Nice groups at 100, 200 no groups..

[waveslayer]

It is most likely shooter error if it is truly shooting ragged holes at 100. Several things could be the culprit.

Scope parallax, shooting stability like rear bag. Bipod, and flinching.

I would have someone else shoot the gun several times and verify if there are the same results as your post. Next session go out and dry fire a bunch at 200, then have a buddy load it without you noticing and see how it groups. It's shocking how bad my dad will group at 200 when he isn't loading the bipod or flinching.

 

[the blur]

The .243 Nosler BT is 90 gr. Not 95. This gun loves Nosler Accubonds & BT. Both are tack drivers at 100 yards.. I'll have to go back to the range on a calmer day... and sort through this.

 

[DJ Fergus]

1/4 moa at 100 and then 8" is extreme. Hard to believe a shooter capable of 1/4 moa at 100 can have enough shooter error or paralax error for it to open up to 4 moa (8") @ 200. That's 16 times as much error. It's just hard to grasp that it's the shooter or paralax. I could be wrong. As I said, CHECK YOUR TWIST RATE. If you are going to shoot factory rifles for distance, it will help you vastly for the rest of your shooting lifetime to be able to know your twist rate. Also I have saw barrels start out with a fast twist and progress to a slow twist near the muzzle, this is not good. I have saw barrels while running a patch through get looser near the muzzle, again this is not good. If a fellow is going to shoot factory rifles a long distances, sooner or later you are going to have to be a trouble shooter. And more times than not, it ends up being sooner than later.

 

[waveslayer]

1/4 moa at 100 and then 8" is extreme. Hard to believe a shooter capable of 1/4 moa at 100 can have enough shooter error or paralax error for it to open up to 4 moa (8") @ 200. That's 16 times as much error. It's just hard to grasp that it's the shooter or paralax. I could be wrong. As I said, CHECK YOUR TWIST RATE. If you are going to shoot factory rifles for distance, it will help you vastly for the rest of your shooting lifetime to be able to know your twist rate. Also I have saw barrels start out with a fast twist and progress to a slow twist near the muzzle, this is not good. I have saw barrels while running a patch through get looser near the muzzle, again this is not good. If a fellow is going to shoot factory rifles a long distances, sooner or later you are going to have to be a trouble shooter. And more times than not, it ends up being sooner than later.

I'd like to see target pictures. Usually garbage in garbage out.

OP can we get pics and also pics of groups at 300 yards as well

 

[30BR]

At 200, is the spread random; both vertical and horizontal, or mostly horizontal?
No keyholing?
Shake the scope to see if anything rattles?

 

[G. Neely]

Does your scope have parralax adjustability? Are you changing the magnification at the 200 yard distance?

 

[Deleted member 107796]

I read a great article somewhere here, about bullet variation in BC. As mentioned, there can be many possibilities.

 

[Radman]

25WSM was referring to bullet stability, not wind affects. If it is wind (unlikely), then the groups will have an extreme horizontal dispersion, but vertical should be relatively small.

As mentioned, check your targets and confirm that none of the bullets are hitting at an angle. What twist rate is the rifle, and what weight are the factory Nosler BT? If you have marginal stability, the bullets could be getting severely disrupted between 100 and 200 yds, though I'd expect them to shoot worse than "ragged hole" at 100 yds if you're seeing 8" at 200.

Is this from one session of shooting? Did you fire a few groups at 100, then switched to 200 yds and got the extreme spread? Or is this an observation based on going back and forth between the two ranges? If it's the former, then it's possible something came loose (scope, action screws, etc) between 100 and 200.

My favorite Browning .243. 100 yards, I get a ragged hole. 200 yards, my groups are spread out to 8 inches. Just doesn't group past 100. Maybe it was a little windy, but not 8" worth of wind....

Factory Nosler BT loads.. any hints ?

I bought a used rifle, same brand but in .30-06. It would put 2 near dead center bull at both 100 & 200 yards. The 3rd was always a flyer, (frequently hitting broadside). Past 200 yards you rarely got on paper.
I tried multiple handloads, factory brands/loads & even shooters. (There were no scope, rings or mounts ussues)
I gave up, figuring the barrel was shot-out, & traded it. A friend had one just like it & said that his did the same thing. They likely made a decent 0-200 yard hunting rifle. I don't miss it.
(Keep in mind that both rifles were bought used) Just sharing, this probably doesn't make you feel better about your situation.

 

[DJ Fergus]

I bought a used rifle, same brand but in .30-06. It would put 2 near dead center bull at both 100 & 200 yards. The 3rd was always a flyer, (frequently hitting broadside). Past 200 yards you rarely got on paper.
I tried multiple handloads, factory brands/loads & even shooters. (There were no scope, rings or mounts ussues)
I gave up, figuring the barrel was shot-out, & traded it. A friend had one just like it & said that his did the same thing. They likely made a decent 0-200 yard hunting rifle. I don't miss it.
(Keep in mind that both rifles were bought used) Just sharing, this probably doesn't make you feel better about your situation.

Your's is another account of hearing this same issue with a Browning. Key holing/ hitting broad side at distance. I've heard it to happen with new rifles.

 

[HappyWarrior]

OMG ! OP check the twist before doing anything else.
I wasted weeks with my 25-06 before I saw the light !!!!

 

[25WSM]

Nosler does make the 6mm BT in 95 and 90 gn. A 10 twist should handle these. Let us know what you find. You can also just try a lighter bullet or a shorter bullet that needs less twist and see if it shoots better at 200.
Shep

 

[CTK]

Stupid sport. Too many variables. Drives me crazy.

 

[HappyWarrior]

Stupid sport. Too many variables. Drives me crazy.

Not really. His problem is a poster child for right gun wrong bullet.

Anyone who has fooled around with heavy bullets in slow twist rifles has seen this.

Put a 120 in a 250-3000, a 70 gr in a 222 and on and on.

IMHO (having been there done that) he is wasting his time until the twist is verified. Dollar to a dime if he shot 5 shots 2" apart at a hard card target @ 125 yards and looked at the holes with a loupe he would see tipping.

All the posts save 2 or 3 will have him chasing his tail and burning up ammo to no result.

As always KISS applies.

 

[CVCOBRA1]

The OP says its factory ammo. In 243 you can buy 55gr to 100gr. Good for deer to varmints. Doesn't say what he is after. Like said, check twist and then buy a bullet for it.