Why are my shots going to the right?

[Augustus]

Joe, when shooting LR your baseline zero is critical. I would like to see more of your 100 yd groups but it looks to me your zero is at least 1/2 min right discounting the one at 7 o'clock. That correction will take care of most of your problem.

When getting a baseline zero you need to verify it several times on different days and use the center of the groups. I personally would not use the 100 yd zero you posted as a valid zero.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Back to the OP's post....

"I watched the person mount the scope"....

If you are going to shoot LR, you need to learn to mount your own optics, not being a smart ***, just being frank.

Levels are cheap and tabletop gun vises like a Tipton are as well.

I'd never trust anyone to mount a scope when it's so easy to do correctly yourself.

It's assuredly canted and the rifle/scope together are probably canted when shooting, a common issue.

The scope cross hairs must be at a right angle to the axis of the firearm and must be in the same relationship when the round is touched off.

To a smaller extent, scope misalignment can cause compounded errors. Did the person lap and align the rings in relationship to the base/rail, prior to mounting the scope? No rings or scope, no matter what they cost, are any better than the mounting job.

Anytime you see a scope for sale, anywhere and the seller states... "ring marks', you can rest assured that the seller didn't lap and align the rings, prior to installing the scope. Severe ring marks are a good sign that the internal mechanism of the scope may be damaged.

Finally, if the rings are in alignment and properly lapped, the ring to tube contact is at it's fullest and when the caps are installed and the fasteners torqued to specification, the scope will never slip in the rings, due to recoil.

Finally, I'd add a scope level. Len has them in his LRH store on this site btw.

 

[Joe King]

Joe, when shooting LR your baseline zero is critical. I would like to see more of your 100 yd groups but it looks to me your zero is at least 1/2 min right discounting the one at 7 o'clock. That correction will take care of most of your problem.

When getting a baseline zero you need to verify it several times on different days and use the center of the groups. I personally would not use the 100 yd zero you posted as a valid zero.

I didn't say anything about 100yrds, that's only useful in the initial stages of load development, and getting a new scope close. I see these thing happen at 200yrds sometimes, but mostly at 300+. 100yrd grouping is like timing an Olympic sprinter at 40yrds then transposing that time *2.5 to the 100, or 5* for the 200. It can give you an indication but compared to the actual range it means nothing.

 

[Dr. Vette]

Good advice so far.

If it's not an issue with level or cant, then I'd highly suspect the scope is not in line with the bore. All of these can be easily fixed at home with the right tools.

An inexpensive way is with a level (or set of levels like the Level-Level-Level) it as well as the vertical reticle instrument:

EXD ENGINEERING VERTICAL RETICLE INSTRUMENT - Brownells

Using these I can get them right on, every time. My goal is to have to never touch the windage adjustment of a scope during sight-in time. I also use the Wheeler FAT wrench and slowly torque each ring so that the torque doesn't cause the scope's level to change.

Important Note: You will, however, have a problem if your base or rings can't be adjusted for left/right position. I had a set of double dovetail bases that was waaaay off resulting in the scope looking far left of center. Thankfully this was fixed with Burris Signature rings allowing me to recenter the scope, but I've since removed those bases from the rifle. A fixed rail or fixed bases + fixed rings could also do this if one of them is out of spec.

 

[learning]

Just because you saw someone use a level doesn't mean that it is right. Read the article by Darrel holland and then shoot it and turn it up 30 moa and hold on the same spot you just shot at. That will be a good starting point. That's the first thing I try when I put a scope on a rifle.

 

[submoa]

Joe, when shooting LR your baseline zero is critical. I would like to see more of your 100 yd groups but it looks to me your zero is at least 1/2 min right discounting the one at 7 o'clock. That correction will take care of most of your problem.

When getting a baseline zero you need to verify it several times on different days and use the center of the groups. I personally would not use the 100 yd zero you posted as a valid zero.

i think this hit the nail on the head. it looks to me that your group is 1/2 to 3/4s of a inch to the right at 100 yards this woud make your 400 yard group 2" to 3" to the right.

i would zero your rifle then try it again

 

[Augustus]

Yep Joe, you stated the picture of the 200 yd zero was submitted to show you were zeroed correctly. It shows you are not zeroed correctly. If you use an imperfectly centered zero regardless of the distance, the imperfection will get progressively worse at increasing distances.

 

[Augustus]

Oh, by the way Joe, I shoot from a mile to 2500 yds a lot. I use only 100 yd zeros. You may want to reconsider your belief that 100 yd zeros are only good for load development and getting a scope close.

 

[meat head]

the way I do it is. I'll use a target with the 4 bulls 1 in each corner and 1 in the center. I'll start ate the lower left corner and aim only at that target, shoot 1 shot dial in right windage to get to the lower right target shoot 1 shot, dial up elevation to get to the upper right target shoot 1 shot, dial left windage to upper left target shoot 1 shot dial down elevation back to lower left target shot 1 final shot. you should have have a hit on each and the 2 on the lower left should be grouped respective to the grouping you normally get. But you have to aim at the first target you shoot at through out the entire process.

your talking about a mill or moa scope not like just plain 3x9x40 rightgun)

 

[Joe King]

Yep Joe, you stated the picture of the 200 yd zero was submitted to show you were zeroed correctly. It shows you are not zeroed correctly. If you use an imperfectly centered zero regardless of the distance, the imperfection will get progressively worse at increasing distances.

Um ok you might want to go back and look who the op is.......... Hint IT'S NOT ME JACKASS

 

[Joe King]

your talking about a mill or moa scope not like just plain 3x9x40 rightgun)

Yes a a LR scope with mechanical zero's, like a Millet TRS to a Nightforce NXS

 

[Augustus]

Well pardon me Joe, you were not the OP; however, you were the one that posted 100 yd zeros have no value other than load development or getting a scope close. I do believe spewing forth equine excrement such as this puts you in the Jack *** section along beside me, sooo, from one Jack *** to another please forgive me for getting your post mixed up with others.

 

[SidecarFlip]

equine excretement? Glad my wife don't look at this site.......

 

[Joe King]

equine excretement? Glad my wife don't look at this site.......

I dunno dude got fastracked to the ignore list