Question on Accuracy

Ok I am sure yall are tired of hearing from me specially about a 30-06 semi-auto. It is a 7400. Recently I believe my old scope went out on me. One day it was sighted in fine and the next it was eight inches low. I bought a new scope. A Nikon Monarch. Nice scope. I also cleaned the rife very good. The new scope was put on today and I sighted it in first at 30 yds. no problem pretty much making one hole. I then went to a hundred yards and had it on paper but couldn't hold a group? Might be because I was very tired. Could cleaning the gun have made much difference? I know some want to clean after every few shots. Some every day they shoot. I am not that adament on cleaning and prior to me cleaning the gun it had a hundred rounds through it and was shooting a inch and a half group. Same ammo,

What is my problem here?
Being tired?
Cleaned gun?
Would the paralax adjustment have anything to do with it? I don't even know what that is yet?

If anyone has any ideas I am all ears.
3,414
CodeRED
My -06 kicks hard as a mule too, maybe your flinching and dont notice it? What kind of condition are your scope rings in? Sounds like it may have something to do with that. Could also be the crown on the muzzle is damaged, pitted or split? Not sure whats happening here but your groups definitely shouldnt be that off @ 100 yards. That means 200+yrds youre gonna be all over the place. Ive heard of oil residues making some changes to accuracy too but not that much to matter, maybe try running patches through it until its clean if all the other things (scope rings, crown, and flinching) are okay.
13
sneekeepete
Harvey, all of the things you have listed could play a part in your inaccuracy. I don't think any of them are the worst culprit in your sittuation though. You said you started at the 30 yard line. Not hard to hold on target at 30 yards so I figure your shot cycles were pretty quick. Then you moved out to 100 yards and shot again. Now since you have a semi Auto I am going to say that you can shoot a three shot group at 100 yards fairly quickly as well. Now here is where I think your culprit enters the equation. The more shots you fire out of that rifle without letting the barrel cool the more it will throw your accuracy off. Try and let it thoroughly cool between shot groups and it should really help you out.
I have an old Remington 788 .243 that I love to go varmint hunting with. IT is crazy accurate until the barrel heats up. I have had some shots go off by almost 1 ft. at 100 yards because the barrel was so hot.
That is just my take on your sittuation. I hope it helps you out some. If you rifle was shooting well to begin with then I doubt it was cleaning, crown problems. Just check your scope rings to be sure and shoot with a cool barrel!
13
CodeRED
Sneekee, good thinkin man :thumb Why didnt I think of that?!?! Very important detail I just overlooked, drats.
13
Default Avatar
OK well maybe that is why the .223 has a heat shield on it at work! Yes I was shooting to the point that when the range master said it was time to go. I was pushing closing time. the barrel was very hot. Couldn't have held on to it by any means without burning yourself. I never considered that part of the equation. Since they had just mounted the scope I am hoping that it is tight along with the rings and mount. I will double check that also. I normally shoot pretty fair, and with that rifle was shooting 1.5 to 2 inch groups at a 100 yds. Only two main changes were new and better scope and a thoural cleaning of the gun.? I just couldn't shoot a good enough group this afternoon to dial in on it.
13
Default Avatar
Harvey, A lot of things come into play when you make changes to a firearm...My thoughts are to look for:
1. As mentioned above loose mounts or rings...If someone other than yourself mounted them they could be loose (I vision a young kid at Cabelas or Gander Mt.)...I good thread locker or even finger nail polish on the threads may help to keep them tight....Do not use a "loctite" "red"thread locker that requires heat to loosen.....but a "loctite" green or blue is perfect...

2. What power is your Nikon Monarch? I believe the 2-8 power and 2.5-10 power models do not have adjustable parallax...and their factory setting is at 100 yards....if you have a 3-12 or larger magnification variable it has a 50 yard to infinity adjustment.....All scopes have parallax and if is adjustable you must minimize it at the range you are shooting at.....(to see parallax error move your eye up and down and side to side while looking through the scope....the scope (and rifle if the scope is mounted) must be fixed on a bench or gun vise and not touched or moved while you observe the parallax.....The reason we all have shot so-so without parallax adjustable scopes is because our head and face is normally anchored at the same spot on the stock......That is one reason why I believe see through mounts turned out to be such a lemon...As an example I have a good hunting scope (Bushnell Banner 3-9) with over 1-1/2" of parallax in both directions at 100 yds..I can only shoot decent groups with them if I do my part right and hold the rifle the same way for each shot even then a 3 shot group at an 1" is all it will usually do ....But I also have a Mueller 4.5-14 that has a good parallax adjustment and can shoot under a 1/2" all day long at 100 yards without on the same gun...

If your scope is the non adjustable parallax...check to see what range the parallax is minimum..It should be at 100 yards as advertised(and your best groups at the same range)....if not check where it is by adjusting the range say 75 or 125 yards....If it is farther out than that check or call about your warrantee...

3. A "clean" rifle most often will shoot different than a "fouled" barrel....One reason may be gun oil residues or one that it is totally clean and dry....A fouled barrel has graphite residue from the previous shot (graphite is a major component in most powders) and therefore there is some lubricating value...That is why some competition shooters always take a "fouler" before competition....That also is the reason that some SWAT teams do not clean when all dialed in...

4. Also related to cleaning is the copper fouling that builds up in most rifles...and hot rifles exaggerate copper fouling...Use a good copper solvent follow instructions until all copper is clean from your bore....I like the foaming kind and give it a couple applications every 20-50 rounds...seems to help the groups (after the fouling shot)....

5. Hot barrels as stated only wear out quicker and have never showed me good groups....My best groups in all my rifles come from a cold barrel that has been previously fouled....

6. Did you change the brand of ammo or the bullet weight?....That will often do it even if you reload, often a new lot of components will make a load shoot different than it did before.

7. One time while shooting prone the stock slipped under my armpit and I ended up with a scope cut right between the lookers....I finched for over a year after that....It is possible you may have developed a flinch you are not aware of....Have a friend try the rifle and see if it will group for him (assuming he shoots well to begin with)....

8. Last but not least check the buttstock screw under the recoil pad (maybe the stock has shrunk and loosened over time)....Also check the forearm...

Hope you figure it out Harvey...huntin season is just around the corner....

Good Luck,
Randy
13