Exceedingly Bummed-Out

Caliber? Bullet weight? Charge?

First things first..check all things that can be loose... You got that already...

Secondly, Reloder 17 is VERY temp sensitive....ok, REALLY temp sensitive....That's my guess, is that is the powder...

When you can use RL-17, you can NORMALLY use RL-16, not as fast, but it's extremely temp INsensitive...
 
Calvin45 said:
Again, sincere question, I've had good luck with vortex but there's a competitor aimed at the same market that's superior quality with equivalent price and warranty/customer support I'd love to hear who it is and what your experience was.
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I'd look at the Leupold line. Of course I typically look at stuff $1k US and up but that's where I'd go if I was trying to get rid of my Vortex stuff. Which I now own two VX-5HDs and would add more.
 
Not wanting to hijack the thread.
The people that should be buying better scope are the ones that scrimp and think they are fine with a cheaper optic. If and When that optic fails it could cost you above and beyond what even a decent optic would cost. The time involved when it fails alone not to mention when It fails. Imagine being on a hunt you saved up for for years and you take your budget optic and it fails right away? What is warranty going to do when you fail to harvest that animal on the hunt you saved for? I work with many shooters and the variable that fails them all is their optic when they think they can get buy cheaper. I am fine with anyone using a cheap new or old rifle as long as they top it with a decent optic. A lot of threads with optics failing. Why when you can get a good used Nightforce SHV, SWFA, or SIII sightron would you even look at chancing a Vortex optic! Nightforce has become A budget priced optic for what other companies have out in the $3,000 price range now. You can get a great scope from NF for well under $1k if you just look around. I could go on and give many more examples. Do your self a favor even If you just buy one good scope and set of rings you can change it around rifles if you need to. I'm tired of hearing the same people that Buy because of an overly used warranty selling point complaining when they can't figure out what went wrong with their shooting. You all can take out this variable buy the Best new or used. I don't sell them but I stake my reputation and life on my Nightforce optics. I am not bashing people that budget or don't think they can't afford Because I am one! I want everyone to be able to keep putting their bullets where they belong. You owe it to the animals you shoot, your mental state, and your pocket book.
 
memtb said:
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! View attachment 500449 memtb
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Perhaps the barrel is fouled by the mono bullets?
 
belldar said:
Not wanting to hijack the thread.
The people that should be buying better scope are the ones that scrimp and think they are fine with a cheaper optic. If and When that optic fails it could cost you above and beyond what even a decent optic would cost. The time involved when it fails alone not to mention when It fails. Imagine being on a hunt you saved up for for years and you take your budget optic and it fails right away? What is warranty going to do when you fail to harvest that animal on the hunt you saved for? I work with many shooters and the variable that fails them all is their optic when they think they can get buy cheaper. I am fine with anyone using a cheap new or old rifle as long as they top it with a decent optic. A lot of threads with optics failing. Why when you can get a good used Nightforce SHV, SWFA, or SIII sightron would you even look at chancing a Vortex optic! Nightforce has become A budget priced optic for what other companies have out in the $3,000 price range now. You can get a great scope from NF for well under $1k if you just look around. I could go on and give many more examples. Do your self a favor even If you just buy one good scope and set of rings you can change it around rifles if you need to. I'm tired of hearing the same people that Buy because of an overly used warranty selling point complaining when they can't figure out what went wrong with their shooting. You all can take out this variable buy the Best new or used. I don't sell them but I stake my reputation and life on my Nightforce optics. I am not bashing people that budget or don't think they can't afford Because I am one! I want everyone to be able to keep putting their bullets where they belong. You owe it to the animals you shoot, your mental state, and your pocket book.
Click to expand...
Okay that makes good sense and I'll agree with that for sure. Moreover at this point I just mostly hunt whitetail in my local zone and whatever I get drawn for. But I see what you're saying, if you can afford a non-resident tag, an outfitter or guide, the gasoline or plane ticket to get where you're going, and to take time off work to go hunting.,.you can afford some quality equipment.

I'm like that more about ammunition and specifically projectiles. I love that cheaper bullets exist for me to practice and have uncomplicated good old fashioned fun with. I don't consider the bigger price tag on premium bullets (whether that's tougher hunting bullets or match type) much of a factor. No matter what the actual bullet is about the cheapest part of the hunt AND the one that absolutely must perform.
 
belldar said:
Not wanting to hijack the thread.
The people that should be buying better scope are the ones that scrimp and think they are fine with a cheaper optic. If and When that optic fails it could cost you above and beyond what even a decent optic would cost. The time involved when it fails alone not to mention when It fails. Imagine being on a hunt you saved up for for years and you take your budget optic and it fails right away? What is warranty going to do when you fail to harvest that animal on the hunt you saved for? I work with many shooters and the variable that fails them all is their optic when they think they can get buy cheaper. I am fine with anyone using a cheap new or old rifle as long as they top it with a decent optic. A lot of threads with optics failing. Why when you can get a good used Nightforce SHV, SWFA, or SIII sightron would you even look at chancing a Vortex optic! Nightforce has become A budget priced optic for what other companies have out in the $3,000 price range now. You can get a great scope from NF for well under $1k if you just look around. I could go on and give many more examples. Do your self a favor even If you just buy one good scope and set of rings you can change it around rifles if you need to. I'm tired of hearing the same people that Buy because of an overly used warranty selling point complaining when they can't figure out what went wrong with their shooting. You all can take out this variable buy the Best new or used. I don't sell them but I stake my reputation and life on my Nightforce optics. I am not bashing people that budget or don't think they can't afford Because I am one! I want everyone to be able to keep putting their bullets where they belong. You owe it to the animals you shoot, your mental state, and your pocket book.
Click to expand...
And further I certainly will clarify I'm not claiming some dire poverty or anything like that haha. If I can afford 10 "nothing fancy" firearms, some with optics (none of them fancy either) and some without, reloading equipment and components for most of them, etc….I could just own one to three higher end guns with similar optics, and acknowledge that I choose not to…cuz where's the fun in one gun!? 🤣
 
belldar said:
Not wanting to hijack the thread.
The people that should be buying better scope are the ones that scrimp and think they are fine with a cheaper optic. If and When that optic fails it could cost you above and beyond what even a decent optic would cost. The time involved when it fails alone not to mention when It fails. Imagine being on a hunt you saved up for for years and you take your budget optic and it fails right away? What is warranty going to do when you fail to harvest that animal on the hunt you saved for? I work with many shooters and the variable that fails them all is their optic when they think they can get buy cheaper. I am fine with anyone using a cheap new or old rifle as long as they top it with a decent optic. A lot of threads with optics failing. Why when you can get a good used Nightforce SHV, SWFA, or SIII sightron would you even look at chancing a Vortex optic! Nightforce has become A budget priced optic for what other companies have out in the $3,000 price range now. You can get a great scope from NF for well under $1k if you just look around. I could go on and give many more examples. Do your self a favor even If you just buy one good scope and set of rings you can change it around rifles if you need to. I'm tired of hearing the same people that Buy because of an overly used warranty selling point complaining when they can't figure out what went wrong with their shooting. You all can take out this variable buy the Best new or used. I don't sell them but I stake my reputation and life on my Nightforce optics. I am not bashing people that budget or don't think they can't afford Because I am one! I want everyone to be able to keep putting their bullets where they belong. You owe it to the animals you shoot, your mental state, and your pocket book.
Click to expand...
Nightforce, SWFA, trijicon. There's no one that can afford a rifle that can't afford a swfa.
 
This from today trying out a new gun. Leupold 2x8x33 on a 338 378 on a left hand MKV action. First 16 rounds out of this barrel, first 4 loads tried Cut rifled barrel from KS Arms Edmonton that they also chambered and mounted. I get why you are frustrated.
1000001923.jpg
1000001923.jpg
 
I would put money on this being a torque or scope issue. Even though things are loctited, take a torque wrench to every single screw. Bases, rings, the lot. Do the same for action screws. I've seen loose action screws cause weird weird events.

Once physically torqued (not just assumed or looked at) take the suspect ammo and another known ammo and shoot groups side by side. This will give you most of the needed data points.

If both groups are good, then you 1) had a trash day, 2) you need to look at the powder and temperature difference, or 3) start testing shooting positions to see if your groups go to heck with forward stock pressure (like a bipod) or something similar.

If both groups are enormous, then your scope died.

If one ammo groups well and the other sucks, then you can look at your ammo details and see what happened.

Isolating variables is the only way to verify this. Keep your shooting form good, let the gun cool between shots, take your time and ensure the shooting platform is the same for everything.
 

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