very well and now doesn't seem to shoot the Eldx. I would be interested in the results from shooting your known load. It is quite possible that your optic has come loose or gone south.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Dumb question. Have you cleaned the copper fouling out of your rifle?

Steve

 

[bstomper]

The scope is what I'm guessing also. Yes I have cleaned the copper fouling. I was actually wondering if it's possible to have too clean of barrel but then it was doing this before the cleaning, that's why I cleaned it. I have had about 40-50 bullets through it since the cleaning and it didn't seem to make a difference

 

[HARPERC]

Scope is 17 years old-how many rounds through the rifle?
Sounds like something is moving, but it's possible it doesn't like a particular bullet.
I went through this with a rifle in the last week, advice I didn't take myself, mount your scope, and tighten screws with with a driver that gives you actual torque.

 

[bstomper]

There is probably close to 800-900 rounds through the rifle. Maybe more. I just put 50 through it today testing. The scope is a bushel elite 3200. I have been using it for longer ranges and dialing the turrets for the past year. I don't think it was meant for that and maybe that's why I have been having some tracking issues with it. I'll know more tomorrow when I try my previous bullets. I think I may even have some of the match loads left.

 

[dok7mm]

If you have the tools, I would measure and sort the eld-x bullets. I had several lots that were very inconsistent in weight, diameter and base to ogive lengths. Sold them for the shipping cost only.

 

[bstomper]

I have the tools to do all that except to measure the ogive. I did have some bullets that seemed to be a bit stiffer to seat than others. I thought maybe it was a case sizing issue but maybe not. I never noticed it until this box I'm using now for this last load work up. It can't just be that though because there was only about 5 or 6 in the last 50 I loaded. I'm picking up my new scope tomorrow so I'll se what happens. Just need to make the decision if I want the
4-16x44 or the 6-24x50 hst. I think the 4-16 would be best for my hunting purposes because I hunt the bush for moose and the prairies for deer and the 4x would be better for close shots in the bush and the 16x would still get me out to the longer shots on deer.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

I have that scope as well. It now sits on a muzzle loader.

Turrets if you can call them that, didn't like to be moved once zeroed. Hence the short range gun it sits on now. I actually read that about the Elites on a forum before.

I think that may have been your issue. Hope it works out.

I now have the Viper HST 4-16 on that rifle, but not sure I like those turrets either.

 

[bstomper]

Why don't you like the viper. I just ordered one because I have read nothing but good about them

 

[Shane Lindsey]

Don't get me wrong. The glass is great for what it is. It tracked well/true.

The zero stop function is what I'm not crazy about. You add shims until it stops. But the stop function seems inconsistent,at least for me. It will stop on 6 sometimes and sometimes 6.5, etc. just not a hard stop for me. Makes me wonder if it actually tracking back to zero all the time. I need to spend more time behind it though.

 

[Barrelnut]

The zero stop function is what I'm not crazy about. You add shims until it stops. But the stop function seems inconsistent,at least for me. It will stop on 6 sometimes and sometimes 6.5, etc. just not a hard stop for me. Makes me wonder if it actually tracking back to zero all the time. I need to spend more time behind it though.

On the Vortex, the shims do are not meant to be a hard stop. They stop the turret from tuning a full turn past your marked zero. I have mine shimmed to turn almost 1/2 turn past my zero on the way down. Once I hit that stop - and it can vary a click or two - I turn backup to my zero. That's just how they work. This has no relation on how well the scope tracks. Have two with quite a bit of twisting on them and they track perfectly. Have ran tall target test on them to 24 MOA and both are almost exact.

 

[coop2564]

I had same problem with the ELD-x. Just would not shoot real tight from my 7RM. But shoots the 168 bergers in one hole. I dont think the ELD is a bad bullet just some guns might not like it.