Rapidly expanding groups?

[vividus1]

I would call browning. My Xbolt never fouled like this. I can shoot 100 rds and its still grouping very well. are you sure you are getting all copper out from first break in? Copper is very hard to gt out and can take days with some solvents. I have a Sako that fouls and starts flying them everywhere but it takes about 50 rds, groups about 1" until 50 or so. But its very hard to clean out copper from it. Using benchrest copper solvent it takes about 3 days of soaking and scrubbing every 3-4 hours to get it all out.

I have several A Bolts and two other X Bolts ranging from .22-250 to .300 Win Mag...none have acted like this one does. I did call Browning...they said send it back for inspection/warranty without offering any advice or information. I don't really want to start over with remounting/re-zeroing, plus shipping and six weeks time, until I've exhausted any possibility of something related to barrel break in, etc. All my Browning's have been rock solid until this one.

 

[vividus1]

I've never seen copper fouling cause this. I'd send it in to browning as this is definitely not normal. You should be able to get better then 6" with that gun even with fouling. Usually when a gun opens up from fouling it goes from .75" to 1.5-2" not 6-8".

This is exactly what I've experienced...perhaps a bore inclusion? Would a bore scope provide more info?

 

[vividus1]

As said before I'd make sure your getting it all.... what solvents are you using?

Hoppes and J-B...both resulted in the same symptom after thoroughly cleaning the bore.

 

[Schnyd112]

I don't really want to start over with remounting/re-zeroing, plus shipping and six weeks time, until I've exhausted any possibility of something related to barrel break in, etc. All my Browning's have been rock solid until this one.

I just don't think there is a magic answer to this one. maybe try a different bullet? Factory loads are not usually known for taking advantage of larger cases and that Barnes bullet is absolutely smokin. When we had a 7 rum the only factory loads available to us were 140g bullets and they would pretty much explod on impact.

After 50 rounds, your barrel is as broke in as it is going to get from shooting alone. It may speed up a little more, but any imperfections it has are there to stay.

 

[J E Custom]

Only on a clean barrel, and it doesn't even want a fouling round...the first 3 rounds shoot awesome.

Sounds like it needs a little more break in, I would repeat the brake in process and see if it improves. (Some barrels need more brake in than others).

It is not unusual for this to happen after 6 or 7 shots until it is broke in well.

When testing loads, I clean after each 5 shot load and shoot a fouling shot to keep things consistent. That's great if it doesn't need a fouling round, but that Is also a sign that it is fouling faster than normal.

You might also try to see how many accurate shots can be made with only one bullet and then try the same test with the other bullet you want to use. I say this because I have found that some bullets foul worse than others because the copper content is greater.

J E CUSTOM

 

[vividus1]

As said before I'd make sure your getting it all.... what solvents are you using?

Hoppes Bench and J-B

 

[vividus1]

Sounds like it needs a little more break in, I would repeat the brake in process and see if it improves. (Some barrels need more brake in than others).

It is not unusual for this to happen after 6 or 7 shots until it is broke in well.

When testing loads, I clean after each 5 shot load and shoot a fouling shot to keep things consistent. That's great if it doesn't need a fouling round, but that Is also a sign that it is fouling faster than normal.

You might also try to see how many accurate shots can be made with only one bullet and then try the same test with the other bullet you want to use. I say this because I have found that some bullets foul worse than others because the copper content is greater.

J E CUSTOM

Yea, I have settled on the Barnes LRX for now as it groups better when the barrel is clean than the Accubond does, and I won't be mix and matching anymore. I wondered about the fouling round thing...all my other Browning's like a fouling round but this one doesn't seem to care; bore as clean as I can get it and the first three shots shoot great. Weird.

 

[vividus1]

Well, after all your responses (thank so much!) I'm going to scrub it out one more time and go shoot with only the Barnes (it groups best so far). If the same thing occurs, it's going back to Browning for inspection/repair, hopefully under warranty. The gun is only a month old. Thanks again, guys!

 

[L.Sherm]

Are you shooting it after cleaning on a completely dry barrel?

 

[Kansaswoodguy]

I have had a gun do that same thing it was stripping copper off the jackets so badly that after running a patch of KG 12 down the barrel the copper could be seen easily with the naked eye at the end of the muzzle. You could even see milling marks perpendicular to the bore upon close inspection. I used the Tubbs system on that gun it did help but let's just say I often consider rebarreling that gun to something else. If it's under warranty I'd give them the chance to make it right if they don't then maybe try the Tubb Fire lapping system, rebarrel or sell it and start over.

 

[Kansaswoodguy]

Oh yah Barnes are notoriously soft copper and foul some guns very quickly. I not knocking them I like and even use them in a couple of my guns but have other guns that don't normally foul with other bullets foul with Barnes bullets.

 

[dfanonymous]

keep shooting. A barrel doesn't truly break in at 50rds. Also try different ammo and different weights...barrels like what they like.
Also I'm not talking ****, but a fact is, people don't really shoot as well as they think. On any given day....can you or anyone else just go to the range and shoot 1/8th MOA whenever and walk away no big deal...everyday..all the time? I don't care what anyone here says...thats hard to do. A minute is fine, sub is better, id leave it at that, as there is human error in there.

 

[dfanonymous]

Also dont forget to check the torque on your action screws. A little play is enough to open up groups. The factory will have the specs. I personally do 45 in lbs on almost all actions, but thats just me and to each their own.

 

[Canhunter35]

The simplest is send it back for warranty. There's no reason to monkey around that much with a new gun. But I would go shoot it again and try to put a cpl more boxes through and see if it's behaviour continues.

I agree with dafanymous. We all have poor days of shooting and unless ur flinching you shouldn't have flyers that extreme. Make sure your new gun is comfortable and the recoil is not affecting you after the first few rounds.
I've struggled with anticipating the shot, it's generally human nature