I meant the mount. Take it apart, clean everything with brake cleaner, and reassemble with loctite 242. You said you had a bolt loose last time it came apart. Fix the stuff you know isn't right before starting a witch hunt.
A few things here. If the other rifles were bolt actions, the scope may well have done fine on those but isn't handling the recoil impulse of the semi auto very well. Not saying it's it, but you'll need to try a different scope to eliminate suspects.
Secure mount means just a good rest, or something that restricts recoil like a lead sled? If the latter, those are very hard on scopes and rifles and can definitely cause zero shifts.
Good info to know. I haven't ever used a lead sled before, never been able to get comfortable with them when trying them.
I have removed the scope (I have to transfer my NF from another rifle because the mount broke... so good timing there...) so I'm going to put the NF on there to see how that works.
I will take the mount off, re-mount it and clean it all, then lock it down. I have heard the Springfield mounts suck, but it seemed like the Gen 4 I got (steel) was similar to the Sadlak style (I think) and figured it would be a good option. It also came with the rifle... so there is that.
As for the mount, it's mounted in a Caldwell mount (grips the rifle in front of the ejection port like a Bog Deathgrip style). However, I don't have it tightened down with the fear of interfering/hanging up on the charging handle. So it's in essence a bipod. I'm going to actually attach a bipod this time, just to rule that out. Otherwise, my shoulder is the contact with the buttstock (archangle style from factory).
My brain is telling me it's the scope. That is the only logical reason for what is going on. But it also says that doesn't make sense as to why it will group sometimes, but not other times. I have double checked the factory brake to ensure there is no interference there, no "baffle" strikes on that and it's not loose either.
The perplexing part is not a shift in POI. It's that a load (41.0 grains of A2520 under a Hornady AND Nosler 168 BTHP both shoot MOA or better) shoots great yesterday. Absolutely nothing changes from the rifle, ammo, atmosphere, shit even the time of day. But then it's literally 1 MOA right and 1.5MOA down. Crazy stuff happens, I get that. Make adjustments, but the groups are literally 8MOA or bigger... Fire a few more rounds and it goes back to MOA... The only thing possible is a weird, strange, absurd fluke for the scope being damaged (despite being dependable to years and years before). I just don't know how I shoot 10 rounds, it's massive groups. I don't change magazines, I don't change positions, I don't change anything.... and then it prints MOA groups... Makes a grown ass, 6'5 300lb man want to cry...haha
