Rifle Help - couldn’t get on paper at 25 yards

[ccoffey]

I’m at a bit of a loss for words after my trip to the range this morning. I started the morning by going to a public shooting pit. Goal was to get velocity info for a few different rounds I have for my 300 prc, mostly out of curiosity since I just picked up a chronograph. I already knew what ammo I was going to zero the rifle with as well today. I setup a target at 100 yards and realized I wasn’t even on the box let alone on the paper. I tried to spot my shot and it seemed to be going way up and to the right. I attempted to adjust a few times and get closer, but had no luck.

I moved the target into 50 yards with pretty much the same result. I gave up and went to the public range that has benches.

When I got to the range I set the target at 25 yards and stil had no idea where it was hitting. definitely not on the targets i taped up. At this range they have so sleds so i grabbed one of those and boresighted at 25 yards. Still not on the paper but i was able to land a fee at other spots on the 3x3 backing for the targets.

Based on the trip today, I think something is loose or not seated properly. Maybe i messed something up this week when i was retorquing everything down and applying fingernail polish to the threads.

My question is, should I tear the rifle down in a certain order to diagnose things and if so where do I start? Prior to today this rifle has been extremely accurate.

For info, i'm running a 300 prc christensen in an xlr element 4.0 mg. the scope is a maven rs1.2 on a pic rail with leupold back country rings.

 

[BKM]

put out a big piece of cardboard with a dot at 25 yards. A size that you can’t miss and see where it hits.

 

[wapitibob]

You should be able to set up at 25, look down the barrel and adj rifle so target is centered, then adj scope to get cross hairs on the dot and be easily on paper at 25 for the 1st shot. A pencil line on the scope body, at the front of the ring will show you if the scope is moving. I'm assuming you have slid the scope/rings forward so the cross bars are against the rail bosses.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Did you bore sight with a laser or old school eyeballing down the bore? At 25 yards you can still be way off if just eyeballing it. I did this the other day with a rifle on bags, and I was still .5 mil high and .5 mil right at 100.

I suggest re-checking all your screws- scope ring, scope mount, pic rail, and action screws. Then boresight again at 20 yards with a laser if you can or get a very large target and shoot it and adjust accordingly.

 

[wind gypsy]

If bore sighted by looking through your bore at 25 yards and adjusting your crosshair to match, I can’t imagine how you’d be off paper with the first shot unless your mount is very obviously loose?

only other thing I can think of is bullets striking muzzle device.

 

[ccoffey]

Did you bore sight with a laser or old school eyeballing down the bore? At 25 yards you can still be way off if just eyeballing it. I did this the other day with a rifle on bags, and I was still .5 mil high and .5 mil right at 100.

I suggest re-checking all your screws- scope ring, scope mount, pic rail, and action screws. Then boresight again at 20 yards with a laser if you can or get a very large target and shoot it and adjust accordingly.

I don’t have a laser, but I hillbilly boresighted it at the range on a sled. I’m taking it apart tonight and checking all the screws again. I’ll boresight again and start over later this week.

 

[ccoffey]

Update

Went back through the rifle yesterday and took everything apart. Cleaned threads and surfaces. Rebuilt and threadlocked/torqued everything to spec.

Went to the range on the way in to work this morning and did a test shot at 15 yards I was about 6” high and 6” right. Went to adjust windage and I am maxed out on the adjustment to the right and can’t bring it over enough to get it in the center. I moved it out to 100 to see if the issue grew, but it was pretty consistent and on the paper at 100. Still grouping pretty bad though.

The groups are still pretty terrible, so I’m thinking my bedding job on the rail has failed. I did check the torque on the screws on the rail yesterday and everything seemed fine, but my best guess right now is that the rail is out in some way and it’s throwing my scope off.

I’ve ordered some new rings and will directed mount them to the action and see if that does the trick.

Any input is appreciated!

 

[Mountainrancher]

Update

Went back through the rifle yesterday and took everything apart. Cleaned threads and surfaces. Rebuilt and threadlocked/torqued everything to spec.

Went to the range on the way in to work this morning and did a test shot at 15 yards I was about 6” high and 6” right. Went to adjust windage and I am maxed out on the adjustment to the right and can’t bring it over enough to get it in the center. I moved it out to 100 to see if the issue grew, but it was pretty consistent and on the paper at 100. Still grouping pretty bad though.

The groups are still pretty terrible, so I’m thinking my bedding job on the rail has failed. I did check the torque on the screws on the rail yesterday and everything seemed fine, but my best guess right now is that the rail is out in some way and it’s throwing my scope off.

I’ve ordered some new rings and will directed mount them to the action and see if that does the trick.

Any input is appreciated!

Are you saying that you are shooting right and trying to also adjust right?

 

[ccoffey]

Are you saying that you are shooting right and trying to also adjust right?

Impact is off up and to the right of center and that is what I’m adjusting the windage to account for. I have no more adjustment in the scope to bring it back to the left.


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[Lawnboi]

It sounds like you lost Christensen arms roulette

 

[strattonje2020]

next if possible id vise mount the gun and shoot paper 3-5 times ignore scope. determine if its the barrel rifle mounting system or optics issue.

 

[Shortschaf]

For info, i'm running a 300 prc christensen in an xlr element 4.0 mg. the scope is a maven rs1.2 on a pic rail with leupold back country rings.

Have your back country rings failed (see attached pic, friend of mine had a lug shear off recently)?

Did you mess up the bedding of your rail crazy bad?

What else have you done to the gun since it was "extremely accurate" to now?

 

[MtnW]

Didn’t read all comments but do you have a second scope to try?
MtnW

 

[meta_gabbro]

Went to the range on the way in to work this morning and did a test shot at 15 yards I was about 6” high and 6” right....I moved it out to 100 to see if the issue grew, but it was pretty consistent and on the paper at 100

You're 6" off for wind and elev at 15yd and the same amount at 100? Something's really kludged then, cause any misalignment in your scope or rail would show more displacement at distance, that's just how angles work.

 

[ccoffey]

You're 6" off for wind and elev at 15yd and the same amount at 100? Something's really kludged then, cause any misalignment in your scope or rail would show more displacement at distance, that's just how angles work.

No, I was 6 inches off for wind and elevation at 15 yards. I was able to bring in the elevation to even and the windage to 3 MOA at 100 yards.


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[Shooter Mike]

Impact is off up and to the right of center and that is what I’m adjusting the windage to account for. I have no more adjustment in the scope to bring it back to the left.


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I had that situation once. It was my fault- when seating the forward ring on the rail, somehow or another I clamped it down cockeyed.


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[waspocrew]

At what point did you bed the rail? Was that before the weird shift happened?

 

[wind gypsy]

No, I was 6 inches off for wind and elevation at 15 yards. I was able to bring in the elevation to even and the windage to 3 MOA at 100 yards.


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That does not seem possible without a major mechanical change between shots.

 

[Tnc]

Why are you bedding the scope rail? With modern actions, rails and proper torque, it shouldn’t be necessary at all.

 

[wind gypsy]

Why are you bedding the scope rail? With modern actions, rails and proper torque, it shouldn’t be necessary at all.

Plenty of tales where that isn’t the case.