I was at the range on Saturday shooting next to a guy with a new 300 WM. He was shooting the Precision Hunter with 200gr ELD-X. I lent him my Magneto Speed, I was pretty blown away by the single digit SD, and the first two shots being identical speeds.I can totally feel your pain. I bought a new to me rifle a few months ago. I finally got all the parts and pieces gathered up to get the scope and stuff on it and took it out to the range for a quick session. This was literally my first group out of the rifle after a three shot sight in. this is five shots into about 3/8". I was on cloud 9. It was Hornady factory ammo, and I am not an ELD-X fan so I loaded up some of my preferred bullets to try out and went back to the range two weeks later. Nothing shot even close and most were over the one inch mark so I thought I will try some more of the ELD-X ammo to get me on the bull at 200 yards and go from there. It took two rounds to get it into the bull at 200 yards and then my five shot group was the size of a baseball. If I hadn't been shooting my 6.5 x 284 as well the same day, and it shot fantastic, I would have just chalked it up to a bad day at the range, as I have had some of those.Anyway I have not been back to see if I could figure it out as too many things keep getting in the way but hunting season is upon us here in Montana and I need to get to it. Good luck in your quest to figure out what the heck is going on and please share maybe it will translate to my issue as well.
Exceedingly Bummed-Out
- Thread starter memtb
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I'm doubting that's the problem, I'd see what happens at 100 yards and start from there
The consistency was not there on the 212 ELD-X in the first eight shots through my LabRadar. Spread was 84 FPS. They were not consistent at all but man did they shoot at 100 yards.
I don't think temperature is an issue. QL shows a velocity variation of only 30 fps between 70 and 45 degrees with RL17.
memtb
Well-Known Member
OK: One potential issue eliminated (I think) …..yet now one additional…..maybe two! 
Shot a proven load …..2 shots 2" apart, which isn't great but was in a hurry and shoulder sore from yesterday! Yes I'm a "puss"! Kind of makes me think the scope may be OK!
Immediately shot 2 more with yesterday's bullets…..2 1/8" apart, with a warm barrel and hurried shots!
But a new variable…..it was 20 degrees cooler than yesterday!
So is it possibly temperature related? Or, did I shoot the worst (by far) yesterday than I've "ever" shot in my life?
Will continue…..headed out to look for a place to hunt elk!
If anyone has an epiphany ….I'm all ears!
memtb
Shot a proven load …..2 shots 2" apart, which isn't great but was in a hurry and shoulder sore from yesterday! Yes I'm a "puss"! Kind of makes me think the scope may be OK!
Immediately shot 2 more with yesterday's bullets…..2 1/8" apart, with a warm barrel and hurried shots!
But a new variable…..it was 20 degrees cooler than yesterday!
So is it possibly temperature related? Or, did I shoot the worst (by far) yesterday than I've "ever" shot in my life?
Will continue…..headed out to look for a place to hunt elk!
If anyone has an epiphany ….I'm all ears!
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Is 30 fps not enough to take a load out of a node? I know with one of my rifles I lost about 30 fps extending my CBTO by about .015" and lost 30 fps doing so. This seemed to take me out of a node and my groups opened up substantially, from about .75" or less to 1.5" or more, neck tension was also changed. Saturday, I did another OCW test (at the old neck tension) with the new CBTO and groups shrank with an additional .4-.6gr of powder. I didn't chrono these at the time but I assume I'm back in my initial velocity node at 3030 instead of the 3002 that I ended up in when increasing the length.
Calvin45
Well-Known Member
Not at all laughing at you or your problem.
Just at how ridiculous that explanation is from Barnes.
memtb
Well-Known Member
One in twelve! According to Barnes this morning…..I'm very safe for stability with this bullet @ that twist! memtb
memtb
Well-Known Member
Did you take velocities at any point during the summer? I'd be curious to know if my velocities decreased possibly causing this.If on the edge of a node could a 30 or so mv change take me out?memtb
do you load on the high end of a upper node by chance?
Calvin45
Well-Known Member
Well maybe yeah but you're talking having a sub moa load go completely toIf on the edge of a node could a 30 or so mv change take me out?
over a 30 fps difference? There's got to me a lot more to it than that. Absolutely I believe temp and velocity fluctuations affect things….I've personally never seen anything close to this, not even close at all! To go from 1/2inch to 1 inch groups at 100 to having a hard time staying on an 11x17" target at 300….
this is why i do load work at 600+ and load high end of the low node seems most stable day in day out over huge temp swings
