I need some input.

[montana bob]

I do not anneal, My case prep is all consistent, I have a Chrono but have not Chronographed these loads. The Rifle is a Browning Max Long Range, there is no flex to the stock. I have owned a lot of rifles and I've only had one other rifle I couldn't work with and get to shoot, I have worked with a little with the seating depth but not to extremes with it. I talked to Browning today and they told me to send it to them but if it shot 1 1/2 MOA that's within their specs and would send it back. For a factory rifle of of the cost of it 1 1/2 MOA does not seem acceptable to me.

 

[montana bob]

It sounds to me like the barrel is heating up and bending causing the shots to walk.

I shoot a 5 shot group and let it cool. I have cleaned between sessions.

 

[Lee Goodwin]

I called Brown

Yeah, that's a bummer, you spend all that money and now time. Probably just gotta find that right mix of powder and projectile. 1 1/2 MOA is savage axis not Browning long distance rifle.

 

[Canhunter35]

I do not anneal, My case prep is all consistent, I have a Chrono but have not Chronographed these loads. The Rifle is a Browning Max Long Range, there is no flex to the stock. I have owned a lot of rifles and I've only had one other rifle I couldn't work with and get to shoot, I have worked with a little with the seating depth but not to extremes with it. I talked to Browning today and they told me to send it to them but if it shot 1 1/2 MOA that's within their specs and would send it back. For a factory rifle of of the cost of it 1 1/2 MOA does not seem acceptable to me.

Did they say how many shots for 1.5 Moa? I'd send it back and ask/insist they use 5 shots, and hopefully it shoots outside their specs.

 

[David Lindler]

I bought a new rifle this year. A factory long range hunting rifle chambered in 7mm mag. I've hand loaded for many years and done very well with sorting out what works and what doesn't for my rifles. I'm perplexed with this one. I can't get a good solid MOA or less with it and when something appears to work when my first two shots are touching all of a sudden the next three climb in a verticle line about 2 1/2 inches straight up. I switched out bases and scopes and it does the same thing. I've tried many different loads, different bullet weights, different powders, different charges, different OAL's. Any Idea's besides I might have gotten a lemon. This is supposed to be a very good rifle.

Most likely barrel is touching the stock and causing bullet spread when barrel heats up. Are your action screws torqued equally and securely?

 

[TBell]

I bought a new rifle this year. A factory long range hunting rifle chambered in 7mm mag. I've hand loaded for many years and done very well with sorting out what works and what doesn't for my rifles. I'm perplexed with this one. I can't get a good solid MOA or less with it and when something appears to work when my first two shots are touching all of a sudden the next three climb in a verticle line about 2 1/2 inches straight up. I switched out bases and scopes and it does the same thing. I've tried many different loads, different bullet weights, different powders, different charges, different OAL's. Any Idea's besides I might have gotten a lemon. This is supposed to be a very good rifle.

My guess confirm bedding and confirm free float from bedded lug forward.

 

[Joefrazell]

Unfortunately it sounds like you got a lemon. If you've checked everything twice and tried several different loads it's the rifle and unfortunately this is all too common.

 

[rm76]

I had a similar issue with a 300wby mag that I had bedded in an HS precision stock. Used the customary tape on front, bottom and sides of the recoil lug but had used the heavy rubber electricians type tape as I had done with numerous other rifles. As a last resort, thinking that perhaps the bottom of the recoil lug was touching, I re-bedded the recoil lug but did not tape the sides all the way to the bottom - effectively making for a tighter fit. That did the trick - much tighter groups. So I think what might have been happening is that maybe there was enough space on the sides of the recoil lug that I was getting some torquing of the action when firing hot loads. With the solid fit after re-bedding that stopped and groups shrank.

 

[crkckr]

Check for free float right after you shoot a 5 shot group. Unless there's something odd with the barrel, generally the "2 group groups" are bedding problems, although if your ES & SD are high, that could be the problem, too. I would think the first thing to do is check the free float while the barrel is hot and then chrono your loads. Bedding problems sometimes involve voodoo, which can be time consuming and costly! Try the easy stuff first!
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[David Lindler]

Try bedding the action lug if not already done

 

[Greyfox]

I'm in agreement with other posts that the symptoms you describe sound like there may be something going on with the bedding. I have seen Browning/Winchester's(same company) where the lug was bedded by simply squirting epoxy into the lug recess and in the tang area, then they simply torqued the stock to the action. I had a Model 70 in 270 WSM that was bedded this way and it displayed similar symptoms as you describe. The action seemed stressed when I removed the action from the stock, raising suspicions.. When I mounted the action in a Mcmillan Sporter stock I had on hand, I saw a major improvement with very symmetrical groups at sub MOA. Not saying this is your problem, but you might check it out. In my experience, it's rare to have a factory rifle that doesn't require some form of tweaking/modification to get it right.

 

[Equalizer]

it's rare to have a factory rifle that doesn't require some form of tweaking/modification to get it right.

I must be lucky. Never had a gun I couldn't get to shoot by changing bullet weight or handloading for it. Seriously I have never bedded a stock or anything. (Other than trigger adjustment)

Also if you're not having luck with factory rifles buy a Sako. They all shoot and fit and finish is on a different plane from the rest. Sorry OP for your troubles hope you find resolution.

 

[Arkansasdad]

I would first find a load that gives consistent velocities. Ideally you're looking for an extreme spread of 20fps or less for 5-10 shots. Then from there work on seating depth. Find your lands, seat 3 each off from 0.010 off to 0.060 off. Shoot those for groups. Pick out the best group, then fine tune that seat length in or out by 0.002 until you get the best group.

Sounds like he may be shooting compressed or over compressed loads. Maybe try to back off to 95% of case capacity and see if ES comes into the +/_ 10 fps range.

 

[milo-2]

If you say you can get the first 2 shots touching, then goes haywire, try 2 shots, let it cool back down and fire 2 more, see what happens.
A good friend bought a GW 28 nosler, proof carbon barrel, and I have been helping him for 3 months, total frustration, it shoots satellite groups too. It is really apparent at 500 yards, first shot hits where it is supposed to, 2nd 5" low, 3rd back in with the first shot, 4th low again right in with the 2nd shot. Granted impatience has plagued us, but for a 7500 rifle, this is a dog. And if I was the owner, it would be gone.