Tikka t3x superlite in 7mm rem mag and Barnes LRX 139grain -- disastrous grouping

[WaWox]

My tikka in 7mm rem mag shoots cheap seller &belliot decently well-- about 2 moa at 200 yards and there's a lot of my own wiggle and error in there.

Barnes ttsx boat tail in 150 grain also shoot ok -- when switching ammo, I had to rezero because they landed about 2 MOA to the right. Not sure how that happens (I'd have expected a slightly higher point of impact because of higher muzzle velocity) and I don't think I developed a bullet specific flinch? but seemed easy enough to fix with 5x0.1MIL clicks. Groups were then maybe just over 2 MOA. Again, probably at least half shooter error in there.

Then I tried the LRX in 139. Groups were about 6 MOA wide. I shot an entire 20 round box and they went 6 moa high 6 moa low 6 moa right 6 moa left and probably I am undercounting because some went almost 6 moa left/right AND up/down, so total area is even larger.

I know every rifle / barrel is different and that's why you test ammo for each rifle rather than relying on online reviews but still: what's going on here?

Do other people have similar experiences with the Barnes long range being finicky?

 

[Unckebob]

I have no proof, but I have heard that it is a good idea to clean a barrel down to bare metal when switching from traditional bullets. I am going to try it out soon.

 

[mt100gr.]

How long have you been shooting lightweight magnums?

Which scope and mounts are on it?

 

[rookieforever33]

I was disappointed trying ttsx in my new 300wm. I heard about the clean barrel before shooting monolithics thing so I tried it. I tried it and its true. Found ttsx to ve my most accurate load now. Its strange but true

 

[Ringbill27]

Clean your barrel and try again.

 

[Macintosh]

Landing 2moa to the right is normal, different load has different harmonics on the barrel and can land in any direction, not just up/down. I have seen this as often as not in my own guns.

It may just be the gun doesnt like that bullet, and it could be the lot of ammo as well. I shoot mostly barnes bullets hunting, and have seen pretty significant shifts between ammo lots, and a couple lots of ammo that just didnt group nearly as well as the same ammo from a different lot #. Ive also seen barnes quality being pretty hit and miss more recently—stuff like plastic tips being clearly deformed and not concentric, plastic tips fully missing or broken off and rattling around in the box, etc. so if this sort of visually obvious stuff is getting through to the consumer it seems very possible that the consistency could be off throughout the process, and precision my suffer. Hope they get it together.

Regardless, sounds like you have a good fallback with those TTSX 150’s?

 

[WaWox]

Thanks a lot for all the advice! Excited to spend some time cleaning out the barrel and trying again.

I actually bought several boxes of the TTSX and only one of the LRX because of what was in store, so looks like I might have gotten "lucky" that way..

 

[mtnbound]

Check to make sure the recoil lug connection is correct.


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[WaWox]

Huh, how do I do that?

 

[mtnbound]

A quick visual check is to look at the left side of the action there should be a small hole and it should look something like this.

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