consistency trouble

[t/c fan 1]

I shoot a t/c icon precision hunter in .308 and use hornady match 178 bthp. The gun shoots 1/2 moa groups 24/7. My problem is that these groups are perfect zero at 200 one day and 2 minutes hot the next! Windage stays the same. So far its allways 2 minutes. Scope is mounted with tactical rings, locktited and tourqed to specs. Is it my shooting skills? Or is it my Vortex PST ?Maybe the ammo? Any help would be appreciated

 

[WildRose]

I shoot a t/c icon precision hunter in .308 and use hornady match 178 bthp. The gun shoots 1/2 moa groups 24/7. My problem is that these groups are perfect zero at 200 one day and 2 minutes hot the next! Windage stays the same. So far its allways 2 minutes. Scope is mounted with tactical rings, locktited and tourqed to specs. Is it my shooting skills? Or is it my Vortex PST ?Maybe the ammo? Any help would be appreciated

"2 minutes hot"?

Try shooting it two days in a row or twice a couple of hours apart under similar conditions without any adjustment and see what happens.

 

[t/c fan 1]

Re zeroed two trips ago. Yesterday was two minutes hot but i thought the same as you and did not click at all. Wont be back to the range till next week and thats killing me. Will post the results immediately though. thanks for the reply,
t/c fan 1

 

[Joe King]

what exactly does 2minutes hot mean? 2moa high? If that's it I would believe the issue is in your bedding/ action to stock fit, stock is moving ect.

 

[WildRose]

what exactly does 2minutes hot mean? 2moa high? If that's it I would believe the issue is in your bedding/ action to stock fit, stock is moving ect.

Same here which is why I'm hoping he'll clarify. I'm guessing he means 2 min high.

I've never taken a TC apart so I have no clue about bedding one.

 

[t/c fan 1]

Sorry... by 2 min. hot i mean 2 moa high.. ( 4'' high @ 200 yds. 8'' high @ 400 ect.) My icon has an alluminum bedding block inside the laminate stock. I torqued the three screws to 50 inch pounds.

 

[WildRose]

Sorry... by 2 min. hot i mean 2 moa high.. ( 4'' high @ 200 yds. 8'' high @ 400 ect.) My icon has an alluminum bedding block inside the laminate stock. I torqued the three screws to 50 inch pounds.

I would bed the entire action and just below the chamber in front of the recoil lug and see if that doesn't eliminate the problem.

This sounds like one way or another you have a stress issue where the action or barrel is heating up and pressing against something causing a vertical error.

Is it completely free floated in front of the lug all the way out to the end of the forearm? If not that's probably where you will find the problem.

An Aluminum bedding block HELPS, it does not however eliminate stress points unless it has been machined perfectly.

 

[t/c fan 1]

Thanks Wildrose,
After reading your post i checked the mating surface between the action and the bedding block and found excess epoxy in places. Cleaned that up and, so far, point of impact is staying the same. Heading to the range again in the morning to prove it. Hope to gain some confidence in the rifle!

thanks again i'll post after the test

t/c fan 1