Horizontal Stringing?? Baffling

[BCD]

I have an early 90's Remington 700 BDL 30-06 that I recently put a new scope on with the intent of doing some dialing and practicing for a little longer distance shooting and using as my backup rifle. I'm trying to find an inexpensive load that shoots decent. I tried the 180 grain Remington Core Lokt Soft Point and Pointed Soft Point. Both shot around MOA at 100 yards but open up to 5-6x that at 200 yards. The vertical impact is acceptable but the horizontal spread is awful and scatters both left and right as well as right in the bullseye. Now I know I'm not a great shot but I'm consistently shooting around 2.5 inch groups with my Browning X Bolt at 200 Yards as I'm playing around with the Remington. The rifle has done this 2 sessions in a row while firing over 20 rounds at 200 yards. I'm going to try some different bullets but feel like there may be more going on here.

Any thoughts?

Thank You!!

 

[J&A Outdoors]

I’ve found in my shooting horizontal stringing can be a result of inconsistent hold of the rifle or just lack of good trigger control.

a heavier recoiling rifle only exacerbates the problem for me! Especially if the rifle doesn’t have a muzzle brake.

have a buddy shoot the gun with that load-that’ll tell you if it’s you - or the load.

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

Welcome to the reason why people start to reload. Reloading your own ammunition can help with this, but what you are experiencing is barrel heat and how it changes its behavior. There are a lot of concepts at play here (barrel whip, powder heat, pressure, bullet jump, etc etc).

I would suggest keep the barrel cool when you shoot since from a hunting perspective, this is how you would be shooting. I would not try shooting so soon so often. Maybe 2-3 shots, let the barrel cool, 2-3 shots, wash rinse repeat.

But reloading would make a huge difference in your accuracy.

 

[WCB]

Try a different brand of ammunition. If it continues I would point towards gun/shooter. If it doesn't then it maybe your gun doesn't like Remington ammo or at least those bullets from Remington.

There are enough loads and companies out there you will find a factory load that shoots well.

 

[BCD]

I am keeping the barrel cool. If it was shooter error I would expect similar results with my Browning that I'm shooting while the Remington is cooling off. I'm hoping it's just the bullet....

 

[Terrapin]

When I am fighting horizontal stringing, I can usually trace it back to how the gun reacts on recoil. If I am not square to the gun, and everything recoils straight back, then my groups get flat and wide. Easy to diagnose, harder to fix. Watch the how the reticle moves the instant the trigger breaks. If I see the crosshairs go left, that’s where the shot goes...

I usually have to take a look at my position. Where is the butt on my shoulder, is my chest perpendicular to the axis of the gun, do I have inordinate cheek pressure.... etc

Some guns behave differently than others. Different rests behave differently. On and on. More recoil anticipation makes it worse for me, because i tense up.


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[ResearchinStuff]

What's the wind doing while you shoot?

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[VernAK]

When I am fighting horizontal stringing, I can usually trace it back to how the gun reacts on recoil. If I am not square to the gun, and everything recoils straight back, then my groups get flat and wide. Easy to diagnose, harder to fix. Watch the how the reticle moves the instant the trigger breaks. If I see the crosshairs go left, that’s where the shot goes...

I usually have to take a look at my position. Where is the butt on my shoulder, is my chest perpendicular to the axis of the gun, do I have inordinate cheek pressure.... etc

Some guns behave differently than others. Different rests behave differently. On and on. More recoil anticipation makes it worse for me, because i tense up.


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A rifle that is too long may cause the shooter to place butt out of the shoulder pocket in order to get a good scope picture resulting in rifle moving horizontally under recoil.

 

[BuckSnort]

What are you using for a rear bag? and is it solid?

 

[BCD]

What are you using for a rear bag? and is it solid?

The rear bag is a Crosstac and works well with my Browning so I don't know why it would be different with the Remington.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

10 shot group is round at 100 yards but 10 is not at 200?

without getting too wrapped around the axle on process... everything is degreased, loctite, and the rifles good to go? Free floated, no fasteners deadheaded, mag box and bottom metal or bound up? Action properly bedded?

bases or rail level and stress free?

known scope that passes tracking and zero retention test?

then a 10 shot group at 100.

if that’s all noise, watch trigger placement on pad of finger making sure to get a 90degree press and follow through, keep scope level, mitigate felt recoil by controlling muzzle rise by holding forend like rifles were designed for. Fixed parallax scope; make sure to Be attentive to cheek weld.


soft on hard: bagged fore and aft if at all possible.

take ur time, pay attention to the details, trust the process.

 

[BCD]

As far as I can tell everything is good. I just bought the scope off one of the moderators here and it is dialing elevation just fine as far as I can tell. Screw holes were degreased and everything was torqued in accordance with recommendations and blue Loctite applied. The one thing I am not sure about is the bedding and how to check that...…. Everything is level. I'm not holding the forend as my non trigger hand is squeezing the rear bag.

Thanks!

 

[Ndbowhunter]

before I start lying to you about how to make sure ur bedding is good and nothings pinched or bridged...

10 shot groups at 100 are round but not at 200?

 

[BCD]

before I start lying to you about how to make sure ur bedding is good and nothings pinched or bridged...

10 shot groups at 100 are round but not at 200?

Even though the groups at 100 are around MOA, they still have the horizontal elongated shape.....


Thank you SO much for your help here!!

 

[Ndbowhunter]

What power are you shooting the 200 yard groups at?

Is parallax fixed?

 

[Reburn]

have you run it through a bullet stability calculator?

I would just feed it some different ammo first and see if the problem goes away before chasing down a rabbit hole. If it does the same thing with 2 other different kinds of ammo its the gun or you. If it does it to another shooter its the gun.

 

[BCD]

What power are you shooting the 200 yard groups at?

Is parallax fixed?

No parallax adjustment. The scope is a weaver grand slam tactical. Shooting at 10X.

 

[BCD]

have you run it through a bullet stability calculator?

I would just feed it some different ammo first and see if the problem goes away before chasing down a rabbit hole. If it does the same thing with 2 other different kinds of ammo its the gun or you. If it does it to another shooter its the gun.

Yessir I have some different ammo I am going to try and just ordered 2 other options to see if that is the issue. I also have a buddy who is going to shoot it as well.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

shoot a group at 4x

report back.

 

[BCD]

shoot a group at 4x

report back.

I should be able to do that on Saturday. Are you thinking there may be an issue with the scope?

Thank You Sir!!