Great example today of why we shoot more than 3 or 5 shot groups. In my case, because $hit happens.
Temp.- 89 degrees
Humidity- 53%
Elev.- 1,175'
SW Winds 11-17, gusting to 20
100 yards
I shot 5- 3 shot groups today on the same target at 100 yards. How many guys on here would've stopped after the first or second rounds and proclaimed, "...this gun shoots about .5 MOA all day long."
What happened on rounds 3, 4, and 5!? Well, I was trying to collect velocity data for this load with a Magneto Sport attached to my can. This is not recommended by the manufacturer, but its the only chrono I have, and its worked okay in the past on my 7-08. To make a long story short, it captured velocity on 6 out of 15 shots and errored on the rest. While I was fighting the chrono, the wind started blowing the target around on the crappy stilts that were holding up the sides. This situation will be remedied in the future, but the bottom line is, I lost my focus because I was stressed out about the chrono and target, and it stressed me out. Similar to how a guy can get stressed out on a stalk or when having to bust it up a hill or a number of other scenarios during a hunting situation.
I'm disappointed in myself, not the rifle, and in the future, I will address my technique and shot preparation to close up the groups. Round count on this barrel is now 35, and hopefully it will settle down as well. A better stock will be in the future as well.