Struggling to Achieve a Zero at 100 yards.

[Lawnboi]

Not sure, to be honest. It was a gift from my dad and we don't have much information about it. As for the cleaning, I read a pretty good argument recently in a thread on rokslide talking about cleaning not really affecting accuracy all that much. Although, I have an open mind on this topic.

First thing I do with a new or new to me rifle is take it apart and clean it thoroughly. Big difference between cleaning every range visit and cleaning it when you get it. FWIW I’m a non cleaner, have rifles with over 500 rounds without a single patch down the barrel. But I did clean them when I got them.

Taking the stock out of the action also might tell you something. Torquing correctly and assuring recoil lug is seated will also help.

Sounds like you did your due diligence mounting the scope. But I wouldn’t rule out a bad scope. Scope problems cost a lot in ammo.
Try other ammo, a few kinds, but if your not getting decent groups I’d ditch the gun.

Lastly if the gun dosnt shoot, don’t dump a bunch of money into it. Get a gun that shoots that you like. Life is too short for inaccurate rifles. If the rifle has some sentimental value maybe take the action and have it trued, a new tube screwed on and go from there.

As far as ability to shoot. If you can’t shoot this gun off a bench I’d not count on it in the field, period. Plenty of other calibers that are easier to shoot out there. 3006 is no pussy cat, in a light weight package will be very unforgiving to an form flaws, especially so when you leave the bench/prone.

Good luck.

 

[MTarrowflinger]

Not sure, to be honest. It was a gift from my dad and we don't have much information about it. As for the cleaning, I read a pretty good argument recently in a thread on rokslide talking about cleaning not really affecting accuracy all that much. Although, I have an open mind on this topic.

I agree with that if it’s my gun and I bought it new. If it was something I didn’t know the history on, I’d give it a good thorough cleaning as a baseline. Also, as mentioned, you might take the barreled action out of the stock and investigate to make sure everything in there looks okay. Then, make sure to torque the action screws properly when you put it back together. Take your torque wrench to the range next time and check torques while you’re shooting to see if anything is moving at all.

These are just things I’d do before spending money on more ammo. The gun/ammo combination could most definitely be the issue; however, you have to dump more money into it to check other loads. You don’t have to spend a dime to clean it well and check out the stock/action fitment.

Just for some anecdotal evidence, I just took a new 7mm mag to the range on Wednesday to break in the barrel and try three different handloads to try to get a foundation for load development. The handloads were 3/ea of the exact same thing with the exception of different powders/charges - same bullet, same (new) brass, same primer, same OAL.

Off a lead sled, I had one load shoot .503” at 100 yards and another load give me about a 2.5” triangle. There’s validity in the gun not liking the ammo, to be sure. However, I’d start with ripping it apart and giving it a good solid cleaning. You can also check your torque on the rings to see if anything has backed out some.

 

[sont5413]

Hey Everybody, I think I'm at the point of taking the gun to a gunsmith to get it checked out. Still shooting large cones at 100 yards. Today at the range, I even had a seemingly competent shooter shoot a 5-shot group with the gun. He shot Hornady ELD-X's at around 6 MOA at 100 yards. . . . Please find shot groupings below. Also, if anyone happens to live in the Austin, Texas area and have a recommendation for a great gunsmith, please let me know.

07-28-2020
Group 1, 5-shots
REM 700, .30-06
REM corelokt, 150GR.




07-28-2020
Group 2, 9-shots
REM 700, .30-06
REM corelokt, 150GR.
100 Yards



07-28-2020
Group 3, 6-shots
REM 700, .30-06
REM corelokt, 150GR.
100 Yards



08-02-2020
Group 1, 5-shots
REM 700, .30-06
Hornady Precision Hunter, ELD-X
Max Spread: 6.075 inches
100 Yards



REM 700, .30-06
Hornady Precision Hunter, ELD-X
Max Spread: 5.415 inches
100 Yards

 

[slvrslngr]

Pull the scope off and put something tried and true on. Thats what I'd do before sending it to the smith. There's so many things that could be wrong with it but this is the easiest thing to check first.

 

[Tmac]

Not sure if it’s been mentioned, but if you have addressed the usual suspects, scope, mounts, bedding, action screws, coppered up barrel, I’d take a real close look at the crown. Any obvious nicks or damage could cause what you are seeing.

 

[Cahunter805]

I agree with above. Pull the scope and swap it for something proven. Also check the front rail screw to make sure it’s not bottoming out on the barrel threads.
Is the rifle bedded? How’s the trigger?
I wouldn’t take it to a gunsmith just yet. I’d try to figure it out yourself first.

 

[sont5413]

Pull the scope off and put something tried and true on. Thats what I'd do before sending it to the smith. There's so many things that could be wrong with it but this is the easiest thing to check first.

That would be a great little experiment. I personally don't have any scopes that I know are 100% good to go. Perhaps I find a friendly guy at the range to help a brother out

 

[sont5413]

Not sure if it’s been mentioned, but if you have addressed the usual suspects, scope, mounts, bedding, action screws, coppered up barrel, I’d take a real close look at the crown. Any obvious nicks or damage could cause what you are seeing.

The mount, action, and ring screws should be good to go. The action is not bedded. I am not sure how to diagnose a coppered up barrel or a damaged crown, but I'll look it up. Thanks

 

[sont5413]

I agree with above. Pull the scope and swap it for something proven. Also check the front rail screw to make sure it’s not bottoming out on the barrel threads.
Is the rifle bedded? How’s the trigger?
I wouldn’t take it to a gunsmith just yet. I’d try to figure it out yourself first.

Thanks. The trigger is heavy, but haven't actually measured it with a device yet.

 

[sont5413]

Going to clean it. If this does not bring a group-cone to under 2 MOA for 5-shots I'm going to take it to a smith.

 

[Reburn]

That would be a great little experiment. I personally don't have any scopes that I know are 100% good to go. Perhaps I find a friendly guy at the range to help a brother out

Buy this. There is better than a 50/50 shot this is your problem.

SWFA 3-9x42 SS HD 30mm Riflescope

SWFA 3-9x42 SS HD 30mm Riflescope Details SKU: SS39X42MQ Finish: Matte Reticle: MIL-Quad Tube Diameter (mm): 30 Elevation Knob: Exposed Target (.1 MIL) Windage Knob: Exposed Target (.1 MIL) Parallax Setting: Fixed Focus Focal Plane: First

www.swfa.com

If that doesnt work take it here. Do the scope first. Dont waste the gunsmiths time or your money until you have ruled that out.

Tubleweeds Custom Rifles - Central Texas, Austin & Round Rock

Tumbleweeds Custom Rifles is the premier, high quality rifle company serving customers all around the country.

www.tumbleweedsrifles.com

 

[sont5413]

Buy this. There is better than a 50/50 shot this is your problem.

SWFA 3-9x42 SS HD 30mm Riflescope

SWFA 3-9x42 SS HD 30mm Riflescope Details SKU: SS39X42MQ Finish: Matte Reticle: MIL-Quad Tube Diameter (mm): 30 Elevation Knob: Exposed Target (.1 MIL) Windage Knob: Exposed Target (.1 MIL) Parallax Setting: Fixed Focus Focal Plane: First

www.swfa.com

If that doesnt work take it here. Do the scope first. Dont waste the gunsmiths time or your money until you have ruled that out.

Tubleweeds Custom Rifles - Central Texas, Austin & Round Rock

Tumbleweeds Custom Rifles is the premier, high quality rifle company serving customers all around the country.

www.tumbleweedsrifles.com

Buying the SWFA and keeping my leupold are mutually exclusive. So, you are saying sell the leupold and buy an SWFA before taking it to a gunsmith? Interesting that you linked tumbleweeds, as I talked to them today. Have heard good things.

 

[Reburn]

No. Buy the swfa. Mount it and shoot it. That scope will perform. Send the leupold back to service with a note saying it wont hold zero. They will repair and send back. If the swfa fixes it you know the leupold was the problem. If it doesnt your not out much as you can sell the leupold here for 50 cents on the $ or sell the swfa for 80 cents on the $.

Either way walker and mark will charge you half of what the swfa costs to swap around scopes and diagnose. They are great guys and have done a ton of work for me and I highly reccomend them but they are not cheap. They are usually backed up too.

 

[Reburn]

And sorry since no one else has said it ill be the bad guy. If its not the scope. The gun may be a lost cause. It may need a barrel. At that point your going to start throwing good money after bad on a stock rem 700 unless you want to go hog wild and build it up. Unless you are emotionally attached be prepared to send it down the river.

 

[sont5413]

My issue seems to be that my groups are just really big (e.g., 2.5-5 MOA). Wouldn't checking out the scope be the first thing to check if my groups were acceptable (for me, right now, under 2 MOA), but the zero of those 2 MOA groups were shifting around?

Anyway, thanks Reburn for the idea about the SWFA and sending back the leupold in the event that gun and I shoot lights out after mounting it. So Tumbleweed would charge hundreds of dollars to check the scope against a objectively well-performing scope (not including ammo?)

 

[sont5413]

And sorry since no one else has said it ill be the bad guy. If its not the scope. The gun may be a lost cause. It may need a barrel. At that point your going to start throwing good money after bad on a stock rem 700 unless you want to go hog wild and build it up. Unless you are emotionally attached be prepared to send it down the river.

Not attached at all. Just trying to find signal in the noise with all of this. As you know, there are many variables here.

 

[sont5413]

And sorry since no one else has said it ill be the bad guy. If its not the scope. The gun may be a lost cause. It may need a barrel. At that point your going to start throwing good money after bad on a stock rem 700 unless you want to go hog wild and build it up. Unless you are emotionally attached be prepared to send it down the river.

Why I want to send it to tumbleweed is just to see if there is anything glaring (e.g., barrel, whatever else) that my untrained eye cannot see.

 

[Reburn]

Why I want to send it to tumbleweed is just to see if there is anything glaring (e.g., barrel, whatever else) that my untrained eye cannot see.

Here is your flow chart.

First thing is the scope. Then if it still doesn't shoot take it in. Ask them to do a run through and see if anything obvious jumps out. If nothing jumps out you are faced with the decision to rebarrel or not. I have had some great looking barrels flat out not shoot. As had some that had more chatter then a piano shoot great. Either way this gun doesnt shoot. Since you seem to be new at this you would be better off having a gun that can shoot so if it doesnt you know it was you not the gun so IMO i would not start dumping money into it. Enter tikka, mount swfa to it. If the tikka / swfa doesnt shoot its 99% you. If you get the itch to upgrade the tikka send it to hells canyon armory.

 

[Sportsman]

I'm sure you've thought of this but I'll toss it out - how long are you waiting between shots? Will it group the first two shots on a cold barrel?

When you clean, use a copper remover as part of the process.

Have you tried grouping at 50 yards? The 9 shot group you posted has a fair number inside 1.5 MOA but of course it matters what the order of impact of the 9 shots were. Were the good ones, the first 3?

Also a thought, 30-06 is so common, maybe someone at the range will give you 3 rounds of another brand to try without buying a full box? Don't have to resight. Just see if it will group.

 

[sont5413]

Here is your flow chart.

First thing is the scope. Then if it still doesn't shoot take it in. Ask them to do a run through and see if anything obvious jumps out. If nothing jumps out you are faced with the decision to rebarrel or not. I have had some great looking barrels flat out not shoot. As had some that had more chatter then a piano shoot great. Either way this gun doesnt shoot. Since you seem to be new at this you would be better off having a gun that can shoot so if it doesnt you know it was you not the gun so IMO i would not start dumping money into it. Enter tikka, mount swfa to it. If the tikka / swfa doesnt shoot its 99% you. If you get the itch to upgrade the tikka send it to hells canyon armory.

Thanks