Cold bore shot

[tnshooter111]

I finally got a load in my 243 to shoot that I was happy with so I thought. It shoots little under 3 inches at 300 yds on a warm barrel. The last few days when I can find a calm evening i have been testing to see where my cold barrel shot would hit and man am I in trouble. (for hunting) Well my 300 yd cold barrel shot is shooting 5-6in high and 3-4in to the right. After the first shot it will drop back down and shoot good.
What can I do!!!!!!!

 

[Mikecr]

What can I do!!!!!!!

Adjust your scope 5-6in low and 3-4in to the left, so you can hit what you're aiming at in the field.

 

[tnshooter111]

Well that would only work for the first shot then what lol.

 

[Mikecr]

You go pick up your game,, or go to the house wondering why you took a risky shot & missed.

 

[angus-5024]

so is it a fouling issue or a heat issue. some guns like to be dirty, so put a fouling shot through at the begining of season and forgete about it. if it is a heat issue (your rifle groups good warm) then you have stress on your barrel or on your action, in which case free-float and pillar bed. easy peasy.

 

[RDM416]

I agree with the other replies, if you are terribly worried about follow up shots then you may not really be ready to be taking shots at that range.

That said, your rifle shoud not be doing that. I suspect you have a bedding problem or it could be as simple as action screws improperly tightened. One shot should not be heating your barrel that much, so the problem is probably not barrel heat.

Float the barrel and get the action / stock bedded and I bet the problem goes away.

 

[tnshooter111]

I guess its more of a heat issue because it was not shot on a clean bore. The gun is a remington vls in a hs precision stock. the barrel is not in center of channel (Just a little to one side) The barrel is floated all the way though.

mikecr- I can hold my own shooting but at the end of the day I am still human. Missing is just part of hunting sometimes no matter how good you are. I miss from time to time and would like to feel that I can make a second shot if needed.

 

[Mikecr]

More & more 'hunters' are focusing on preconditioned muti-shot grouping as a capability measure. Well, this ain't diddly squat in the real world.
For hunting, you need 1st shot cold barrel ACCURACY from your shooting system(including strategy), and so an awareness of your true capabilities here.

Hunting is NOT target shooting -at game.
There are no sighters, foulers, barrel temp stabilizing, benches, rests, stools, set ranges or wind flags.
Nor do you have to kill something shot at, eventually. Everyone misses no matter how prepared. Hunting is challenging, and if it weren't this way, then just why would anyone do it?
We don't need the game for food!
Losing game to a missed shot, is not so dishonorable that you MUST keep on shooting until finally hitting.. Besides, where is the accomplishment, in 'evetually' hitting game?

Nothing wrong in improving your capabilities. You might be able to..
You could work within the cold barrel accuracy that your gun offers, and it might be fantastic.
You could cold-bore-load-develop, allowing the barrel to completely cool between all shooting.
With this, the 'eventual' is that you'll be pleased with your first shot hits, and care less about further grouping.
BE A HUNTER, WITH YOUR HUNTING GUN

 

[kcebcj]

I finally got a load in my 243 to shoot that I was happy with so I thought. It shoots little under 3 inches at 300 yds on a warm barrel. The last few days when I can find a calm evening i have been testing to see where my cold barrel shot would hit and man am I in trouble. (for hunting) Well my 300 yd cold barrel shot is shooting 5-6in high and 3-4in to the right. After the first shot it will drop back down and shoot good.
What can I do!!!!!!!

Mikecr has it right. Cold barrel first shot is the one that has to work. Sometimes a follow up is necessary so get the rifle to a good smith and let him tune it up.

 

[justgoto]

What can I do!!!!!!!

It does sound like your rifle needs attention. My cold bore shot is just 1/4moa lower than the rest at 400 yards.

Lately I've noticed it is starting to group closer to the others, possibly because I usually only take one shot a day and clean it afterward, (kinda like an extended break-in?)

 

[tnshooter111]

Cold barrel first shot is the one that has to work. Sometimes a follow up is necessary




I agree 100%. As a hunter I am just trying to find out how to make a second shot count if and only if it is needed. I am just wanting to know what could cause the **** in zeor and what could be done to fix it.

Mikecr- I feel no shame in missing or taking a second shot. I for one dont see a problem in shooting a second shot if it is needed. THATS ME BEING A HUNTER.

 

[RDM416]

Tnshooter,

I think the comments on the follow up shot stuff is just a little good natured fun..... at least on my part! Although if the problem is not resolved, I would want it sighed in for the cold barrel shot...... that should in most cases be the only shot that counts.

Now to the rifle. There is a problem somewhere, none of this is magic...... the problem can be found and fixed.

You commented that the barrel is not in the center of the channel....... Again, that tells me you have a bedding problem. My guess is that the recoil lug or rear tang is shifting from the recoil of the first shot. This creates stress and as the rifle sits (cools) the stock / action / barrel move back to a non-stressed state.

The other problem could be with your scope and or scope mounting. I had a rifle a year or so ago that was just giving me fits. Custom rifle / high dollar swaro scope, both of which I have had for some time. Turned out the scope was shifting internally.

enough talk, if it were mine here is what I would do:

1) Remove the stock, scope, rings, bases. Re-install. use a torque wrench to make sure all screws are at the proper torque. Make sure the scope / rings are straight and torqued properly.

2) Bed the action. Either do it yourself or have it done by a gunsmith. I know HS Precision says their aluminum bedding block stocks do not need to be bedded. They LIE. Bed the stock! With the barrel not being centered in the barrel channel, you are creating "off axis" stress with each shot. That issue needs to be fixed and may just be the cause of your problem.

If you do step (1) and everything works, you may be able to skip step (2) but I would not. I believe any rifle that is going to be depended on to be consistent and accurate needs a bedded action.

Last. What type of scope mounts do you have? I may open a can of worms here, but in my opinion Leupold twist in (front) and windage adjust (rear) rings are not worth the price of the scrap steel they have in them. If you don't already.... Get yourself a "rail" mounting base and some good solid "Weaver" style rings. Ken Farrel and others make some bases that are reasonably priced and there are some decent rings out there too, without having drop big bucks on Badger, NF or MK4.

Your problem can be fixed....... start with step 1. It may very well be that something is just lose. Taking down and re-installing everything could fix it.

Good luck......... Have fun and consider this a learning experience!

 

[tnshooter111]

RDM416- thanks for the help. I will pull it apart and see. I had no idea that being off center a little could make that much difference. I will pull it apart and see if i can find what is causing it to be that way and then bed the lug. I used a fat rench on the screws and put 60 in pounds on them. I had called Hs precision and the said to put 60-65 pounds on the screws. The rings i am using are Burris signature rings and the scope it a burris black diamond. The brand of the bases I am not sure. they are just some cheep ones I have had for about 10 years now.

 

[RDM416]

That is right on with the action screws, I usually set mine at 60 in/lbs as well. Your rings and bases are probably fine as well it sounds like, but certainly take them off and re-install.

You probably already know this but be sure to tighten all mounting screws and action screws like lug nuts on a wheel....... back and forth a little at a time until you reach your max torque.

I normally tighten action screws to 60, bases to 30-35 (depending on the screw size), ring to base 40, rings 25-30. All in in/lbs.

I'm not trying to be a know it all or imply you don't know how to do all this. I just don't know what your level of knowledge or experience is, so I'm just telling what I have learned and what works for me. Hope you get your issue solved....