What is my problem with my vertical all of a sudden?

[loosesniper2000]

With a vertical string like that you're dealing with some major movement that has to be associated with the humidity and stock warp. Some of the other suggestions may help improve a little but not what you're seeing now.
I've competed in 1000yd benchrest for years and groups like this don't come from anything but a major change in, not components but drastic alterations. Outside of doing some stock work your pressures may be a little high but I doubt it. There were times where we had to "bake" our loads under a heating lamp because we didn't anticipate the colder weather, once we got them hot enough they worked out fine. I don't recommend anybody doing this but yours is not the case, it could be you had some hot loads and when the temp rose your load exceeded maximum pressure.

Check your cases and see if you have any signs of pressure and go from there. Out side of that, go ahead with the bedding and make sure the barrel is free floated....good luck
Dustin

 

[CRNA]

With a vertical string like that you're dealing with some major movement that has to be associated with the humidity and stock warp. Some of the other suggestions may help improve a little but not what you're seeing now.
I've competed in 1000yd benchrest for years and groups like this don't come from anything but a major change in, not components but drastic alterations. Outside of doing some stock work your pressures may be a little high but I doubt it. There were times where we had to "bake" our loads under a heating lamp because we didn't anticipate the colder weather, once we got them hot enough they worked out fine. I don't recommend anybody doing this but yours is not the case, it could be you had some hot loads and when the temp rose your load exceeded maximum pressure.

Check your cases and see if you have any signs of pressure and go from there. Out side of that, go ahead with the bedding and make sure the barrel is free floated....good luck
Dustin

Dustin,
There are no signs of pressure. The load is pretty conservative. Three grains less than one of my reloading manuals calls for. Would what you are talking about still account for the good groups that I shot in cooler/less humid weather? Thanks for the advice.

 

[backwoods83]

Your accustock should not be the issue unless the barrel channel is not open enough and the stock is touching. I work on savages all the time, I even have a couple 1k savage bench guns, bottom line I like em and there's not much I don't know about them. If it wasn't for the crappy looks and thin light plastic they would be just as good as a b&c medalist because the aluminum bedding block isn't much different.

 

[Greyfox]

This could be a long shot, but I believe you mentioned that you were shooting off a bi-pod. Did you try shooting off bags or some other stationary rest. I had this issue one day and it turned out to be the grainy surface that my bipod legs were resting on. It caused the same kind of vertical stringing. I then went back to my bi pod with a sheet of smooth plastic under the legs and the problem went away.

 

[CRNA]

This could be a long shot, but I believe you mentioned that you were shooting off a bi-pod. Did you try shooting off bags or some other stationary rest. I had this issue one day and it turned out to be the grainy surface that my bipod legs were resting on. It caused the same kind of vertical stringing. I then went back to my bi pod with a sheet of smooth plastic under the legs and the problem went away.

I wondered the same thing myself. I only shot off of my Harris bipod that day. I had another rest that I was using for my son's .243. I will shoot again off of another platform and see if it improves. It has been a while since I shot off of a bipod at the range on the bench. Usually I use a Caldwell 7rest.

 

[loosesniper2000]

Dustin,
There are no signs of pressure. The load is pretty conservative. Three grains less than one of my reloading manuals calls for. Would what you are talking about still account for the good groups that I shot in cooler/less humid weather? Thanks for the advice.

If groups vary...shoots good one day and opposite the next, it could be the weather variations. Your load may even be a little low, try bumping it up by .5 gr increments and see where you are. You'd be surprised what the humidity level can do to groups.

 

[noneck180]

Bi-pod