Horizontal stringing issue

[Gatorgrizz27]

Have a mule deer rifle hunt coming up and I headed out to the range this afternoon to re-zero my lightweight .30-06 for what I plan to leave it set up with for all my western hunting, a 180 Partition (Federal Premium factory at this point, still need to mess with a hand load for this gun).

Rifle is a Weatherby Vanguard Backcountry and while I’m not the world’s best shooter, I can typically manage 1.5 MOA off the bench on my “off” days. This rifle was set up with my “tree stand load”, Hornady reduced recoil 125 gr SST, and was doing 0.75 MOA groups. The 180 partition was shooting 3.75” high at 100 yards in comparison the last time I had it out, I only fired one round to check it.

I adjusted the elevation turret and fired one shot at 50 yards to check if I was close, it was dead on. Moved to the 100 yard range and fired a shot, it hit about 4” to the left but the elevation was correct. Thought it was weird as it didn’t feel like I had pulled the shot, fired one more and it was dead on.

I believe the third shot was roughly 3” to the left, at which point I stopped and felt the barrel, which was hot. I was shooting off a sandbag but it was back near the action, not at the front of the forend. I let the rifle cool down and shot again, it was close to zeroed (and my second shot). Fired one more and it was way back to the left again, so I packed up and called it a day.

Scope is a Zeiss V4 in their precision fit rings which are the nicest I’ve ever mounted, there was zero misalignment, everything was cleaned, loctited, properly torqued, etc. What I had assumed is that the combination of a fore end pressure pad and the barrel heating up caused this, but it’s strange to me that the second shot was the furthest off to the left, and none of them crossed the center line to the right.

When I got home I took the rifle out of the stock and the action screws weren’t ”loose” but didn’t seem to pop free from tight as if they were properly torqued. Rifle has an aluminum bedding block and the recoil lug is glass bedded. While I was initially shooting at 16x, I dropped back to 9x towards the end of shooting and it made no affect on the group. Scope has a parallax adjustment which I didn’t really mess with other than dialing it to where the reticle and target were both clear.

This rifle does recoil like an SOB with this load, previously I had noticed it rolling to the left almost 90 degrees during recoil, today it seemed to recoil almost straight back. While I was prone to flinching in the past I seem to have cured it with a lot of time behind a .223 and .22 LR, I don’t think flinching was my issue today as it felt like the crosshairs were properly aligned with every shot when the trigger broke. There is no “watching the bullet impact” with this thing though, it is downright violent when it fires.

My thoughts are to free float the barrel by removing the pressure pad, re-torque the action screws to spec, and try again with a 3 shot group spread out over ~ 30 minutes for the barrel to cool completely. If that fails and the rifle just doesn’t like this load I picked up some 150 gr Interlock rounds when I left the range, which I can use for this hunt and work on a 180 partition hand load.

I’d appreciate any advice on other things to check with the rifle or my shooting form.

 

[Rich M]

Get some 150s and go shoot it again. See if it does any better. Recoil will be less. My reloads are 150 at 2,900 fps.

I have 30-06 and hate it. Hard not to flinch. Kicking SOB. Taking all the time in the world and focusing tons of energy it will shoot an inch or less at 250 yards for me. I can shoot a quarter at 250 at the range, might and have pull shot in field tho. Do not like shooting it.

160-inch 300# mule deer. Never ever seen a deer that big and killed it w 100 gr .243. Amazing how well i shoot without the kickmaster beating on me.

Hope you get it figured out. Have a great hunt.

Worst case, take a bath towel, fold it and put it over your shoulder to reduce recoil.

 

[sndmn11]

I have a 30-06 wilderness. Free floating won't change anything for the better, I saw same since groups when changing from the BC stock to a stockys. A hot barrel shouldn't matter either in 5 shots.

Should be 65inlbs for the action screws.

You need more practice, if you are doubting your rifle, just thrown in the reduced recoil and prove to yourself the gun is fine.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

Thanks for the replies, I still tend to think there is something going on with either the gun not liking the load or my shooting technique aside from flinching. As I said, I did struggle with it in the past but seem to have gotten past it to where I can just ignore it.

This .30-06 with the 180’s doesn’t noticeably ”kick/hurt” any more than my 6.5 with 140’s, though it does jump and move around much more.

I know Weatherby claims they found their #2 and smaller barrels to shoot better with the pressure pad, but that hasn’t been my experience. My 6.5 with a B&C stock would shoot groups the diameter of the outside ring of the circles here with 143 ELDX’s. I finally sanded the pressure pad out and this was the next group it shot.

 

[BRTreedogs]

You need to check it with the know good reduced recoil load. If it won't shoot that good any more you have a mechanical failure somewhere.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Come into the rifle straight every time. If you come in at an angle, you can cause horizontal stringing.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

Free floated the barrel this morning, torqued it into the stock properly, and cleaned the bore with some copper removing solvent.

Will fire a couple fouling shots and then see how it groups with the 125’s, 150’s, and 180’s.

 

[Lawnboi]

Thanks for the replies, I still tend to think there is something going on with either the gun not liking the load or my shooting technique aside from flinching. As I said, I did struggle with it in the past but seem to have gotten past it to where I can just ignore it.

This .30-06 with the 180’s doesn’t noticeably ”kick/hurt” any more than my 6.5 with 140’s, though it does jump and move around much more.

I know Weatherby claims they found their #2 and smaller barrels to shoot better with the pressure pad, but that hasn’t been my experience. My 6.5 with a B&C stock would shoot groups the diameter of the outside ring of the circles here with 143 ELDX’s. I finally sanded the pressure pad out and this was the next group it shot.

View attachment 442128

I’d just take the rifle that shoots like that

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

I’d just take the rifle that shoots like that

That is probably the backup plan but it’s over a pound heavier. Hoping this .30-06 will shoot the 150’s similar to that if I can’t get it to like the 180’s.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

Update: I finally made it back out to the range today, and it would appear that at least part of the issue was in fact me, though i learned something new.

I do not have issues with flinching or holding the gun steady, but apparently lightweight rifles with heavy loads have to be held still when firing or they will shoot large groups. I have always heard that the bullet is gone before the recoil has any effect on it, and bench rest shooters try to touch the rifle as little as possible.

I generally hold the stock but don’t touch the scope or fore end when shooting off a bag on the bench, and have never had any issues.

The rifle wasn’t doing great with the 150’s either, I was hoping it would tighten up after the barrel got fouled again. I shot 2 of the 180’s and it put them almost 3” apart, though vertical this time.

A three shot group with 125’s was sub-MOA, which made me think I might have a “finicky” rifle and need to try several more loads.

On a whim I shot a group of 150’s letting the rifle free recoil, they were all 2 1/4” to 2 1/2” apart, in a triangle.

I then shot another group holding the front objective of the scope with downward pressure, and it was under 7/8”.

So apparently I just need to hold onto the dang thing. That was the last group after shooting ~ 25 rounds in under half an hour, so free floating it appears to have helped it remain consistent when hot.



I had heard “lightweight rifles are harder to shoot accurately“ before, but I assumed it just meant it was harder to settle in behind and your movements would transfer more. I guess there is more too it than that.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Update: I finally made it back out to the range today, and it would appear that at least part of the issue was in fact me, though i learned something new.

I do not have issues with flinching or holding the gun steady, but apparently lightweight rifles with heavy loads have to be held still when firing or they will shoot large groups. I have always heard that the bullet is gone before the recoil has any effect on it, and bench rest shooters try to touch the rifle as little as possible.

I generally hold the stock but don’t touch the scope or fore end when shooting off a bag on the bench, and have never had any issues.

The rifle wasn’t doing great with the 150’s either, I was hoping it would tighten up after the barrel got fouled again. I shot 2 of the 180’s and it put them almost 3” apart, though vertical this time.

A three shot group with 125’s was sub-MOA, which made me think I might have a “finicky” rifle and need to try several more loads.

On a whim I shot a group of 150’s letting the rifle free recoil, they were all 2 1/4” to 2 1/2” apart, in a triangle.

I then shot another group holding the front objective of the scope with downward pressure, and it was under 7/8”.

So apparently I just need to hold onto the dang thing. That was the last group after shooting ~ 25 rounds in under half an hour, so free floating it appears to have helped it remain consistent when hot.

View attachment 445154

I had heard “lightweight rifles are harder to shoot accurately“ before, but I assumed it just meant it was harder to settle in behind and your movements would transfer more. I guess there is more too it than that.

Nothing to do with weight. Otherwise the manly men (or at least those that identify as such on Rokslide) would never be able to handle the punishing 22 LR. Crazy that the rifle below strikes so much fear in the hearts of men that they feel the need to death grip the beast before it disfigures them:

Folks just won’t admit that their recoil tolerance is less than what they think it is. Seriously, how many Rokslide members honesty cannot accurately shoot a 5 pound 22 LR (with NF scope because your life is on life and that is a cottontail hunt of a lifetime) using quality ammo?

 

[505Wapiti]

I had horizontal stringing and was ready to send scope to Swaro for warranty check. During disassembly noticed that the dovetail base at the end had broken a piece off the edge that locks in and was loose, but you couldn’t see it or feel it when it was mounted. I don’t know if this was the culprit but I went to a different base and ring set up and the problem was solved. Will see if I can find a video of the broken dovetail and how it moved.

 

[FLATHEAD]

I have a WBY MKV in 7mm Wby that stairsteps high left BAD.
I tried everything, got tired of fooling with it and now it sits
in the corner. I think it's just that the skinny barrel heats up so
quick.
The scope that was on it now sits on a Rem.700 in 25-06.
This thing is a tack driver.

 

[4ester]

Some possible things that cause horizontal stringing in my experience ……trigger pull, bedding or floating issues, or bullet seating depth.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I need to go shoot it one more time with a cool barrel, but I believe the major issue was me not holding the forend down on the bench.

Rifle is free floated with a glass bedded recoil lug, trigger is 2 1/4 lbs and breaks clean, and I don’t believe I have any issues with my rings/bases/scope.

I think I’ll shoot the 150’s on this hunt and then work up a load with some 180 Partitions hopefully, as I have a couple hundred of them.