Odd POI shifting

[Grunt-N-Gobble]

I have a Weatherby XP 307 in 7PRC. Using my handloads, my 1st 2 shots will hit close together usually if I do my part. I'm not shooting fast. Then, from shots 3 to 4+, the impact starts to shift to the right. And after letting the barrel cool down the impact location settles but the shift remains to the right.

It was suggested that I bed the stock, so I did the front lug area. The fit is snug, no side-to-side or front to back movement. The manual says 55in/lbs front and back and that is what I did before bedding. But this time, I torque the front down to 55in/lbs and the rear to 35in/lbs but the issue remains.

Any suggestions or thoughts? I'm going to contact the dealer tomorrow to get his response because he said to call him 1st if I'm having a problem.

 

[steelheadmike]

How big is the shift?

Is there any barrel contact? A difference if you change front support (bags vs bipod, etc)?

 

[Grunt-N-Gobble]

How big is the shift?

Is there any barrel contact? A difference if you change front support (bags vs bipod, etc)?

Shift is 1-1/2" to 2"
No barrel contact.
Using same support bags front/back

 

[IAm_Not_Lost]

Is the stock already generally “free floated”?

Wood or synthetic?

When you set your action in the stock after bedding the front lug, is there and back to front play between the two action screw points? You may want to bed the rear action screw too if there is.

Then just make sure that when you tighten the action screws you’re going slowly back and forth and tightening them down evenly. I’ve seen different opinions on that, but it’s logical and that’s how the majority of shooters do it.

If all of that is solid, and you’re sure it isn’t you doing something different, then it’s likely just your barrel having uneven stress relief/expansion when it heats up.

 

[Grunt-N-Gobble]

Is the stock already generally “free floated”?

Wood or synthetic?

If all of that is solid, and you’re sure it isn’t you doing something different, then it’s likely just your barrel having uneven stress relief/expansion when it heats up.

Synthetic stock & no movement.

It very well could be a barrel issue. I'm not the greatest shooter but no slouch either. This has been very frustrating as I have not had gun issues before.

 

[HandgunHTR]

Horizontal stringing is usually shooter induced.

Have someone else shoot the rifle to see if the issue is reproduced when they do it.

 

[Grunt-N-Gobble]

Horizontal stringing is usually shooter induced.

Have someone else shoot the rifle to see if the issue is reproduced when they do it.

It's not horizontal stringing that's happening, but your suggestion to have someone else shoot it is a good idea

 

[Harvey_NW]

I'd be surprised if the dealer was willing to help you since you added bedding before calling him first, like he said to.

A good stress free bed job can be tricky to do right if the initial fitment isn't very good. If he doesn't help you I would look at either having it done, or try bedding the front and rear around the tang area, and then torquing both to 55 in/lb on reassembly.

You might also be swimming in noise with small samples. To diagnose something like deviation from heat with an improperly stress relieved barrel, you will probably need to compare 20+ shot groups where one was shot in strings, and one was a composite of cold bores. Even then there are variables added but if there was a distinguishable difference in group sizes, it might correlate.