No consistency in groups HELP!!!

[ballison]

I could really use some help and advice. I have a 300 win mag that is driving me crazy. The picture is of 4 groups I shot today at the range. Here is how things went.

Group 1 - 3 shots, then cleaned carbon and let cool (cleaned w/CarbOut)
Group 2 - 2 shots, then cleaned carbon and let cool (Cleaned w/Hoppe's #9)
Group 3 - 2 shots, then cooled (did not clean)
Group 4 - 3 shots

With a 3" target, I don't feel that the groups are bad, just no consistency in the groups. Below are the specs of my gun. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Rem 700 Sendero 300 WM
Manners T5A stock, glass bedded
Leupold Mark 4 scope 5.5-20x
75.0 gr H1000
180 gr. Nosler Ballistic tips
Winchester cases (FL sized)

 

[ballison]

I did drop the scope elevation 1-1/2" for Group 4, so Group 3 and 4 are pretty similar.

 

[MudRunner2005]

After you clean your barrel, you will have a foul-shot or 2 (stray flier). This could be what you're experiencing. For example, I clean my gun thoroughly before each season. Then I go to the range, shot a shot or 2 to foul the barrel. Then I shoot my group to make sure my scope is on. Then I never clean my gun's bore for the rest of the season, and I don't touch my scope unless I miss or it gets bumped around.

Are you trying to break your barrel in? Is that why you are cleaning inbetween groups? If so, the random groupings could be a sign that your barrel hasn't broken in yet.

 

[ballison]

My gun is already broke in (200+ rounds so far), and I do shoot a LOT! Lately it's been 3-4 times a week, 20-40 shots per session. Been playing with different loads, so I've been cleaning between groups so everything is consistent. I would understand if the first shot in a group was a flyer, but I can't figure out the rest!

 

[MudRunner2005]

Maybe your rifle just doesn't like that load? There could be lots of factors in that. You might need to adjust your COL. Might need to change up powders. Might need to change bullets. Might need to adjust powder chage. Could need to make sure you're action screws are torqued to spec. Could need to float your barrel. It really could be lots of things, man... Wish I could give more insight.

Has it been shooting this same load well? Or is this load development?

 

[MontanaRifleman]

My Sendero 300 RUM would sometimes need 3-4 fouling shots to settle down after a thorough cleaning with Bore Tech Eliminator. I found out through another member who uses Bore Tech, that if you finish up with their CU+2 Copper cleaner and patch it dry, your first shots after cleaning should be on the money. I have found that to be true in 3 rifles now.

You could have something else going on too... hard to say.

 

[Sully2]

Groups 1 and 2 arent bad...3 is wider and 4 is even more wide open.

Recoil from the gun is doing it. You're getting gun shy from it

 

[MudRunner2005]

Sully could be onto something. Might wanna try a muzzle brake, if you are jumpy on the trigger, or get target panic, or you flinch from recoil anticipation.

 

[ballison]

Thanks for the advice, but I have a brake and am shooting from a sled. Don't think it's flinching. Just can't explain why running a couple patches through a barrel move the groups so much.

 

[deaddog]

My buddy has a 264 win mag and when he would shoot groups he would have 3 touching holes and a inch and a half away there would be 2 touching hole. After coming home from the range we checked his barrel to see if it was free floated or not and we found a few pinch points in the stock where it was touching. We put a small shim under the front recoil lug to lift the barrel to see if thats what the problem was before we started sanding his stock. The next day at the range he shot a 1/2 inch 5 shot group with the shims. That might be something to try also

 

[ballison]

Deaddog, thanks for the input. Going to take the gun back to the gunsmith that did the bedding and see what he thinks. Hope it's something that simple and can be fixed.

 

[cervus]

Have you checked that your scope will hold a reliable zero on another proven rifle???.Had accuracy issues with one of my rifles,lots of trips to the range with different loads. Some shot great groups, but you could re test same load and it was all over the place. Turned out problem was with the european scope not holding its zero.....

Had scope repaired, problem fixed in my case.

 

[Kaboom]

Does your scope have a parallax adjustment?

 

[Kaboom]

I shoot with contacts and found that the clearest picture isn't always the correct setting. Move around behind the scope with it in the rest to see if your crosshairs move.